war, More adhered firmly to her, and, as he himself expressed it, "by constantly denying 'the Covenant,' he exposed himself to the continual peril of being expelled from his Fellowship by the dominant Puritans." Such, however, was the general opinion of his blamelessness, his piety, and his benevolence, that he was suffered to remain unmolested. After the Restoration, great attempts were made to induce him to accept a bishopric. Two Irish and an English mitre were successively offered him, and declined. In the words of his friend and biographer Ward,

"These things he refused not from any supercilious contempt, but from the pure love of contemplation and solitude, and because he thought that he could do the Church of God greater service, as also better enjoy his own proper happiness, in a private than in a public station, taking great satisfaction, the meanwhile, in the promotion of many pious and learned men to these places of trust and honour in the Church, (to whom he heartily congratulated such dignities,) and being exceeding sensible of the weight as well as the honour of them, and how necessary it was to have them filled with able and worthy persons."

His numerous theological and philosophical treatises appeared at various times between 1640 and 1687; in which last-mentioned year he closed a life of earnest study, of sincere piety, of unblemished purity, and of active and self-denying charity. (Life, by Ward.)

Among the eminent divines of the Church of England who were educated at Eton during the seventeenth century, three are particularly illustrious: I mean Hammond, Pearson, and Sherlock. Eton may well be proud of such a triumvirate; and though the last of the three was separated by a considerable interval from the two first, (who were almost contemporaries of each other,) I shall class their biographies together in this chapter.

HENRY HAMMOND.

THIS excellent man was born at Chertsey, on the 18th of August, 1605. His father, Dr. John Hammond, had been Professor of Greek at Cambridge, and was physician to James the First's eldest son Prince Henry, who was godfather to young Henry Hammond. Young Henry was sent to Eton at a very early age, and distinguished himself there for his proficiency in learning. He was also

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noted there as a peaceable and sweet-tempered boy; and it is recorded of him that he often, in play-hours, would leave the sports and busy throng of his schoolfellows, and retire to some lonely spot, for the purpose of prayer and reflection.

On leaving Eton he was placed at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was fortunate in the society of many friends of learning and piety, especially of the afterwards celebrated Jeremy Taylor. In December 1622 he took his B.A. degree, and that of M.A. in 1625, in which year he was made a Fellow of his college. He entered into holy orders in 1629, and remained at Oxford till 1633. It is said that during the whole period of his residence at the university, he devoted thirteen hours a-day to reading and meditation. Having attracted the admiration of the Earl of Leicester, by a sermon which that nobleman happened to hear, Mr. Hammond was presented by him with the rectory of Penshurst, in Kent.

In the pleasing and instructive biography of Hammond, written by the Rev. Richard Hone, there is an interesting description of Hammond's life as a country clergyman, some portions of which I gladly transcribe :

"Mr. Hammond was inducted into the living on the 22nd of August in the same year [1633], and at once took up his abode in the midst of his flock, where he devoted himself to the discharge of those duties of the pastoral care which the providence of God had assigned to him, and for which he felt that he must give account. In public and private he was diligent and earnest in his vocation, at the same time endeavouring so to order his own steps that the sheep might follow him safely.

"Here he thought that the interests of religion would be promoted by assembling the congregation for prayer more frequently than was commonly done, and therefore either he or his curate performed public worship once every day at Penshurst church, besides twice on Saturday and Sunday, and on every holyday. In those days few of the poorer people could read, and therefore it was important for them not only to have such assistance in their devotions, but to enjoy frequent opportunities of hearing the Holy Scriptures, that they might become wise unto salvation.

"As he preached constantly on Sunday morning, so in the afternoon he catechised the younger part of the congregation, employing about an hour before the time of prayer in that exercise. On these occasions he explained, in an easy and familiar way, the

doctrines and duties of the Christian religion, taking as his guide the Catechism of the Church of England; and he thought that the parents and aged people, who generally attended to hear him, reaped even more benefit from the instructions then delivered, than from his sermons. He was always much interested about the spiritual welfare of the young; and being convinced of the importance of early training in the right way, he availed himself of these opportunities of setting before them the happiness of a religious life, and the good effects of remembering their Creator in the days of their youth. And with a view to render his endeavours more effectual, he provided at his own cost an able schoolmaster, whom he maintained as long as he continued to be minister of the parish."

The poor of Penshurst soon learned the advantage of having one placed amongst them who sympathised with their distresses, and was willing to relieve them. He dedicated to charitable purposes a stated weekly sum, in addition to a tenth of his income. He often purchased corn, to sell again to the people below the market price; and was ready to lend little sums to those who had fallen into unforeseen calamity, permitting them to repay him by instalments. These acts of beneficence were his pleasures; and he often declared them to be the sources of unmingled gratification, feeling the truth of the scriptural saying, that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

"He saw fit to celebrate the communion once a month, thinking it right to approach nearer to the primitive frequency than was then usual in country places. And on these occasions his instructions and example recommended liberality so strongly, that the collections rendered it unnecessary to levy a poor's-rate; nay, means were supplied for apprenticing the children of the indigent parishioners."

