At Llandelog, Pembrokeshire, Ann John, aged 102. She was followed to the grave by 35 of her children, grand-children, and greatgrand-children. fail to arrest the attention of the most careless part of his audience, the church was numerously attendcd during his labours. So great an aversion had this excellent man against eating the bread of idleness, that while the church was rebuild At Whetstone, aged 61, Mrs. Holdsworth, wife of Mr. John Holdsworth, after a few days ill-ing be made a tender of relinquishBess, universally beloved by all who had the pleasure of her acquaintauce, and her loss will be ever regretted by her relations and friends. [Some further particulars of the Rev. Mr. MOISES, whose death was announced in our last number, [age 79.] It was about fifty years since that he came to Newcastle, to fill the office of head-master of the Tree Grammar School, where his assiduous attention gained him the esteem of all the gentry in the neighbourhood, and a retrospective view of which could not fail of yielding himself the highest satisfaction, as those labours contributed eminently to form some of the most distinguished public characters in the kingdom. Some years after his arrival he was appointed forenoon lecturer of All Saints church, which ethice he filled for about thirty years with unremitting attention";" and from the circumstance of his reducing to practice the several virtues he inculcated from the pulpit, added to a peculiar but striking manner of delivery, which did not ing his salary unless a place should be procured in which he might of ficiate; and this was the cause of the chapel of the Trinity House being opened until the new church was finished. And so desirous was Mr. Moises to cultivate a spirit of industry in others, that when as sailed in the street by the sturdy beggar, he generally took the op portunity of making a present to some poor but industrious person who happened to be on the spot, and left the mendicant unnoticed. When he was presented to the rectory of Graystock, in Cumberland, he resigned the lecturership of All Saints and in a few years he also resigned the living of Graystock, continuing to reside in Newcastle, where he preached at intervals till within a few weeks of his death, to the great edification of his former hearers. He was not merely revered by his own flock, and the circle in which he moved, but all ranks, of whatever profession, bore testimony to the excellence of his character. He closed his earthly labours in the 85th year of his age. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS will be resumed next month. We shall attend to the observations of JUVENIS, whose farther favours are requested. Our Friends are desired to send their favours on or before the 20th of the month, if they wish to have them immediately inserted. We also request them to allow a sufficient blank about the place where their letters are sealed, as it sometimes happens that the writing is obliterated by the wax or wafer; and difficulties in consequence arise both to the editor and compositor. ERRATUM IN OUR LAST. Page 21, line 26, for never read ever. ORTHODOX CHURCHMANS MAGAZINE AND REVIEW, FOR SEPTEMBER, 1806. Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to with stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. EPHESIANS vi. 13. BIOGRAPHY. Life of Dr. HICKES. (Concluded from page 85.) and N.September 1679, Dr. Hickes married; and the December following he was created Doctor in Divinity at Oxford. The next year the king promoted him to a prebend of Worcester, and Archbishop Sancroft presented him with the vicarage of Allhallows, Barking. In December 1681, he was made Chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty; and in August 1683, Dean of Worcester. The bishopric of Bristol became vacant the following year, and Dr. Hickes inight have had it if he would; but missing that opportunity, the king died, and he lost all prospect of farther advancement; for he had distinguished himself with too much zeal and strength against Popery to be any favourite with James the Second. In the beginning of that reign, the doctor experienced considerable trouble by the trial and condemnation of his elder brother John, for his concern in Monmouth's rebellion John was a zealous Nonconformist, and had been drawn in to take an active part with that misguided nobleman, whom he was accused of advising to take upon him the title of king. For this he was sentenced to be hung, and all the efforts of his brother to procure his pardon were of no avail. This we mention, because some bigotted Dissenters have Vol. XI. Churchm. Mag. September 1806, Y falsely . falsely charged the dean with cruelly abandoning his unfortunate brother in his distress. In May 1686, Doctor Hickes quitted the vicarage of Barking, and went to settle on his deanry; the Bishop of Worcester having offered him the rectory of All-church, not far from that city, which he gladly accepted. Upon the revolution in 1688, our Dean, with many others, refusing to take the oaths of allegiance to William and Mary, fell under the suspension in August, 1689, and he was deprived the February following. He continued, however, in possession till the beginning of May, when reading in the Gazette, that the deanry was granted to Mr. Talbot, afterwards successively Bishop of Oxford, Salisbury, and Durham, he immediately drew up the following protestation and claim of right, which was affixed over the great entrance into the choir of the cathedral. To Dr. John Jephcot, Subdean of this Cathedral Church of Worcester; and Dr. George Benson, Mr. William Hopkins, and Mr. Ralph Bottell, Prebendaries of the same; and to all the other Prebendaries and Members of this Cathedral Church of Worcester, as if expressly here named; and to Mr. John Price, the Chapter Clerk; and to all others whom these presents may concern; George Hickes, D.D. and Dean of this Cathedral Church, sendeth greeting. "Know ye, that whereas the office, place, and