, youngest son of the preceding, was born in 1626, and in 1642 became a gentlemancommoner of Queen’s
, youngest son of the preceding, was born in 1626, and in 1642 became a gentlemancommoner of Queen’s college in Oxford; and after he had
continued there some time, he travelled on the continent,
and at his return, adhering to Charles II. was made secretary to the duke of York, also secretary to the admiralty; and elected a burgess for the town of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, in the parliament which met at Westminster, May 8, 1661; and also to that which was summoned in 1678. In 1663 he was created doctor of the civil
law at the university of Oxford. He was sworn of the
privy-council, and received the honour of knighthood June
26, 1665, and was made one of the commissioners of the
treasury on May 24, 1667 being, as bishop Burnet relates,
“a man of great notions and eminent virtues the best
speaker in the house of commons, and capable of bearing
the chief ministry, as it was once thought he was very
near it, and deserved it more than all the rest did.
” Yet,
as he was too honest to engage in the designs of that reign,
and quarrellt d with the duke of Buckingham, a challenge
passed between them upon which he was forbid the court,
and retired to Minster- Lovel, near Whitney, in Oxfordshire, where he gave himself up to a religious and private
course of life, without accepting of any employment,
though he was afterwards offered more than once the best
posts in the court. He died June 23, 1686, unmarried, at
Somerhill, near Tunbridge-wells, in Kent (where he had went for the benefit of the waters, being afflicted with the gout in the stomach) and was buried at Penshurst, in the
same county, under a monument erected to his memory.
By his last will he gave 2000l. for the relief of the French
protestants then lately come into England, and banished
their country for the sake of their religion; and 3000l. for
the redemption of captives from Algiers.
, a French Protestant divine, was born in 1626, and studied, with great success and approbation,
, a French Protestant divine, was born
in 1626, and studied, with great success and approbation,
at Saumur; after which he became minister of a place
called Marchenoir in the province of Dunois. He was an
able advocate against the popish party, as appears by his
best work, against father Nicole, entitled “Examen du
Livre qui porte pour titre, Prejugez legitimes centre les
Calvinistes,
” 2 vols. 1673, 12mo. Mosheim therefore very
improperly places him in the class of those who explained
the doctrines of Christianity in such a manner as to diminish the difference between the doctrines of the reformed
and papal churches; since this work shews that few men.
wrote at that time with more learning, zeal, and judgment
against popery. Pajon, however, created some disturbance
in the church, and became very unpopular, by explaining
certain doctrines, concerning the influence of the Holy
Spirit, in the Arminian way, and had a controversy with
Jurieu on this subject. The consequence was, that Pajon,
who had been elected professor of divinity at Saumur,
found it necessary to resign that office after which he
resided at Orleans, as pastor, and died there Sept. 27, 1685,
in the sixtieth year of his age. He left a great many works
in manuscript; none of which have been printed, owing
partly to his unpopularity, but, perhaps, principally to his
two sons becoming Roman Catholics. A full account of his
opinions may be seen in Mosheim, or in the first of our
authorities.