Thomas Jackson

, the ornament of the University in his time, was born at Witton on the River Weer in the Bishoprick of Durham on the day of S. Thomas the Apostle, an. 1579. became a Student in Queens coll. under the tuition of Crakanthorpe, in Midsomer Term 1595. was admitted Scholar of C. C. coll. 24. of March 1596. and Prob. Fellow 10. May 1606. being then M. of A. and had laid the grounds carefully in Arithmetick, Grammar, Philology, Geometry, Rhetorick, Logick, Philosophy, Oriental Languages, Histories, &c. with an insight in Heraldry and Hieroglyphicks. All which he made use of to serve either as rubbish under the foundation, or as Drudges and Day labourers to Theology. In 1622. he proceeded D. D. and two years after left his coll. for a Benefice in his own Country, which the President and Society thereof had then lately confer’d on him. But he keeping the said living not long, was made Vicar of S. Nicholas Church in Newcastle upon Tine, where he was much followed and admired for his excellent way of Preaching, which was then Puritanical. At length being elected President of C. C. coll. partly with the helps of Neile Bishop of Durham, (who before had taken him off from his precise way, and made him his Chaplain,) but more by the endeavours of Dr. Laud, and also made Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty, he left the said Vicaridge, and was made Prebendary of Winchester, Vicar of Witney in Oxfordshire, and Dean of Peterborough in the place of Dr. Joh. Towers promoted to the Episcopal See thereof, by the favour of the said Laud, an. 1638. He was a person furnished with all learned languages, Arts and Sciences, especially in Metaphysicks, which he looked upon as a necessary hand-maid to Divinity. He was also profoundly read in the Fathers, and was of a wonderful and deep judgment, as it appears by his works that are much admired by all persons. None wrote more highly concerning the attributes of God, and more vigorous in some of his works, against the Church of Rome, than he.—I speak it in the presence of God, (saith (a)(a) Barnab. Oley, in the life of George Herbert, Lond. 1652. and in 1675. ’Tis not pag’d. one) I have not read so hearty, vigorous a Champion against Rome, (amongst our writers of his rank) so convincing and demonstrative, as Dr. Jackson is. I bless God for the confirmation which he hath given me in the Christian Religion against the A. theist, Jew, and Socinian; and in the Protestant against Rome, &c. In a word he was a man of a blameless life, studious, humble, courteous and very charitable, devout towards God and exemplary in private and publick, beloved of Laud Archb. of Cant. and blamed by none in any respect, but by the restless Presbyterians; the chief of whom, Will. Prynne, who busily concerned himself in all affairs, doth give him this (b)(b) In his Anti-Arminianism; or the Church of Englands old Antithesis, &c. printed 1630. p. 270. character in the name of the Brethren.— Dr. Jackson of Oxon is a Man of great abilities, and of a plausible, affable, courteous deportment, till of late he hath been transported beyond himself, with Metaphysical contemplations to his own infamy and his renowned Mothers shame, I mean the Vniversity of Oxon, who grieves for his defection; from whose duggs he never sucked his poysonous doctrines.—Also that he is (as in another (c)(c) See Canterb. Doom, p. 532. place he tells us) of civil conversation and learning, which made his errours and preferments more dangerous and pernicious, and that it was his Arminian errours, not his learning or honesty, that were the ground of his advancement to his Dignity, &c. He tells us also in another (d)(d) In Append. to Anti-Arminianism, &c. place, that he was convented in the last Parliament, yea openly accused in the last Convocation for his heretical Arminian books, which have been censured by Mr. Hen. Burton in his Seven Viols, and particularly answered by acute and learned Dr. Twisse, &c. The Parliament that Pryune means, was that which sate in 1628. wherein he had like to have been sore shent for certain Tenets, I cannot say, so far driven by him, as by some men since, and now, they have, and are, with great applause. His works are these.

The eternal truth of Scriptures, and Christian belief, thereon wholly depending, manifested by its own light. Lond. 1613. qu. This is the first book of his Comments on the Creed.

How far the ministry of men is necessary for planting true Christian Faith, and retaining the unity of it planted. Lond. 1614. qu. This is the second book of his Com. on the Creed.

Blasphemous positions of Jesuits and other later Romanists, concerning the authority of the Church. Lond. 1614. qu. This is the third book of his Com. on the Creed.

