Stephen Charnock

son of Rich. Charnock an Attorney or Solicitor, descended from an antient family of his name living in Lancashire, was born in the Parish of S. Catherine Creechurch in London; educated in Eman. Coll. in Cambridge, mostly under the tuition of Mr. Will. Sancroft, spent afterwards some time in a private family, and a little more in the exercise of his Ministry in Southwarke, in the time of the Rebellion. In 1649, or thereabouts, he retired to Oxon, purposely to obtain a Fellowship from the Visitors appointed by Parliament when they ejected scholars by whole shoales; and in 1650 he obtained a Fellowship in New Coll. and thereby for several years did eat the bread of a worthy Loyallist. In 1652 he was incorporated Master of Arts as he had stood in Cambridge, and two years after he did undergo the office of Proctor of the University, being then taken notice of by the godly Party for his singular gifts, and had in reputation by the then most learned Presbyterians; and therefore upon that account he was the more frequently put upon publick Works. After he had discharged his office, he received a call to go into Ireland, where exercising his Ministry for about 4 or 5 years, he was held in admiration by the Presbyterian and sometimes by the Independent, and had the concurrent applause of some that were of different sentiments from him in matters of Religion: and such also who did not love his opinion, did notwithstanding commend him for his learning. After the King was restored in 1660, he was ejected from his publick exercise, (being then, as I conceive, Bach. of Div. of Dublin) returned into England, and in and about London he did spend the greatest part of 15 years without any call to his own work, whereby he took advantage to go now and then either into France or Holland. In the five last years of his life, he became more known by his constant preaching in private meetings in the great City, gaining thereby infinite love and applause from the Brethren, who held him to be a person of excellent parts, strong reason, great judgment, and (which do not often go together) curious fancy. They also esteemed him to be a man of high improvements and general learning, that his chief talent was his preaching gift, in which he had few equals, that also he was good in the practice of physick, in which he had arrived to a considerable measure of knowledge, and lastly that he was a true son of the Church of England in that sound doctrine laid down in the articles of Religion, and taught by our most famous antient Divines and Reformers, &c. As for his Writings they are many, yet he published nothing while he lived. However after his death, his friends made extant these things following to prevent false copies, which were then likely to creep abroad.

A Sermon of reconciliation to God in Christ, on 2 Cor. 5.19. Lond. 1680. qu.

Treatise of divine providence, 1. In general. 2. In particular, as relating to the Church of God in the world, Lond. 1680. oct. Before which is an Epistle written by Rich. Adams and Edw. Veel, who, as I think, published the said book. This was afterwards involved in his Works.

His Works, containing several discourses upon the excellence and attributes of God. Lond. 1682. in a large fol. published by the said two persons R. Adams and E. Veele.

