[The present edition is reprinted from the second, which appeared in the Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology in 1842, the only variations being that, for the sake of convenience in the smaller size, the Scripture references are placed at the foot of the page, and the Notes at the end of the volume; the latter are referred to by the letters A, B, C, &c., inserted in the text within brackets.] OXFORD: PRINTED BY I. SHRIMPTON. MEMOIR OF BISHOP NICHOLSON. THE following Memoir of the Author of this Exposition, is mostly abridged by Bishop Heber, from Wood's Athenæ, in note (k) to his Life of Bishop Taylor. situation in 1629, when he was instituted to the rectory of Llandilo Vawr, in Caermarthenshire; and he afterwards became a Canon Residentiary of St. David's, and Archdeacon of Brecknock. In 1643 he was named as one of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, probably by the interest of the Earl of Northumberland, but he never took his place among them; and his Livings being shortly after sequestered, he again (now in partnership with Bishop Taylor) taught school for his maintenance, in which way of life he continued till the Restoration. William Nicholson was the son of Christopher Nicholson, a rich clothier of Stratford, near Hadleigh, Suffolk. He was brought up as a chorister at Magdalene College, Oxford, where he was afterwards Bible Clerk, and eventually became tutor to Lord Percy, and Chaplain to his father, the Earl of Northumberland. In 1616 he was elected Master of the Free School at Croydon, where his discipline and powers of in- In 1660-1, he was apstruction were much pointed Bishop of Gloucesbrated. He resigned this ter, by the interest of Lord cele Clarendon, whom Wood insinuates that he had bribed. But as his character appears to have stood high with all parties, and as he had a strong and legitimate claim on the patronage of the government, for his unshaken loyalty, and bold and pertinacious defence of the Church during its most helpless and hopeless depression, it seems most reasonable, as well as most charitable, to ascribe his preferment rather to merits than to simony. Wood says of him, "He his | was a right learned Divine, well seen and read in the Fathers and Schoolmen, but, above all, most excellent he was in the critical part of grammar, in which faculty none in his time, or perhaps before, went beyond him. His writings shew him to be a person of great erudition, prudence, modesty, and of a moderate mind." He died Feb. 5, 1671, and was honoured by the following epitaph by the excellent George Bull, afterwards Bishop of St. David's. ETERNITATI S. IN SPE BEATE RESURRECTIONIS HIC REVERENDAS EXUVIAS DEPOSUIT THEOLOGUS INSIGNIS, EPISCOPUS VERE PRIMITIVUS, GULIELMUS NICHOLSON. IN AGRO SUFFOLCIANO NATUS, APUD MAGDALENSES OXON. EDUCATUS, OB FIDEM REGI, ET ECCLESIÆ AFFLICTÆ PRÆSTITAM, AD SEDEM GLOCESTRENSEM MERITO PROMOTUS, 1660, IN CONCIONIBUS FREQUENS, IN SCRIPTIS NERVOSus, LEGENDA SCRIBENS, ET FACIENS SCRIBENDA. GRAVITAS EPISCOPALIS IN FRONTE EMICUIT, OMNES TAMEN BLANDE, ET HUMANITER EXCEPIT, PAUPERIBUS QUOTIDIANA CHARITATE Beneficus, COMITATE ERGA CLERUM, ET LITERATOS ADMIRANDUS, GLORIE, AC DIERUM SATUR, IN PALATIO SUO UT VIXIT PIE DECESSIT. FEB. V. |