Asaph. In 1703 the see of Bath and Wells fell vacant through the death of Dr. Kidder. Queen Anne pressed it upon Hooper, but he felt that his friend Ken was the canonical bishop of Bath and Wells, and at his entreaty the queen offered to reinstate Ken. But Ken was unwilling to return, and ‘never ceased’ writes Mrs. Prowse, ‘importuning and adjuring’ Hooper to fill the vacancy. Hooper assented and Ken ceased henceforth to sign himself ‘T. Bath and Wells.’ He dedicated his ‘Hymnarium’ to Hooper in lines comparing himself to the obscure Valerius and his successor to the great St. Augustine.
In order to make some provision for his friend, Hooper begged the queen to allow him to retain the precentorship of Exeter in commendam with a dispensation for non-residence, for the sole benefit of Ken. The queen consented, but the Bishop of Exeter (Sir John Trelawney) objected to the arrangement, and the matter was settled by the queen ordering a pension of 200l. a year (the value of the precentorship) to be paid to Ken for life.
Hooper held the see of Bath and Wells for nearly a quarter of a century, and was a most successful and popular prelate. He took particular care of the poor clergy, who, owing to the smallness of many of the livings, were numerous. His extensive knowledge of the laws relating to the church made him a valuable advisor to the clergy. He won the hearts of the gentry ‘by his steady, wise, and courteous conduct,’ and was liberal to the poor. He was most happy in his post, and ‘no offer could make think of a translation from it. He often refused a seat in the privy council, and could not be persuaded to accept the bishopric of London on the death of Bishop Compton, nor the archbishopric of York on the death of Archbishop Sharp’ (ib.) He was a frequent preacher before royalty, and never condescended to flattery. In the famous ‘church in danger’ debate in the House of Lords in 1705 he maintained that the danger was not, as some supposed, imaginary, though he was too well informed and temperate to exaggerate it. In 1706 he spoke against the union between England and Scotland; and on the same occasion he strongly, but in vain, advocated in the cause of the Scottish Episcopal church. In 1709-10 he defended Sacheverell, and entered his protest against the vote in favour of his impeachment. He died, aged nearly eighty-seven, on 6 Sept. 1727, at Barkley, near Frome, a secluded spot in his diocese to which he was wont to retire at intervals to recruit his strength. He survived his wife one year; and out of a family of nine children only one was living at the time of his death, the wife of John Prowse of Axbridge, who was author of an unpublished life of her father. Hooper was buried in Wells Cathedral, and a marble monument was erected to his memory.
Burnet, who had personal differences with Hooper in convocation, describes him in 1701 in his ‘History of His Own Time’ as ‘a man of learning and good conduct hitherto. But’ (Burnet continues) ‘he was reserved, crafty, and ambitious; his deanery had not softened him, for he thought he deserved to be raised higher’ (bk. vi.) Other detractors of Hooper were those extreme Jacobites and nonjurors who were angry with Ken for resigning his canonical claims to his bishopric in favour of his friend. Bishop Atterbury probably on this account calls him ambitious; Whiston, on the contrary, in spite of Hooper’s having rejected him from holy communion, expresses, with characteristic generosity, a high opinion of his character. Hooper’s personal character seems, indeed, to have been almost as lovable as Ken’s, while the range and depth of his knowledge was far greater.
Hooper’s chief writings, which with the exception of his sermons, were all published anonymously, include:
- ‘The Church of England free from the imputation of Popery.’ This was a discourse written and published at the request of Dr. Compton, bishop of London, about 1682. Another edition was printed in ‘The London Cases’ in 1694. It was also reprinted by the author at his own expense in 1716, and given to his clergy at his triennial visitation the year following.
- ‘A Fair and Methodical Discussion of the First and great Controversy between the Church of England and the Church of Rome concerning the Infallible Guide,’ 1689.
- ‘A Discourse concerning Lent, in 2 Parts,’ 1695. This is a long and very learned inquiry into the meaning and origin of the Lenten fast.
- ‘A Calculation of the Credibility of Human Testimony,’ first printed in the ‘Philosophical Transactions,’ October 1699; this is the only printed work in which Hooper’s mathematical attainments are conspicuous.
- ‘The Narrative Vindicated,’ i. e. the ‘Narrative of the Proceedings of the Lower House of Convocation,’ 1700-1, by Dr. Aldrich. This was answered by Dr. White Kennett.
- ‘De Valentiniarnorum Hæresi, quibus illius origo ex Ægyptiacâ Theologiâ deducitur,’ 1711. This was dedicated to John Ernest Grabe [q. v.] It is written in excellent Latin. After Hooper’s death there was added to this in the edition of 1757 ‘Emendationes et Observationes ad Tertulliani adversus Valentinianos Tractatum.’ Both were intended to accompany a new edition of Tertullian ‘Adversus Valentinianos’ which Hooper was preparing for the press. Hearing,
