John Corbet

Son of Rog. Corb. Shoomaker, was born, and educated in Grammar learning, within the City of Glocester, became a Batler of Magd. Hall in the beginning of the year 1636, aged 16 years and in 1639 he was admitted Bach. of Arts. Afterwards he was made a Master of one of the Schools, and a Lecturer, in that City; but when it was garrison’d for the Parliament use, he became Dinner-Chaplain to Col. Edw. Massey Governour thereof, preached seditiously, vilified the King and his party in a base manner, and would several times say in common discourse, and in the Pulpit sometimes, that ((a))((a)) Merc. Aul. in July an. 1644. p. 1081. nothing hath so much deceived the world as the name of a King, which was the ground of all mischief to the Church of Christ. When the War was terminated he was called to be a Preacher at Bridgwater in Somersetshire; whence, after some time spent in holding forth, he went to the City of Chichester, where he was frequented by schismatical people. At length being called to a richer Cure, he went to Bramshot in Hampshire; where being setled, it was his desire made to the Delegates of the Convocation of this University, that they would dispence with him for ten terms absence, and give him leave to accumulate the degree of Bach. of Divinity. Which desire being granted, his supplicate in order thereunto followed 14 May 1658, and granted simpliciter, conditionally that he perform all exercise requisite for the said degree: But whether he did so, or was admitted to that degree, it appears not in the Register. At Bramshot he continued till the Act of Uniformity cast him out, an. 1662, and then he retired to London, (as most Nonconformists did) where he lived privately, taking no employment till his first wife died, and then he lived in the house with Sir Joh. Micklethwaite President of the Coll. of Physitians, and afterwards with Alderm. Webb; about which time he married a daughter of Dr. W. Twyss, and then lived privately with Mr. Rich. Baxter at Totteridge in Hertfordshire. At length the Kings license or toleration being published in the middle of March 1671, he was invited by the godly party to Chichester, where he preached till a month before his death: at which time removing to London to be cut of the stone in the bladder, he died as soon as he came to that City without effecting his desire. One of his ((b))((b)) Rich. Baxter in his Sermon at the funeral of John Corbet. Lond. 1681. p. 28. perswasion tells us, that he was a man so blameless in all his conversation, that he never heard one person accuse or blame him, except for Nonconformity—that he was of so great moderation and love of peace that he hated all that was against it, and would have done any thing for concord in the Church, except sinning against God and hazarding Salvation, &c. He hath written and commended to posterity,

An historical relation of the military Government of Gloucester, from the beginning of the Civil Warr between King and Parl. to the removal of Col. Massie from that Government to the command of the Western Forces. Lond. 1645. in 18 sh. in qu.

A Vindication of the Magistrates of the City of Gloucester from the calumnies of Robert Bacon printed in his relation of his usuage there, which he intitles The Spirit of Prelacy yet working, or truth from under a cloud. Lond. 1646. qu.

Ten questions discussed, which tend to the discovery of close Antinomianisme.—Printed with the Vindication.

The interest of England in the matter of religion, unfolded in the solution of three questions, &c. Lond. 1660. oct. in two parts. Answer’d first by R [•] g. L’Estrange in his Interest mistaken: or the holy cheat, &c. Lond. 1661 and 62. in oct. Wherein it appears that our author Corbet justifies in his said book the Presbyterian cause of 1641, that he excludes the Royal Party that served the late King from having any hand in the restoring of this, that he revives the pretended misdemeanours of the Bishops as occasioners of the last Warr, that he maintains the actings of the Presbyterians according to the Covenant, that he makes the two Houses participate of the Soveraignity, and denies the lawfulness of the English Ceremony, &c. (2) By an Anonymus in his book intit. The Presbyterians unmasked, &c. Lond. 1676. oct. Which book came out again. in 1681, under the title of The Dissenter disarmed, &c. supposed verily to be written by Sam. Thomas Chanter of Ch. Ch. in Oxon. This is the author whom Mr. Baxter stiles ((c))((c)) Ib. in Baxters Serm. p. 31. A shamless Writer, who published a bloody invective against Mr. Corbets pacificatory book, called The Interest of England, as if it had been written to raise a War.

The Kingdom of God among men; a tract of the sound state of Religion, &c. Lond. 1679. oct.

The point of Church-unity and schisme discussed.

An account of himself about conformity.—These two last are printed with The Kingdome of God, &c.

Discourse of the Religion of England, asserting that reformed Christianity, setled in its due latitude, is the stability and advancement of this Kingdome.—In 2 parts.

Self-employment in secret: containing, (1) Evidences upon self-examination. (2) Thoughts upon painful afflictions. (3) Memorialls for practice. Lond. 1681. in tw. Published after the Authors death, with a prefatory Epistle, by Joh. How.

An account given of the principles and practices of several Nonconformists. Wherein it appears that their Religion is no other than what is profest in the Church of England, &c. Lond. 1682. qu.

An Enquiry into the oath required of Nonconformists by an Act made at Oxon. Wherein the true meaning of it and the unwarrantableness of taking it, is consider’d. Lond. 1682. in 3 sh. in qu.

An humble endeavour of some plaine and brief explications of the decrees and operations of God about the free actions of men, more especially of the operations of divine grace. Lond. 1683. qu.

Remaines—Lond. 1684. in tw, being most of the 9 Tracts which he left behind him to be published. He the said J. Corbet had also laboured much in compiling the first vol. of Historical Collections, published by Joh. Rushworth; and dying on the 26 of Decemb. in sixteen hundred and eighty,1680. was buried in the Church of S. Andrew in Holbourne near London, as I have been informed by the Letters of Mr. Rich. Baxter, dated 22 of Feb. following. Besides this Jo. Corbet, was another of both his names, Minister of Bonyl one of the collegiat Churches of the Provostry of Dunbarton in Scotland; who, for not submitting to the Covenant, was ejected from that Kingdom and went into Ireland, where he published The ungirding of the Scotish armour, &c. Dubl. 1639. qu. and The Epistle congratulatory of Lysimachus Nicanor to the Covenanters in Scotland, &c. printed the year following in qu. Which Mr. Corbet, who was an ancient man, and a Minister of Galloway, had his head cut off by two Swiniards in the time of the Rebellion in Ireland, an. 1641. See more in the Epistle to the Reader written by Andr. Allam of S. Edm. Hall, set before the said Epistle congratulatory, &c. Printed at Oxon 1684. qu. Which Epistle was written (as I have been informed by a Scottish Writer since I wrot these things) by John Maxwell Bishop of Ross in Scotland, who therein compares the Presbyterians to the Jesuits. Sed qu.