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Nugae Antiquae - BISPHOPS OF CHICHESTER:

BISPHOPS OF CHICHESTER:


Doctor Lancelot Andrews.


            His Majesty having a great desire to prefer Dr. Andrews,<438> then dean of Westminster, made special choice of him to succeed him, as well in the bishopric as the almonership, and I suppose if Henry the third his chaplain had been so good a scholar, he had not been refused for his learning. This bishop your Highness knoweth so well, and have heard him so oft, as it may be you think it needless to hear more of him. But I will be bold to say your Highness doth but half know him; for the virtues that are not seen in him, are more and greater than those that are seen. I will therefore play the blab so far, that your Highness may know him better. He was born in London, and trained up in the school of that famous Mulcaster,<439> and for the special towardness was found in him in very young years, he was not only favoured, but had liberal exhibition given him by a great councillor of those times, as I shall note hereafter. The course of his study was not, as most men's are in these times, to get a little superficial sight in divinity, by reading two or three of the new writers, and straight take orders, and up into the pulpit: of which kind of men a reverent bishop, yet living, said, as properly as pleasantly, when one told of a young man that preached twisc every Lord's day, beside some exercising in the weekdays;—"It may be (saith he) he doth talk so often, but I doubt he doth not preach." And to the like effect the late Queen said to the same bishop, when she had on the Friday heard one of these talking preachers much commended to her by somebody; and the Sunday after heard a well labour'd sermon, which some disgraced as a bosom-sermon,<440> that smelt of the candle;—"I pray," said she, "let me have your bosom-sermons, rather than your lip-sermons; for when the preacher takes pains, the auditor takes profit."

            But to come to Dr. Andrews, that gathered before he did spend, reading both new writers and old writers, not as tasting but as digesting, them, and finding, according to our Saviour's saying, the old to be more profitable;<441> at last his sufficiency could be no longer concealed. But as an industrious merchant, that secretly and diligently follows his trade with small show, till his wealth being grown so great it can be no longer hidden, is then, called on for subsidies and loans, and public services; so did this man's excellency suddenly break forth. His patron (that studied projects of policy as much as precepts of piety,) hearing of his fame, and meaning to make use thereof, sent for him (as I have credibly heard) and dealt earnestly with him, to hold up a side that was even then falling, and to maintain certain state points of puritanism. But he that had too much of the andros<442> in him to be scared with a councillor's frown, or blown aside with his breath, answered him plainly, they were not only against his learning, but his conscience. The councillor, seeing this man would be no friar Pinkney,<443> (to be taught in a closet what he should say at Paul's,) dismissed him with some disdain for the time; but afterward did the more reverence his integrity and honesty, and became no hinderer of his ensuing preferments. Of these one was a prebend in Paul's, belonging to him they call the confessor or confessioner, a place notoriously abused in time of popery by their tyranny and superstition, but now of late, by a contrary extreme, too much forgotten and neglected. While he held this place, his manner was (especially in Lent time) to walk duly at certain hours, in one of the aisles of the church, that if any came to him for spiritual advice and comfort; (as some did, though not many,) he might impart it to them. This custom being agreable to the scripture, and fathers, expressed and required, in a sort, in the communion book, not repugning the 39 articles, and no less approved by Calvin in his Institutions; yet was quarreled with by divers (upon occasion of some sermons of his) as a point of popery. The like scandal was taken of some, though not given by him, for his reverent speaking of the highest mystery of our faith, and heavenly food, the Lord's Supper; which some are so stiff in their knees, or rather in their hearts, that they hold it idolatry to receive it kneeling. But whatsoever such barked at, he ever kept one tenure of life and doctrine, exemplar and unreproveable.

            Two special things I have observed in his preaching, that I may not omit to speak of: One, to raise a joint reverence to GOD and the Prince, to the spiritual and civil magistrate, by uniting and not severing them; the other, to lead to amendment of life, and good works, the fruits of true repentance. Of the first kind, he made a sermon before the Queen long since, (which was most famous) of this text "Thou leadest thy people like sheep, by the hands of Moses and Aaron."<444> Which sermon, (though courtiers ears are commonly so open, as it goes in at one ear and out at the other) yet it left an aculeus<445> behind in many of all sorts. And Henry Noell,<446> one of the great gallants of those times swore "as he was a gentleman, he never heard man speak with such a spirit."—And the like to this, was his sermon before the King, of two silver trumpets to be made of one piece.

            Of the second kind I might say all his sermons are, but I will mention but his last, that I heard the 5 of the last November, which sermon I could wish ever to read upon that day. "When the Lord turned the captivity of Sion," &c.<447> And I never saw his Majesty more sweetly affected with any sermon than with that.

            But to conclude;—I persuade myself that whensoever it shall please God to give the King means, with consent of his confederate Princes, to make that great peace which his blessed word Beati Pacifici<448> seemeth to promise, (I mean the ending of this great schism in the church of God, procured as much by ambition as by superstition;) this reverent prelate will be found one of the ablest, not of England only, but of Europe, to set the course for composing the controversies; which I speak not to add reputation to his sufficiency by my judgement, but rather to win credit to my judgement by his sufficiency. And whereas I know some that have not known him so long as I have, (yet have heard and believe no less of his learning than I speak,) find fault that he is not so apt to deliver his resolution upon every question moved, as they could wish, who if they be not quickly resolved of that they ask, will quickly resolve not to care for it. I say this cunctation<449> is the mean between precipitation and procrastination, and is specially commended by the apostle St. James, as I have heard him allege it, Sit omnis homo tardus ad iram, tardus ad loquendum.<450>

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