Joseph Caryl

was born of gentile Parents in London, became a Commoner or Sojournour of Exeter Coll. in the beginning of 1621, aged 17 years, where, by the benefit of a good Tutor and discipline, he became in short time a noted Disputant. In 1627 he proceeded in Arts and entring into holy Orders, exercised his Function in, and near, Oxon for some time. At length, being puritanically affected, he became preacher to the honorable Society of Lincolns Inn, where he continued several years with good liking and applause. In 1642 and after, he became a frequent Preacher before the Long Parliament, and a Licenser of books for the Cause: And in the year following being a zealous Covenantier and a pretender to reformation, he was elected one of the Ass. of Divines, among whom he frequently sate and controverted matters of Religion. In 1645 he was made Minister of the Church of S. Magnus near London bridge, by the factious party there, because he was an enemy to the Bishops and a zealous preacher up of rebellion, where for many years he carried on the cause without interruption. In January 1646 he, with Steph. Marshall, both by that time notorious Independents and great siders with the Army raised by the said Parliament to pluck down the K. and his party, were appointed Chaplains to the Commissioners sent by the said Parliament to the King, then at New-castle, in order for an accommodation of peace. Thence, by easie journeys, they accompanied the K. and Commissioners to Holdenly in Northamptonshire; where his Maj. making some continuance, without any of his Chaplains in Ordinary to wait upon him, (because they disrelish’d the Covenant) they the said Ministers, upon the desire of the Commissioners, did offer their service to preach before the K. and say Grace at Meales, but they were both by him denied, the K. alwaies saying Grace himself, with an audible voice, standing under the State. So that our author Caryl and Marshall, (to whom the King nevertheless was civil) did take so great disgust at his Majesties refusals, that they did ever after mightily promote the Independent slander of the Kings obstinacy. Tis said that Marshall did on a time put himself more forward than was meet to say Grace, and while he was long in forming his Chaps, as the manner was among the Saints, and making ugly faces, his Maj. said Grace himself and was fallen to his meat, and had eaten up some part of his dinner before Marshall had ended the blessing, but Caryl was not so impudent: yet notwithstanding tho they then fully saw the great civilities, moderation, sweet temper, humility, prudence, and unexpressible devotion in his Majesty, yet there was no reluctancy in them, as there were in some of the Commissioners, especially in Maj. Gen. Rich. Browne. In Sept. 1648 our author Caryl was one of those five Ministers that went with other Commissioners appointed by Parliament to treat of peace at Newport in the Isle of Wight: where tho he preached before them, yet his Maj. would not accept of him or of any of the rest among his Chaplains then with him, to pray or preach before him; which did again enlarge his disgust. The same year, January 30, some hours before the K. suffer’d death, the Committee of parl. ordered that he, Phil. Nye and other Ministers should attend the said King to administer to him those spiritual helps, as should be sutable to his then present condition, but the K. being acquainted with it, he would not be troubled with them: so that all the desires that our author had to serve, or rather impertenize, his Maj. were frustrated. In Apr. the next year, he with Marshall and Nye were employed by the Grandees of the Army to invite and cajole the secured and secluded Members to sit in the Parliament House among the Independents, but they effected nothing. In Sept. 1650 he and Joh. Owen an Independent Minister, were by order of Parliament sent to Scotland to attend Ol. Cromwell, who desired their company at that place to receive comfort by their prayers and preachings. In the latter end of 1653 he was appointed one of the Triers for the approbation of public Ministers, in which office he lick’d his fingers sufficiently; and in the year after he was constituted an Assistant to the Commissioners of London, appointed by Parliament for the ejecting of ignorant and scandalous Ministers and School-Masters, as they were then by the godly party so called. In 1659. Nov. 1. he with Whally, Goffe, &c. began their journey towards Scotland to give George Monke General of the Army there, a right understanding of affairs in England, in order to the avoiding effusion of more blood, but they returned unsatisfied, and on the 14. of March following, he was, with Edw. Reynolds and others, appointed by Act of Parliament to approve of and admit Ministers according to the Presbyterian way. But that being null’d at the Kings restauration, he receeded to his cure at S. Magnus, where he continued till the Act of Uniformity ejected him. His works are these

