Recipe for a peaceable death - 1600
Richard Hooker, Church of England leader.
Introduction
Richard Hooker was a leading Anglican theologian in the late sixteenth century whose writings did much to set the tone of the English national church. He opposed the extreme Puritanism that wanted to remove many traditions from the church (such as confession to priests), while also supporting Reformation ideas. The day of Hooker’s death, his friend Dr. Saravia found him in deep contemplation and asked him what he was thinking about. Hooker replied that he was meditating the number and nature of angels, and their blessed obedience and order, without which peace could not be in heaven; and he expressed a longing that it might be the same on earth. After he declared the ground of his hope, which forms today’s quote, he slipped into a deep sleep from which he awakened to say he was at peace with all men and found the prospect of death joyful. He died moments later on this day, 3 November 1600.
Quote
“I have lived to see this world is made up of perturbations, and I have been long preparing to leave it, and gathering comfort for the dreadful hour of making my account with God, which I now apprehend to be near; and though I have by his grace lov’d him in my youth, and feared him in mine age, and labour’d to have a conscience void of offence to him, and to all men; yet, if thou, O Lord, be extream to mark what I have done amiss, who can abide it? and therefore, where I have failed, Lord shew mercy to me for I plead not my righteousness, but the forgiveness of my unrighteousness, for his merits who died to purchase pardon for penitent sinners; and since I owe thee a death, Lord let it not be terrible, and then take thine own time, I submit to it; let not mine, O Lord, but let thy Will be done.”
Walton, Izaak. Life of Richard Hooker.