Francis Cheynell

son of John Cheynell Doct. of Phys. sometimes Fellow of C. C. Coll, by Bridget his Wife, was born in Catstreet in S. Maries Parish within the City of Oxon, an. 1608 and on the sixth of July the same year received baptisme there. After he had been educated in Grammar learning either in the School of that noted Greecian Edw. Sylvester (who taught in Allsaints Parish) or else in the Free [•] school of Magd. Coll, or in both, he became a member of this University in the beginning of the year 1623: And being Bach. of Arts of two years standing, or more, he was by the intercession of his Mother (then the Widow of Dr. Rob. Abbot Bish. of Salisbury) made to Dr. Brent the Warden of Merton Coll. (who had married Martha the only Daughter of the said Bish. by his first Wife) elected Probationer fellow thereof, in the year 1629. After he had proceeded in Arts, he entred into the sacred function, and was a Curate in, or near, Oxon for a time. But when the face of things began to alter in 1640. and 41. he manifestly shew’d himself, what he was before but in part, viz. a Presbyterian, and an enemy to the Bishops and Ceremonies of the Church: So that closing with the mighty men of the predominant party, he took the Covenant, became one of the Ass. of Divines in 1643, a frequent Preacher before the members of Parliament, Rector of the rich parsonage of Petworth in Sussex, in the place of an honest and loyal Doctor ejected thence, one of the Apostles to convert the University from loyalty to Presbyterie, an. 1646, a Visitor appointed by Parliament 1647.—48 to take possession of, and enjoy, the places of other Persons, as the Margaret Professorship of the University, and Presidentship of S. Johns Coll. But being forced to leave those two places soon after to his great grief (he being then Doct. of Div.) he retired to Petworth where he remained a useful member for the covenanting cause till the Kings restauration, and then, or at Bartholmew tide two years after, he was deprived of that Parsonage. I have said much of him ((a))((a)) In Hist. & Antiq. Ʋniv. Oxon, lib. 1. p. 367. b. 368. b. 369. a. b. 370. a. 386. a. 389. a. 391. a. b. 394. a. 398. b. 400. a. b. 402. a. b. 403. b. 404. a. 405. a. 407. a. 408. a. 410. b. 411. a. b. 413. b.—lib. 2. p. 34. b. 305. a. elsewhere, and therefore I shall only now tell you that he was accounted by many, especially by those of his party (who had him always in great veneration) a good Disputant and Preacher, and better he might have been, and of a more sober temper, had he not been troubled with a weakness in his head, which some in his time called craziness. He hath commended to posterity these things following.

Several Sermons, as (1) Gods Alarum, Fast sermon before the H. of Commons 31. May 1643 on Zach. 2.7. Lond. 1643. qu. (2) The man of honour, Fast sermon before the H. of Lords 26 March 1645 on Psal. 49.20. Lond. 1645. qu. (3) Plot for the good of prosperity, communicated in a Fast serm. before the H. of Com. 25. March 1646 on Gen. 18.19. Lond. 1646. qu. &c.

The rise, growth and danger of Socinianisme, &c. Lond. 1643. qu. ’Tis the effect of 3. or more Sermons.

Chillingworthi novissima. Or, the sickness, heresie, death and burial of Will. Chillingworth Clerk of Oxford, and in the conceit of his fellow soldiers, the Queens Arch-engineer and grand Intelligencer. &c. Lond. 1643. qu.

Speech at the funeral of Mr. Chillingworth’s heretical and mortal book.

Prophane Catechisme collected out of Mr. Chillingworths works.—These two last things are printed with Chillingworthi novissima.

Divers letters to Dr. Jasp. Mayne concerning false Prophets—Printed 1647. qu.

Copy of some papers past at Oxford between the Author of the Practical Catechisme (H. Hammond) and Mr. Cheynell. Lond. 1647. qu. Published by Dr. H. Hammond.

Truth triumphing over errour and heresie: or, a relation of a Disputation at Oxon in S. Maries Church between Mr. Cheynell and Mr. Erbury a Socinian, &c. Lond. 1646. 47. in one sh. in qu.

Account given to the Parliament by the Ministers sent by them to Oxon. Lond. 1647 in about 8. sh. in qu. It must be now known that several socinian books being published about that time against the Holy Trinity by John Biddle, Jo. Fry and others, it was thought fit by the leading men or the Presbyterian party of the Univ. of Oxon. that one or more of them should make answer to them. Wherefore this our Author Cheynell being looked upon as a Goliah among them, he was at a meeting of the Delegates of the said University 19. Feb. 1649 desired ((b))((b)) Reg. Convocat. Univ. Oxon. T. p. 97. by them to set forth a book touching the vindication of the Trinity; so that he undertaking the matter, came out a book written by him thus entituled.

The divine Trinunity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, &c. Lond. 1650. qu. Dedicated to the Univ. of Oxon. in a Lat. Epist. written by Cheynell. Much about the same time came out a book written by him bearing this title.

