now of the prophet, tanquam indomica juvenca, as an untamed and unruly heifer." For this, he was forbidden preaching any more at court; and surely, says Fuller, the queen still retained much of her former disposition, as a sheep, in not inflicting a greater punishment, for so public a reproof.+ Mr. Clark relates the following anecdote, shewing the amiableness of his truly christian spirit. Mr. Deering being once at a public dinner, a gallant young man sat on the opposite side the table, who, besides other vain discourse, broke out into profane swearing; for which Mr. Deering gravely and sharply reproved him. The young man taking this as an affront, immediately threw a glass of beer in his face. Mr. Deering took no notice of the insult, but wiped his face, and continued eating as before. The young gentleman presently renewed his profane conversation; and Mr. Deering reproved him as before; upon which, but with more rage and violence, he flung another glass of beer in his face. Mr. Deering continued unmoved, still shewing his zeal for the glory of God, by bearing the insult with christian meekness and humble silence. This so astonished the young gentleman, that he rose from the table, fell on his knees, and asked Mr. Deering's pardon; and declared, that if any of the company offered him similar insults, he would stab them with his sword. Here was practically verified, the New Testament maxim, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." His WORKS.-1. A Sermon at the Tower of London, 1569.-2. A sparing Restraint of many lavish Untruths, which Master D. Harding doth challenge in the first Article of my L. of Salisburies Reply, 1569. -3. Certaine godly and comfortable Letters, full of Christian Consolation, 1571.-4. Twenty-seven Lectures, or Readings, upon part of the Epistle to the Hebreues, 1576.-5. A Sermon preached before the Queen's Majesty, the 25th day of February, 1569, from Psalm lxxviii. 70., 1584.-6. A briefe and necessarie Catechisme, or Instruction very needful to be known to all Householders.-All these were collected and published in one volume, in 4to., 1597. THOMAS ALDRICH, A. M.-He was son of John Aldrich, who was twice chosen mayor of the city of Norwich, and member of several parliaments for that city. His father being a public character, introduced him to public notice, * Sermon before the Queen, Feb. 25, 1569. + Fuller's Church Hist. b. ix. p. 109. Clark's Examples, p. 500. Edit. 1671. and obtained his preferment to several ecclesiastical benefices. He was made archdeacon of Sudbury, prebendary of Westminster, master of Bennet college, Cambridge, proctor of the university, and rector of Hadleigh in Suffolk. About the same time, he became chaplain to Archbishop Parker, and was appointed one of the commissioners for visiting and reforming the papists in the county of Norfolk. Notwithstanding all these worldly allurements, together with a flattering prospect of much higher advancement, he espoused the cause of the despised puritans; became a zealous nonconformist, and one of their leaders in the university of Cambridge. It is observed, that, May 20, 1571, Mr. Aldrich preached at Thetford, in Norfolk: May 21st, he preached at Wymondham: May 22d, he preached at Matshall: May 24th, he preached in St. Clement's church, Norwich: and the next Lord's day, May 27th, he preached in the Greenyard, before the mayor and citizens. He was, therefore, no indolent labourer in the Lord's vineyard.+ Mr. Aldrich being master of the above college, and refusing, from a scrupulous conscience, to take the degrees required of those in that office, was brought into many troubles, and at length, to avoid expulsion, resigned his mastership of the college. Many other grievous complaints are said to have been brought against him, most probably about his nonconformity. In one of these complaints, he is said to have called the archbishop" the pope of Lambeth and Bennet college." Dr. Whitgift, at this time one of the heads of the university, took an active part in these severities. This was in the year 1573; but some time previous to these troubles, Mr. Aldrich voluntarily resigned his prebend at Westminster. It is, indeed, acknowledged, that as he objected taking the degrees, upon the ground of a scrupulous conscience, the treatment he met with was rather too severe.]] The author last cited, however, brings many foul accusations against him. He observes, that Mr. Aldrich was charged, not only with refusing to qualify for his office, but with evil government of his college, in neglecting its exercises and discipline; with things prejudicial to its temporal interests; and with various other things, to the number of twenty. And the troubles of the college did not * Blomefield's Hist. of Norfolk, vol. ii. p. 468. + Newcourt's Repert. Eccl. vol. i. p. 925. Ibid. p. 499-433.-Whitgift, p. 49. end with his resignation. For the masters and fellows, says he, were afterwards under the necessity of appealing to Chancery, to oblige him to account for several sums of money which he had received, and had not paid; to restore many writings, the private seal of the master, and some other things; and to discharge the various debts which he had contracted. These, however, were not recovered till after his death, which happened in the year 1576.* These are certainly very heavy charges! But how far he was guilty, is not easy now to ascertain. He was a man well versed in the learned languages, also in the French and Italian.+ The Oxford historian says, that he was deprived of his prebend for notorious nonconformity; but, upon his repentance and reconciliation, that he was admitted to another prebend, in 1576, the year in which he died. It is not. easy to reconcile this with the account given above from Mr. Strype. THOMAS LEVER, B. D.-This celebrated divine was born of respectable parents at Little Lever in Lancashire, and educated in the university of Cambridge. After taking his degrees, he was chosen fellow, then master of St. John's college; in which office he succeeded Dr. William Bill, and was the seventh master of the house.