Memoir of John Stearne, M. & J.U.D., S.F.T.C.D., founder and first President of the College of Physicians : including the original charter of that college, and other records concerning the profession of physic in Ireland never before published with a review of his writings / by T.W. Belcher.

  • Thomas Waugh Belcher
Date:
1865
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoir of John Stearne, M. & J.U.D., S.F.T.C.D., founder and first President of the College of Physicians : including the original charter of that college, and other records concerning the profession of physic in Ireland never before published with a review of his writings / by T.W. Belcher. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    disputcations were essential parts of a University education, and Stearne’s academic position, in which, as shown in the case of Henry Dodwell, he had, at some time in his career, to perform the part of a lay preacher, would naturally tend to foster and encourage a theological taste, sup¬ ported as it was no doubt by his own known proficiency in the Hebrew language, and his lifelong intimacy with some of the most eminent eccle¬ siastics of his own time. He was an admirable Crichton” in his way, and it may be said of him in well-worn phrase—he touched nothing that he did not adorn. He excelled as a philosopher and physician, and equally so as a theologian, in an intensely theological age.*^ Presuming his epitaph to have been written by Henry Dodwell, who knew him long and intimately, it may be maintained that with truth the pupil styled the master “ Philosophus Medicus Summusque Theologus Idem.” ^ “Theology being the favourite study of these times, we shall not be surprised to find the following entry in the registry :— July 23, 1617.—The Lord Deputy, the Lord Chancellor, and the Earl of Arundell were entertained at the College with a theological lecture and disputation. The per¬ formance of the former was by Dr. TJssher : of the latter by Mr. Martin, Despondent ; Mr. Egerton, and Mr. Donellan, Opponents. The questions were these :—1. Spiritus Sanctus in Scripture loquens est solus infallibilis Judex controversiarum. 2. Jejunium Pontificium neque Scripturas neque ration! est consentaneum.”— Barrett’s MSS., p. 151. [In Cap. XVII. of Bedell’s Statutes (quoted by Dr. Barrett) I find the following respecting the theological position of the Medical Fellow :—“ Quod vero ad exercitia attinet requisite a Theologis durante quovis termino, nolumus ea Professori Juris prudentice aut Medicince remitti: sed ab utroque praestari, communes loci fuerint sew Theologicae Disputationes.” In Cap. XVIII. of the Caroline Statutes (1637) the “Jurista” and “Medicus” were exempted from the performance of common-places, while they were bound to lecture in their respective faculties ; but they were expressly bound to perform ‘‘disputationes et exercitia requisita a Theologis.”—See MacDon- nell’s edition of Statutes of T.C.D., 1848.]
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