A discussion of Mr. Frye’s Tenents lately condemn’d in Parliament: and Socinianisme proved to be an unchristian doctrine—’Tis not said to be where printed, or when, or by whom written, but all then took it by the stile or Cheynell, as indeed it is. Whereupon Fry being not able to retort, wrot a book, not without railing, against the Presbyterian Clergy, entit. The Clergy in their Colours, &c. Lond. 1650. oct. wherein p. 7. he speaks of Cheynell thus. “But to use such expressions causlesly, or from a spirit of malice, is worthy of reproof; and therefore I may justly blame Mr. Cheynell (the Author of the Divine Trin-unity) for railing at my Bellows. If an ipse dixit, or foul mouthed Language be a sufficient confutation, I confess I am fully answered; for he is plentiful in it. But what do I mean? doubtless the sign was in Aries when he writ, and it might be in the Cuckoe-month too; and therefore he is the more to be excused; and till the man writes soberly, or I meet with one in his wits, that quarrels with my aforesaid book, I shall not be careful to vindicate it from blasphemy and errour, though the Doctor is pleased to bestow those liveries upon it, &c.” —What other things our Author Cheynell hath written, I know not, nor any thing else of him only that after he was turn’d out from Petworth he retired to an obscure Village called Preston, lying between Chichester and Mydhurst in Sussex (at which place he before had purchased an estate) where dying in a condition, little better than distracted, in the month of Septemb. in sixteen hundred sixty and five was buried in the Church there,1665. leaving then behind him several Sons. You may see more of him in William Chillingworth, under the year 1643. As for John Fry before mention’d, who was a man of more than ordinary parts, was of Bursey in Dorsetshire, but whether he was educated in this, or in another University, I cannot yet tell. ’Tis true that one Jo. Fry became a Commoner of Exeter Coll, an. 1616 aged 17 years, but he was matriculated as a Native of Devon. and an Esquires Son, and so consequently cannot be the same with the former; who in 1640 was one of the Burgesses elected by the men of Shaftesbury in his own Country to serve in that unhappy Parliament which began at Westm. 3. of Nov. the same year, but his election being voted void, he sided notwithstanding with the faction, was seemingly a Presbyterian, and afterwards all things to all men. So that being esteemed very capable of carrying on the beloved cause, he was first made a Committee man of his County, and afterwards was called into the House of Commons by the Independents, upon their excluding the active Presbyterians, purposely to carry on their designs against the King. Afterwards, he being very ready to keep pace with them, he not only subscribed his vote for the trial of his Majesty Ch. 1. but personally sate in judgment when sentence was past for his decollation. About that time he being observed by some of the H. of Commons to be a Person of strange principles in Religion, an Arrian, Socinian and I know not what, and also to be a Person of no good Morals, he was publickly complained of in the house by Colonel Joh. Downes one of the Regicides and afterwards a member of the Council of State. Whereupon Fry published The Accuser ashamed: or, a pair of Bellows to blow off the dust cast upon John Fry a member of Parliament by Col. Jo. Downes, who charged the said John Fry of blasphemy and errour. Printed at Lond. in Febr. 1648. in oct. To which he added (1) A word to the Priests, Lawyers, Royalists, Self-seekers, and rigid Presbyterians. (2) A brief ventilation of that chaffie and absurd opinion of three Persons or substances in the Godhead. Afterwards, he being exasperated by the Presbyterian Ministers and some Independents, he wrot and published, The Clergy in their colours: or, a brief character of them, &c. Lond. 1650 in 4. sh. in oct. Which, the next year was answered by J. D. Nephew, as ’twas said, to Mr. John Davy of Taunton Magdalen in Somersetshire. Soon after the publication of the said Clergy in their colours, the Parliament took so much cognizance of the matter that they sate on Saturday 22. Feb. 1650 from morning to night in debate of certain passages published in the said books, as (1) In debate of that added to the Accuser ashamed, in the title running thus, that chaffie and absurd opinion of three persons or substances in the Godhead. (2) In that in p. 22. running thus—that gross and carnal opinion of three distinct Persons or subsistences in the Godhead: Persons and subsistences, are subsistences or accidents. As for the word Person, I do not understand that it can be properly attributed but to man. It is out of doubt with me, that if you ask the most part of men what they mean by a Person, they will either tell you ’tis a man, or else they are not able to give you any answer at all. As for the word Accident, I suppose none will attribute that to God, for according to my poor skill, that word imputes no more but the figure or colour, &c. of a thing; and certainly no man ever saw the likeness of God as the Scriptures abundantly testifie, &c. These things being discussed, it was resolved by the members of Parliament that they were erroneous, prophane and highly scandalous. Afterwards they proceeded to the book called The Clergy in their colours, wherein, p. 34 is this said by the Author—I cannot let pass one observation, and that is the strange posture those men put themselves into, when they begin their prayers before their Sermons, whether the fools and knaves in stage plays took their pattern from these men, or these men from them I cannot determine, &c. what wry mouths, squint eyes they make, &c. how like a company of conjurers do they mumble out the beginnings of their prayers, that the People may not hear them, &c. These passages being debated, the Parliament resolved that they were scandalous. Again also p. 42. thus—I must confess I have heard much of believing things above reason, and the time was when I swallowed that still: but I may say with S. Paul, &c. When I was a child, &c. Every man that knoweth any thing, knoweth this, that it is reason that distinguishes a man from a beast. If you take away his reason, you deny his very Essence, therefore if any man will consent to give up his reason, I would as soon converse with a beast as with that man, &c. These matters being debated it was resolved by Parliament that they were erroneous. Afterwards they resolved that the said book called The Accuser ashamed, and the other called The Clergy in their colours be burnt, and that the Sherriffs of London and Middlesex be authorized and required to cause all the printed copies of both the said books, and every of them, wheresoever they should be found, to be burnt, some in the New-Pallace-yard at Westm. and some at the Old Exchange. Not a word in the order, was there of the Hang-man, for that would have sounded ominous to the whole pack of them, then in pomp and great splendor. At the same time it was resolved that the said Joh. Fry be disinabled to sit as a member of Parliament; so that being solemnly cashier’d he had more liberty to keep company with John Biddle, which he did, as with others of that opinion. This Person who had ran through most, if not all, religious, even to Rantisme, died soon after, and thereby saved the Hang-man his labour.