Thomas Jones

son of John Williams, was born, and brought up in juvenile learning, at Oswestrie in Shropshire, entred into Jesus Coll. in the beginning of the grand rebellion, left it soon after, returned when Oxford garrison was surrendred for the use of the Parl, an. 1646, became fellow of Univ. Coll. by the authority of the Visitors appointed by the said Parliament, in 1648, to whom he then submitted and acknowledg’d the use of the Covenant, and in the year following he took a degree in Arts, being at that time and after a zealous person for carrying on the righteous cause. In 1652, he being then Master of his faculty, he wrot Vita Edwardi Simsoni S. T. D. ex ipsius autographo excerpta, which is set before the said Simsons Chronicon Catholicum, printed at Oxon. 1652. fol. and in 1654 he took holy orders, as ’tis said, from a Bishop. About that time he became Rector of Castle in Montgomerieshire in the dioc. of S. Asaph, and learned the Welsh tongue, purposely to serve those parts, when the Orthodox Clergy were miserably consumed by an act of propagation. From that place being ejected, upon one Wynns’s discovery of a dormant title, he removed to the service of the Lord President and Council of Wales at Ludlow Castle, an. 1661, and thence to be domestick and naval Chaplain to James Duke of York, in 1663: In whose service continuing till 1666, or after, was then by the means of Dr. Morley B. of Winchester (for some words spoken against him derogatory to his person and function) dismiss’d thence. So that soon after retiring to his rectory of Landurnog in the dioc. of Bangor, (which he some time before had obtained) found there but little quiet also from Dr. Morgan his Diocesan, being (as our author ((a))((a)) In his book call’d Elymas the Sorcerer, p. 25. saith) set on by the B. of Winchester. In 1670 Winchester call’d him to an account for an action of slander at the Kingsbench, for saying that he was a promoter of Popery and a subverter of the Church of England, attested upon oath by Bangor and two of his Chaplains: whereupon our author was fined 300 l. or mor, and the Rectory of Landurnog was sequestred for the payment of it. Which fine Winchester offer’d to remit wholly, if he would confess he had spoken those words against him and ask forgiveness: But when he would not, the sequestration continued, and 20 l. of it was sent to our author, and some given for the repairing of the Cathedral of Bangor, and the rest for other pious uses. About the same time he was condemn’d and censur’d ab officio & beneficio by his Diocesan, occasioned by some controversie that hapned between them about a reading Pew in the Church at Landurnog, the particulars of which you may read at large ((b))((b)) Ib. in Elym. the Sorc. elsewhere. So that being in a manner undone, did, much about the time of the breaking out of the Popish Plot, publish,

Of the heart, and its right Soveraigne: and Rome no Mother-Church to England. Or, an historical account of the title of an English Church; and by what Ministry the Gospel was first planted in every County. Lond. 1678 oct.

A remembrance of the rights of Jerusalem above, in the great question, where is the true Mother Church of Christians?—Printed with the former book. At that time the author taking part with Tit. Oates, his old acquaintance Ez. Tongue, Steph. Colledge, &c. and other factious people to gain their ends by making a disturbance in the nation by be Popish Plot, he wrote and published,

Elymas the Sorcerer: or a Memorial towards the discovery of the bottome of this Popish Plot, &c. Published upon occasion of a passage in the late Dutchess of Yorks declaration for changing her religion. Lond. 1682, in 8. sh. in fol. This book was written and published in Spleen against the Bishop of Winchester, grounded upon a passage in The Historie of Calvinisme, written by Monsieur Lewes Maimburgh ((c))((c)) Printed in French in the beginning of the year 1682. a French Jesuit, wherein he resolves the Dutchess of Yorks declaration for Popery, into the seeming encouragement of two of the most learned Bishops in England. One of these our author Jones doth endeavour to make the Reader to understand (tho he nameth him not) to be Winchester. Notice of this book therefore comming to the said B. of Wint. he would have prosecuted the matter so far in his own vindication, as to have the said Elymas the Sorcerer to be publickly burnt, and the author to the further punished: But before he could compass his design, the author died. However Winchester, that he might not sit silent, published his own vindication, as to M. Maimburghs words, in his preface to certain treatises that he published in 1683. Rich. Watson also D. D. of this University and Chaplain to his Royal Highness the Duke of York did answer it in a book entit. A fuller answer to Elymas the Sorcerer: or to the most material part (of a feigned memorial) towards the discovery of the Popish Plot, &c. in a letter addressed to Mr. Thom. Jones. Published at Lond. in Feb. 1682 in 8. sh. in fol. with the date in the title of 1683 set to it. Our author Jones also published his Sermon preached at the funeral of Ez. Tongue D. D. which I have not yet seen. At length this person, who was troubled with a rambling and somtimes craz’d pate, dying at Totteridge in Hertfordshire on Sunday the eight of Octob. in sixteen hundred eighty and two,1682. was buried in the Chappel or Church of that place. He had a little before been received into the house there belonging to Franc. Charlton Esq, the same who was suspected to be in Monmouths rebellion an. 1685, and the same whose Sister Magaret had been married to Mr. Rich. Baxter.