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early education is not known; nor by whose recommendation he became a scholar on William of Wykeham's munificent foundation; but the sons of many distinguished families in the western counties had usually been sent to that seminary of public education, to receive the advantages of the system, if not to be placed as scholars on the foundation.

That Thomas Ken was considered a proficient in early scholarship; that he was remarkable, in childhood, for docility as well as sweetness of disposition, it is surely not unreasonable to infer.

It may be presumed that the interest of the more prosperous part of the family, in Somersetshire, was solicited, and that therefore it was thought advisable that this interesting and promising youth should be bred up to "learning learning" in Winchester

school.

It must not be forgotten, at the same time, that Ken had a musical voice, which had been no small recommendation for admission to all antient ecclesiastical establishments, from their foundation; for, in after life, it is known that no day passed without his singing his evening and morning hymn to his lute,* the origin of those beautiful morning and evening hymns sung at this day by the children of every parish.

Harris, under whose wardenship Ken was entered at Winchester, having taken the "Covenant,” probably little regarded such a qualification; but * Hawkins.

it was required by the Statutes, and might have been an inducement for his parents to endeavour to procure a nomination on an ancient ecclesiastical foundation, where, by long custom, and by the Statutes, music was essentially associated with education.*

To show of what importance, before the Reformation, this qualification was considered, we need only remark that, in most of our cathedrals, the chief chanter, or Precentor, ranks next in dignity to the Dean; and though, through England, the cathedral choirs were silent when Ken was entered at Winchester, yet, in many places of ecclesiastical education, those who were not of the Puritanic class would be more observant of ancient forms.

According to the creed of Puritanism, the sublime and affecting services of the Choir are a remnant of Popery, as is Episcopacy itself, and our impressive and beautiful Liturgy! It would, indeed, have been a relick of Popery, if the BISHOP were obliged to lead the chant, as enjoined by the Popish Ritual, secundum usum Sarum.

Thus, however, with the rudiments of the Latin language, and with the musical qualifications for a future Bishop, had he lived in times more propitious to choir-service, Ken, junior, became a candidate for admission into the College of St. Mary

* The first question asked of every candidate is, whether he can sing? See "History of Bremhill.”

Winton in the year 1650-1. The entry of admission in the College book is as follows:

Thomas Ken, de Berkhamstead, in com. Hertford, annorum 13 ad Michaelis, 1650, admissus est Jan. 30, 1650-1.

Ken was admitted under the wardenship of Harris, who was considered a perfect Grecian, and an eloquent preacher. According to Wood, he sided, in the contest between the Presbyterians and the Church of England, with the Presbyterians; was elected of the Assembly of Divines, took the Covenant, and so kept his wardenship till his death, two years before the Restoration, 1658.*

He was elected one of the Elders of the Assembly of Divines, through William Twiss, also educated at Winchester, who was reckoned in his day the most powerful of all arguers against Arminius, for the supralapsarian Decrees! A learned discussion was maintained between him and Warden Harris, probably about some shade of the same dark doctrines.

I mention these circumstances to shew how adverse the spirit of the times was to the Episcopal Church, for here was a Warden, eating the bread of the munificent founder, and superintending an establishment founded by Episcopal bounty, who

* The Warden of New College, nominated by the Parliamentary Visitors in 1648, died the same year.

had taken the "Covenant" to destroy Episcopacy root and branch! Papal and Protestant!

As to the creed of Harris, he published two Epistles to Twiss; the first, on the question, whether Predestination were definite or indefinite! and the other, on the object of Predestination! Such useless contention is the effect of pressing views in religion beyond the sober veracity of the Gospel, Atheism or Infidelity, in consequence, always succeeding.

So, when the Platonic, or abstracted views of religion, led, in their excess, to the contemplative Pillar-Saint, who lived forty years on a pillar,* this kind of enthusiasm having attained its ne plus ultra of absurdity - turned round, and the Dancing Saints had their reign. These, in their turn, were succeeded by the Flagellants; and then came in the Jumpers!

In the mean time, amidst all this coil, "wisdom is justified of her children." The "wisdom that is from above" is the same, and the Church of England, holding nothing infallible but the Word of God, in its sobriety and purity, regards these aberrations of humanity with a sigh, still preserving the purity and dignified medium of truth.

The Calvinistic creed succeeded abstracted feelings with this difference: Plato, by abstraction, sought to EXALT the SOUL- Manes, and the KaOaposearliest Puritans, enjoined their disciples,

* See Mosheim.

by unnatural austerities, &c. to mortify the body, that is, matter-which they conceived to be derived from the Evil Principle, and therefore totally and essentially corrupt.

Christianity, mingled with Platonism, on one hand, carried to excess, seraphic abstraction; and the severer scholastic creed, mingling pure CHRISTIANITY with Manecheism, afterwards with Aristotelism, produced Calvinism, of which there are two distinct shades. About these two shades-absolute and conditional-Twiss and Harris differed. The Cock in Dryden's Fable says

I cannot bolt this matter to the bran,

As Bradwardine and LEARNED Austin can!

In the language of Chaucer

"In school is great altercation,

In this mater, and great disputacion,

And hath been of a hundred thousand men !

Quoth Chanticlere!

(Cock and the Fox.)

It is a pity that such disputations, which have been the bane of piety, should not have been confined to such disputants; for neither Twiss nor Warden Harris made the world wiser or better, and "CHARITY," which is "greater" than Faith, has always suffered in such interminable contests! We are commanded to "love one another;" but we are no where commanded to believe in Predestination absolute or conditional!

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