Birckbek, Simon

, an English divine of the seventeenth century, was born in 1S84, and in 1600 became a student in Queen’s college, Oxford, where he took his master’s degree, and obtained a fellowship. In 1607 he went into holy orders, and acquired much reputation for his preaching, and among the learned, for his acquaintance with the fathers and schoolmen. In 1616 he was admitted to the reading of the sentences, and the year following became vicar of the church of Gilling, and the chapel of Forcet, near Richmond, in Yorkshire, where he increased his popularity by his punctual discharge of the pastoral office, and by his exemplary life. During the usurpation he was not ejected from this living, and died Sept. 1656. His principal work, which was highly valued by Selden and other learned men, is entitled “The Protestant’s evidence, shewing that for 1500 years next after | Christ, divers guides of God’s church have in sundry points of religion taught as the church of England now doth,” London, 1634, 4to, and in 1657, folio, much enlarged. Some histories ol the church, particularly that of Milner, seem to be written on this plan. ¹