his head, which had been bound up by reason of his violent pains, he received the eucharist about an hour and a half before his death. Being unable to kneel, he devoutly repeated part of the penitent prayer of Manasses, (" Lord, I bow the knee of my heart"); and so sinking gradually, with these words on his lips, "Lord Jesus, come quickly," his last act was the elevation of his hand, his last ejaculation, "Lord ——," wherewith he expired without pain, according to his frequent prayer unto God, that he might not die of a sudden or painful death. Thus died he ripe in years, full of honour and good fruits. Like his brethren, not exempted, during the earlier part of his life, from painful anticipations of the evil which was coming on his Church and country, nor yet free from his share of sufferings when those evils were realised. Yet truly happy in this, in that he lived to see the Church which he loved restored to its previous integrity; the Church of Durham, which he served, augmented; the doctrines and discipline which he had defended once more triumphant. No little happiness it was to have lived in the days of Overall and Andrews, more to have con versed with them, above all to have been honoured with their friendship. When, therefore, they had been called to their rest, who, like David's captains of old, were "all mighty men, famous throughout the house of their fathers;" that summons was not unwelcome which called him to follow those in their death of whom he had been no unworthy disciple in their lives. In person he was tall and erect. "God and nature," says Dr. Basire, "did frame his earthly tabernacle of a goodly structure; of strong natural abilities and sound understanding, which he enjoyed to the last." He died at his house in Pall Mall, Jan. 15, 1672; but, owing to the bad state of the roads, was not removed till the spring to Bishop's Awkland; and therefore his obsequies were not performed until the 29th of April, Dr. Guy Carleton, bishop of Bristol, reading the service, and Dr. Basire preaching the sermon. He was buried in the middle of the chapel, under a monument of black marble, upon which was engraved the following inscription, prepared by himself: In non morituram memoriam Johannis Cosini, Episcopi Dunelmensis, qui hoc sa cellum construxit, ornavit, et Deo consecra- Requiescat in pace. On the sides this quotation was engraved- He appointed as the executors of his will, part of which, containing a profession of his faith, was written in Latin, Sir Thomas Orby, knight and baronet; Dr. John Durell, prebendary of Windsor and Durham (who published his treatise on Transubstantiation); George Davenport, his domestic chaplain; and Miles Stapleton, his secretary, for whom he entertained great affection and esteem. He left several donations in his will, some of which are enumerated by Mr. Chalmers in his Biographical Dictionary, from whom the subjoined list of his writings is, with some alterations and additions, derived. 1. Collection of Private Devotions. 12mo. Reprinted in 1838. 2. Scholastical History of the Canon of Holy Scripture. Lond. 1657; reprinted in 1672. 3. A Letter to Dr. Collins on the Sabbath, dated Printed in the Bi from Peterhouse, Jan. 24, 1635. bliotheca Literaria, 1723. 4to. 4. Two Letters to Lord Chancellor Hyde. The first dated from Paris, Nov. 5, 1655; the other from Paris, Oct. 18, 1658. Printed in the Clarendon State Papers. 5. A Letter to Mr. Cordel, dated Paris, Feb. 7, 1650. Printed at the end of a pamphlet, entitled "The Judgment of the Church of England in the case of Lay Baptism," &c., of which a second edition was printed in 1712. 6. A Letter addressed to Mr. Watson, dated St. Germains, June 19, 1646. 7. Another to the same person, against the use of unauthorised versions of the Psalms in the public service of the Church. Both published by Dr. R. Watson, in a pamphlet, entitled, " Dr. Cosin's Opinion for communicating rather with Geneva than Rome." Lond. 1684. 8. A Letter addressed to Mr. Warren, dated Paris, April 6, 1658, defending himself from Dr. Fuller's animadversions. Printed in Heylyn's Examen Historicum, p. 284. To this letter Lord Chancellor Hyde refers in a letter printed in Dr. Barwick's Life, p. 328. 9. A Letter to Dr. Morton, Bishop of Durham, giving an account of his studies when in exile; and a Memorial of his against the Council of the Lateran in 1215. Both published by Des Maizeaux, in vol. vi. of "The present State of the Republic of Letters," 1730. 10. Regni Angliæ Religio Catholica, 1652. Being a brief scheme of the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, written at the request of Sir Edward Hyde. Published by Dr. Smith in " Vitæ Eru ditissimorum Virorum." 4to. 1707. 11. The History of Transubstantiation; first written in Latin. Published by Dr. Durell, Lond. 1675. 8vo. Translated into English 1676, and published by Luke de Beaulieu. A second Part exists in MS., which was presented to the Library of Durham by its late munificent bishop. 12. The Differences in the chief Points of Religion between the Roman Catholics and us of the Church of England. Printed at the end of Bishop Bull's "Corruptions of the Church of Rome." 13. Notes on the Book of Common Prayer. Published by Dr. Nichols, at the end of his "Comment on the Book of Common Prayer." The autograph of these annotations is in the British Museum. Harl. MSS. 7311. |