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Richard
Hooker by
C Sydney Carter
<<Introduction
On the recommendation
of his pupil, Edwin Sandys, Hooker lodged while in London with
Sandys' friend, John Churchman, and thus met his daughter whom
he eventually married. The story of the alleged “disastrous” consequences
of this romance - which has been handed down as authentic for
nearly three centuries in Izaak Walton's attractive Life of Hooker,
based on what Walton believed to be reliable contemporary evidence
- has recently been proved devoid of foundation. For it is now
asserted on good evidence that “on no matter was the judicious
Hooker more fortunate than in his marriage” (Sisson).
Walton's version was that during this visit in 1581 Mrs. Churchman,
the wife of an impecunious draper, cunningly persuaded the guileless
young student to take as his wife her own plain, penniless and
unsuitable daughter, Joan, who brought him “neither beauty
nor fortune.” He also declares that, like John Wesley's
wife, Joan was exacting and nagging and unsympathetic with his
work, and a constant hindrance and trial to Hooker. According
to Walton, Hooker married almost immediately and was then forced
to resign his Fellowship and retire to a small country living.
But the researches of Professor Sisson, in his The Judicious
Marriage of Mr. Hooker, have proved the definite inaccuracy of
this account, for Hooker did not marry till February, 1588, his
first child being born in 1589. There is also ample evidence
that Joan's father was a prosperous London merchant, who attained
the important position of Master of the Merchant Taylor's Company
in 1594 and was also elected City Chamberlain. He was able to
bestow a dowry - considerable for those days - of £700
on his daughter, so that a poor parson's alliance with her on
this ground alone was distinctly prudential. Hooker's residence
at Drayton Beauchamp, to which he was appointed in 1584, has
been questioned, although in his letter to Whitgift in 1591 he
refers to the freedom he enjoyed “in his quiet country
parsonage.” But he certainly could not have been distracted
there by “rocking the cradle,” as Walton narrates,
since he was then still a bachelor!
In 1585, in spite of Lord Burleigh's strong sponsorship of his
Puritan friend, the learned Walter Travers (Reader of the Temple),
Hooker was appointed Master of the Temple, through the direct
intervention of Archbishop Whitgift. In this post he hopefully
looked forward to a “virtuous quietness and a blessed tranquility,” so
as to be able to “glorify God by uninterrupted prayers
and praises.” These hopes, however, were not destined to
be realized. For to his great sorrow he was at once involved
in a vigorous controversy with his relative, the presbyterian
Reader. In a most unedifying way, as the Church historian Fuller
tells, “the pulpit spoke pure Canterbury in the morning
and Geneva in the afternoon.” Travers was strongly opposed
to episcopacy and a zealous advocate for a presbyterian polity,
as well as being a " depraver " of the Prayer Book.
He taught that papists could not be saved because they sought
to be justified by the merit of their works; and he denounced
Hooker's charitable opinion that God " was merciful to many
of our forefathers living in popish superstition because they
had sinned ignorantly.”
These incessant contests between two celebrated preachers grievously
disturbed the peace-loving Master. At length he wrote to Whitgift
that " he was weary of the noise and opposition " at
the Temple, because " God and Nature did not intend me for
contentions, but for study and quietness.” The Archbishop
then inhibited Travers from preaching which provoked him to appeal
to the Privy Council, accusing Hooker of preaching erroneous
doctrine. Hooker in reply published an able and moderate defence
of his teaching, and also decided to write a full and reasoned
treatise dealing with the main Puritan objections to the Church
discipline in a sweet language void of any provocation.”
>>The Ecclesiastical
Polity
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