Several Sermons as (1) The works of Ephesus, explained in a Serm. before the House of Commons at their solemn Fast 27. Apr. 1642, on Rev. 2. ver. 2.3. Lond. 1642. qu. (2) The nature, solemnitie, grounds, propertie & benefits of a sacred Covenant, &c. preached to those that were to take the Covenant, 6. Oct. 1643, on Nehem. 9.38. Lond. 1643. qu. (3) The Saints thankfull acclamation at christs resumption of his great power and the initials of his kingdome, Thanksgiving Sermon before the H. of C. 23. Apr. 1644, for the great victory given to the parl. Army under the command of the Lord Fairfax at Selby in Yorks. and to other of the parl. forces in Pembrokesh. on Rev. 11.16.17. Lond. 1644. qu. (4) Arraignment of unbelief as the grand cause of our nationall non-establishment, Fast Serm. before the H. of C. 28. May 1645, on Isay 7.9. Lond. 1645. qu, (5) Heaven and earth embracing, or God and man approaching, Fast Serm. before the H. of C. 28. Jan. 1645 on Jam. 4.8. the former part of the vers. Lond. 1646. qu. (6) Joy out-joyed, &c. Th. giv. Serm. at S. Martins in the fields, 19 Feb. 1645 for reducing the City of Chester by the Parl. forces under the command of Sir Will. Brereton, on Luke 10.20. Lond. 1646. qu. (7) Englands plus ultra, both of hoped mercies and required duties, Th. giv. Serm. before both Houses of parliament, L. Mayor and Aldermen, and Ass. of Divines 2. Apr. 1646, for recovering of the West and disbanding 5000 of the Kings horse, &c. on Psal. 118.17. Lond. 1646. qu. Hugh Peters was the other person that held out before the said auditory on the same day, on Psal. 31.23: which Sermon was printed twice in 1646. Besides these he hath other Sermons which I have not yet seen viz. (1) Fast Serm. before the H. of C. 29. July 1646: At which time Jeremiah Whitaker held forth before the said House, as Sam. Bolton and Simeon Ash did before the Lords. (2) Thanksgiving Serm. before the Parl. at S. Marg. West. Oct. 8. on Psal. 111.1.2.3.4.5. (3) Fast. Serm. before the Parl. 24. Sept. 1656, on Jer. 4. part of the ninth verse and (4) Fast and Thanksgiving Sermon, bef. the parl. in Aug. and Oct. 1659, &c.

Sermons upon other occasions as (1) Davids prayer for Solomon, Lond. 1643. qu. (2) Serm. pr. 1657. (3) Farewell Serm. at S. Magnus on Rev. 3.4. Lond. 1662 oct. Printed with other Farewell Sermons of certain Lond. Ministers of the presb. and Indep. persuasion, who were ejected from their respective Churches for nonconformity on S. Barth. day 1662. The names of them were Edm. Calamy, Dr. Th. Manton, Tho. Case, Will. Jenkins Rich. Baxter, Dr. Th. Jacomb, Dr. Will. Bates, Thom. Watson, Tho. Lye, and Matth. Mead. The pictures of all which are in the title page, and the title in the middle of them running thus. The farewell Sermons of the late London Ministers preached 17. Aug. 1662, &c. Our author Jos. Caryl hath also written and published

Exposition with practical Observations on the book of Job, delivered in several Sermons and Lectures in S Magnus Church, &c.—Printed at Lond. in 11 Volumes in qu. Afterwards published in two large folios. The first of which was printed at Lond. 1676. and the other in 1677 with the authors picture before it. Which volumes are epitomised in the second vol. of Math. Poole’s Synopsis Criticorum.

The nature and principles of Love, as the end of the commandment, declared in some of his last Sermons. Lond. 1674. oct, with an Epist. prefix’d, by Jo. Owen D. D.

Gospel-Love, Heart-purity, and the flourishing of the righteous, being his last Sermons. Lond. 1674 75. oct.

He also had a prime hand in a book entit. An English Greek Lexicon containing the derivations and various significations of all the words in the New Testament, &c. Lond. 1661 (oct) The others that joyned with him in this work were George (some call him Thomas) Cockayne, Ralph Venning, Will. Dell, Matth. Barker, Will. Adderley, Matth. Mead and Hen. Jessey, all Nonconformists. Also a hand in another book called Saints Memorials: or, Words fitly spoken, like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Being a collection of divine Sentences by several Presbyterian Ministers. Lond. 1674. oct. Those parts which Caryl composed are (1) The Palmtree Christian. p. 51. (2) Practical and Experimental considerations and characters of the real Christian. p. 57. (3) On Gospel Charity. p. 65. (4) The heart anatomized. p. 74. (5) Divine Sentences; or, a guide to a holy life. p. 77. After which, in p. 109 follows his Elegy and Epitaph. The other persons that had hands in the said Saints Memorials, were Edm. Calamy, and James Janaway, whom I have, and shall mention elsewhere, as also Ralph Venning sometimes of Emmanuel Coll. in Cambr. who among several things that he hath published, are Orthodox Paradoxes: or, a beleiver clearing truth by seeming contradictions. Lond. 1647. tw. To which is added an Appendix: or the triumph of assurance over the law, sinn, the world, wants, and present enjoyments. He hath also several Sermons extant as A warning to backsliders, &c. preached at Paules before the L. Mayor and Alderm. of Lond. on Rev. 2.5. Lond. 1654 qu. &c. He died on the 10 of March 1673 and was buried in the presence of very many Nonconformists; at which time Rob. Bragge preached his funeral Sermon entit. A Cry for Labourers in Gods harvest, on Matth. 9 38. Lond. 1674. qu. At the end of which Sermon are the titles of nine books which had been written and published by Ralph Venning. As for our author Jos. Caryl, who was a learned and zealous Nonconformist, he died in his house in Bury street in London on the 25. of Febr. in sixteen hundred seventy and two,1672/3. but where buried, unless in the Church of S. Magnus before mention’d, wherein he had for many years posses’d his auditors with many unworthy things against K. Ch. 1. and his Son, their followers and the prelatical party, I know not.—Several elegies were made on him after his death, of which two or more, I have seen extant.