Joseph Mede, B.D.

BORN A. D. 1586.-DIED A. D. 1638.

JOSEPH MEDE was born, October, 1586, at Berden, near Bishop Stortford, Essex. His parents were persons of good reputation, and related to Sir John Mede of Lofts Hall, in that county, whose eldest son subsequently became the pupil of Mr Joseph Mede. Both himself and his father took the small-pox at the same time, when he was about ten years of age. The father died, but the son recovered, and was sent to school first at Hoddesden, and afterwards at Wetherfield, in Essex. About this period, Joseph, being in London, met with a copy of Bellarmine's Hebrew grammar, which he procured. Having taken it to school with him, his master endeavoured to dissuade him from the study of it, but such was his ardour in the acquisition of that language, that he made considerable progress in it, without the assistance of any tutor, before he left school. At the age of sixteen he was sent to the university of Cambridge, and entered at Christ's college as a pupil under Mr Daniel Rogers, and three years after under Mr William Addison. Having taken the degrees of B. A. and M. A., he was advanced by his tutor to the office of reader to his pupils, and moderator at their disputations. His high attainments and excellent character procured him much respect, not only in his own college, but throughout the university. During this period he laboured under great defects of utterance, which, by diligent attention and perseverance, he at length Overcame. But his studies were embittered and impeded by a trial of a far worse and very different kind. In the chamber of a fellow-student he met with a book not named, which for a considerable time shook his confidence in first principles, and brought him near to Pyrrhonism. It was not without much difficulty that he was enabled to rid himself of this troublesome perplexity, and escape from the toils of universal scepticism. At length, however, he emerged from these clouds, and found his way back to the high way of truth and common sense. Henceforward, his course was happy and distinguished. He became celebrated for his knowledge of many languages, for mathematics, anatomy, and philosophy in general. His first production which excited attention was a Latin address to Dr Andrews, bishop of Ely and Winchester, De Sanctitate relativa,' &c. This was afterwards published in a treatise on 1 Cor. xi. 22, and in his 'Concio ad Clerum' on Levit. xix. 30. This address procured him the warm patronage of Bishop Andrews, who recommended him to a fellowship, and made him his household chaplain; but it appears Mr Mede declined serving the latter appointment, because it would have drawn him away from his studies. He met with formidable opposition in his election to the fellowship, on account of his Calvinistic principles, but ultimately succeeded. He was next chosen lecturer on Greek, on the foundation of Sir Walter Mildmay, and continued in this office through life. His labours were not, however, confined to his lectureship. He undertook the charge of pupils, and was both diligent and successful in the direction of their studies. But while thus engaged in assisting others, he was ardently employed in the augmentation of his own stores of know

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ledge in various departments; languages, divinity, and natural history, were among his favourite pursuits. His propensity, however, for curious inquiries perverted him from the road of sound and useful knowledge, and led him often into the shadowy regions of astrology and oneironism. These pursuits induced him to study with much assiduity the mysteries of the Chaldeans, Egyptians, and other nations, famous for recondite science. The direct results of these researches may indeed be said to have amounted just to a caput mortuum, but their collateral effects were both interesting and important. He was led to pursue the study of antiquities and of chronology, and from these he entered upon the arduous task of prophetic and apocalyptic interpretation. It is by his attainments and skill in this department that he is principally known to posterity. In such repute was he for a profound knowledge of ancient history and chronology, that Archbishop Usher requested his assistance when he undertook to settle the sacred chronology, and so high a sense of regard did the archbishop bear him that, some time after, he recommended him to the provostship of Trinity college, Dublin, and twice procured him the offer of it; but such was Mr Mede's love of retirement, that he declined the offer, and requested only some small donative to his fellowship, or to have a place in some collegiate church or rural college.

