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HOONACBER, ALBIN AUGUST VAN: Belgian Roman Catholic; b. at Bruges Nov. 19, 1857. He was educated at the episcopal college and seminary of his native city and at the University of Louvain (1880-86; D.D., 1886), and was ordained to the priesthood in 1880. From 1887 to 1889 he was subdirector of the Collbge du Saint-Esprit at Louvain, and in 1889 was appointed professor of Old Testament exegesis at the University of Louvain, where he has been professor of moral theology since 1894. He has written Nouvelle, nudes sur la restauration juive aprM 1'exile do BabylDne (Paris, 1896).

HOOP SCHEFFER, JACOB GYSBERT DE. See Scremer

HOOPER, JOHN: Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester; b. in Somersetahire toward the end of the fifteenth century; d. at the stake in Gloucester Feb. 9, 1555. He was educated at Oxford (B.A., 1519) and entered the Cistercian order. A diligent study of the Scriptures and the works of Zwingli and Bullinger on the Pauline Epistles convinced him of the errors of the papal Church, and made him an ardent advocate of the Reformation. When, in 1539, the Six Articles were enforced he retired to the Continent. He married in Basel in 1546, and in 1547 went to Zurich, where he stayed two years, becoming intimate with Bullinger, and carrying on a correspondence with Butzer concerning the sacraments.

In 1549 Hooper returned to England, identified himself with the radical wing of the Reformers, and immediately threw himself into an arduous activity, preaching at least once every day, and with great power. He was several times rebuked by Cranmer and the Council for his impetuous speech. During Lent, 1550, he preached before Edward VI. once every week, and soon after was nominated to the see of Gloucester. But unexpected impediments interfered with _. us acceptance. Hooper had fully imbibed the spirit of the continental Reformation. He had a strong aversion to clerical vestments, which he described as Aaronical and superstitious, and absolutely refused to take the oath of consecration, in which the candidate had to swear by the saints. The king removed the latter obstacle by erasing with his own hand the obnoxious clause. The former gave more trouble. Cramner and Ridley both attempted to relieve Hooper's mind of its scruples. But the controversy became so heated, and Hooper was so denunciatory from the pulpit against those who used vestments, that he was sent to the Fleet. Butzer and Peter Martyr were appealed to on the subject by both parties, and reoom-

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mended Hooper to submit. Following their advice, he was consecrated Mar. 8, 1551. It was prescribed that he tshould wear the vestments on public occar sions, but at other times might use his own discretion. In the administration of his episcopal office Hooper was so indefatigable in preaching and Visitation as to call forth the friendly council of Bullinger and other friends to practise a prudent moderation. In 1552 he was appointed bishop of Worcester in

commendam.

Hooper and John Rogers were the first to be cited under Mary. On Aug. 29, 1553, the former was thrown into prison, where he received harsh treatment, and contracted sciatica. He complained that he was used " worse and more vilely than the veriest slave." In Jan., 1555, he was condemned on three charges-for maintaining the lawfulness of clerical marriage, for defending divorce, and for denying transubstantiation. He called the mass "the iniquity of the devil." He was sentenced to die at the stake in Gloucester, and met his death firmly and cheerfully. To a friend bewailing his lot he replied in the oft-quoted words, " Death is bitter, and life is sweet, but alasl consider that death to come is more bitter, and life to come is more sweet." In another conversation he said, " I am well, thank God; and death to me for Christ's sake is welcome." His execution was witnessed by a throng of people. The martyr was forbidden to address the crowd. A real or pretended pardon being promised if he would recant, he spurned it, saying, "If you love my soul, away with it." According to Canon Perry (DNB, xxvii. 305) the lower end of the stake to which Hooper was bound has been dug up.

D. S. Schaff.

Bibliography: Hooper's works have been edited with a biography by C. Carr and R. C. Nevinson for the Parker society, 2 vols., Cambridge, 1843-52; by the Religious Tract society in one volume, London, 1830; and another ed. in 2 vols., Oxford, 1855. The more important are A Brief and Clear Confession of the Christian Paith, London, 1551; A Declaration of Christ and His Office, Zurich, 1547; A Declaration of the Ten Commandments, London, 1548; Seven Sermons on Jonah; and An Answer to Bishop Gardiner, being d Detection of the Devil's Sophistry wherewith he robbed the unlearned people of the true belief in the most blessed Sacrament of the Altar, Zurich, 1547; and the Hist. of England and the Church of England.

On his life consult: J. Strype, Ecclesiastical Memorials, 3 vols., London, 1821; A. 8 Wood, Athena Oxonienses, ed. P. Bliss, i. 222, ib. 1813; J. stoughton, The Pen, the Palm, and the Pulpit, ib. 1855; J. C. Ryle. Bishops and Clergy of Other Days, ib. 1868; idem, John Hooper, his Times, Life, Death and Opinions, ib. 1868; S. R. Gairdner, Students' Hist. of England, pp. 417-424, ib. 1895; J. Gairdner, The English Church in the 16th Century, passim, ib. 1903 (quite full); DNB, xxvii. 304-306. A minute account is given by Foxe in his Book of Martyrs.

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