dignity, of Dean of this Cathedral Church of Worcester, was given and granted unto me for a freehold, during my natural life, by letters patents, under the broad seal of King Charles II. of happy memory, who had an undoubted right to confer the same: And whereas I, the said George Hickes, in obedience to the said letters patents, was duly installed into the same office and freehold during my natural life, according to the undoubted laws of the realm; and according to the said undoubted laws, which had alt the essentials of law, have for several years peaceably enjoyed the same: And whereas I am given to understand, that my right to the said office and dignity has of late been called in question, and that one Mr. Talbot, M. A. pretends a title to the same. "Now, know ye, therefore, and every one of you, that I the the said George Hickes, desiring that no advantage may be taken against me, by not claiming what I conceive to be my just right, and that lest thereby I may seem to yield my legal title as determined; I do hereby publicly PROTEST and declare, that I do claim a legal right and title to the said office and dignity of Dean, against the said Mr. Talbot, and all other persons pretend ing title to the same; and that I am not conscious of any act or misdemeanor, the conviction whereof, if any such were, should or can determine my said right; but do conceive, that I was, and still do continue, the only rightful and legal Dean of this Cathedral Church of Worcester; and that I do not any way relinquish my said title, but shall, God willing, use all just means which the laws of this realm allow, for the preservation and recovery thereof. "And accordingly, as much as in me lies, and I may lawfully do, I do hereby require you, the Subdean, and Prebendaries, and all other members of this Church, with the chapter clerk, officers, and every one of you, to take notice of this my declaration And further, by all the legal authority I have, I require you, and every one of you, by the respective duty which I conceive you owe to me as your only lawful Dean of this church and your lawful superior, that you do no act or thing relating to the premises, whereby you may impeach or hinder my right to the said office and dignity of this Cathedral Church: And if it should so happen, that you, or any of you, shall do, or attempt any act or acts, thing or things, to me as Dean of the said Cathedral church, "I do hereby expressly dissent thereto, and in my own defence PROTEST against the same, as of no force against this my declared right to the office, place, or dignity of Dean of this Cathedral Church. Given under my hand and seal, the second day of May, in the year of our Lord MDCXCI. "GEORGE HICKES." The Dean was greatly strengthened in his resolution against the new oath by the dying declaration of Dr. William Thomas, Bishop of Worcester, who sent for him two days before his death, and thus addressed him: "Mr. Dean, "I was glad when I heard you was come home, for I longed to speak with you before I died; for I perceive I have but a short time to live. I bless God that I have twice suffered in the same righteous cause, and it is time now for me to die, who have outlived the honour of my religion, and the liberties of my country. It hath been a great comfort to me in this general apostacy of my clergy, whom I have endeavoured to keep upright and steady to their principles, that you have not forsaken me, but kept constant with me to the same principles. I have read all the books written for taking the oath; in which I find the authors more Jesuits than the Jesuits themselves; and if my heart deceive me not, and the grace of God fail me Y 2 not, 1 not, I think I could burn at a stake before I took this new oath. pray God bless you, and reward your constancy. I desire daily prayers, &c." your The doctor's conduct in defending his right to the deanry, appears to have attracted the particular notice of the new government, for he thought it prudent to retire to London, where he lived privately several years: and the writer of Mr. Kettlewell's life, relates, that" when the dean lay under the displeasure of the government, and was therefore forced to abscond, being under these circumstances visited by Mr. Kettlewell, he appeared in a military dress, passing for a captain or major, which disguise was not pleasing to that good man, who was remarkable for strict veracity and honest simplicity." Soon after their deprivation, Archbishop Sancroft and his colleagues began to consider about maintaining and continuing the episcopal succession among those who adhered to their communion; and accordingly a list of the deprived clergy was sent over to King James, of which list Dr. Hickes was the bearer. He set out in May 1693, and going by the way of Holland made it six weeks before he arrived at St. Germain's. He had several audiences of the King, who readily acceded to the measure proposed; and recommended two persons for the approbation of Archbishop Sancroft, and Dr. Lloyd Bishop of Norwich, the former of whom nominated Dr. Hickes, suffragan Bishop of Thetford, and the latter, Mr. Thomas Wagstaffe, Suffragan of Ipswich. Dr. Hickes was detained in France by an ague and fever, during which Archbishop Sancroft died; so that the consecration was performed on the eve of St. Matthias, by the deprived Bishops of Norwich, Ely, and Peterborough at the Rev. Mr. Giffard's house, Southgate; at which solemnity, Henry, Earl of Clarendon, is said to have been present. This separation in the Church of England, is greatly to be lamented, though happily it no longer exists. The Nonjurors, however, as those were denominated who adhered to the deprived bishops, had strong grounds for their conduct; and it must be admitted, that as they had not departed in a single instance from the doctrine or discipline of the Church, their deprivation by a new civil power did not invalidate their spiritual functions. The episcopal character was not derived from the magistrate; |
