Christopher Potter

Nephew to Dr. Barn. Potter mention’d under the year 1641, received his first breath within the Barony of Kendall in Westmorland, became Clerk of Queens Coll. in the beginning of 1606, and in that of his age 15, afterwa [•] ds Tabarder, M. of Arts and Chaplain in 1613, and at length Fellow of the said College. He was then a great admirer of Hen. Ayray Provost of that House (some of whose works he published) and a zealous puritanical Lecturer at Abendon in Berks. where he was much resorted to for his edifying way of preaching. In 1626, he succeeded the said Dr. Barn. Potter in the Provostship of his Coll. and the next year proceeded in Divinity. Soon after, when Dr. Laud became a rising favourite in the Royal Court, he, after a great deal of seeking, was made his creature, and therefore by the precise Party he was esteemed an Arminian. In the latter end of 1635, he being then Chapl. in Ord. to His Maj. he was made Dean of Worcester (upon Dr. Rog. Manwarings promotion to the See of S. David) having before had a promise of a Canonry of Windsore, but never enjoyed it, and in the year 1640, he executed the office or Vicechancellour of this University not without some trouble from the members of the Long Parliament, occasion’d by the puritanical and factious party of the Univ. and City of Oxon. Afterwards the grand rebellion breaking out, he suffer’d much for the Kings cause, and therefore upon the death of Dr. Walt. Balcanquall, he was designed and nominated by his Maj. to succeed him in the Deanery of Durham, in the month of January 1645, but died before he was installed. He was a Person esteemed by all that knew him, to be learned and religious, exemplary in his behavior and discourse, courteous in his carriage, and of a sweet and obliging nature, and comely presence. He hath written and published,

A Sermon at the consecration of Barnab. Potter D. D. Bish. of Carlile at Ely House in Holbourne, 15. March 1628, on John 21.17. Lond. 1629. oct. It must be now noted that a certain Jesuit known sometimes by the name of Edw. Knott and sometimes by that of Nich. Smith, and at other times by Mathew Wilson (which was his true name) born at Pegsworth near Morpeth in Northumberland did publish a book intit. Charitie Mistaken, &c. whereupon our Author Potter answered it in another intit.

Want of charity justly charged, on all such Romanists as dare affirme that protestancie destroyeth salvation, &c. Oxon. 1633. oct. Which book being perus’d by Dr. Laud Archb. of Cant. he ((b))((b)) See Canterburies Doome, p. 251.252. caused some matters therein to be omitted in the next impression, which was at Lond. 1634. oct. But before it was quite printed, Knott before-mention’d put out a book intit. Mercy and truth. or, charity maintained by Catholiques. By way of reply upon an answer, fram’d by Dr. Potter, to a treatise which had formerly proved, that charity was mistaken by Protestants, &c. printed beyond the Sea 1634. in qu. Whereupon Will. Chillingworth undertook him in his book called The religion of Protestants, &c. which contains an answer only to the first part of Mercy and truth, &c. For tho Chillingworth had made ready, when this came out, a full examination and confutation of the second part, yet he thought not fit to publish it together with this, for reasons given in the close of the work. Afterwards Knott did publish Infidelity unmasked. or, a confutation of a book published by Mr. Will. Chillingworth, under this title. The religion of Protestants, &c. Gaunt 1652 in a large qu. Which is the last time that I find Knott mentioned; for he dying at London on the fourth of January 1655, according to the Eng. accompt (buried the next day in the S. Pancras Church near that City) no body, that I yet know, vindicated Chillingworth against him. Our Author Dr. Potter did also translate from Ital. into English The History of the quarrels of P. Paul 5. with the state of Venice. Lond. 1626. qu. Pen’d by Father Paul Sarp: And had lying by him at his death several MSS. fit to be printed; among which was one intit. A survey of the new platforme of predestination; which coming into the hands of Twisse of Newbury, was by him answer’d, as also Three Letters of Dr. Potter concerning that matter. At length departing this mortal life in Queens Coll. on the third day of March in sixteen hundred forty and five,1645/6. was buried about the middle of the inner Chappel belonging thereunto. Over his grave was a marble monument fastned to the north Wall, at the charge of his Widow Elizabeth, Daughter of Dr. Charles Sonibanke sometimes Canon of Windsore, (afterwards the Wife of Dr. Ger. Langbaine who succeeded Potter in the Provostship of the said College) a Copy of which you may read in Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 124. b. In his Deanery of Worcester succeeded Dr. Rich. Holdsworth Archd. of Huntingdon and Master of Emanuel Coll. in Cambridge, and in his Deanery of Durham Dr. Will. Fuller Dean of Ely, but neither of them, I presume, were installed.