His Works, vol. 2. containing several discourses upon various divine Subjects. Lond. 1683. fol. with a Supplement. He died in the house of one Rich. Tymms a Glazier in the Parish of White Chappel near London, on the 27 of July in sixteen hundred and eighty, aged 52 years or thereabouts:1680. whereupon his body being conveyed to Crosby house belonging to Sir Jo. Langham (in which house Tho. Watson M. of A. sometimes of Eman. Coll. in Cambr. Pastor of S. Stephens Church Walbrook in Lond. in the times of Usurpation and the author of The art of divine contemplation, and of other things, did hold forth by praying and preaching as our author Charnock did) was thence accompanied by great numbers of the Brethren to S. Michaels Church on Cornhill in London; where, after John Johnson his contemporary in Emanuel and New Coll, had held forth in a funeral Sermon, (wherein many things were spoken in praise of the defunct) his body was committed to the earth on the 30 day of the same month, at the bottom of the Tower under the Belfry. I must now, having a just opportunity laid before me, tell the Reader, that the name of Charnock is antient, and in Lancashire is now, or at least hath been lately, Charnock of Charnock, from whence was originally descended Thom. Charnock a noted Chymist and Rosacrucian of his time, born at Feversham (some say in the Isle of Thanet) in Kent, an. 1526, and being very covetous of knowledge, he travelled all England over to gain it, fixed in Oxon for a considerable time, where it hapned that he fell into such acquaintance, that it proved his future comfort. About that time he became known to Mr. James S. a spiritual man living in the Close at Salisbury, who being a noted Chymist, he entertained Charnock to be his Operator. In 1554 he obtained the secret from his said Master (Jam. S.) who dying about that time, left him inheritor of it, but lost it by firing his Tabernacle on New years-day at noon, an. 1555. Soon after he learned the secret again, but not of Will. Byrd sometimes Prior of Bathe, who had bestowed a great deal of pains and money to obtain it, but of another, because Byrd had been dead several years before. Whereupon Charnock began anew with the help of a servant, and again by himself alone: in which work continuing 9 months, which was within a month of his reckoning, the Crows head began to appear black; but a War being proclaimed against the French, an. 1557, and he thereupon, by the malice of a Gentleman (who was his neighbour) prest for a Soldier, his operations were frustrated, and all cast aside. On the first of January the same year, he began to write The Breviary of natural Philosophy, and on the 20. of July following he ended it: In the title and end of which, he stiles himself an unlettered Scholar, and Student in the most worthy science of Astronomy and Philosophy. This Breviary is written in old English verse, which, in the next Century, coming into the hands of the most renowned Mercuriophilus Anglicus, who sometimes writes himself James Hasolle, (Elias Ashmole) was among other authors of the like nature, published by him under this title, Theatrum Chemicum Britanicum. In 1562 Charnock married Agnes Norden at Stokeland-Bristow four miles from Bridgwater in Somersetshire, being then, or soon after, setled there, but afterwards at a place called Comadge; and in the year after he buried Absolon his Son. In 1566 he finished his book called The principal rules of natural Philosophy, figuratively set forth to the obtaining of the Philosophers stone. In which year also he dedicated a book of The Science to Qu. Elizabeth, and dated the Rolle at Stockland, as he himself saith; which Rolle is written in Latine, being the same, I presume, with the Emblematical Scrowle, supposed to be invented by George Ripley, the inside of which, was composed, as Charnock says, by a great Master of the Hermetick Philosophy, and written by a Master of his pen. Some notes in the void spaces of it were written by Charnock’s hand, which shew that he did not (or at least throughly) understand it. In 1572 he wrot the Poesie of the Rolle; which Rolle seems to me to have been a kind of a Vade mecum, or a Manual that the Students of the Hermetick Science carried about with them, and also to be taken from Raymandus Lullius. The same year he wrot Aenigma ad Alchimiam, and Aenigma de Alchimia, both in English Verse, and printed in Theat. Chem. before mention’d. In 1573 he wrot, as himself saith, the fragment Knock the Child on the head. See Theat. Chem. pag. 425, and in the year after he confessed that he never saw The white ferment to the red, till the fiftieth year of his age. In 1576 appeared The difficulty of the Philosophical number in the Rolle. This Rolle so often mentioned, is religiously kept to this day in a house at Comadge before mention’d; where for his Studies and carrying on of his Operations, he made a little room and contrivance for the keeping his Work, and so ingeniously ordered, that no accident of fire could befall him, as it did on New-years day 1555. It joyns as a Closet to that which was his Chamber, to make a Servant needless, and the work of giving attendance more easie to himself. On the door was drawn by his own hand with course Colours, but rudely, an Emblem of his Work: So likewise about the walls in his Chamber, are several pieces of his painting differing from each other, some of which are obscure and almost woren out. Several fragments written by him, are published in the said Theat. Chem Brit. but therein are omitted Charnocks Poesie upon the white and red rose, and verses on the Philosophers Dragon which eateth up her owne tale, &c. This Rosacrucian Charnock paid his last debt to nature in his house at Comadge, and was buried within the precincts of the Church at Otterhampton near to Bridgwater, 21. Apr. 1581.