Justifying Faith: Or, the Faith by which the Just do live. A treatise containing a description of the nature, properties, and conditions of Christian Faith. Lond. 1615. and 1631. qu. This is the fourth book of his Com. on the Creed.

A discovery of misperswasions, breeding presumption, and hypocrisie, and means how Faith may be planted in unbelievers.—Printed with the former book called Justifying Faith, &c.

Treatise containing the original of unbelief, misbelief, or misperswasions concerning the verity, unity, and attributes of the Deity, &c. Lond. 1625. qu. This is the fifth book of his Com. on the Creed.

Treatise of the divine Essence and Attributes. Lond. 1628: qu. the first part. The second part was also printed there in 1629. qu. Which two parts make the sixth book of his Comments on the Creed. The first part was dedicated to Will. Earl of Pembroke, with a plausible Epistle, wherein, as one (*)(*) [〈…〉] saith, “The author professeth himself an Arminian, and Patron of their Tenets. And from chap. 8. to the 20. he professedly maintains a mutability in Gods eternal Decrees of Election and Reprobation, depending upon the actions and wills of Men, Vniversal Grace and Redemption; with other Arminian errours. This book, though publickly complained of, was never called in by the Bishop, (Laud) but the second part thereof was printed with License, an. 1629. and the author of it advanced to the Presidentship of C. C. coll. in Oxon, by this Bishop, yea by him designed to be Doctor of the Chaire (though he missed that preferment) to poyson the University of Oxford with his Arminian druggs.”

The knowledge of Jesus Christ. Or the seventh book of the Commentary of the Apostles Creed.—A larger title of this runs thus, Christ exercising his everlasting Priesthood, &c. Or, a Treatise of the knowledge of Christ which consists in the true estimate or experimental valuation of his death, resurrection, and exercise of his everlasting sacerdotal Function, &c. Lond. 1624. qu.

Humiliation of the Son of God, by his becoming the Son of Man, &c. Lond. 1626. and 36. qu. This is the eighth book of his Com. on the Creed.

Treatise of the consecration of the Son of God to the everlasting Priesthood, &c. Lond. 1628. and 33. Oxon. 1638. qu. This is the ninth book of Com. on the Creed.

The second part of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, &c. Lond. 1654. fol. The tenth book of Com. on the Creed.

Dominus veniet. Of Christs Session at the right hand of God, and Exaltation thereby, &c. Lond. 1657. fol. The eleventh book of Com. on the Creed. Which, with the tenth and a Preface concerning them and their author, were published by his great admirer Barnabas Oley M. A. of Cambridge, who had before published the second edit. of the three first book.—Lond. 1653. fol. with a large Preface likewise of his composition, but the life which followed was written by Edm. Vaughan, as I shall anon tell you. This Barnabas Oley was installed Prebendary of Worcester 4. of Septemb. 1660. and was afterwards Bach. of Divinity, and Archdeacon of Ely. He died 20. Febr. 1685. whereupon Joh. Hough B. D. of Magd. coll. in Oxon, succeeded him in his Prebendship and Will. Saywell D. D. Master of Jesus coll. in Cambridge, in his Archdeaconry.

Several Sermons, as, (1) Five Sermons befitting these present tones. Two of which are on 2 Cor. 6. 39, 40. and the other three on Jerem. 26. 19. Oxon. 1637. qu. (2) Treatise concerning the signs of the times, or Gods forewarning; being the sum of some few Sermons on Luke 13. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Oxon. 1637. qu. (3) Serm. or Posthill preached on the second Sunday in Advent 1630. on Luke 21. 25.— Printed with the aforesaid Treatise concerning the signs, &c. (4) Nazareth and Bethlem; or, Israels portion in the Son of Jesse, &c. two Sermons on Jerem. 31. 21, 22. (5) Mankinds comfort from the weaker Sex. on Gal. 4. 5, 6. (6) Two Sermons, one on Matth. 2. ver. 1, 2. and the other on the 17. and 18. verses of the same chapter. (7) Christs answer unto Johns question: Or, an introduction to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and him Crucisied; in certain Sermons at Newcastle upon Tine, &c.

Treatise of the Holy Cath: Faith, and Church, in 3 books. Lond. 1627. qu. This is the twelfth book of his Com. on the Creed.

Treatise of Christian obedience.

Treatise of the primeval estate of man; of the manner how Sin formed entrance into, and is propagated in the World, &c. Lond. 1654. fol.

