the eleventh question of his Determinationes, What is there of impiety, what of unlawfulness, what unbecoming either the holiness or calling of a Priest, in terrifying the bad or comforting the good subject; in repressing of sin, or punishing of sinners? For this is the whole and entire act of civil jurisdiction. It is in its own nature repugnant to no persons, to no function, to no sort or condition of men: let them hold themselves never so holy, never so seraphical, it becomes them very well to repress sin and punish sinners; that is to say, to exercise in a moderate manner civil jurisdiction, if the Sovereign shall require it." This is by no means an exact quotation of the passage of Davenant; its language is considerably softened; and perhaps, of the whole volume, it is the Quæstio which we should least readily accede to at present. It is needless to say the subject of civil right and jurisdiction was by no means distinctly understood at that period. But the Archbishop's allusion to Davenant on such an occasion, and his citing him in such an assembly, proves the opinion then entertained of his worth, his character, and learning.

In 1638, was published a little volume in 24mo. entitled, De Pace inter Evangelicos procuranda Sententiæ quatuor; &c. It consists of the opinions of Bishops Morton, Davenant, and Hall, and of certain eminent French Divines, on the subject of Catholic Unity. They were addressed to Dureus, a Scotch Divine, who had laboured to unite the Lutheran and Calvinistic Churches, and had solicited the opinions of these Prelates on the subject. Having been previously published at Amsterdam, they were now reprinted, with a list of authors who had written upon the same point. Of this little book, the opinion of Davenant forms the principal part, and is, in every respect decidedly superior to either of the others: it is written with great force of argument, and in a very spirited style.

In this unhappy period, when every thing was a subject of contention, and the Church was gasping for breath in her struggles with enemies, Laud was fomenting internal dissention by enforcing conformity in every trifle; among which, few points occasioned more dispute than his insisting upon the communion-table being placed universally at the east end of the Church: "an evil beginning," says Bishop Hacket, "to distract conformists, who

This letter of Hall has escaped the notice of Mr. Pratt, and is not contained in any Edition of the Author's works.

were at unity before, and to make them fight like cocks which are all of a feather, and yet never at peace with themselves." Yet Davenant, when the question came officially before him, decided in favour of the Primate's injunction on the subject. "Nor," says Heylin, "did the Archbishop stand alone in point of judgment as to these particulars. He had therein the testimony and assent of two such Bishops,* than which there could be none more averse from Popery, or any thing that tended to it. A difference happening between the minister and churchwardens, in a parish of Wilts, about the placing of the table, which the minister desired to transpose to the end of the Church, and the churchwardens to keep as it stood before, the business was referred to Davenant, then Bishop of Salisbury, who, on a full consideration of the matter, decided in favour of the Incumbent; and, by a decree under his episcopal seal, settled the table in the place where the altar stood, as the minister desired to have it. In which decree there are these two passages to be observed: First, that, by the injunction of Queen Elizabeth, and by Canon xxxii. under King James, the communion-table should ordinarily be set and stand with the side to the east wall of the Chancel;' and, secondly, that It is ignorance to think that the standing of the holy table in that place doth relish of Popery.'"+ Here we perceive the cool judgment of Davenant opposed, in a point of discipline, to those with whose doctrinal tenets he agreed, and supporting Laud, whose views and conduct he doubtless disapproved. Few measures were more unpopular than this enforced conformity about the position of the Lord's table; and when Laud first introduced the alteration in Gloucester Cathedral, upon being appointed Dean, his Diocesan, the venerable and learned Miles Smith, never entered the Church afterwards.

One of the last occasions in which we hear of Davenant in public, was in 1640, the year before his death: when the convocation under the direction of Archbishop Laud, passed certain Canons, principally for the enforcement of uniform discipline; which, although unobjectionable in themselves, were extremely ill-timed; being at a moment when the Church was scarcely able to sustain even her existence and so it was that the passing of these Canons was made a handle to hasten her destruction. All the Prelates

The other was Morton, Bishop of Durham. + Life of Laud.

and Clergy present signed their approbation of the new Constitutions, with the exception of Goodman, Bishop of Gloucester, who, being a Papist in heart, refused to sign, on account of one of them being directed to the suppression of Popery. The Primate, with his characteristic impetuosity, thrice called out to him, "My lord of Gloucester, 1 admonish you to sign." Upon his persisting in his refusal, he was immediately suspended; and would have been summarily deprived, but that Bishop Davenant, with his accustomed judgment and knowledge, observed, that before they proceeded against a Prelate of the Church, they should act upon legal advice and direction: and that it was not customary for the threefold monition of an authoritative superior to be uttered at the same moment, but at due intervals, allowing time for the offending party to reflect. The Archbishop thanked him for his opinion, and acquiesced in its propriety. The result was, that Goodman, to avoid consequences, signed the Canons; and, as it has been remarked, Under these he conformed as long as the Establishment had wealth and honour to bestow; but when her inveterate foes had accomplished her destruction, he threw off the mask of hypocrisy and equivocation; and died avowedly, as he had lived secretly, a Roman Catholic."*

66

In 1641, our venerable Author published a treatise in support of his former views on the subject of Predestination, and in reply to a work which had appeared some years before. Samuel Hoard, B.D., Rector of Morton, in Essex, sent forth a tract, in 1633, entitled" God's Love to Mankind, manifested by disproving his absolute Decree for their Damnation:" and it appears to have been the earliest treatise in this country, in opposition to what is called the Calvinistic opinion. † Davenant penned a reply entitled "Animadversions written by the Right Rev. Father in God, John, Lord Bishop of Salisbury, upon a treatise intituled, God's Love to mankind." Why he published it no earlier than after a lapse of eight years, we know not. It is written with all the powers of his mind. The whole of Hoard's book is incorporated in it, and he

Garbett's Letter to the late Right Rev. Dr. Milner.

