relates one or two somewhat unintelligible stories in illustration of the archbishop's ‘domineering outrage and dreadful end’ (The Antipathie of the English Lordly Prelacie, 1641, pp. 221–2). In addition to his published works he left, according to Wood, ‘four or more MSS. fit for the press, of which one is “De Necessitate Baptismi,” &c.’ (Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, ii. 874–5). A copy of his theses, entitled (1) ‘Nemo necessariò damnatur;’ (2) ‘Certitudo uniuscujusque salutis non est certitudo fidei,’ is in the British Museum, Harleian MS. 3142, ff. 54–61; another copy is at Colchester. He also drew up the famous ‘Considerations for the better settling of church government,’ presented by Laud to the king, and sent by his majesty in December 1629 to Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury, as ‘instructions concerning certain articles to be observed and put in execution by the several bishops in his province,’ now preserved in the Lambeth Library (Laud, Works, Library of Anglo-Cath. Theology, v. 307). His library he bequeathed to the corporation of Colchester in trust for the clergy of the town and neighbourhood on condition of a suitable room being provided for its reception. The collection, which consists chiefly of theological literature of the sixteenth century with a few incunabula, passed through many vicissitudes, but is now properly cared for in Colchester Castle. A catalogue, with a biographical and bibliographical introduction, was compiled by the present writer in 1885, of which the corporation printed two hundred and fifty copies for private circulation in 1888.
[Biographia Britannica, 1757, vol. iv.; Morant's Hist. of Colchester; European Mag. xxxv. 224; Strype's Annals, 8vo, vol. iii. pt. i. p. 637; Strype's Life of Whitgift, 8vo, ii. 346; Cooper's Athenæ Cantabr. ii. 380–3; Heylyn's Life and Death of Laud, 1671, pp. 188, 202; Morant's Essex, i. 170; Collier's Eccl. Hist. (Lathbury), vii. 198, 201; Nichols's Progresses of James I, iii. 61 n.; John Browne's Hist. of Congregationalism in Norfolk and Suffolk, pp. 73–8; Benjamin Brook's Puritans, vols. ii. iii.; Calamy's Nonconf. Memorial, 1802–3, iii. 275–6; W. Huntley's (i.e. W. Prynne's). A Breviate of the Prelates intollerable usurpations, 1637, pp. 161–2; Hacket's A Memorial of Archbishop Williams, 1693, p. 95; Carlisle's Endowed Grammar Schools, i. 415–23; Thomas Wright's Essex, ii. 391–3; Lysons's Environs, iv. 127–8; Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. iv. 3; Newcourt's Repertorium, i. 73; Gent. Mag. vol. lxxiii. pt. ii. pp. 808–9, 932; Addit. (Cole) MS. 5871, f. 27; Ogborne's Essex, p. 238; Cotton Mather's Eccl. Hist. of New England, 1702, iii. 44; Prynne's Canterburies Doome, 1646, pp. 368, 509, 512, 537; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1611–1618 p. 278, 1634–5 p. 102, 1635–6 p. 418, 1636–7 p. 410; Trans. of Essex Archæol. Soc., new ser. vol. iii. pt. ii. pp. 152–3; Harl. MS. 703, art. 111, f. 150; Athenæum, 28 July 1883.]
HART, AARON (1670–1756), chief rabbi, born in 1670 at Breslau, studied at a rabbinical school in Poland, and probably came to England in 1692 to act as rabbi of the first synagogue of the English congregation of German and Polish Jews, which was opened in that year in Broad Court, Mitre Square, London. He removed in 1721 to the Great Synagogue in Duke's Place, Aldgate, then just built at the expense of his brother Moses (see below), and he remained there till his death in 1756. He married a daughter of Rabbi Samuel ben Phœbus of Fürth. His own name appears in Hebrew as Rabbi Phœbus (or Uri) ben Rabbi Hirz Hamburger, and he is sometimes referred to as Rabbi Uri Pheibush. Before 1707 he agreed to dissolve, according to Jewish ecclesiastical ordinances, the marriage of a member of his congregation who was leaving England for the West Indies, and was severely attacked on the ground that he had acted irregularly, by another rabbi in England, Jochanan Hellishaw, or Johanan ben Isaac, in a work called ‘Maasé Rab’ (Amsterdam, 1707, 4to). Hart replied to the strictures in a book entitled ‘Urim ve-Thumim’ (London, 1707, 4to), which is the first Hebrew book printed in London. Very late in life he is doubtfully said to have held disputations with one Edward Goldney, who sought to convert the Jews in England to Christianity. Dandridge painted the rabbi's portrait, which was engraved by McArdell.
Hart, Moses (1676?–1756), younger brother of the above, came from his native place, Breslau, in early life, and became a prosperous merchant in London. Godolphin, while first lord of the treasury (1702–10), employed him in financial dealings. He built at his sole expense the Great Synagogue in Aldgate, which was opened in 1721, and was rebuilt in 1790. It remains the chief London synagogue. His place of business was in St. Mary Axe, and he had a mansion at Isleworth. He died 19 Nov. 1756, leaving, among other bequests, 1,000l. to the London Hospital (Gent. Mag. 1756, p. 595). His will was disputed by his grandchildren and other relatives among themselves, and the case was carried in 1760 to the House of Lords (cf. Naphtali Franks & others v. Joseph Martin & others, a printed statement of the grounds of the appeal to the lords). A portrait of Hart hangs in the vestry-room of the Great Synagogue.
