Lancelot Andrewes

Lancelot Andrewes (1555 – 25 September 1626) was an English clergyman and scholar, who held high positions in the Church of England during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

Lancelot Andrewes

Quotes

• A cold coming they had of it, at this time of the year; just the worst time of the year to take a journey, and specially a long journey, in.
  • Speaking of the Three Magi in Sermon 15, Of the Nativity (1622)

• But because in the Sacrament all those doe meete together, therefore nothing so availeable to take away sinne, as the touching of bread and wine, with our lips.
  • Apospasmatia Sacra, Or A Collection of Posthumous and Orphan Lectures: delivered at St. Pauls and St. Giles his Church (1657), p. 520

• Thou who wouldest that we overcome evil with good, and pray for those who persecute us, have pity on mine enemies, Lord, as on myself; and lead them together with me to Thy heavenly kingdom. Thou who grantest the prayers of Thy servants one for another, remember, Lord, for good, and pity all those who remember me in their, prayers, or whom I have promised to remember in mine. Thou who acceptest diligence in every good work, remember, Lord, as if they prayed to Thee, those who for any good reason give not time to prayer.
  • Preces Privatæ, First Day of the Week, Intercession (as translated by John Henry Newman)

• Let us pray to God...for the Catholic Church, its establishment and increase; for the Eastern, its deliverance and union; for the Western, its adjustment and peace; for the British, the supply of what is wanting in it, the strengthening of what remains in it; for the episcopate, presbytery, Christian people...for all whom I have promised to remember in my prayers; or from mutual offices, for all who remember me in their prayers, and ask of me the same; or from stress of engagements, for all who on sufficient reasons fail to call upon Thee; for all who have no intercessor in their own behalf...
  • Preces Privatæ, Second Day of the Week, Intercession (as translated by John Henry Newman)

• Perfect for me what is lacking of faith, of hope of Thy gifts, help Thou mine unbelief, establish my trembling hope, of love kindle its smoking flax. Shed abroad Thy love in my heart, so that I may love Thee, my friend in Thee, my enemy for Thee. O Thou who givest grace to the humble-minded, also give me grace to be humble-minded.
  • Preces Privatæ, Third Day of the Week, Prayer for Grace (as translated by John Henry Newman)

• Fill our garners with all manner of store; preserve our marriages in peace and concord, nourish our infants, lead forward our youth, sustain our aged, comfort the weak‑hearted, gather together the scattered, restore the wanderers, and knit them to Thy Holy Catholic Apostolic Church...Be, Lord, within me to strengthen me, without me to guard me, over me to shelter me, beneath me to stablish me, before me to guide me, after me to forward me, round about me to secure me.
  • Preces Privatæ, Fourth Day of the Week, Intercession (as translated by John Henry Newman)

• I believe that Thou hast created me; despise not the work of Thine own hands;— that Thou madest me after Thine image and likeness, suffer not Thy likeness to be blotted out;— that Thou host redeemed me in Thy blood, suffer not the cost of that redemption to perish; that Thou host called me Christian after Thy name, disdain not Thine own title; that Thou host hallowed me in regeneration; destroy not Thy holy work;— than Thou halt grafted me into the good olive‑tree, the member of a mystical body; the member of Thy mystical body, cut not off. O think upon Thy servant as concerning Thy word, wherein Thou hast caused me to put my trust. My soul hath longed for Thy salvation, and I have good hope because of Thy word.
  • Preces Privatæ, Sixth Day of the Week, Profession (as translated by John Henry Newman)

• The power of the Father guide me, the wisdom of the Son enlighten me, the working of the Spirit quicken me. Guard Thou my soul, stablish my body, elevate my senses, direct my converse, form my habits, bless my actions, fulfil my prayers, inspire holy thoughts, pardon the past, correct the present, prevent the future.
  • Preces Privatæ, Seventh Day of the Week, Intercession (as translated by John Henry Newman)

