Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

thou poor, or be thou rich, pray both when thou wilt and when thou canst, as often as thou hast either necessity or conveniency: I will not stint thee to canonical hours, but embrace all opportunities that are rendered unto thee, to express thy service to God in thy prayers."*

"In scripture language, that is said to be done. continually, which is done every morning and every night, Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar, two lambs of the first year, day by day continually, Exod xxix. 38, and this was constantly called Juge-sacrificium, or the continual sacrifice, Numb. xxviii. 3, Ezra iii. 5. In proportion whereunto, whosoever constantly prayeth morning and evening, though following his calling, and attending his own occasions all intermediate time, may be said according to the apostle's precept, to pray continually or without ceasing."

With respect to the Lord's prayer, Fuller conceived that the prayers in Matth. vi. and Luke xi. are not one and the same, but varied, the one, in the sermon on the mount, the other, on another occasion, but both the same in all essentials, which may teach us, that a prayer is not the better for being newly composed. The men of his age would not have been satisfied without something more unlike the first prayer as set down in St. Matthew, a longer prayer, and one more particular. Fuller adduces, Matth. xxvi. 44, and Numb. vi. 23, the use of hymns, which are nothing more than forms

[blocks in formation]

of prayer, or thanksgiving. He admirably urges the universal adaptation of the Lord's prayer, simple for both childhood and old age, and comprising and including all our wants.

Our author observes, that perchance, the true cause of men's prejudice is to be found in the prayer itself: "Are they not out of charity with the Lord's prayer, because there is so much charity in the Lord's prayer."*

In the course of this same year (1654) Fuller edited the Ephemeris Parliamentaria, being "a faithful Register of the transactions in Parliament, in the third and fourth years of the reign of our late Sovereign Lord, King Charles: containing the several speeches, cases, and arguments of Law, transacted between his Majesty and both Houses: together with the Grand Mysteries of the Kingdom then in agitation."+

About this year also, Fuller married his second wife, a sister of Thomas Roper, Viscount Baltinglass, and grandchild to Bishop Pilkington's eldest daughter. The fruit of this marriage appears to have been one son, called after his father, Thomas; perhaps Thomas Fuller, M. D. of Sevenoaks, Kent.|| Fuller had dedicated his Triple Reconciler to the Lady Anne, Viscountess Baltinglass, daughter of

*P. 142.

+ In folio, pp. 271.

|| The conjecture given above, that Dr. Fuller of Sevenoaks (concerning whom see Chalmers' Biographical Dictionary) was Dr. Thomas Fuller's second son, has since been disproved by the genealogy of the family of Fuller of Rose Hill, Sussex, in Burke's Dictionary of the Landed Gentry, 1844.

Sir Peter Temple, (the second baronet of that name,) and of Christian, sister and co-heir of Sir Richard Leveson, of Trentham, Staffordshire, K.B. and daughter of Sir John Leveson, knt.‡

Bishop Pilkington's eldest daughter was the wife of Sir Henry Harrington. Thus, Fuller, in his Answer to Heylin, (Part II. p. 70). "The animadvertor may allow me, knowing in his" (Bishop Pilkington's) "family, my wife being grandchild to his eldest daughter, married to Sir Henry Harrington." He inserts in the margin, "So is his (Sir H. H.) name in my corrected books." Sir Henry was, if I mistake not, second son to Sir James Harrington of Exton, knt. and brother to John, first Lord Harrington of Exton, which nobleman, had under his care, the Lady Elizabeth, (daughter of James the First,) to the time of her marriage with Frederic, Count Palatine of the Rhine.

The valour of the first Viscount Baltinglass, who married Anne, daughter of Sir Henry Harrington, Fuller memorializes in his Worthies of England.*

In his History of Abbies, (in the Church History) he makes mention of "that skilful antiquary, and my respected kinsman, Samuel Roper of Lincoln's Inn." +

This lady (Christian) was buried at Stow, Bucks, January 23, 1619. Lodge's Peerage, vol. v. p. 230, London

1789.

* Vol. ii. pp. 73, 74. Ed. Nichols.

+ P. 358.

CHAPTER XI.

Fuller's Church History of Britain.

[graphic]
[ocr errors]

E come now to that work by which Fuller is best known, and for which as an original compilation, posterity is especially indebted to his indefatigable industry, his Church History of Britain. He entitled it "The Church History of Britain, from the birth of Jesus Christ until the year 1648, Endeavoured by Thomas Fuller;" a modest title, and no mock-modesty in the author, who was fully aware of the imperfections of his own work.*

Fuller, in his dedication of this work to Esme Stuart, the son and heir of James, Duke of Richmond and Lenox, records, that his noble father (Fuller's constant friend) was pleased to give him a text some weeks before his death: "Thou art not far from the kingdom of heaven," (Mark xii. 34,)

In the same year also (1655), Fuller published his sermon entitled, "Life out of Death, preached at Chelsea, on the recovery of Sir John (father of Miss Anne) Danvers."

"that is, as the words there import, the state of salvation. But," he adds, "before my sermon could be, his life was finished, and he in the real acceptation thereof, possessed of heaven and happiness." This most estimable and illustrious person, died March 30, 1655. He was the eldest son of Esme Stuart, Duke of Lenox, (first cousin, once removed, to James I.) by Catharine, daughter and sole heir of Sir Henry Darcy of Bainham, Yorkshire, and was born March 6, 1612. His father died in the prime of life, leaving him an orphan, but twelve years of age. King James took the family, consisting of the Duke, his six brothers and four sisters, under his care. A very early friendship arose between James and the Prince Charles, which seems never to have abated. He was early called to the Privy Council, and, upon the recommendation of Charles, married the daughter of Villiers, with a portion of £20,000 with her. He was made Lord Steward of the Royal Household, Warden of the Cinque Ports, and K. G. The Parliament, for no crime but his loyalty, took from him the Wardenship of the Cinque Ports. The King, on May 8, 1641, made him Duke of Richmond. He accompanied him to Scotland, and, on his return, was one of the eleven, proscribed by the Parliament in their instructions to the Earl of Essex. In 1644, he was placed at the head of the council, appointed by the king, for the guardianship of the Prince of Wales. He was, in 1645, a Commissioner at the treaty of Uxbridge. He continued with the King, until the latter, without even informing him of his

« ÎnapoiContinuă »