![Andrew Willet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Andrew_Willet.jpg)
Andrew Willet (1562 – 4 December 1621) was an English clergyman and controversialist. A prolific writer, he is known for his
anti-papal works. His views were conforming and non-separatist, and he appeared as a witness against
Edward Dering before the
Star-chamber
The Star Chamber (Latin: ''Camera stellata'') was an English court that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster, from the late to the mid-17th century (c. 1641), and was composed of Privy Counsellors and common-law judges, to supplement the judic ...
.
Joseph Hall (who knew him well) eulogised Willet in ''Noah's Dove'', and
Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...
modelled 'the Controversial Divine' of his ''Holy State'' on him.
Life
He was born at
Ely in 1562, son of Thomas Willet (1511?–1598), who began his career as a
public notary, and later in life he took holy orders, becoming rector of
Barley, Hertfordshire
Barley is a village and civil parish in the district of North Hertfordshire, England. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 659, increasing to 662 at the 2011 Census. The place-name refers to a lea or meadow and not to the grain-pr ...
, fourteen miles from Cambridge and admitted to a prebendal of Ely by his patron, Bishop
Richard Coxe, with whom he had been associated as sub-almoner to Edward VI.
Andrew had one brother and four sisters. After attending the collegiate school at Ely, he entered Cambridge University, matriculating at the age of fifteen (20 June 1577); he first went to
Peterhouse
Peterhouse is the oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Today, Peterhouse has 254 undergraduates, 116 full-time graduate students and 54 fellows. It is quite o ...
, the master of which was
Andrew Perne, his godfather, but in the same year moved to
Christ's College, Cambridge. He was quickly elected a scholar, graduated B.A. in 1581, was elected to a fellowship at Christmas 1583 (aged twenty-one), proceeded M.A. in 1584, and in the same year was incorporated a member of the university of Oxford. He was B.D. in 1591, and D.D. 1601. Among the fellows of Christ's, he was on good terms with
George Downham, and when Willet spent his vacations at his father's rectory of Barley, he was often accompanied by Downham. He took holy orders in 1585, and was admitted on 22 July 1587, on the presentation of the queen, to the prebendal stall at Ely, which his father had resigned in his favour.
In 1588 Willet left the university, and at Michaelmas, on his marriage with Jacobine, a daughter of his father's friend
Roger Goad, provost of King's, gave up his fellowship. He earned a reputation as a preacher of power, especially against the Catholics. He was selected to read the lecture for three years in
Ely Cathedral, and for one year in
St. Paul's Cathedral, London. In the same year he was presented to the rectory of
Childerly in Cambridgeshire. This living he held till 1594. He was admitted in 1597 to the rectory of
Gransden Parva in Huntingdonshire, but almost immediately moved, by exchange to Barley, his father having died in April 1598 in his eighty-eighth year. He was instituted on 29 January 1599. He spent most of his ministerial life at Barley, being rector for twenty-three years. Willet's village preaching is preserved in his ''Thesaurus Ecclesiae'' (an exposition of St. John xvii.), which contains the substance of afternoon lectures addressed to his parishioners. Willet persuaded Andrew Perne to leave by will an annual sum to the poor scholars of the free school founded in the village of Barley by Archbishop
William Warham
William Warham ( – 22 August 1532) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1503 to his death.
Early life and education
Warham was the son of Robert Warham of Malshanger in Hampshire. He was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford ...
when rector; he also influenced his friend
Thomas Sutton
Thomas Sutton (1532 – 12 December 1611) was an English civil servant and businessman, born in Knaith, Lincolnshire. He is remembered as the founder of the London Charterhouse and of Charterhouse School.
Life
Sutton was the son of an official ...
, founder of
Charterhouse School.
He was chaplain-in-ordinary and tutor to
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, as well as a frequent preacher before the court. Willet got into trouble over the
Spanish match, to which he was strongly opposed. Under care of Sir John Higham of Bury St. Edmunds he sent letters and arguments to the justices of Norfolk and Suffolk, urging them to protest against the marriage. Willet himself presented a copy of his arguments to the king, and, thereby incurring his high displeasure, was committed to prison under the custody of Dr. White. He appears to have been released after a month.
Towards the close of his life he was admitted (19 Jan 1613) to the rectory of
Reed, Hertfordshire
Reed is a small village and civil parish in North Hertfordshire. It is situated on a chalk ridge, approximately south of the market town of Royston. The Prime Meridian passes just to the east of the village, between Reed and Barkway. The modern A ...
, a parish adjoining that of Barley; but he only held it something over two years, resigning in favour of his eldest son, Andrew, who was admitted on 10 November 1615. The year before his death he was presented to the rectory of the small parish of
Chishill Parva, across the border in
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...
.
Willet's death was the result of an accident. On his return home from London his horse threw him near
Hoddesdon
Hoddesdon () is a town in the Borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, lying entirely within the London Metropolitan Area and Greater London Urban Area. The area is on the River Lea and the Lee Navigation along with the New River.
Hoddesdon ...
. His leg was broken and was set badly. Ten days later he died at the inn to which he had been taken (4 December 1621), in his fifty-ninth year. On 8 December he was buried in the chancel of Barley parish church. An effigy and brass were placed by his parishioners and friends over the place of burial. The effigy showed a priest, full-length, dressed in his doctor's robes, with square cap, ruff, and scarf, and wearing a beard.
