William Page

received his first breath in the Parish of Harrow on the Hill in Middlesex, applied his mind to Academical Studies in Ball. Coll. in Mich. term 1606, aged 16, took the degrees in Arts, and in the year 1619 was elected Fellow of Alls. Coll. Afterwards, by the favour of Dr. Laud Bishop of London, he succeeded Dr. Joh. Denison in the Rectory of the Free-school at Reading, and about the same time was presented by the Society of the said Coll. to the Rectory of East Lockyng near to Wantage in Berks, which he kept to the time of his death, but his School not, for he was sequestred of it by the Committee of Parliament in 1644. In the year 1 [•] 34 he proceeded Doctor of Divinity, at which time and after, he was esteemed well vers’d in the Greek Fathers, a good Preacher and Disputant. He hath written,

A Treatise of justification of bowing at the name of Jesus, by way of answer to an Appendix against it. Oxon. 1631. qu.

An examination of such considerable reasons as are made by Mr. Prynne in a reply to Mr. Widdowes concerning the same Argument—Printed with the former.

Of which Treatise, or Treatises, I find in a letter ((a))((a)) In Gestis Cancellariatus Ʋniv. Oxon. Gul. Laud, MS. p. 28. written by Will. Baker (Secretary to Dr. Abbot Archb. of Canterbury) directed to the Author Page, these passages following—Good Mr. Page, my Lord of Canterbury “is informed that you are publishing a Treatise touching the question of Bowing at the name of Jesus; an Argument wherein Mr. Giles Widdowes foolishly and Mr. W. Prynne scurrilously have already to the scandal and disquiet of the Church exercised their pens. His Grace hath formerly shewed his dislike of them both, and hearing that you take up the bucklers in a theam of so small necessity, and of so great heat and distemper, which will draw a new Reply (for Prynne will not sit down as an idle spectator) and beget bitterness and intestine Contestations at home among our selves, he is much offended that you do stickle and keep on foot such questions, which may be better sopited and silenced than maintained and drawn into sidings and partakings. And therefore I am wished to advise you to withdraw your self from these or the like domestick broyles; and if your Treatise be at the press, to gve it a stop, and by no means suffer it to be divulged, &c.” This Letter being written at Lambeth 31 May 1632, the Contents thereof flew to Fulham, where finding Dr. Laud B. of London, he wrot this following ((b))((b)) Ibid. p. 27. Letter to the Vicechanc. of the Univ. of Oxon dated 22 June following, “Sir, these are to pray and require you in his Majesties name that a book lately printed at Oxon, and made by Mr. Page of Allsoules College be presently set to sale and published. It is, as I am informed, in defence of the Canon of the Church, about bowing at the name of Jesus, and modestly and well written. And his Majesty likes not that a Book boldly and ignorantly written by Mr. Prynne against the Church, should take place as the Churches opinion against her self, or as unable to be answer’d by the Church, &c. What else our Author Page hath written are,”

Certain Animadversions upon some passages in a Tract concerning Schisme and Schismatiques, &c. Oxon 1642. qu. Which Tract was written by J. Hales of Eaton.

The Peace-maker: or, a brief motive to Unity and Charity in Religion. Lond. 1652. in 16o. He hath also published a Serm. on 1 Tim. 5.3.4.5.—Printed in qu. which I have not yet seen; and also translated from Lat. into Engl. Tho. à Kempis his Treatise De imitatione Christi, in 4 books.—Oxon. 1639. in tw. Before which Translation (by him amended and corrected) he hath set a large Epistle to the Reader. This Dr. Page departed this mortal life in the Parsonoge-house of Lockyng before mentioned on the 24 of Febr. (being then Ashwednesday) in sixteen hundred sixty and three,1663/4. and was buried in the Chancel of the Church there, as I have been informed by Mr. George Ashwell, who had the care of his Library and Interment committed to him. See more in Dr. Sam. Page under the year 1630. pag. 467.