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of the Church of Rome. By George Hickes, D.D. The Second Edition. Revised by the Author;" 8vo. Synopsis Canonum Ecclesiæ Latinæ *: quâ Canones spurii, Epistolæ adulterinæ, & Decreta supposititia istius Ecclesiæ Conciliorum in lucem proferuntur, & à veris ac genuinis dignoscuntur. Quibus accesserunt Annotationes quædam suppletoriæ, in Synopsin Canonum Ecclesiæ Græcæ Conciliorum nuper editam*. editam*. Opus fideliter collectum, & cum Annotationibus optimorum in Antiquitate sacrâ Criticorum illustratum, à Laurentio Howel, M. A. ;" folio.

* "Now in the press, and will speedily be published, Mr. Howel's Synopsis Canonum Ecclesiæ Latinæ : To which will be added, several sheets of additional Annotations to Synopsis Canonum Conciliorum ab Ecclesià Græcâ receptorum, &c. formerly published. Those who intend to subscribe for the benefit of the Author, forthwith are desired to send in their first payment to William Bowyer, printer, in White Fryars." Postman, Feb. 9, 1709-10. Another volume of the Latin Councils was announced at the end of Mr. Howel's Preface, to be ready in a few months. Mr. Howel had before published, "Synopsis Canonum SS. Apostolorum, & Conciliorum Oecumenicorum & Provincialium, ab Ecclesià Græcâ receptorum; necñon Conciliorum Oecumeni. corum et Provincialium ab Ecclesiâ Græcâ receptorum; necnon Consiliorum, Decretorum, & Legum Ecclesiæ Britannica & Anglo-Saxonicæ; unà cum Constitutionibus tam Provincialibus (sc. à Stephano Langton ad Henricum Chichleum) quam Legatinis, &c. in Compendium redactis. Opus fideliter collectum, & cum selectis Annotationibus illustratum. A Laurentio Howel, A. M. 1708;" folio.

"This imprudent and unfortunate man resided in Bullheadcourt, Jewin-street, London, where he wrote a pamphlet, of which 1000 copies were printed, and found in his house, aspersing George I. as a usurper; and condemning all that had been done in the Church, subsequent to Archbishop Sancroft's deprivation, as illegal and uncanonical. For this offence he was tried at the Old Bailey, before the Lord Mayor, Mr. Justice Powys, and Mr. Justice Dormer; and the facts were fully proved. As this work aimed at the vitals of the government, both civil and ecclesiastical, he was convicted, and received this severe sentence: to pay a fine of 500l. to the King; to remain in prison for three years; to find four sureties of 5001. each; and to be bound himself in 10001. for his good behaviour during life; to be twice whipped; and to be degraded, and stripped of his gown by the hands of the public executioner. Undismayed,

1711.

"A Vindication of the Rev. Dr. Henry Sacheverell, from the false, scandalous, and malicious Aspersions, cast upon him in a late infamous pamphlet, intituled The Modern Fanatick; intended chiefly to expose the Iniquity of the Faction, without taking any considerable Notice of their poor mad Tool Bissett * in particular. In a Dialogue between a Whig and a Tory."

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Undismayed, he indignantly enquired, Who will whip a clergyman? The court answered, We pay no deference to your cloth, because you are a disgrace to it, and have no right to wear it besides, we do not look upon you as a clergyman, in that you have produced no proof of your ordination, but from Dr. Hickes, under the denomination of the Bishop of Thetford; which is illegal, and not according to the constitution of this kingdom, which has no such bishop." Determinedly continuing his contempt, the court ordered the hangman, who was present, to tear off his gown, as he stood at the bar, which he immediately did. The letters of priests orders from Dr. Hickes were exhibited, which had been found with his papers, as was the form of absolution and reception of converts used by the Nonjurors. The episcopal seal of the Nonjuring bishop was a shepherd with a sheep upon his shoulders. Mr. Howel had the most afflicting part of his sentence remitted by the lenity of a government he had disowned: for he died in Newgate, July 19, 1720. The Nonjurors and Jacobites were, at this time, extremely daring and troublesome; it was necessary, therefore, that some severity should be used, in order to check their progress, and counteract the effects their violence might otherwise have on the body of the people." Noble's Continuation of Granger, vol. II. p. 152; where a portrait of Mr. Howel is noticed, as having been "altered from Robert Newton, D.D.”—Some farther particulars of Mr. Howel will be given under the year 1715. *William Bissett, eldest brother of the collegiate church and hospital of St. Katherine near the Tower, and rector of Whiston in Northamptonshire. A sermon of his, called "Plain English," and two others, called "More plain English," all for reformation of manners, were published in 1704; and in June 1710, "Fair Warning; or, a fresh Taste of French Government at home; being a Demonstration, from late matter of fact, that French arbitrary Principles can never consist with a legal and limited Constitution, and that a freedom from the iron yoke cannot be bought too dear, whatever it cost us; most humbly addressed to the noble Patrons and Guardians of our Rights, both sacred and civil, the Parliament of Great Britain; and, very soon after, "The Modern Fanatic; with a large and true Account

