gressed his majesty's command; but the declaration was not produced, nor any particular words in it, only this was urged, That the king's will was, that, for the peace of the church, these high questions should be forborne. He added, That he was sorry he understood not his majesty's intention; which if he had done before he should have have choice of some other matter to treat of, which might have given no offence; and that, for the time to come, he should conform himself as readily as any other to his majesty's command. Whereupon he was dismissed.

At his departure, he entreated the Lords of the council to let his majesty understand, that he had not boldly, or wilfully and wittingly, against his declaration, meddled with the forenamed point; and that now, understanding fully his majesty's mind and intention, he should humbly yield obedience thereunto. The reader may see the good Bishop's own account of this affair, in his letter to Dr. Ward, preserved in Fuller's Church History, book xi, p. 140, &c.

For this pretended contempt of the king's declaration, he was not only reproved the same day, but also summoned to answer two days after before the privy-council; and, though he was dismissed without further trouble, and even admitted to kiss the king's hand, yet he was never afterwards in favour at court.

He died of a consumption upon the twentieth of April 1641, to which, it is said, a sense of the sorrowful times he saw coming on did not a little contribute; and was buried in Salisbury cathedral, where there is a stone placed to his memory. Among other benefactions, he gave to Queen's college, Cambridge, the perpetual advowsons of the rectories of Cheverel Magna, and Newton Tony in Wiltshire; and a rent-charge of thirty-one pounds ten shillings per annum, for the founding of two Bible-clerks, and buying books for the library in the college. As to his character, he was humble and hospitable; painful in preaching and writing; and behaved in every station with exemplary gravity and moderation: He was a man of great learning, and a very eminent divine.

His WORKS are, I. A Latin Exposition on St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. Expositio Epistolæ D. Pauli ad Colossenses, per Reverendum in Christo Patrem Joannem Sarisburiensem Episcopum in lucem edita: Olim ab eodem, Domina Margareta in Academia Cantabrigiensi Professore Theologico, dictata, fol. The third edition was printed

at

at Cambridge in 1639. It is the substance of lectures read by our Author as Lady Margaret professor. So were also the following: II. Prælectiones de duobus in Theologia controversis capitibus: De Judice Controversia rum, primo: De Justitia habituali et actuali, altero, &c. Cant. 1631. fol. III. In 1634, he published the questions he had disputed upon in the schools, forty-nine in number, under this title : Determinationes Quastionum quarundam Theologicarum, per Reverendissimum Virum Joannem Davenantium, &c. fol. IV. Animadversions upon a Treatise lately published, [by S. Hoard] and entitled, God's Love to Mankind, manifested by disproving his absolute de6 cree for their damnation.' Camb. 1641, 8vo.

6

JONATHAN BURR.

OF this good man we have but little; but the little

which remains, affords a regret, that we have no more.

He was born at Redgrave in Suffolk, about the year 1604, and, in process of time, became a preacher of the gospel. His godly parents had previously prepared him by great care in his education; and when he left the university, he first preached at Horninger near St. Edmundsbury, and afterwards at Reckingshall, in the same county of Suffolk. The unhappy disputes about church-ceremonies and discipline inclined him, with many others, to quit his native land for the wild region and bad climate of New England. It is to be regretted, that good men of both parties shewed so little moderation and forbearance, and that a healing spirit of peace and concord no more prevailed. Had these religious breaches been made up, it is very possible, that the succeeding calamities which have befallen this nation on a civil account had never occurred. One may trace all the contentions which have befallen this country, in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth, King James. I. the unhappy Charles I. and even in the conflict with America, from the irreligious broils, which have rent the church upon the subject of ceremonies and circumstances.

Mr.

Mr. Burr, however, and doubtless upon a principle of the strictest conscience, thought it his duty to venture the dangers of the ocean and American wilds, for the establishment of that form of church-government, which he and many others believed to be most acceptable to God, or at least most edifying to themselves. He took with him three children, and his wife big with a fourth. In New England he pursued his calling as a preacher, till it pleased God to take him from this world to a better.

He had just returned from preaching on the redemption of time, when he fell into a sickness of ten days continuance; in the course of which there appeared in him a wonderful patience and submission. His wife, perceiving his willingness to die, asked him, Whether he was desirous to leave her and his children? To whom he answered, "Do not mistake me. I am not desirous of that; but I "bless GoD, that now my will is the Lord's will. If "he will have me to live yet with my dear wife and "children, I am willing. I will say to you, my dear "wife and children, as the apostle says, It is better for You that I abide with you; but it is better for ME to be "dissolved, and to be with Christ.”

