F.R.S. AND F.S.A. LIBRARIAN TO HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. MY DEAR SIR, THE HE circumstances under which the third chapter* of this volume was written, naturally make me wish to associate your name with the remainder. The field of literature there entered upon is almost untrodden, and although few flowers of extraordinary beauty or pearls of exceeding price have been gathered, I would hope that the labour is not lost which has been bestowed upon it; indeed you are well aware that if rarity can be regarded as enhancing value, nearly the whole of the books here quoted being of uncommon occurrence, some known by name only to bibliographers, others apparently not known at all, they have at least that claim upon the antiquary and the scholar. My object is to give some notion of the preachers as well as to make sketches of the times of the Reformation in this country: or perhaps to shew their conceptions of what they saw, rather than mine of what I read of. Hence where no passage in a sermon has suggested itself affording the desired light, matters. which could easily have been elucidated are often passed * It appeared as the first of a series of papers in the British Magazine; these are here republished, or rather perhaps form the basis of the present volume. The first chapter has not been in print. by in silence. I am sensible of the great deficiencies of these selections, but the fact is, the mine is scarcely rich enough to encourage working it entirely out, for the sake of a mineral found occasionally in the ore. Such passages as are here produced are only incidentally supplied. Andrews has furnished but two or three, Philips the same; Greenham and Smith not half a dozen each; while others who have printed few sermons, but whose mode of treating them is personal and local, as Lever, Stockwood, Drant, &c. are often quoted. Your I have to thank you for access to the Lambeth Library, whence a large portion of the present volume is derived, but this would be a very inadequate acknowledgement for kindness which dates long before that fine collection had the benefit of your keeping. society then led me to form opinions essential I believe to a candid review of the Reformation, although subsequent years, during which I had not that privilege, may have so modified them as to prevent me from assuming that they have at present more than a general resemblance to your own. Still it gives me pleasure to say where I first was led to converse, however distantly, with ancient piety and wisdom, to watch the designs of Providence unfolded in church history, to venerate men who sustained the light of faith and holiness in dark ages without mimicking the peculiarities of their times, and to revere the virtues and honesty of our Reformers, nor yet allow them an infallibility they denied the Pope. I am, my dear sir, Yours, very faithfully, J. O. W. HAWEIS. NORWOOD. Page CONTENTS. a mixed character. IV. Evil of regarding them as models. v. Objections to this admission considered. VI. The Contemporary Pulpit, VII. less influen- tial in England than elsewhere. VIII. Principle of the selections from sermons in this volume. The depression of the clergy a frequent topic. x. Pulpit excellencies, and defects of the sixteenth cen- tury. XI. Causes contributing to them. XII. Fa- vourable specimens of sermons, from the commence- ment to the close of the century. Fisher on God's forbearance towards sinners. XIII. Notice of Colet and his sermon on Reformation. The clergy must seek their power in their holiness. Henry's remark on his preaching. XIV. Longland on searching the Scriptures. xv. Notice of Latimer. XVI. Jewel's preaching. The Dying Father from the notes of Gar- brand. XVII. Deringe: Christ the Sanctifier. XVIII. Sandys, a connecting link between the re- formers and the reign of James. XIX. Hooker; cha- racter of his preaching. Man's sedulity the means 1. Site of Paul's Cross; its inconveniences. Interesting scenes occurring there. Tonstal's anec- dote of Julius II. Barnes challenges Gardiner. III. The collision of Hooper and Boner. IV. Rid- ley and Lady Jane Grey. v. Bourne's escape from the mob. Watson's sermon. VI. Jewel's retort upon it. preacher. VIII. Curiosities exhibited; the Agnus Dei. IX. Ridiculous spectacles; the pig, the biga- mist. x. Boldness of the preachers. Gardiner's sermon on Reformation. XI. Difficulty of procuring CHAPTER III.-EDUCATION AND PREFERMENTS OF I. Abuses of church patronage. to alienate endowments. III. These continued for some time adequate to the wants of the Church. iv. Yet the station and scholarship of the inferior clergy sunk, and the universities declined. v. An- ecdote of Bentham. VI. The Marian persecution, the exiles. VII. Their return and disappointments. VIII. Simony, and contempt of clergy. Apology CHAPTER IV.-SOCIAL POSITION OF THE PARO- I. Advantages and disadvantages of a married clergy. 11. Secularizing character of the Reforma- CHAPTER V.-THE ITINERANT PREACHERS 1. The preaching friars. II. Evils of their sys- tem III. imitated in that which succeeded it. IV.. Regulations of itinerancy. v. Royal chaplains XV. Church windows, III. and altars, IV. parts of a system v. which it was resolved to sweep away. VI. A communion in Edward's day, vII. an un- friendly account of one, VIII. same practices long continued. Ix. The rood loft, x. reluctantly removed, with its accessories. XI. Separation of rich and poor; gestures of devotion. XII. Prayers before and ecclesiastical costume. III. Doctrine of the Re- |