Works
Willet published his major work, the ''Synopsis Papismi'', in 1594, adding the ''Tetrastylon'' two years later. It was designed as a reply to
Bellarmine, whom he seeks to confute the latter by an appeal to "scriptures, fathers, councils, imperial constitutions, pontifical decrees, their own writers and our martyrs, and the consent of all Christian churches in the world". He affirms that the church of England approves the first four
ecumenical council
An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters in which those entitled to vote ar ...
s, and possibly the fifth; and he maintains the position of
John Jewel
John Jewel (''alias'' Jewell) (24 May 1522 – 23 September 1571) of Devon, England was Bishop of Salisbury from 1559 to 1571.
Life
He was the youngest son of John Jewel of Bowden in the parish of Berry Narbor in Devon, by his wife Alice Bel ...
on
episcopacy
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
. He argues strenuously against the mass, and inveighs against the mediaeval practice of regarding the mass as a vicarious and solitary sacrifice, at each celebration, of the one atoning death, but always holds "that Christ is present with all His benefits in the sacrament, that the elements of bread and wine are not bare and naked signs of the body and blood of Christ".
One of his earlier works was a century of ''Sacred Emblems'' (printed about 1591) in Latin, with English rendering. A rare book now, it was popular and may have influenced
John Bunyan
John Bunyan (; baptised 30 November 162831 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress,'' which also became an influential literary model. In addition ...
in the imagery to be found in ''
Pilgrim's Progress
''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christianity, Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a prog ...
.'' Other productions of Willet were mainly passing contributions to contemporary questions of the hour. Several of his works were translated into Dutch.
In Latin:
* ''De animae natura et viribus questiones quaedam; partim ex Aristotelis scriptis decerptae, partim ex vera philosophia id est rationis thesauris depromptae in usum Cantabrigiensium'', Cambridge, 1585.
In Latin and English:
* ''De universali et novissima Judaeorum vocatione'' Cambridge, 1590.
* ''Sacrorum emblematum centuria una'', Cambridge, circa 1591.
* ''De Conciliis''.
* ''De universali gratia''.
* ''De gratia generi humano in primo parento collata, de lapsu Adami, peccato originali'', 1609.
* ''Epithalamium''.
* ''Funebres concionies''.
* ''Apologias Serenissimi Regis defensio''.
* ''Roberti Bellarmini de lapsu Adami, peccato originali, praedestinatione, gratia, et libero arbitrio libri, refutati ab Andrea Willeto'', Leyden, 1618.
In English:
* ''Synopsis Papismi, or a General View of Papistrie'', 1594; 2nd edit, 1600; 3rd edit. 1614; 4th edit. 1630; 6th edit. 1634 (a thick folio of over 1300 pages); new edition, in 10 vols., edited by
John Cumming John Cumming may refer to:
*John Cumming (clergyman) (1807–1881), Scottish clergyman
*John Cumming (Scottish footballer) (1930–2008), Scottish footballer who played for Heart of Midlothian and Scotland
*John Cumming (Australian footballe ...
, London, 1852.
* ''Hexapla upon Genesis'', London, 1595, 2nd edit. 1608.
* ''Tetrastylon Papismi, or Four Principal Pillars of Papistrie''; supplement to ''Synopsis'', 1596; afterwards bound up with folio editions of the ''Synopsis''.
* ''A Catholicon: Exposition of St. Jude'', 1602; Cambridge, 1614.
* ''A Relection, or Discourse of a False Relection'' (defence of ''Synopsis' and 'Tetrastylon''), London, 1603.
* ''An Antilogie or Counterplea to an Apologicall (he should have said) Apologeticall Epistle'', London, 1603.
* ''Harmonie upon 1 Samuel'', Cambridge, 1607.
* ''Hexapla upon Exodus'', London, 1608.
* ''Hexapla upon Daniel'', 1610.
* ''Hexapla upon Romans'', Cambridge, 1611.
* ''Ecclesia Triumphans (on Coronation of James I) : Exposition of 122 Psalm'', 2nd edit. Cambridge, 1614.
* ''Harmonie upon 1 and 2 Samuel'', Cambridge, 1614.
* ''Thesaurus Ecclesiae: Exposition of St. John xvii.'', Cambridge, 1614.
* ''Hexapla upon Leviticus'', London, 1631.
* ''King James his Judgment by way of Counsell, &c.; extracted from his speeches'', 1642.
The following are undated:
* ''Limbomastix: an Answer to Richard Parkes of Brazen-nose College''. In the
Descensus controversy, against
Richard Parkes.
* ''Epithalamium in English, by the author of Limbomastix''.
* ''Laedoromastix''. Against Parkes.
* ''Funeral Sermons in English''.
* ''An English Catechisme''.
* ''Catalogue of Charitable Works done within space of 60 years'' (reigns of Edward, Elizabeth, and James); bound up with fifth edition of ''Synopsis.''
Family
Of his eighteen children, nine sons and four daughters survived him. His widow was buried in 1637 by his side. His son, Henry Willet (d. 1670), who lost a fortune by his loyalty to the king, was apparently ancestor of
Ralph Willett. A special licence was granted to another son, Paul, in 1630, for a reprint of the ''Synopsis Papismi.'' The fourth son,
Thomas Willet
Thomas Willett (~1607 – August 29, 1674) was a Plymouth Colony fur trader, merchant, land purchaser and developer, Captain of the Plymouth Colony militia, Magistrate of the colony, and was the 1st and 3rd Mayor of New York, prior to the ...
, was the first
mayor of New York
The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...
.
Notes
External links
*
;Attribution
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willet, Andrew
1562 births
1621 deaths
16th-century English Anglican priests
17th-century English Anglican priests
Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge
Fellows of Christ's College, Cambridge
16th-century English writers
16th-century male writers
17th-century English writers
17th-century English male writers
Deaths by horse-riding accident in England