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And perceiving his wife disconsolate, he asked her, "If she could not be willing to part with him?" And on her saying, by way of answer, how hard it was, he replied, "That GOD would be better than ten husbands;" adding, "our parting is but for a time. I am sure we "shall one day meet again. I lie sluggish in bed, when "others are at work."

66

Observing how diligently his wife tended him, he said to her, "Do not spend so much time with me, but go thy way and spend some time in prayer. Thou "knowest not what thou mayest obtain from GOD. I "fear, lest thou look too much upon this affliction."

The night before he died, he was overheard sometimes to say, "I will wait until my change come." And, "why art thou so loth to die ?"

A few hours before his departure, it was observed that he had a sore conflict with the angel of death, who shot his last arrow at him. And when one who attended him, said, the sting of death is taken away. The

• Lord Jesus Christ has overcome death for you. This is

6

6 one of Satan's last assaults: His work is now almost at

an end, though he be a subtle enemy, and would, if it

were possible, deceive the very elect:' He presently

brokę

broke in on the speaker, "if it were possible," said he; "but, blessed be God, there is no possibility.'

Seeing the company loth to leave the room, he prayed in Latin, as long as he had strength to do it. And when he was to appearance just expiring, he called for his wife, and stedfastly fixing his eyes upon her, said, " Cast thy "care upon GoD, for he careth for thee." And the words, "hold fast, hold fast," spoken to her, were the last he uttered. He died August 3, 1641.

He was of so charitable a disposition, that when it was intimated to him, that he might err in reserving no more for himself, he would answer, "I often think of those "words, He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly."

Whenever he was informed that any thought meanly of him, he would say, without being moved at it, " I think "meanly of myself, and therefore may well be content, "that others should think meanly of me."

Mr. Thomas Hooker, a preacher of New England, being one of his auditors when he preached to a great assembly at Charlestown, near Boston, had this expression concerning him: Surely this man will not be long out of heaven, for he preaches as if he were there already.'

BARNABY POTTER, D. D.

BISHOP OF CARLISLE.

THIS good Prelate was born in the Barony of Kendal in Westmoreland, in the year 1578, where he had his school education, till he was well qualified for the university, when he was admitted to Queen's college, Oxford. Here he was first chosen a scholar, then a fellow, and afterwards provost. While he was a fellow, he was a much admired tutor to several gentlemen's sons of eminence and worth, of whom he took the greatest care, training them up in all useful learning, and in the true principles of the Christian religion. He was a very humble, meek man, of few words, an affecting preacher, and a favourer of strict professors of religion. His custom was to write one part of his sermon, and to commit it to memory presently,

and

and then another, so that he could preach with much facility, and upon a little warning.

He was, for some time, lecturer at Abington, and at Totness, in Devonshire, where he was much respected. He then proceeded doctor in divinity, and, being presented, the following year, to a pastoral charge by Sir Edward Giles, of Devonshire, he married the knight's daughter, and settled in that country. But he had not been long possessed of his benefice, before he was chosen provost of Queen's college, Oxford, (upon the death of Doctor Ayray) unanimously, but without his knowledge. He was also made chaplain in ordinary to Prince Charles, and called at court the penitential preacher.' After he had been ten years provost, he gave up that place, and went again into the country, with a view to reside upon his charge; but King Charles, passing by many solicitations in the behalf of others, peremptorily nominated him Bishop of Carlisle. What Nazienzen said of Basil, may with the greatest propriety be applied to our Bishop: He was promoted; he did not steal or shuffle himself into the chair; he did not invade it; the honour sought and followed him.' Being made a Bishop, he still continued a constant zealous preacher; and Joshua's resolution being his, he, and all his servants and attendants, served the Lord with the greatest order and regularity, performing family worship himself every morning and evening. In the beginning of the parliament, he preached at Westminster, and inveighed against the corruptions and innovations that had crept into the church; a discourse, by the best judges, well approved of. But the great confusion, and constant alarms, that were in and about London at that time, and hearing that he himself was censured as popish, merely because he was a Bishop; it is said, he laid this so much to heart, that he fell sick and died in 1642, about the great climacterical year of his age.

So little candour is to be found in troublesome times, when men of all parties absurdly think they do GOD service by pushing every thing to extremes! One healer of breaches is of more worth than a thousand helpers of division. It is also a much rarer character, and, when it appears, is often calumniated by both sides, because it will not follow and approve the vehemence or madness of either.

Our Bishop was a great favourer of pious professors and lecturers, and, on that account, was reputed by many a puritanical Bishop. It used to be said at court in King

James's