For the trovoru of unet Gorlege With the Elton's best respecto THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND BULWARK, AND CLERGYMAN'S PROTECTOR. JANUARY, 1828. MEMOIR OF THE REVEREND ANTHONY HORNECK, D. D. PREBENDARY OF WELLS. Extracted from the works of a Bishop of that Diocese. int, and a pospon the beginn. His fat This excellent man was born at Baccharach, in the Lower Palatinate, a town from whence we receive a wine that from the place bears the same nane amongst us. His father was recorder or secretary of that place; a very strict Protestant, and a person of great reputation. The doctor was also bred up in the same profession from the beginning: he never was of the Church of Rome, as hath been falsely reported of him. His father devoted him for the holy ministry from the womb, and was not wanting to give him such an education as might fit him for that sacred office. He was first sent to Heidelbergh, where he applied himself with great diligence to the study of divinity, under the direction and care of the very learned Dr. Spanheim, who is now the primary professor of the University of Leyden. He had, it appears, a great desire to come over into England, and entered Queen's College, Oxford, Dec. 24, 1663, and was in very great esteem there with Dr. Barlow, then provost of that house, and since Bishop of Lincoln, who valued him highly for his great learning, and more particularly for his good skill in the Eastern languages. He was, by his favour, made chaplain of the said college soon after his entrance. He was incorporated master of arts from the University of Wittenbergh, Dec. 31, 1663. It was not long after this, that he was made vicar of Allhallows, in Oxford, which is in the gift of Lincoln College. There he continued a most constant and painful preacher about two years. Thence he removed into the family of the Duke of Albemarle, and was received there as tutor to his son, the then Lord Torrington, and since Duke of Albemarle. He was now in a fair way to preferment, had he been forward in seeking it. The Duke did indeed bestow upon him a living in the diocese of Exeter, and did also procure him a prebend in that church from Dr. Sparrow, then Lord Bishop, there. I shall have occasion afterward to give an account of his parting with them. I am now on that part of the doctor's life which I know the least of; I doubt not but he did well every where, and agreeably to his holy profession. He did, before he married, go over into Germany, to see his friends, where hę preached with great acceptation, and was entertained with great respect at the court of one of the German princes, who shewed him a very particular kindness. After his return he was chosen preacher at the Savoy, where he continued about 26 years, till he died. That place deserves noc the name of a preferment: the maintenance is small, and, upon the whole, precarious. And whatever it was to him at his first taking of it, when there were persons of considerable quality inhabiting there, who were very kind to him ; yet afterwards, when his family increased, and his necessities were greater, it could not be called a competent maintenance. But whatever it was first or last, he could not be persuaded to keep his living in Devonshire with it; nor could he ever be prevailed on afterwards (whatever offers were made to him) to accept of any living to hold in conjunction with it. He was irreconcileable to pluralities, and to non-residence, and would upon occasion declare his abhorrence of them with some considerable warmth. • He was a very great blessing to the inhabitants of the Savoy, and indeed to the city. He constantly resided among them, though he had no house belonging to his place. We hired a house, and was constant in the discharge of the duties of his place. He preached with great vehemence and ardour, with mighty force and conviction. He spake the sense of his soul and entered into the hearts of his people. He soon convinced his auditors that he was in great earnest, and that he had a mighty sense of the worth of souls, and of the vast importance of those truths which he delivered to them. His auditors were convinced that he was a man of God, and sent by him for the good of souls. He used great freedom of speech, and instead of using enticing words of human wisdom, he spake like his master with great conviction and authority. His fame grew exceedingly, and very many were his contant auditors, some of the highest rank and quality, and a very great number of very devout and pious persons. A vast crowd there was that followed him, and such a collection of most devout and conformable persons as were hardly to be found elsewhere ; it was no easy matter to get through the crowd to the pulpit. He administered the holy communion on the first Sunday of every month, and preached a preparation sermon on the Friday preceding. He did it also on the great festivals. He administered it twice on a day, in the morning at eight o'clock, and at the usual time after the morning sermon. The number of the communicants held a great proportion to that of his auditors, and their devotion was very exemplary. The number was so great at both times, that it will hardly be believed by those clergymen who have been confined to the country, and have seen the small number of those who attend upon this holy service. So great was the number, that there was need of great help of clergymen to assist in the delivering of the bread and wine ; and with such assistance it was very late before the congregation could be dismissed. I will add, that I do not remember that I did ever behold so great numbers, and so great signs of devotion, and a due sense and profound reverence, becoming this great act of divine worship, in my whole life. The doctor took indefatigable pains on these occasions, but he was encouraged to do so from the great success his labours met withal. He was not only very diligent in preaching and administering the Holy Sacrament, but in all other parts of his duty. He took great pains in catechising and instructing the youth, in visitiug the sick, and directing and satisfying the doubtful and scrupulous, and encouraging all good beginnings, and promoting worthy designs, and provoking those he conversed with to love and good works. He look great pains also in his own family. He spent very much time with his family in constant prayers morning and night, in reading the Holy Scriptures, singing of psalms, in holy conferences, and all the duties incumbent upon him as the master of a family. No weariness, no weighty business abroad, excused him from the discharge of these duties. Nor did he perform them slightly and perfunctorily, but spent very much time in them ; he was very assiduous, very earnest and vehement, and shewed a very great concern and ardour therein. He would rise early in a morning to these exercises, and not spare his pains even after the very great and wearisome labours of the day. Nor did he forbear his studies and closet-devotions. He spent much time there. It appears by a diary found since his death, and which he kept for a long time, that he called himself to an account every night for the words and actions, and conversations of the day past ; and perhaps few men living were more strict and severe than he was in this matter. If he had done any good that day, he gave God the praise of it before he slept. And few men that lived, passed fewer days (if he passed any such) without doing good. But when any words or thoughts escaped, which he judged to have wanted due care, he animadverted upon himself in a severe manner, before he went to rest. He was one of the kindest men to others that ever lived, and one of the severest to himself. He needed no confessor to call him to account, or to enjoin him any penance. He did not spare revenge upon himself, who could most easily forgive his enemies, and wanted no compassion for the greatest criminals. He kept a continual watch over his own soul, and strictly watched over its actings, and tendencies, and was therefore very fit to watch over those who were committed to his charge. The Doctor had so much business generally upon his hands, that he had hardly time to eat his meat. He was often sent for to sick and dying people, frequently consulted by those who were doubtful and scrupulous, and ad. dressed to with cases of conscience, and sometimes with cases that were very extraordinary. He was also, beyond all measure, followed by the poor and needy, by them that wanted money, or wanted his favour to procure them some boon or other. He was extremely prone to do good offices; this was well known, and it fared with him accordingly. But in the late reign his labour was much increased. Great endeavours were used to introduce popery, and to delude the poor people. No man was more stout and diligent than the doctor at that time. He preached most vigorously against that corrupt doctrine, prepared his auditors against the |