Hammond took the degree of Doctor in Divinity in 1639, and in 1643 he was made Archdeacon of the diocese of Chichester; but in that year the troubles of the country broke out into civil war, and Hammond was obliged to leave his beloved Penshurst. Some unsuccessful attempts had been made in behalf of the King, by the Royalists, near Tunbridge, in favour of which Dr. Hammond was believed to have used his influence; and a reward was offered by the Parliamentary Committee for his arrest. He escaped to Oxford, the head quarters of the King, where he remained throughout the war.

"Procuring an apartment,' says Dr. Fell, 'in his own college, he sought that peace in his retirement and study which was nowhere else to be met withal; taking no other diversion than what the giving instruction and encouragement to ingenious young students yielded him (a thing wherein he peculiarly delighted), and the satisfaction which he received from the conversation of learned men, who, besides the usual store, in great number at that time for their security resorted thither.'

"Some of his hours were now employed in preparing for the press his Practical Catechism. This work he had originally written to assist him in his parochial duties at Penshurst, and he was only induced to publish it by the persuasion of Dr. Potter, the Provost of Queen's College. Even then he withheld his name, and committed all the care of conducting the work through the press to his friend; who took that opportunity of acknowledging in the preface, that he had received much benefit by the perusal of it, adding, 'I humbly beseech God that it may have the like energy in the breasts of all that shall read it, that we may have less talking, less writing, less fighting for religion, and more practice.""

King Charles, who spoke of Hammond as the most natural orator he had ever heard, and who afterwards recommended Hammond's Practical Catechism to his own children in his last instructions, employed him as one of his Commissioners at the Conference at Uxbridge, in 1645, and in that same year made him his chaplain in ordinary. On the surrender of Oxford to the Parliamentarians, at the close of the war, Hammond remained there for some months, during which "he was also the generous helper of the friendless in those troublous times. After supplying his own small wants, he employed the rest of his means in warding off from others the day of indigence and misery; and even when his resources were greatly contracted, he contrived by prudent management to reserve a considerable part of his income for purposes of charity. Poor scholars were particular objects of his beneficence; and amongst those who shared his bounty was the eminent and learned Isaac Barrow, who many years after recorded his grateful recollections, in an excellent epitaph which he wrote on the death of his generous benefactor.

"In order that the duties of his official situation might not prevent the prosecution of his studies, Dr. Hammond now usually gave up many hours of the night to literary pursuits, frequently

not retiring to rest till three in the morning, and yet seldom failing to be present at prayers at five o'clock.

"He was sometimes called away from the university to attend upon his royal master, who requested the presence of some of his chaplains whenever the ruling powers saw fit to allow him that privilege. But that was only at intervals. When the Scotch army delivered him into the hands of the English commissioners, he was placed in rigorous confinement at Holdenby, and cut off from all communication with his old servants, his chaplains, his friends, and his family. When the army got possession of the King's person, they took off this restraint, and we find that Dr. Hammond visited him at Woburn, Caversham, Hampton Court, and Carisbrook Castle. But at Christmas, 1647, access was again cut off."

In 1648, Dr. Hammond was forcibly expelled from the university by the parliamentary visitors, and was imprisoned for some months; but towards the close of that year he was released, and then found a shelter for the remainder of his life at Westwood Park, Worcestershire, the seat of Sir John Packwood. In this retirement Hammond patiently devoted himself to his theological studies, to the earnest inculcation of Christian duties, and upholding of the Christian faith in the family and neighbourhood where he dwelt, and to the alleviation of the wants of the suffering clergy of the Church of England, few of whom had found such a refuge as he was blest with, and few of whom met with equal toleration from the then ruling powers.

"He principally devoted himself to the study of theology and Church history; and some of the most pious, learned, and moderate works of the day were the fruits of his reading and reflection. If he erred, it was not designedly, or for want of due meditation and prayer; and when his opinions excited angry feelings or occasional intemperate language in others, he who had been careful to draw the teeth,' as he termed it (that is, to avoid giving just provocation to any person in his writings), rendered neither evil for evil, nor railing for railing. So greatly had he gained the mastery over his temper, that some persons who were his companions during the ten latter years of his life never heard him utter an intemperate expression; and Dr. Fell observes, that several of his antagonists were led by the mild spirit in which he wrote, to regret the violence which disfigured their own productions."