Charles Herle

third Son of Ed. Herle Esq. by Anne his Wife Daugh. of John Trefrie, was born at Prideaux Herle near Lystwithyel in Cornwall, where tho his ancestors have lived several generations in gentile fashion, yet they were originally of West Herle in Northumberland. At 14 years of age in 1612, he became a Sojournour of Exeter Coll. in Mich. term, took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 1618, and afterwards Holy Orders, but what were his employments or preferments that immediatly followed I know not: Sure I am that he was Rector of one of the richest Churches in England, which is at Winwick in Lancashire, before the eruption of the Civil War in 1642, that at the eruption he, having always been esteemed a Puritan, sided with the Presbyterian Party, took the Covenant, was elected one of the Assemb. of Divines in 1643, being then a frequent Preacher before the Long Parliament; and in the year 1646, July 22, he was voted by the members of the said Parliament Prolocutor of that Assembly, after the death of Twysse. In 1647 he, with Steph. Marshall went with certain Commissioners appointed by the Parliament into Scotland, to give them a right understanding of the affairs in England, but what he did there, was chiefly to give constant notice of the Scots resolutions and the forwardness of their Levies. After the King was beheaded, he retired to his rectory of Winwick, having first received satisfaction from the Parliament for his Service, and losses he sustained at Winwick after he had fled to London for protection during the heat of the War; where he was esteemed by the factious party the prime man of note and power among the Clergy. In 1654 he was by the Authority of Parl. appointed one of the Assistants to the Commissioners of Lanc. for the ejection of such whom they then called scandalous and ignorant Ministers and School-masters, in which office he, with Is. Ambrose of Preston, Edw. Gee of Eccleston, &c. shewed great severity against them. This Mr. Herle hath extant under his name these things following.

Several Sermons, as (1) A pair of Compasses for the Church and State, Sermon before the House of Com. at their monthly fast, ult. Nov. 1642, on Zach. 8.19. Lond. 1642. qu. (2) Davids Song of three parts, Thanksgiving Sermon before the H. of Lords for Gods great deliverance of the Parl. City and Kingdom from the late conspiracy against all three, (that is for the discovery of the design of Nath. Tomkyns, Rich. Chaloner &c.) to reduce London to the obedience of the K. on Psal. 95.1. Lond. 1643. qu. (3) Davids reserve and rescue, Serm. before the H. of C. 5. Nov. 1644, on 2. Sam. 21.16.17. Lond. 1645. 46. qu. (4) Sermon before the H. of Com. on 1. Kings 22.22. Lond. 1644. qu. This I have not yet seen, and therefore I know not yet to the contrary but that it may be a Thanksg. Serm. 18. July 1644 for the victory over Pr. Rupert at Marston Moore near York. (5) Abrahams Offering, Serm. before the L. Mayor and Aldermen of London, on Gen. 22.2. Lond. 1644. This also I have not yet seen, nor another on 2. Sam. 22.22. printed there the same year, in qu. nor a Thanksgiving Sermon before the House of C. preached 12. May 1646 for the taking of several Towns in the West by the Parl. Forces, as also a Fast Sermon before the H. of Lords 24. June the same year.

Microcosmography, in Essays and Characters—printed 1628. in oct. or tw.

Contemplations and Devotions on all the passages of our Saviours passion. Lond. 1631. in oct. or tw.

An answer to Dr. Fern. Lond. 1642. The same I suppose which is intit. An answer to misled Dr. Hen. Fearne according to his own method of his book, &c.—printed the same year in 6. sheets in qu.

The independency on Scriptures of the independency of Churches: wherein the question of Independency of Ch. Government is temperately first stated, secondly argued, &c. Lond. 1643. in 6. sh. and half in qu. This book was answer’d by Sam. Rutherford D. D. of the New Coll. in S Andrews in Scotland, (who died 1661), replyed upon by Rich. Mather Minister of Dorchester in New England.

Worldly policy and moral prudence; the vanity and folly of the one, the solidity and usefulness of the other, in a moral discourse. Lond. 1654. oct. This came out again in the year following in oct. with this title Wisdomes Tripos, concerning worldly policy, moral prudence and Christian wisdome. What other things are published under his name I know not, nor any thing else of him only that he died at Winwick in the latter end of Septemb. in sixteen hundred fifty and nine, and was buried on the 29 day of the same month in the Chancel of the Church there,1659. as I have been informed by the Letters of Dr. Richard Sherlock his next successor in the Rectory of Winwick saving one.