BISHOP AYLMER. 145 



Between the foresaid noble Lord and him was held a con- CHAP. 



Y T 



stant good correspondence. For indeed he was a person that 



took a particular care of the Church, and the state of reli- Lord Trea- 



, _ surer 



gion ; and was, as I may so say, the superintendent of the Burghley. 

 superintendents of it. And the Bishop, seeing how he was 

 concerned, not only for the civil state, but the ecclesiastic 

 also, told him once, that he, the said Lord, might justly say, 

 not only reipublicce, but, with St. Paul, Mihi incumbit cura 

 omnium Ecclesiarum. In truth he was one, that, by his ex 

 traordinary natural parts, and deep and long experience, 

 had arrived to such a degree of wisdom and understanding, 

 that when once the Bishop had signified his advice in some 

 matter, he shortly took up himself with the Latin proverb, 

 Sed sus Minervam, and said no more. And well know 

 ing the great stay this said Lord was to the whole kingdom, 

 at another time he made this prayer for him ; &quot; I pray for 

 &quot; you as God^s good and great instrument in this poor ark 

 &quot; of Noah, and these most dangerous times. In which I 

 &quot; pray God send you the eyes of angels, and the wisdom 

 &quot; of Solomon.&quot; 



CHAP. XII. 



His great abilities in learning . His disputations: writ- 

 ings. A Logician: an Historian: an Hebrician; a 

 Civilian. 



JDITT let us turn away our eyes from these his troubles, 

 and take another view of him, as he was a man excellently 

 endowed both with human and divine learning. 



He gave the first marks of his abilities this way in his His debates 



i^ i f^ -\/r l_* n Q ueen 



disputations in the Convocation under Queen Mary, when Mary s 



he was a member there. Where he had need both of cou- Convoca 

 tion. 



rage and learning too, to withstand the torrent of an assem 

 bly of Popish Divines, resolvedly bent to overthrow the 

 Gospel. He managed himself now very well, and shewed 



L 



