He died in the year 1600, in the forty-sixth year of his age. A beautiful description of his life in his parish and of his last days is given by Izaak Walton. A few days before his death his house was broken into and robbed. When informed of this, he merely asked, "Are my books and papers safe?" On hearing that they were, he replied, "Then it matters not; for no other loss can trouble me." He lived to see the fifth book through the press; but the other three were not published till 1647, nearly half a century after his death.

About a month after he was gone, Archbishop Whitgift sent one of his chaplains to inquire of his widow for the three remaining books,

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of which she would not, or could not give any account. About three months later the Archbishop sent for her to London (she was already married again) to be examined by some of the Queen's Council concerning the disposal of the three Books. By way of preparation for the next day's examination he invited her to Lambeth; and after some friendly questions she confessed to him that one Mr. Clarke, and another minister that dwelt near Canterbury, came to her, and desired that they might go into her husband's study, and look upon some

of his writings; and that there they two burnt and tore many of them, assuring her that they were writings not fit to be seen; and that she knew nothing more concerning them.' Her lodging was then in King Street, Westminster, where she was found next morning dead in her bed, and her new husband suspected and questioned for it; but he was declared innocent of her death."

Dr. Spenser, who had married the sister of George Cranmer, Hooker's friend, and who became President of Corpus, recovered rough notes of the remaining books. George Cranmer himself died at the battle of Carlingford, November 13th, 1600, only eleven days after his old tutor. Careful inquiry inclines to show that the seventh and eighth are genuine, but that the sixth has been unskilfully, and possibly erroneously, put together.

A few quotations from his writings may be added on points which are being discussed at the present time.

I. THE INVISIBLE CHURCH.

"That Church of Christ, which we properly term His body mystical, can be but one; neither can that one be sensibly discerned by

any man, inasmuch as the parts thereof are some in heaven already with Christ, and the rest that are on earth (albeit their natural persons be visible) we do not discern under this property, whereby they are truly and infallibly of that body. Only our minds by intellectual conceit (imagination) are able to apprehend that such a real body there is, a body collective, because it containeth a huge multitude; a body mystical, because the mystery of their conjunction is removed altogether from sense. Whatsoever we read in Scripture concerning the endless love and the saving mercy which God sheweth towards His Church, the only proper subject thereof is this Church. Concerning this flock it is that our Lord and Saviour hath promised, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of My hands.'

lest

2. THE CHURCH OF ROME HERETICAL.

He which saith, Depart out of Babylon, ye be partakers of her sins,' sheweth plainly that he meant such sins, as, except we separate ourselves, we have no power in the world to

1 Eccl. Pol., Book III., 1, 2.

avoid; such impieties, as by their law they have established, and whereunto all that are among them either do indeed assert, or else are by powerable means forced in shew and in appearance to subject themselves. As for example, in the Church of Rome, it is maintained that the same credit and reverence which we give to the Scriptures of God, ought also to be given to unwritten verities; that the Pope is supreme head ministerial over the universal Church militant; that the bread of the Eucharist is transubstantiated into Christ; that it is to be adored, and to be offered up unto God as a sacrifice propitiatory both for quick and dead; that images are to be worshipped, saints to be called upon as intercessors, and such like. Now because some heresies do concern things only believed, as transubstantiating of sacramental elements in the Eucharist; some concern things which are practised also, and put in use, as adoration of the elements transubstantiated; we must note that erroneously the practice of that is sometimes maintained, whereof the doctrine which teacheth it is not heretically maintained. They are all partakers in the maintenance of heresies who by word or deed allow them, knowing them, although not knowing them to be

heresies; as also they, and that most dangerously of all others, who knowing heresy to be heresy, do notwithstanding, in worldly respects, make semblance of allowing that, which in heart and judgment they condemn; but heresy is heretically maintained, by such as obstinately hold it after wholesome admonition."1

3.-EPISCOPAL ORDINATION NOT WITHOUT
EXCEPTION.

"Men may be extraordinarily, yet allowably, two ways admitted unto spiritual functions in the Church. One is, when God Himself doth raise up any, whose labour He useth without requiring that men should authorise them; but then He doth ratify their calling by manifest signs and tokens Himself from heaven. Another extraordinary kind of vocation is, when the exigence of necessity doth constrain to leave the usual ways of the Church, which otherwise we would willingly keep: where the Church must needs have some ordained, and neither hath nor can have possibly a bishop to ordain; in case of such necessity, the ordinary institution of God hath given oftentimes, and may give, place. And therefore we

1 Sermon II. xi.