He continued patiently pursuing his studies till the age of fifty-two, scarcely ever leaving the walls of his college-rarely troubling himself with those things which most agitate and interest mankind. In September, 1638, he was suddenly taken ill after dinner, and retiring to his chamber alone, sat down in a chair, but soon after fainted, and fell upon the floor, near the fire, where he was sometime after found by a friend who happened to come to his apartment. After this, it appears, he fell into the hands of unskilful physicians, and died in two days. Of his character, all who have written speak in the highest terms. He lived very much the life of a recluse, but was a man of amiable and cheerful habits, loving society, at least of that particular kind which met his taste, and delighting in nothing so much as in the converse of wise and good men. He appears to have inherited no private property, but was enabled, from his college and professional emoluments, to be extensively charitable, and leave at his death some legacies for the benefit of the poor, his relatives and his college. As an author, he has enjoyed the singular felicity of founding a new school, or new department of sacred study, in which he has enjoyed an undisputed mastership, and an advancing fame. He is the father of all those that handle the mysterious harp of inspired prophecy. During his lifetime he published only three treatises. The first entitled, Clavis Apocalyptica ex innatis et insitis visionum characteribus eruta et demonstrata;' to which he added, in 1632, 'In Sancti Joannis Apocalypsin Commentarius.' This is the largest and most elaborate of any of his writings. The other two, which were published during his lifetime, were but short tracts, and upon not very interesting subjects,-the one being on the word vango, the name given anciently to the sacramental table; and the other on the churches or places of worship in the apostolic and succeeding times. His other works, which were left in manuscript, were edited by Dr Worthington, and appeared in folio 1672, with a full life of the author. The whole works are divided into five books, and dis

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posed in the following order :--The first contains fifty-three discourses on various texts of scripture, most of them very short, often critical and learned, and fitter to entertain students of theology than to be delivered in the course of public instruction. There is, however, some

sound and useful criticism in these discourses. The second book contains a number of treatises on subjects connected with places of public worship, and several such matters of Christian antiquity, all of them learned and able, but manifesting vastly too much deference for the opinions and reasonings of the early fathers. For what figment of the imagination, what pestilent fancy of superstition, what perversion of reason and common sense, may not be "ferretted out of that dusty cupboard of antiquity?" The third book contains his treatises on the prophetical Scriptures, viz., the Apocalyptic Key and Commentariessome small tracts regarding the Apocalypse-a Paraphrase of the 3d chap.of 2d Epistle of Peter-The Apostacy of the latter times-Daniel's Weeks, with two tracts upon Daniel. The fourth book contains letters by Mr Mede in answer to learned men who had written to him respecting his opinions. The fifth book contains Sacred fragments, or Miscellanies of Divinity. Several of his principal works are in Latin.

The whole display the great learning and ingenuity of the author, though frequently without affording the reader satisfaction and repose of mind in the results. Mede, with Dr Henry More, expected the personal reign of Christ, and may be said to have done more to systematize and fortify those opinions than any other writer, whether of ancient or modern times. His views have been adopted, corrected, and repropagated in various forms, suited to the meridian of the particular age, by many writers, at intervals down to the present day. Eras have been calculated upon Mede's data and principia, when the Messiah was certainly to appear. All these writers seemed equally plausible in their predictions, and all equally positive of their verification, but their chosen eras have all passed away, one after another, and yet the Millennium they foresaw has not approached. Mede, however, is a modest inquirer, in comparison with the dogmatists who have followed him in this time. He criticises they prophecy; he reasons-they divine.'

Bishop Davenant.

BORN CIRC. A. D. 1572.-DIED A. D. 1641.

JOHN DAVENANT, bishop of Salisbury, was descended from the ancient family of the Davenants of Sible-Heningham in Essex. He was born in London, where his father was an eminent merchant. On the 4th of July, 1587, he was admitted of Queen's college, Cambridge. His father left him a large fortune, in addition to which he was admitted to a fellowship in 1597. In 1609, he became D.D., and was elected Lady Margaret's professor of Divinity, which chair he filled till 1621. “In 1613—14, a Royal party visiting Cambridge, on occasion of the marriage of the Princess Elizabeth with the Prince Palatine Fre