+ Thus Whiston, in his Memoirs, vol. i. p. 11, speaking of his father, says, "I also remember his observation on Mr. Hoard's book concerning God's love to mankind,' as the first that began to set aside the Calvinists' unhappy scheme of election and reprobation in England, which, till then, was the current opinion of the members of the Church of England, as it is still the doctrine of the thirty-nine Articles."

appears to have been no contemptible adversary. His work is in the form of an Epistle; from which we find, he had originally held the views which he there took up his pen to refute for he commences with this remark, "I have sent you here my reasons which have moved me to change my opinion in some controversies of late debated between the Remonstrants and their opponents." These treatises, thus united in one publication, seem to compress all that has been said in so many volumes on this subject. Hoard accumulates every argument in opposition to the Calvinistic views, and presses them with considerable energy: but in no work is the acuteness of Davenant's powerful mind more exhibited than in his reply. He maintains, with extraordinary force and eloquence, the unconditionate decree of election; and whilst he contends that this admits of sufficiency of grace given to all; he likewise maintains that Reprobation is of necessity in. volved in Election:* and his view of it is thus expressed, "Reprobation is not a denial of sufficient grace, but a denial of such special grace, as God knoweth would infallibly bring them to glory." The book abounds with striking passages: yet, who that duly appreciates the simplicity of inspired truth, does not, after reading this or any other treatise of the kind, gladly return to the sacred volume, and feel his mind relieved and comforted with the plain infallible assurance that "GOD IS LOVE," that salvation is his free gift, and that He " will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth?" The Bishop closes his book with what he conceived to be the "USES" of election; and, doubtless, speaks the result of his own experience, with these, which may be deemed almost his final, words: "If we will shew that we have not a fleeting or uncertain conjecture only, but a true and solid knowledge of our election, we must have recourse to the forenamed uses, and by them make trial whether our conceit of our election be a deceitful illusion, or a true persuasion springing from faith. We are to account it false and deceitful, if it prove idle and unprofitable; much more, if we find it to be the pernicious mother of presumption. But, if it hath taught us to conceive worthily of God; if it hath inflamed our hearts with the love of Him; if it hath kindled in us a zeal of true godliness; if it hath beaten down our pride, and begot in us true humility; if it defend us against despair; if it stir us up to frequent prayer; if it encou

Whitby's book on the "Five Points" opens with a memorable extract from this work of "good Bishop Davenant," as he styles him.

rage us to patience under the cross: then we may be assured of our predestination, and of our future possession of eternal life. through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Our Author's final work was well suited to his life and character. It was a small volume written with a view of uniting the Evangelical churches; under the title of Ad pacem Ecclesiæ adhortatio, &c. which was translated into English with the title of An Exhortation to Brotherly Love, &c. Of this beautiful little work, Bishop Hall, in his "Peace-maker," laying down the principles of Church Unity, says, "None hath so fully cleared the point, as the late honour of our schools, the learned Bishop Davenant, in that last Golden Tractate which he wrote, now breathing towards the gates of his heaven; his pious and pithy Exhortation of the Evangelical churches to a happy peace: wherein the fundamentals of our faith are so evidently laid open, that it is not hard to judge by that unfailing rule, whom we may and must admit to the communion of Christ's Church, and whom we ought to exclude from that holy society."

On the 20th of April, 1641, Bishop Davenant was summoned to his rest, in the full vigour of his faculties and piety, at the age of 71, having presided over the See of Salisbury twenty years. The immediate cause of his decease was an asthma, with which he had been long afflicted; but his death is said to have been hastened by the melancholy forebodings of his mind, as to the sad prospects of the nation. "The righteous is taken away from the evil to come." He died, as it has been correctly said, at " a truly convenient season; that he might neither see nor suffer those bitter calamities which speedily overwhelmed both Church and State;" and which his old friend, Dr. Ward, keenly experienced, being persecuted with great severity for his steady adherence to the Church and King, by the Puritan leaders, notwithstanding his piety and the soundness of his doctrinal views. Similar was the treatment also experienced by their colleague Balcanqual, now Dean of Durham, who literally fell a victim to the fury of the Puritans; being driven from all he possessed, and dying at Chirkcastle, Denbighshire, in consequence of the severity he met with. The like persecutions, though in a slighter degree, involved our Author's Nephews, Archdeacon Davenant and Dr. Fuller, whose benefices were sequestered. The Bishop was interred in the South