Peter Gunning

son of Pet. Gunn. Minister of How in Kent, by Elianor Trest his wife, (a Kentish woman of a good family) was born at How on the eleventh, and baptized on the 16 of Janu. 1613, bred up in the Free-School at Canterbury, where being found remarkably ripe for the University, he was at 15 years of age sent to Clare Hall in Cambridge, of which House he was soon after made Fellow; having been, from his first admittance, very much in the Eye of all that University, as having and never wanting in any kind of exercise either grave or jocose, as also noted for one whose extraordinary parts and indefatigable industry and study promised great things. After he was Master of Arts he took upon him the cure of Little S. Maries Church in Cambridge, chosen to it by the Master and Fellows of Peter House, all Colleges being ambitious some way or other to make him theirs. When the grand rebellion began, or at least about to begin, he was very zealous in opposing the attempts of the then spreading Schism and troubles, and did not forbear to protest publickly against the faction when it was most formidable. In a Sermon also at S. Maries in Cambr. he vehemently and convincingly urged the University to publish a formal protestation against the rebellious League: And being occasionally about that time in Kent (upon a short visit to his mother lately then a widow) he was hunted about and forced to lye in Woods, and at length was imprison’d for having assisted some Forces, belonging to the King at Tunbridge, with the charity he had moved a neighbouring Congregation to by two Sermons. Thence he was forced to his College to take the Covenant, which he resolutely denying so to do, was thrown out of his Fellowship, and soon after one John T...n who took it, was put therein. But before he left Cambridge, he with Mr. Barrow, afterwards B. of S. Asaph, Mr. Ward afterwards B. of Salisbury, and Mr. John Barwick, with two or three others did write a resolute and well pen’d Treatise against the Covenant, which was afterwards published. In the beginning of the year 1644 if not before, he with the said Mr. Barrow, his great companion and fellow-sufferer, journied to Oxon, then his Majesties head-quarter, and being forthwith made known to that most worthy patron of learning Dr. Rob. Pink Warden of New Coll, he entred them Chaplains of that House, where they had lodging and diet. In July the same year, Mr. Gunning was incorporated Master of Arts of this University, but whether Mr. Barrow was, or took any other degree, it appears not in the publick register. About the same time Mr. Gunning became Curat for Mr. Jasp. Mayne at Cassington, four Miles North-west distant from Oxon, in which service continuing about two years, he endured several affronts and abuses by the Parliamentarian Soldiers from Abendon and elsewhere, either by interrupting him with base Language, or by pulling him out of the Church. Besides the constant duty at New Coll. and his reading Prayers and Preaching every Sunday at Cassington, he somtimes preached either before the King, or Parliament sitting at Oxon. In consideration of which, he was one of those many that had the degree of Bach. of Div. confer’d upon him, and accordingly he was admitted on the day before the Garrison of Oxon was surrendred for the use of the Parliament: So that he having been incorporated, and afterwards admitted to a superior degree with us, is the reason why I now put him among the Oxford Writers, tho indeed Cambridge is more properly his Mother. After the surrender of Oxon. he undertook the charge and tuition of Christopher, afterwards, Lord Hatton and Sir Franc. Compton, in both whom, he instill’d most excellent Principles of Loyalty. Afterwards he was Chapl. to Sir Rob. Shirley father of Rob. (which last was made Lord Ferrers of Chartley,) who setled on him about an 100 l per an. for his life, being more particularly moved thereunto for his great abilities, and the learning which he shew’d in the silencing a Popish Priest, with whom he held two or three set disputations for the satisfaction of his Patron and others that engaged him in them. Not long after Sir Rob. Shirley dyed in the Tower, having been committed to that place for his Loyalty; so that thereupon Mr. Gunning betaking himself to the holding a constant Congregation in the Chappel at Exeter house in the Strand, did, by his reading the English Liturgy, Preaching, and administring, assert the cause of the Church of England with great pains and courage, when the Parliament was most predominant: And his Sermons and Prayers being performed very regularly according to the antient usuage of the Church, great numbers of well affected and honest people flocked to them, as others did to other Loyal Preachers in several parts in, and near, the City of London, whereby thousands being confirmed in the communion of the Church of England, as in other parts of the Nation, was thereby frustrated and taken away the groundless reproach cast upon the true Protestants by the Romanists that their Church was lost. Besides these his Labours, for which he was often sent for and reprov’d by the Usurper Oliver, he would on the week days look out all sorts of Sectaries and dispute with them openly in their own Congregations: Nor was there any considerable Sect, whether Presbyterian, Independent, Anabaptist, Quaker, Brownist, Socinian, &c. but that he held with them, some time or other, a set publick disputation in defence of the Church of England. About the time of the Kings restauration he was posses’d of the Rectories of Cotesmore in the County of Rutland and of Stoke-Brewen in Northamptonshire, which he long before had title to, but kept out for his Loyalty. The Vicaridge of S. Martin in the Fields in Westminster was first design’d him, and a Prebendship of Canterbury: The last he had, but the other not, as being thought more for the service of the publick to fix him for a while in the University of Cambridge, where being first made D. of D. and Master of Corp. Ch. Coll. and soon after of S. Johns, he was for a little while Margaret Professor; and as soon as Dr. Ant. Tuckney was removed, he was made Reg. Professor of Divinity as the fittest man for that Chaire that could be then chosen, to settle the University right in their Principles again, after many corruptions had crept in there by means of the Rebellion. I say that he did not only succeed the said Tuckney in the Divinity Chaire, but also in the Mastership of S. Johns Coll; who having been lawfully ejected from both, as having had no right title to either, yet such was the goodness of Dr. Gunning that he allowed him a very considerable annuity during his life. Which act of his, being excellent and singular, is here remembred to his everlasting fame, and the rather for this reason, that no Presbyterian or Independent was ever known to allow any Loyallist, whose places they had occupied for several years, the least farthing, but rather rejected and avoided them, vilified, scorn’d and exposed them to the Plebeians, as empty, formal, and starch’d nothings. These things I have known, and do remember them as done in this University, and the like without all doubt was used at Cambridge: and yet so it is, that some of the dreggs of these men that yet remain among us, have not been content with the Kings clemency to keep their places to this day, but take all occasions, upon the least interruption in the Nation, to breed faction among us, jealousies in the people of the violent comming in of Popery, make continual clamours after preferment, as if they had deserv’d it as well as sufferers, and I know not what. But now to return to the worthy person whom we are further to mention: Be it remembred therefore that upon the death of Dr. Hen. King he was promoted to the See of Chichester; to which being Consecrated on the sixth day of March (the third Sunday in Lent) an. 1669, sate there till the death of Dr. Benj. Lan [•] y Bishop of Ely, which hapning towards the latter end of 1674, he was translated to that See, on the fourth day of March the same year, with a particular acknowledgement from his Majesty of his steaddiness to the Church, having kept up the face thereof in the worst of times. In all the several preferments that he went thro from the first to the last, he was first thought of by his Prince, or Patron, before he himself made any application whatsoever. While he continued in Cambridge he was a constant Preacher, and looked upon as so umblameable in his life and practice, that his schismatical and factious Adversaries were sorry that they could not possibly fasten the least spot on him. He was admired by great Scholars, as well abroad, as at home, for his profund Divinity, was noted much also in England for his diffusive Charity; for what he had not spent in his life time by supplying Scholars at Cambridge, by his large endowments and bountiful benefactions in that place, by his great summs laid out on his Sees, as well as formerly on his Livings, by his dayly relieving at his door from his Table all sorts of indigent and distressed persons, and by privately supplying others with a plentiful hand, he disposed the remainder by his last Will and Test. to be laid out for the augmentation of poor Vicariges. Under his name go these things following:

