Christopher Fowler

son of Joh. Fowl. of Marlborough in Wilts. was born there, became a Servitour of Magd. Coll. in 1627 aged 16 or thereabouts, where continuing till he was Bach. of Arts, he retired to S. Edm. Hall, took the degree of Master of that faculty, as a member thereof, entred into holy Orders, and preached for some time in and near Oxon, and afterwards at West Woodhey near Dunnington Castle in Berks. At length upon the turn of the times in 1641 he closed with the Presbyterians, (having before been puritanically affected) took the Covenant and became a very conceited and fantastical preacher among them. For by his very many odd gestures and antick behaviour (unbeseeming the serious gravity to be used in the pulpit) he drew constantly to his congregation a numerous crowd of silly Women and young People, who seemed to be hugely taken and enamour’d with his obstreporousness and undecent cants. He was then, as I conceive, Minister of S. Margarets Church in Lothbury, London, to which City he retired for safety, under pretence of being disturbed by the Malignants, as he called them, at Dunnington; and soon after being a zealous Brother for the cause, he became Vicar of S. Maries Church in Reading, an Assistant to the Commissioners of Berks, for the ejection of such that were then called by the Godly party scandalous, ignorant and insufficient Ministers and Schoolmasters, and at length Fellow of Eaton Coll. near Windsore, notwithstanding he had refused the Engagement. After his Majesties restauration he lost his Fellowship of Eaton, and being deprived of his cure at Reading for nonconformity, retired to London, and afterwards to Kennington near Newington S Mary in Surrey and carried on the trade of conventicling to his last. His works are these.

Daemonium meridianum. Satan at noon, or antichristian blasphemies, anti-scriptural divilismes, &c. evidenced in the light of truth, and punished by the hand of justice. Being a sincere relation of the proceedings of the Commissioners of the County of Berks against John Pordage, late Rector of Bradfield in Berks. Lond. 1655. qu.

Notes and animadversions upon a book of Jo. Pordage entit. Innocency appearing, &c.—Printed at the end of Daem. merid. This John Pordage, who was the Son of Sam. Pordage Citizen and Grocer of the Parish of S. Dionise Backchurch in London (who died in the latter end of the year 1626) was called Doctor by a charientismus, and had been preacher at S. Laurence Church in London before he came to Bradfield. From which last, being ejected by the said Commissioners, as having been conversant with evil spirits, as they said, and for blasphemy, ignorance, scandalous behaviour, divilisme, uncleanness, and I know not what, he therefore wrot the said book of Innocency appearing, &c. in his own vindication. But that book availing nothing, he continued notwithstanding ejected, and as the Commissioners said, he took part with the great blasphemer Abiezer Coppe, and appeared in his behalf before, when he was accrimated by, them of various foul matters.

Daemon. merid. the second part, discovering the slanders and calumnies cast upon some corporations, with forged and false articles upon the author, in a Pamphlet entit. The case of Reading rightly stated, &c. by the Adherents and Abettors of the said Joh. Pordage. Lond. 1656. qu.

A word to Infant-baptisme, and a glaunce to Mr. Pendarves his Arrows against Babylon, &c.

Answer to the Mayor, Aldermen and Assistants of Reading in Berks. to a scandalous pamphlet entit. The case of the Town of Reading stated—These two last are printed with the second part of Daemon. Merid.

Sober answer to an angry Epistle directed to all publick teachers in this nation, and prefix’d to a book called (by Antiphrasis) Christs innocency pleaded against the cry of the chief priests, written in hast by Tho. Speed Quaker and Merchant of Bristow, &c. Lond. 1656. qu. Sim. Ford a Minister in Reading assisted our author Fowler in the composition of the said book, which was soon after animadverted upon by that noted Quaker called George Fox in his book entit. The great mystery of the great Whore unfolded, &c.

Several Sermons as (1) How Christians may get such a faith, as may be not only saving at last, but comfortable and joyful at present, on 2. Pet. 1.8, This is in the Supplement to the morning exercise at Cripplegate. Lond. 1674. and 76. qu. (2) Scriptures to be read by the common people, on 1. Thes. 5.27, in The morning exercise against popery preached in Southwark. Lond. 1675. qu. (4) Sermon on S. John 19.42.—Printed 1666. qu. This, or any others besides, that he hath published, I have not yet seen. At length this our author Ch. Fowler, who was esteemed a little better than crazed or distracted for some time before his death, departed this mortal life in Southwark, in the latter end of January in sixteen hundred seventy and seven,1677/8. and was buried within the precincts of S. John Baptists Church near Dowgate (in the Ch. yard I think) in London. As for John Pordage before mention’d, commonly called Dr. Pordage (whom I have heard Mr. Ashmole commend for his knowledge in, or at least his great affection to, Astronomy) was restored to Bradfield after his Majesties return, lived there several years, leaving behind him a Son named Samuel of Linc. inn, author of Herod and Mariamne Trag. and of The Siege of Babylon Trag. Com, also of Eliana a Romance, and of a Translation of Troades. Which Samuel was Steward to Philipp the second, Earl of Pembroke, and not to Old Philipp or Philipp the first, as I have told you among the Writers in the first Volume, pag. 336.