Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A30944
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Memorials examples of memorable men, to awaken this age to greater care of good learning and true religion.
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Barksdale, Clement, 1609-1687.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing B797; ESTC R25858
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59,933
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144
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conformitie to the Rites of the Church and zeal to advance the Cause of God wherein his Travels abroad were not obscure in the time of the excommunication of the Venetians 7. Then he certifies the King This is the Man whom Padre Paulo took I may say into his very soul with whom he did communicate the inwardest thoughts of his heart from whom he professed to have received more knowledge in all Divinitie both Scholastical and Positive than from any that he had ever practised in his daies Of which all the passages were well known to the King your Father of most blessed Memory 8. And so he concludes in these words With your Majesties good favour I end this needlesse office for the general fame of his learning his life and Christian temper and those religious labours which himself hath Dedicated to your Majestie do better describe him then I am able 9. Mr Bedel was to the great joy of Sir Henrie Wotton made Governor of the said Colledg and after a fair discharge of his duty and trust there he was thence removed to be Bishop of Kilmore In both which places his life was so holy as seemed to equal the primitive Christians for as they so he kept all the Ember-weeks observed besides his private devotions the Canonical hours of prayer very strictly and so he did all the Feasts and Fast-daies of his Mother the Church of England his patience and charitie were both such as shewed his affections were set upon things above 10 Indeed his whole life brought forth the fruits of the Spirit there being in him such a remarkablenesse that he had a good report of those that were without Those that in point of Religion were of the Roman perswasion of which there were many in his Diocese did yet ever look upon him with respect and reverence and testified it by a concealing and safe ptotecting him in the late horrid Rebellion in Ireland when the furie of the wild Irish knew no distinction of persons yet there and then was he protected and cherished by those of a contrarie perswasion and there and then he dyed though not by violence 11. With him were lost many of his learned Writings which were worthy of preservation and among the rest was lost the Bible which by many years labour and conference and study he had translated into the Irish Tongue with an intent to have printed it for publick use IX M. ANT. de DOMINIS Dean of Windsor Out of Dr Barwick D. Roberto Glyn Rect. de Risington p. ABout the year 1618. there came over into England that very learned though unfortunate man Marcus Antonius de Dominis Arch-bishop of Spalato Primate of Dalmatia c. Which as he was wont to glory was St Hieroms Native Country as well as his 2. This great Scholar after he had so profoundly asserted the truth of Christian Religion as it is professed and practised in the Church of England in so many particulars against the errors and Corruptions of the See of Rome in his Learned and laborious books De Republica Ecclesiastica and had also from the Kings bounty received so great incouragements for his honorable supports as the Deanry of Windsour and Mastership of the Savoy besides many rich and yearly presents not only from the Bishops and Clergy but also from the Nobilitie and Gentrie Was so far wrought upon by that Polititian Count Gondamar the Spanish Embassador then in England and other instruments of the See of Rome that sought his ruin under some specious pretences as to take up a resolution of returning to Rome and could not be disswaded from it by his true friends that really endeavoured his security Among whom Bishop Morton was neither the least nor last who very earnestly advised him both by word and writing noâ— to venture himself upon such a hopelesse and hâ—ssardous journy 3. The Arch-bishops pretence was very plausible and commendable and how real he was in it must be left to God namely to negotiate an unitie in Religion between the Church of Rome and the Church of England upon those moderate grounds which he had laid down and so well defended in his learned and laborious Works printed here at London He applauded himself in the excellency of the work in removing the Schism and of the honour in becoming a Repairer of the breach and of the reward which is promised to the peace makers And he thought himself the more likely to go through with his work by reason of the seasonable opportunitie he had at that time when Gregorie the fifteenth was newly chosen Pope who had been of his old and intimate acquaintance brought up in the same School and College with him And however he was resolved to make an attempt because if he failed in it he hoped he should lose nothing but his labour for as for his Indemnitie Count Gondamar had promised him the securitie of the King of Spain his Master But how well that promise was perform'd will appear by the Sequel 4. While he was swelled up full with this promise and these hopes Dr Morton the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventrie coming to visit him had this ensuing discourse with him among many others which I have often heard him repeat with pleasure and shall therefore insert it and the rather because it shews us of how little authority the Council of Trent would be if it were not for the terrour of the inquisition Leichf Domine quid tibi in animo est Anne convertere Papam Atque etiam conclave papale Spal Quid ni domine Anne existimas eos diaboloâ— esse ut non possint converti Leichf Minime Domine nec puto dominum Spalatensum deum esse ut hoc possit praestare Nostin enim concilium Tridientinum Spal Novi domine ausus sum tibi dicere Millies Mille sunt etiam in Italia qui huic concilio fidem nullam adhibeant 5. This discourse and many other having passed between them they parted friendly And not long after did this Bishop reinforce his arguments with an addition of mâ—ny more in a long and learned Epistle to him Wherein among other Motives to dissâ—ade him from his journy he used one wherein he shewed himself a true Prophet concerning the entertainment he was like to have at Rome Which proved to be that before he gâ—t to Rome Pope Gregorie the fifteenth his old friend was dead and a successor chosen in his plâ—ce by whom this Arch-bishop was impriloned in Castro St Angelo Where he died not without strong suspition of murder or poyson And his body was afterward burnt as of an Heretick in Campo Flâ—ri 6. I could here start a problematical question concerning this learned Arch bishop Whether or no did he ever retract his works which he pulished in print If he did why did they at Rome buâ—n his body for Heresie If not then they abused him in his life time as well as after his death in the manifesto which they put forth
