Thomas Laurence

a Ministers Son, was born in Dorsetshire, became Scholar of Ball. Coll. in 1614, aged 16 years, elected Fellow of Alls. Coll. in 1618, being then Bach. of Arts. Afterwards proceeding in that faculty, he became a noted Preacher in the University, was made Prebendary of Lichfield, Doct. of Div, Chapl. in Ord. to K. Ch. 1. by the endeavours of Dr. Laud Archbishop of Cant, (with whom he was in much esteem) Master of Ball. Coll. and Marg. professor of the University 1637: At which time he was accounted famous for Scholastical Divinity, a profound Theologist and Exquisite in the excellencies of the Greek and Lat. Tongues. After the declining of the cause of K. Ch. 1. and upon a foresight thereupon of the ruin of all things that would follow, he grew melancholy, careless, and did much degenerate in his life and conversation. At length, when the Commissioners appointed by Parliament came to visit the University, he resigned his Headship to prevent expulsion. Afterwards he submitted to their Authority, had a certificate ((*))((*)) Reg. Visit. p. 182.194. under the Commissioners or Visitors hands, dated 3. Aug. 1648, whereby they attested that he had engaged to observe the Directory in all Ecclesiastical administrations, to preach practical Divinity to the People, and to forbear preaching of any of those Opinions that the reformed Church hath condemned. Being thus dismissed with the loss of all he had in the University, he retired to his Friend Coll. Valentine Walton one of the Kings Judges, to whom he had shew’d many singular curtesies while he was a Prisoner of War in Oxford Garrison, and at length, by exchange, had procured his release. I say that he retiring to the said Collonel, and laying open his condition before him, he did commiserate it so much, that he did not only exhibit to his wants for the present, but soon after setled upon him a little Chappelrey called Colne in the Parish of Somersham in Huntingdonshire, which he enjoyed to the time of his death. The Reader may be pleased here to note that Somersham with its appurtenances, being part of the Qu. jounture, the said Col. Walton got it to be setled on him and his posterity for ever, for the services he had done for the Parliament: And tho the Church thereof did belong to the Margaret professor of Cambridge, yet, by his power, he got the tithes of Colne to be separated from it, and be setled on the Chappel of Colne, (whereby he made it a little rectory) purposely, as ’tis thought, for the sake of his learned Friend Laurence, who hath these things following going under his name, viz.

Several Sermons, as (1) The duty of the Layty and Priviledge of the Clergy, preached at S. Maries in Oxon 13. July 1634, being then Act-Sunday, on Exod. 20.21. Oxon. 1635. qu. (2) Of Schisme in the Church of God, preached in the Cath. Ch. at Sarum, at the Visitation of Will. Archb. of Canterbury 23. May 1634 on 1. Cor. 1.12. Oxon. 1635. qu. (3) Serm. before the Kings Maj. at White-hall 7 Feb. 1636, on Exod. 3.5. Lond. 1637. qu. In this Sermon he moderately stated the real presence, and thereupon suffered trouble for it: Also, for other passages therein, he was charged by the Puritans to be a grand Arminian. He hath also written,

Index Materiarum & Authorum MS. fol. in the Bodleian Library, and other things fit for the press, as I have been credibly informed by those that well knew the Author, who dying in great obscurity at Colne in Huntingdonshire beforemention’d, was buried in the Chappel there on the tenth day of Decemb. in sixteen hundred fifty and seven.1657. Had he lived 3 years longer he would have been consecrated Bishop of a certain See in Ireland, to which he had been nominated some years before his death, but the name of the See I cannot now tell you.