Discourse of the limitation of the two propositions in the thirteenth verse of the eighth chapter to the Romans.

Vindication, or a serious answer to Mr. Hen. Buttons exceptions taken against a passage in his Treatise of his Divine essence and attributes.

Paragraph on the eleven first chapters of Exodus, with useful annotations, observations, and parallels.

Salvation only from Gods grace, or an Exposition of Rom. 9. 16.

Gods just hardning of Pharoah, when he had filled up the measure of his iniquity: Or, an Exposition on Rom. 9. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.

Treatise concerning the Acts and Exercises of the Son of God’s everlasting Priesthood.—Which six last Treatises, or books, were printed with the Treatise of the primeval estate of Man, &c. 1654. fol.

Three errours disparaging Christs Priesthood. (1) The novation denying the reception of some sort of Sinners. (2) &c.

Twenty Sermons, or thereabouts.

Most of which Books, Sermons, and Treatises, having been published at several times, were collected together, (with others added to them,) and printed at Lond. 1672. 73. in three volumes in fol. with the authors life prefixed, (as it was before the three first books of Comments on the Creed. Lond. 1653. fol.) written by Edm. Vaughan, sometimes Fellow of C. C. coll. whom I shall mention elsewhere. Our author Dr. Jackson also wrote,

An historical narration.—This I have not yet seen, nor do I know farther of its title. It was licensed by Dr. Edw. Martin Domestick Chaplain to Bishop Laud, without his privity, for which he turn’d him out of his service (as he (e)(e) [〈…〉] p. 508. himself saith) and the book called in and suppressed. But Prynne an implacable enemy to that Bishop saith, (f)(f) Ibid. p. 510. that the said Historical narration, which was the vilest imposture that ever was thrust upon our Church, was licensed by the said Martin with Lauds privity, and that the calling of it in, was the act of Archb. Abbot upon Prynns complaint and the publick scandal it gave, much against Lauds will, who ever since connived at the sale of them. At length after our author Dr. Th. Jackson had spent 60 years or more, in this life, mostly in studies and devotion, surrendred up his devout Soul to him that gave it on the 21. of Sept. in sixteen hundred and forty, 1640 and was buried in the Inner Chappel of Corp. Ch. coll. but hath no memory at all over his grave. In his Presidentship of the said coll. succeeded Dr. Rob. Neulin, D. D. and in his Deanry of Peterborough succeeded Dr. John Cosin born in the City of Norwich and educated in Cajes coll. who was first Prebendary of Darham, then Archdeacon of the East-riding of Yor [••] . next Rector of the Church of Branspath in the Bishoprick of Durham, afterwards Master of St. Peters coll. commonly called Peter-house, in Cambridge, and Vicechancellour of that University, then Dean of Peterborough as is before mentioned, Chaplain in Ord. to K. Ch. 1. and 2. and lastly, after the sequestration and plunder of all he had, and 17 years exile for his Loyalty, was consecrated Bishop of Darham 2. [〈◊〉] 1660. He died in his lodging in the street called the Palmal in the Suburbs of Westminster (after he had bestowed much wealth on pious and publick uses) on the fifteenth day of Januar. 1671. aged 77. whereupon his body was conveyed with great solemnity to Bishops Aukland in his Diocess, and there buried on the 29. of Apr. 1672. The Reader is now to know that there was another Tho. Jackson who was a writer also, born in Lancashire, educated, as it seems, in Cambridge, afterwards Minister of Wye in Kent, and at length Prebendary of Canterbury and D. of Div. This person who mostly seemed to be a true Son of the Church of England, a hater of Papists, Arminians and Sectaries, published, (1) Seven Sermons, on the 23. Psal. of David. Lond. 1603. oct. (2) The Converts happiness, Sermon on Rev. 3. 20. Lond. 1609. qu. (3) The raging tempest still’d. The history of Christ’s passage with his Disciples over the Sea of Galilee, &c. Lond. 1623. qu. (4) Help to the best bargain, &c. Serm. in the Cath. of Canterb. 26. Oct. 1623. Lond. 1624. in oct. and other things which I have not yet seen. He was living in Septemb. 1644. being then the Senior Prebendary of Christ-Church in Canterbury, and died shortly after, having before cast a stone against Archbishop Laud when he was to be tried for his life.