by the Translation of his old friend Bishop Overal to Norwich And here his trouble was not so great as at Chester though his Diocess was longer because the common sort of people for the most part were better principled by the care and vigilance of his Predecessor But yet he abated nothing of his former pains and industry both in Writing Preaching and conferring with those that were not wilfully obstinate besides his ordinary Visiting his Diocess and Confirming such children as could give an Account of their Faith 19. Among the works of Charitie performed by this Bishop while he was of that See memorable is the Education he bestowed upon one George Canner who like another Didymus of Alexandria or Fisher of Wewminster was born blind This youth he brought up first at School and afterwards sent him to Cambrigde where he maintained him and his Unkle to look to him in S. John's Coll. After he had taken the Degree of Bachelor of Arts he sent for him into his own Family and there instructed him in the whole Body of Divinitie then admitted him into sacred Orders placed him in a Cure in Staffordshire Which Cure the blind man discharged diligently and laudably being a very good preacher and able also to perform the whole Office of the Church as it is prescribed in the Book of Common prayer only by the strength of his admirable Memory 20. Memorable also is that passage of the Boy of Bilson near Woolverhampton who being wrought upon by some Bomish Priests counterfeited himself to be possessed with a Divel But the Divel having steeled his heart as his own phrase was after his confession he continued Demoniac longer than was intended and accused a neighboring woman of the Romish Communion for bewitching him so cunningly prosecuting the charge as the woman hardly escaped The Bishop suspecting the Boy did but counterfeit got leave of the Judges to have the Boy home with him where by his wisdom and great pains he discovered the imposture and afterwards upon the Boyes Confession and Repentance bound him out an Apprentice to a Shomaker in Bristol 21. An. 1632. He was translated to the See of Duresm void by the death of Bishop Howson a place of greater trust and honour as well as of greater emolument For besides the Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Affairs as before he had now the care and management of all the tnmporal Affairs within the County Palatine of Duresm by virtue of the Palatinate which for many hundreds of years hath been annexed to the Episcopal See in so much as it passed for a Maxim there Quic quid potest Rex extra Episcopatum potest Episcopus intra And yet in the same he carried himself with so much justice and equity for ten years together before these late Troubles put a disturbance in the exercise of his Government that no complaint was ever made against him to the Parliament except only the case of Mr Smart which yet had no relation to the County Palatine neither could the charge be made good against him 22. Some Rules which he set unto his Government were these First for his Fines at the renewing of Leases he never intermeddled in setting them himself but referred the businesse to four Gentlemen of the neighbourhood to make a moderate composition between him and his Tenants 2. In wreks he took such a small sum of the persons that had suffered them as was not worthy the name of a Composition and that only to preserve the right of his place 3. In Deodans where any man had made himself away though by law the whoâ—e estate was confiscated in detestationem criminis yet exceeded he not a fourth part of the estate after the most moderate Valuation And lastly for Wardships he used that tenderness as never any of the Gentry had wrong in their Minority 23. How much greater his Fatherly care was for the Spiritual affairs of the Bishoprick will appear by his pious indeavours in setling competent Augmentations upon the smaller Benefices He had given a good example long before whiles he was Bishop of Lichfield in abating a good part of his Fine to increase the portion of the Vicar of Pichley in Northamptonshire And now in a work of so much importance he applied himself for Counsel to three of the most learned in the Laws Lo. Keeper Coventry Mr Noy Sr Henry Martin who all concurred That the Bishops Authoritie over Churches appropriate was neither taken away nor any way infringed but that he may now appoint a competent Augmentation c. See the Author 24. Having thus fully informed himself of his just parts in a matter of so high Concernment for the advancement of Christian Religion and the good of Souls he resolved to put it in practice as far as God should enable him and trust God with the event He began at home with the Parish of Bishop-Aukland Here he augmented the stipend of the Mother-Church from sixteen pounds per an to fourscore and the Chapels belonging to it from about six pounds per an to thirty intending to extend the like Episcopal care in some proportion over all the rest of his Diocess But so pious heroical a work became abortive by the Scotch Invasion c. 25. We are come now to the precipice of this Reverend Bishop's outward splendor though neither his Glory nor Happinesse incurred the least diminution by his future suffrings For he was never more happy in his own thoughts nor more glorious in the eyes of all good men then in being exercised in those troubles whereof the continual series of publick affairs afforded him a perpetual oportunity from this time till his death 26. In one of the tumults after the beginning of the long Parliament this Reverend Bishop was in extreme hazard of his life by the multitude that were beckned thither by the contrivers of our late miseries whereof some cryed Pull him out of his Coach Others Nay he is a good man Others But for all that he is a Bishop And he hath often said He believed he should not have escaped alive if a leading man among that rabble had not cryed out Let him go and hang himself Upon this and the like violations of the liberty and freedom essential to all the Members of Parliament when the Twelve Bishops whereof this was one remonstrated the just fears they were in and Protested their dissent from all Laws which should be enacted till they might attend service of the House with freedom and saftey They were all charged with high Treason by the House of Commons and committed to Prison c. 27. Our Bishop being after four months discharged from this his first imprisonment returned to his lodgings in Duresm House and there attended his devotions and study till such time as his Adversaries thought fit to give him another occasion to exercise his patience under a second Captivity upon occasion of baptising a Child of the Earl of Rutland's according to the Order of the