State-worthies, or, The states-men and favourites of England since the reformation their prudence and policies, successes and miscarriages, advancements and falls, during the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James, King Charles I.

Observations on the Life of Bishop Andrews.

I Have much a-do to prevail with my own hand to write this excellent Prelate a Statesman of England, though he was Privy-Councellor in both Kingdoms: For I remember that he would say when he came to the Council-Table; Is there any thing to be done to day for the Church? If they answered Yea, then he said, I will stay—If No, he said, I will be gone.—Though yet this be an in∣stance of as much prudence as any within the com∣pass of our Observation: So safe is every man with∣in the circle of his own place, and so great an ar∣gument of abilities hath it been always confessed, to know as well what we ought, as what we can, espe∣cially in Clergy-men, whose over-doing doth abate their reverence, and increase their envy, by laying open those defects and miscarriages, which are o∣therwise hallowed, or at least concealed in the mystick sacredness of their own function. Not but that men of that gravity and exactness, of that knowledge and experience, of that stayedness and moderation, of that sobriety and temperance, of that observation and diligence as Bishops are pre∣sumed to be, were in all Governments judged as fit to manage publick affairs, as men of any other

professions whatever, without any prejudice to the Church; which must be governed as well as taught,—and managed as well as a society dwelling in the world, as under the notion of a peculiar people taken out of it.—His successful skill in dea••∣ing with the Papists under my Lord of Huntington President of the North; and with the Puritans un∣der Doctor Cosin, an Ecclesiastical Officer in the South, recommended him to Sir Francis Walsing∣ham's notice, as a person too useful to be buried in a Country-Living; who thereupon intended to set up his Learning in a Lecture at Cambridge, to con∣fute the Doctrine of Rome; unti•• Queen Eliz. re∣solved to set up his prudence in other Employments at Court, to countermine its policy: where I know not whether the acuteness of his Sermons took most with the most Learned; the devotion of them with the most pious; or the prudence of them with the most Wise—(it hath been one thin•• always to Preach learnedly, and another thing to preach wisely) for to the Immensity of his Learning, he added excellent Principles of politick prudence, as a governour of the Church, and a Councellor of State, wherein he was conspicuous; not for the crafty projects and practices of policy, or for those finister ways of Artifice and subtlery, or the admi∣red depths of Hypocrisie called reason of State; no•• the measures and rules of his Politicks and Pru∣dentials were taken from the great experience he had gotten, and many excellent observations he had made out of all Histories, as well Humane as Divine: though he always laid the greatest weight upon the grounds and instances of holy Scripture, which gives the truest judgement of

wisdom or folly; considering the mixture of State-affairs, with tho••e of the Church in Christian Com∣mon-wealths, and the fitness of sober and discreet Clergy-men for those of the State in all. It's a won∣der how Clergy-men come to be excluded publick Councils at any time: but observing Bishop An∣drews his insight into the Fundamental constitution of our State, as appears from his Speech in the Countess of Shrewsbury's Case: His distinct foresight o•• the consequences of Affairs, evident in his speech against Thraske: His circumspect care of the Pub∣lick, visible in his Petition to King Iames then sick at New-Market; that the P••ince then under Scotch Tutors be educated by well-principled men, the occasion that King Iames took to bring him up himself so exactly in the Doctrine and Discipline of o••r Church, that it's a question whether he was more by his Pen or Sword, his Scepter or his Style, The Defender of the Faith:—His wond••r∣ful skill in the government of this Church, discern∣ed by ••he excellent King Charles, in that he sent so many Bishops to consult with him, 1625. what was to be done for the Church in that Parliament: His caution and moderation, in ••hat he never, unless upon gre••t considerations, innovated in his Church, b••t left things in the same decency and order he ••ound them (knowing that all alterations have ••heir dangers) I am astonished to think, that B••shops should be forbidden secular employment in our time.— Who hath more ampleness and com∣pleatness (saith Bishop Gauden) for a good man, a good Bishop, a good Christian, a good Scholar, a good Preacher, and a good Counsellor, than Bishop Andrews, a man of an astonishing excellency both at home and abroad?