• Blessed, and praised, and celebrated, and magnified, and exalted, and glorified, and hallowed, be Thy Name, O Lord, its record, and its memory, and every memorial of it; for the all-honourable senate of the Patriarchs, the ever‑venerable band of the Prophets, the all‑glorious college of the Apostles, the Evangelists, the all-illustrious army of the Martyrs, the Confessors, the assembly of Doctors, the Ascetics, the beauty of Virgins, for Infants the delight of the world,— for their faith, their hope, their labours, their truth; their blood, their zeal, their diligence, their tears, their purity; their beauty. Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee, glory to Thee who didst glorify them, among whom we too glorify Thee.
  • Preces Privatæ, Seventh Day of the Week, Praise (as translated by John Henry Newman)

• We then remembering, O sovereign Lord, in the presence of Thy holy mysteries, the salutary passion of Thy Christ, His life‑giving cross, most precious death, three days’ sepulture, resurrection from the dead, ascent into heaven, session at the right hand of Thee, the Father, His fearful and glorious coming; we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we, receiving in the pure testimony of our conscience, our portion of Thy sacred things, may be made one with the holy Body and Blood of Thy Christ; and receiving them not unworthily, we may hold Christ indwelling in our hearts, and may become a temple of Thy Holy Spirit.
  • Preces Privatæ, Prayer for Holy Communion (as translated by John Henry Newman)

Quotes about Lancelot Andrewes

• I had dinner to-day with the Bishop of Ely [Andrewes] and heard him read chapter VIII of his book [Responsio ad ‘Apologiam’ Card. Bellarmine]. It is wonderful with what elegance this most learned man confutes the theological scum, the folly, and sometimes the impious blasphemies of Bellarmine.
  • Isaac Casaubon, diary entry (24 November 1610), quoted in James Brodrick, The Life and Work of Blessed Robert Francis Cardinal Bellarmine, S.J. 1542–1621, Volume II (1928), p. 227

• I have read and daily read this work [Responsio ad ‘Apologiam’ Card. Bellarmine] in which sincere piety contends for the first place with varied learning and a certain most sweet elegance... Truly wretched Cardinal, who has thus found in his effete old age an antagonist full of genius, rare erudition, and eloquence... If there is any sense of shame left in him I do not think he will ever again dare to descend into the arena with this adversary—certe enim impar congressus Achilli.
  • Isaac Casaubon to James Montague, the Bishop of Bath and Wells (November 1610), quoted in James Brodrick, The Life and Work of Blessed Robert Francis Cardinal Bellarmine, S.J. 1542–1621, Volume II (1928), p. 227

• The bishop of Chichester is appointed to aunswer Bellarmin about the oth of allegeaunce, which taske I doubt how he will undertake and performe, beeing so contrarie to his disposition and course to meddle with controversies.
  • John Chamberlain, letter (21 October 1608), quoted in The Letters of John Chamberlain, Vol. I, ed. N. E. McClure (1939), p. 264

• This reverend shadow cast that setting Sun,
  Whose glorious course through our Horrizon run,
  Left the dimme face of this dull Hemisphaeare,
  All one great eye, all drown'd in one great Teare.
  Whose faire illustrious soule, led his free thought
  Through Learnings Universe, and (vainely) sought
  Roome for her spatious selfe, untill at length
  Shee found the way home, with an holy strength
  Snathc't herself hence, to Heaven: fill'd a bright place,
  Mongst those immortall fires, and on the face
  Of her great Maker fixt her flaming eye,
  There still to read true pure divinity.
  And now that grave aspect hath deign'd to shrinke
  Into this lesse appearance; If you thinke,
  Tis but a dead face, Art doth here bequeath:
  looke on the following leaves, and see him breath.
  • Richard Crashaw, Upon Bishop Andrewes his Picture before his Sermons

• It is only when we have saturated ourselves in his prose, followed the movement of his thought, that we find his examination of words terminating in the ecstasy of assent. Andrewes takes a word and derives the world from it; squeezing and squeezing the word until it yields a full juice of meaning which we should never have supposed any word to possess. In this process the qualities which we have mentioned, of ordonnance and precision, are exercised.
  • T. S. Eliot, Essays Ancient & Modern (1936), p. 21

• Master Lillies immoderate commending him, by little and little I was drawne on to bee an auditor of his: since when, whensoever I heard him, I thought it was but hard and scant allowance that was giv'n him, in comparison of the incomparable gifts that were in him.
  • Thomas Nashe, Have with You to Saffron-Walden (1596), quoted in The Complete Works of Thomas Nashe, Vol. III (1883–84), p. 159