A new edition of Bishop Mossom's "Summary of Divine Truth."

Account of the Life, Actions, Endowments, &c. of the famous Dr. Sacheverell." This pamphlet exposed him to the lash of the High Church Civilian Dr. King, in the "Vindication" above noticed; and in another jeu d' esprit, a pretended" Recantation of Mr. Bissett," dated "St. Katherine's, Jan. 17, 1710-11." Mr. Bissett prepared a reply, which is dated Feb. 21, 1710-11 § but it did not appear soon enough to prevent Dr. King's "Answer" to a second scandalous Book that Mr. Bissett is now writing, to be published as soon as possible. The eldest Brother of St. Katherine's, however, was not disheartened from sending his second Book into the world under the title of "The Modern Fanatick, Part II." but annexed to it a Postscript, complaining of the unexampled folly of his antagonist, in pretending " to foretell what was to be found in the several pages" of his redoubted labours. Mr. Bissett was more seriously replied to, in "A Letter to the Eldest Brother of the Collegiate Church of St. Katherine's, in answer to his scurrilous Pamphlet, intituled, 'The Modern Fanatick, &c.' in which all the Forgeries, false Reports, and Scandals thrown on Dr. Sacheverell in the said Pamphlet, are fully detected, and the Elder Brother proved to be a false one, and a Sc-1 to that Church of which he is a Minister; with a full Account of his Moderation, and other excellent Qualities;" and also in, "A Dialogue between the Eldest Brother of St. Katherine's and a London Curate," both published in 1711. In May 1714, he published "The Modern Fanatick, Part III. being a farther Account of the famous Doctor and his brother of like Renown, the Director of the new Altar-piece [Dr. Welton];. with some thoughts on those preparatory Decorations of Churches. With a Postscript, demonstrating, from some very fresh Instances, the most pernicious Effects of Arbitrary Power." In his Preface, he complains of "the persecutions and barbarous treatment he received-his very life thrice attempted in a villainous manner, by way of assassination -a letter from one of the Secretaries, to grant his place to another-a false arrest, and sham action-abusive letters without a name, &c." Bissett survived this controversy many years. * Robert Mossom, M. D. (who appears to have been appointed by the parliamentary visitors to be minister of St. Peter's, Paul's Wharf, after the sequestration of Edward Merbury) was installed prebendary of Knaresborough, in the church of York, Sept. 20, 1660; and admitted D. D. at Cambridge, by royal mandamus, Sept. 5, 1661. He resigned his prebend at York in 1663, on being appointed dean of Christ Church, Dublin, and prolocutor of the Lower House of Convocation; and March 27, 1665-6, obtained the bishoprick of Derry; in which high station he died in 1671. Besides the above-mentioned volume, Bishop Mossom was the author of "Sion's Prospect in its first View, in a SumProspect VOL. I.

mary

"Oratio in publicis Academiæ Oxoniensis Scholis, in Laudem clarissimi doctissimique Viri Thomæ Bodleii, Equitis Aurati, Publicæ ibidem Bibliothecæ Fundatoris, habita ab insignissimo Viro tam ingenio quàm doctrinâ excellenti, Edmundo Smith, A.M. Ædis Christi Alumno," 4to.

"De Valentinianorum Hæresi Conjecturæ. [à Geo. Hooper*, Ep. Bath. & Well.] Lond. Typ. Gul. Bowyer."