§ He was a famous disputant, a celebrated scholar, and remarkably zealous in the advancement of true religion. He was ordained both priest and deacon, in the year 1550, by Bishop Ridley, afterwards martyr in the Marian persecution, and was a most eloquent and popular preacher to the close of the reign of King Edward. This learned prelate had a very high opinion of him, and esteemed him famous for his bold and plain preaching. Speaking of the preaching of Latimer, Bradford, Knox, and Lever, he said: "They ripped so deeply in the galled backs of the great men at court, to have purged them of the filthy matter festered in their hearts; as, insatiable covetousness, filthy carnality, voluptuousness, intolerable pride, and ungodly loathsomeness to hear poor mens' cases and God's word; that they could never abide them above all others." Afterwards, * Master's Hist. of C. C. C. p. 111, 112. + Strype's Parker, p. 289. Baker's MS. Collec. vol. i. p. 146. Strype's Cranmer, p. 163. ¶ Baker's MS. Collec. vol. i. 146. p. Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 725. ** Strype's Parker, p. 211. when Ridley was cast into prison, and not long before he was committed to the flames, he wrote a letter to his friend Grindal, then in exile, in which he made affectionate and honourable mention of Mr. Lever, as one of the persecuted servants of Christ.* In the above year he preached two sermons, the one at Paul's cross,+ the other before the king, which, it is said, would in that day have spoiled any man's preferment. As he delivered several things on these occasions, illustrating the history of the time, and particularly shewing the state of learning, the way of living, and the course of study, as well as the manner of preaching, in those days, we shall take notice of one or two passages; which serve also to describe the author in his spirit and address. Having spoken in commendation of King Henry's bounty, in giving £200 annually, towards the exhibition of five learned men, to read and teach divinity, law, physic, Greek and Hebrew, and of his munificence in founding Trinity college, and other bounties, he proceeds as follows: "Howbeit, all they that have knowen the universitye of "Cambryge, sense that tyme that it dyd fyrst begynne to "receive these greate and manyefolde benefytes from the "kynges magstye, at youre handes, have juste occasion "to suspecte that you have decyved boeth the kynge and "universitie, to enryche yourselves. For before that you "dyd begynne to be the disposers of the kynges lyberalitye "towards learnynge and poverty, ther was in houses be"longynge unto the universitye of Cambryge two hundred "students of dyvynytye, many verye well learned: whyche "be nowe all clene gone, house and name; younge towarde "scholers, and old fatherlye doctors, not one of them "lefte. Óne hundred also of an other sorte, that havynge "rich frendes or beying benefyced men dyd lyve of theym "selves in ottels and innes, be eyther gon awaye, or elles "fayne to crepe into colleges, and put poore men from "bare lyvynges. Those bothe be all gone, and a small "number of poore godly dylygent students now remaynynge only in colleges be not able to tary, and contynue "their studye in the universitye, for lacke of exhibition "and healpe. There be dyverse ther which ryse dayly "betwixt foure and fyve of the clocke in the mornynge; Fox's Martyrs, vol. iii. p. 347. + Paul's cross was a pulpit, in the form of a cross, which stood nearly in the middle of St. Paul's church-yard, where the first reformers used frequently to preach unto the people. "and from fyve untill syxe of the clocke, use common "prayer, wyth an exhortation of God's worde, in a common "chappell; and from sixe unto ten of the clocke, use ever "eyther private study or common lectures. At tenne of "the clocke they go to dynner, where as they be contente "wyth a penye pyece of biefe amongest foure, havynge "a fewe porage made of the brothe of the same byefe, "wythe salte and otemel, and nothynge els. "After thys slender dinner, they be either teachinge or "learnynge untyll fyve of the clocke in the evening, "whenas they have a supper not much better than theyr "diner. Immedyatelye after the wyche, they go eyther to "reasonynge in problemes or unto some other studye, untyl "it be nyne or tenne of the clocke; and there beynge "wythout fyre, are fayne to walke or runne up and downe "halfe an houre, to gette a heate on their feete, when they go to bed." Notwithstanding the heavy pressures under which the university, and particularly St. John's college, groaned, of which Mr. Lever complains in his sermons, occasioned by the hungry courtiers invading the ecclesiastical preferments yet his college greatly flourished, as well in religion as in sound learning. The reformation in no place gained more ground, or was maintained with greater zeal, than in this college, and under the worthy example and just government of this master, This was manifest in the day of trial; when he, with twenty-four of his fellows, quitted their places and preferments, to preserve their own consciences.+ Mr. Lever was a zealous advocate for the reformation, as well as genuine piety. He held a correspondence with his numerous friends; and among his letters, the following, which contains information not unworthy of notice, is given as a specimen of his sentiments and address. It is addressed to the learned Roger Ascham; and though there is no year mentioned, it appears from the contents to have been written November 13, 1551, and about the time when he was pres ferred to the mastership of his college. "To Roger Ascham. "My salutation in Christ. I have received your letters written unto me. As concerning a privilege to be pro"cured for you, so that the reading of Greek in Cambridge "might be free from Celibatus, and such acts as the fellows + Ibid. p. 149, 150, * Baker's MS. Collec. vol. i. p. 147, 148. · Ibid. vol. xxxii. p. 496, 497. |