222 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. Mr. Lever was a person of great usefulness. He spent great pains in promoting the welfare of his hospital, not only by preaching and other religious exercises, but by recovering its temporal privileges. On account of the corrupt management of its estates, which were rented by several persons one of another, its pecuniary income was very much reduced, and even almost lost : but by his zealous and vigorous efforts, it was effectually recovered. His endeavours in this business reflect much honour on his character.. In this situation he spent the latter part of life in great reputation and usefulness, and died in the month ofJuly, 1577. His remains were interred in the chapel belonging to the hospital, and over his grave was the following plain monumental inscription erected to his memory THOMAS LEVER, preacher to King EOWARD VI. Hedied in July, 157t. A few weeks previous to his death, Mr. Lever received a letter from the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, dated June 18, 1577, requiring him, in her majesty's name, to put down the prophesyings within his archdeaconry4 Had he lived a little longer, he would in all probability have felt the severities of persecution from the newBishop of Durham, as was the case with his brother Whittingham ; but God took him away from the evil to come. Fuller says, that whatever preferment in the church he pleased, courted his acceptance ; but is greatly mistaken concerning the time and place of his death.l Mr. Strype denominates him a man of distinguished eminence for piety, learning, and preaching the gospe1.11 Mr. Gilpin says, he was a man ofexcellent parts, considerable learning, andvery exemplary piety ; that, in the days of King Edward, he was esteemed an excellent and bold preacher; and that he was the intimate friend of the celebrated Bernard Gilpin.a Mr., Baker has favoured us with the following account of him : " Preaching," says this writer, "was indeed his talent, which, as it was thought fit to be made the only ingredient in his character, so he continued in it to the last, even after Strype's Annals vol, ii. p. 513, 514. + Ibid.-Baker's MS. Collec. vol. i. p. 151. MS. Register, p. 284. § Fuller's Worthies, part ii. p. 284. I Strype's Parker, p.211. 4 Gilpin's Life of Bernard Gilpin, p. 249. Edit. 1780.
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