"Political Considerations upon Refined Politicks, and the Master-strokes of State, as practised by the Antients and Moderns; written by Gabriel Naude, and inscribed to the Cardinal Bogni. Translated into English by Dr. King; and dedicated to Henry

mary of Divine Truths; viz. of God, Providence, Decrees, &c. 1654," 4to, reprinted 1653.-"The Preachers Tripartite; viz. Meditations on Psalm XXV.; Conference with the Soul on special Cases of Conscience; Truth and Peace established against Heresies and Schisms. By Robert Mossom, Preacher of God's Word; 1657." folio." A Plant of Paradise; being a Sermon preached at St. Martin's in the Fields, at the Funeral of John Goodhand Holt, the young son, only child, and hopeful heir of Thomas Holt, of Grislehurst, in the county of Lancaster, esq. March 19, 1659. By Robert Mossom, minister of St. Peter, Paul's Wharf, London; 1660," 4to, dedicated "To the much honoured Thomas Holt, esq. and Mrs. Anne Holt, the mournful parents of the deceased heir." To the Sermon is prefixed a very beautiful portrait of the youth, with eight encomiastic verses on him, in English. D. Loggan sc. See Granger, vol. III. p. 86. This young gentleman, whom the author styles "the last born of the family, and the first born of his mother," died of a fever, March 12, 1659, in his 12th year." England's Gratulation for the King and his Subjects happy Union; a Sermon first preached on the Day of public Thanksgiving in London, appointed by the Parliament, May 10, 1660; since published as a common Tribute to Cæsar on his much longed-for arrival. Also, an Apology on behalf of the sequestered Clergy. Both presented to our dread Sovereign King Charles the Second, on the 29th day of May, 1660, by the Rev. Robert Mossom, preacher of God's Word at St. Peter's, Paul's Wharf, 1660." 4to.-"Speech delivered by Dr. Mossom, Dean of Christ Church [Dublin], and Prolocutor of the Lower House of Convocation, before the Lord Lieutenant, July 29, 1662."-" Narrative Panegyrical of the Life, Sickness, and Death, of George [Wild] Bishop of Derry, 1665," 4to.

*Cf this excellent Prelate, see under the

year 1721.

Somerset

1

Somerset Duke of Beaufort*;" 8vo; and, by the same Author,

"Rufinus; or, an Historical Essay on the favourite Ministry under Theodosius the Great, and his Son Arcadius; to which is annexed, a Poem, intituled Rufinus, or the Favourite, imitated from Claudian."

"A Vindication of King Charles the Martyr; proving that his Majesty was the Author of EIKON

* Whom he also addressed in a political paraphrase on Naude's Address to Cardinal de Bogni. See King's Works, 1775, vol. III. pp. 237, 393.

"This Poem," Dr. Johnson says, " was intended to dispose the Nation to think as he thought of the Duke of Marlborough and his adherents."

The Author of this Vindication (of which the first edition was printed in 1691, the second in 1697, 8vo,) was Mr. Thomas Wagstaffe, the descendant of a gentleman's family in Warwickshire, born Feb. 15, 1645. He received the first part of his education, under Mr. Wood, at the Charter-house school; whence he was sent to Oxford, and admitted cormoner of New-Inn hall in 1660. Prosecuting his academical studies with a commendable diligence, he took the degree of B. A. Oct. 15, 1664; and commenced M. A. June 20, 1667. He was ordained deacon by Dr. John Hacket, bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, June 6, 1669, and priest by Dr. Joseph Henshaw, bishop of Peterborough, on the 19th of November following; and was instituted the same day to the rectory of Martins-thorp, in Rutland. He afterwards lived as chaplain in the family of Sir Richard Temple, at Stow, in Buckinghamshire; and, April 12, 1676, entered upon the curacy of that church. Dec. 6, 1684, King Charles II. collated him to the chancellorship of the church of Lichfield, together with the prebend of Alderwas in the same church; and on the 4th of March following, he was presented, by Dr. Henry Compton, bishop of London, to the rectory of St. Margaret Pattens in that city. He printed, 1. "A Sermon preached at Stow in Bucks, Sept. 9, 1683;" 2. "A Sermon preached at Guildhall, Nov. 23, 1684;" 3. "A Sermon preached at St. Margaret Pattens, July 26, 1685;" 4. "A Sermon preached at St. Mary Le Bow, Nov. 24, 1687." At the Revolution, he was deprived of his preferments for not taking the new oaths; after which he practised physic many years in London with good success, wearing his clergyman's gown all the while; and Feb. 23, 1693, was consecrated suffragan bishop of Thetford, by Lloyd, Turner, and White, the deprived bishops of Norwich, Ely, and Peterborough. The cere mony was performed at the Bishop of Peterborough's lodgings, at the Rev. Mr. Giffard's house in Southgate, when Henry earl of Clarendon was present. This appears by an autograph testimony of "J. Creyk, chaplain to Lord Winchelsea," in a copy

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