1 Life prefixed to his works.-Middleton's Biog. Evan.

deric, and an entertainment being given to them, Davenant was selected as Moderator, in the theological disputation, which, according to the custom of the age, then occurred. In the following year, on a similar occasion, another public disputation took place between some chief divines of England and of the Palatinate, among whom the Heidelburgh professor, Abraham Scultetus, distinguished himself. The Margaret professor was then also appointed Moderator. The questions discussed, as we learn from Nicholl's Progresses of James I., were these three: Nulla est temporalis Papæ potestas supra reges, in ordine ad bonum spirituale. Infallibilis fidei determinatio non est annexa cathedræ papali. Cæca obedientia est illicita.' The excellent, but pedantic Bishop Hacket, in his Life of Archbishop Williams, records these academical feats with great vivacity. Speaking of one super-eminent disputant, Dr Collins, he thus proceeds: He was a firm bank of earth, able to receive the shot of the greatest artillery. His works in print, against Eudæmon and Fitzherbert, sons of Anak among the Jesuits, do noise him far and wide. But they that heard him speak would most admire him. No flood can be compared to the spring-tide of his language and eloquence, but the milky river of Nilus, with his seven mouths all at once disemboguing into the sea. O how voluble! how quick! how facetious he was! What a Vertumnus when he pleased to argue on the right side, and on the contrary. Those things will be living to the memory of the longest survivor that ever heard him. In this trial, wherein he stood now to be judged by so many attic and exquisite wits, he strived to exceed himself, and shewed his cunning marvellously that he could invalidate every argument brought against him with variety of answers. It was well for all sides, that the best divine, in my judgment, that ever was in that place, Dr Davenant, held the reins of the disputation. He kept him within the even boundals of the cause; he charmed him with the Caducæan wand of dialectical prudence; he ordered him to give just weight, and no more. Horat. Î. 1. Od. 3. Quo non arbiter Adriæ major, tollere seu ponere vult freta.' Such an arbiter as he was now, such he was and no less, year by year, in all comitial disputations; wherein whosoever did well, yet constantly he had the greatest acclamation. To the close of all this exercise, I come. The grave elder opponents having had their courses, Mr Williams, a new admitted bachelor of divinity, came to his turn, last of all. Presently, there was a smile in the face of every one that knew them both, and a prejudging that between these two there would be a fray indeed. Both jealous of their credit, both great masters of wit; and as much was expected from the one as from the other. So they fell to it with all quickness and pertinacity; yet, thank the Moderator, with all candour; like Fabius and Marcellus, the one was the buckler, the other the sword of that learned exercise. No greyhound did ever give a hare more turns upon Newmarket heath, than the replier with his subtleties gave to the respondent. A subject fit for the verse of Mr Abraham Hartwell, in his Regina Literata, as he extols Dr Pern's arguments made before Queen Elizabeth: 'Quis fulmine tanto tela jacet? tanto fulmine nemo jacet.' But when they had both doue their best with equal prowess, the marshal of the field, Dr Davenant, cast down his warder between them, and parted them.' ”

Allpert's Memoir.

In October 1614, he was chosen master of his college. In 1618, he was sent by King James as one of his four delegates to the synod of Dort. Upon the death of his brother-in-law, Dr Robert Townson, he was nominated bishop of Salisbury in 1621.

Bishop Davenant continued in favour at court during the life of James; but in the Lent of 1630, he incurred the royal displeasure for some strictures in which he had indulged in a sermon preached at Whitehall on the predestinarian controversy. Charles had been pleased strictly to forbid "all curious search" into this point of doctrine, Davenant defended himself on the ground, that he had advanced nothing contrary to the 17th article of the church. But on being informed that it was not his majesty's pleasure he should ever touch upon the question of predestination, he apologised for his mistake, and promised never more to offend in this way.

Davenant was a man of great learning, and published several theological works which continue in repute to the present day.

His 'Expositio Epistolæ D. Pauli ad Colossenses,' is reckoned a masterpiece of expository divinity. It was published at Cambridge in 1627, and republished in 1630 and 1639. A quarto edition was published at Amsterdam in 1646. It has been recently translated by the Rev. Josiah Allport, in 2 vols. 8vo.

"Few men," says Mr Allport, " appear to have been more honoured and venerated by all parties than Bishop Davenant. In all the works of friends or opponents, there is not to be found a single sentence approaching even to disrespect, much less any thing that can tend to cast the slightest reflexion upon his deportment in any measure of his public or private life. His profound learning, acuteness of intellect, catholic spirit, active benevolence, and meekness, are constantly adverted to; and the phrases the good Bishop Davenant,' the excellent Bishop Davenant,' the learned Bishop Davenant,' &c. &c. are the usual appendages to his name, even in the writings of those who took up the pen in express hostility to certain of his theological views "

Bishop Bedell.

BORN A. D. 1570.-DIED A. D. 1642.

WILLIAM BEDELL, an eminent bishop of the 17th century, was descended from an ancient family in Essex, and was born at Black Notley, in that county, in 1570. He finished his studies at Emanuel college, Cambridge, of which he was chosen fellow in 1593; in 1599 he became bachelor of divinity. He was ordained by the suffragan bishop of Colchester, and on leaving the university, he was settled at St Edmond's Bury, in Suffolk, where he laboured in the ministry of the gospel with much success. On Sir Henry Wotton's being appointed ambassador to the Venetian republic, Bedell accompanied him in the capacity of chaplain; and arriving at Venice at a period when the disputes between the Venetians and the pope had run so high that the former were on the point of dissenting from the Romish communion, he formed a close intimacy with the celebrated father, Paul Sarpi, the principal leader in that struggle against ecclesiastical despotism.