A contention for truth: in two several publick disputations before thousands of people in the Church of S. Clement Danes, without Temple Bar, on the 19. and 26. of Nov. (1657) between Mr. Gunning on the one part and Mr. (Hen.) Denn on the other, concerning the baptisme of Infants, whether lawfull or unlawfull. Lond. 1658. qu.

Schisme unmasked: or a late conference betwixt Mr. Pet. Gunning and Mr. John ((*))((*)) The same, as it seems, who was afterwards Bishop of Chester. Pierson Ministers, on the one part, and two Disputants of the Rom. perswasion on the other. Wherein is defin’d, both what Schisme is, and to whom it belongs, &c. Paris 1658. in tw. This conference is said to have been began in May 1657. The large Preface to it was written by two Catholick Disputants, who published the whole, and ’tis presum’d not so fairly on the Protestants side, as in truth and justice they ought to have done.

View and corrections of the Common Prayer, an. 1662,—At which Mr. Baxter, if I mistake not, carped.

The Paschall or Lent-Fast Apostolical and perpetuall. Lond. 1662. qu. This at first was but a Sermon preached before the King, who forced it into the Press by his repeated commands; and thereupon he added so much to it, as to make it a compleat Treatise on that subject.

Appendix containing an answer to the late printed objections of the Presbyterians against the Fast of Lent.—Printed with the former book. See in the Fasti 1669 among the incorporations, in Will. Saywell. At length, this worthy Bishop, who continued single all his days, wholly addicted to his studies and the service of God, and had made preaching and doing all the good offices proper to a Bishop so much his delight, that, according to the usual saying, he died in his calling; did surrender up his pious soul to God on Sunday the sixth day of July in sixteen hundred eighty and four;1684. whereupon his body was buried with due solemnity in the Cathedral Church of Ely. As Dr. Fr. Turner somtimes Fellow of New Coll, succeeded him in the Mastership of that of S. Johns, chiefly by his means, so did he likewise in the Bishoprick of Ely; between whom there passed many affectionate endearments. Much more may be said of this most pious and learned Bishop, but he being not totally ours, I shall omit it, and commend you to his large character given of him in a book entit. A discourse delivered in two Sermons preached in the Cathedral at Ely, in Sept. 1684 &c. p. 4.5. &c. Written, spoken and published by Humph. Gower D. D. Master of S. Johns Coll. in Cambridge (in the place of Dr. Turner before mention’d) and one of the Prebendaries of Ely, printed 1685. in qu.