John Prideaux

was born in an obscure town called Stowford near to Lyfton in Devon, on the 17 of Sept. 1578, became a poor Scholar of Exeter Coll. under the tuition of Will. Helme Bach. of Div. in Act term 1596, and in 1602 was elected probat. Fellow of that house, being then Bach. of Arts. In the year after, he proceeded in that Faculty, and thereupon entred into holy Orders: so that being soon after noted for his great Learning and profound Divinity, he was elected Rector of his Coll. upon the death of Holland, in 1612, he being then Bach. of Div. and the same year proceeded in the same faculty. In 1615 he was upon the promotion of Dr. Abbot to the See of Sarum, made the Kings Professor of Divinity, by vertue of which, he was made Canon of Ch. Ch. and Rector of Ewelme in Oxfordshire: And afterwards did undergo the Office of Vicechancellour of this University for several years, as I have elsewhere told you. In the Rectorship of his College he carried himself so winning and pleasing by his gentle government and fatherly instruction, that it flourished more than any house in the University with Scholars, as well of great, as of mean birth; as also with many Foreigners that came purposely to set at his feet to gain instruction. So zealous he was also in appointing industrious and careful Tutors, that in short time many were fitted to do service in the Church and State. In his Professorship he behaved himself very plausible to the generality, especially for this reason, that in his Lectures, Disputes, and Moderatings, (which were always frequented with many Auditors) he shew’d himself a stout Champion against Socinus and Arminius. Which being disrellish’d by some, who were then rising and in authority at Court, a faction thereupon grew up in the University between those called Puritans or Calvinists on the one side, and the Remonstrants, commonly called Arminians on the other: which, with other matters of the like nature, being not only fomented in the University but throughout the Nation, all things thereupon were brought into confusion, to the sorrow of the Puritan, who had with all his might opposed Canterbury in his generous designs of making the English Church glorious. At length after he had sate 26 years Professor, he was one of those persons of unblemished reputation, that his Majesty, tho late, made a Bishop, by the endeavours, as some say, of James Marq. of Hamilton his somtimes Pupil. The See which he was design’d to govern was Worcester, to which being elected 22. of Nov. was consecrated at Westminster on the 19. of Dec. following, an. 1641, but received little or no profit from it, to his great impoverishment. So that upon that account and for his adhering to his Maj. in the time of the Civil War, (wherein he pronounced all those of his diocess that took up arms against him excommunicated) he became at length Verus ((*))((*)) Dr. Jo. Gauden in his book intit. A pillar of gratitude, p. 13. Librorum helluo, for having first by indefatigable studies, digested his excellent Library into his mind, was after forced again to devour all his books with his teeth; turning them by a miraculous faith and patience into bread for himself and his children, to whom he left no legacy, but pious poverty, Gods blessing, and a Fathers prayers, as it appears in his last will and testament. He was an humble man, of plain and downright behaviour, careless of money, and imprudent in worldly matters. All that knew him esteem’d him a noted Artist, a plentiful fountain of all sorts of learning, an excellent Linguist, a Person of a prodigious memory, and so profound a Divine, that they have been pleased to entitle him Columna fidei orthodoxae, and Malleus Heresecus, Patrum Pater, and ingens Scholae & Academiae oraculum. In him also (as an ingenious ((f))((f)) Nath. Carpenter in his Geography delineated, &c. lib. 2. cap. 15. Author saith) the heroical wits of Jewell, Rainolds and Hooker, as united into one, seem’d to triumph anew, and to have threatned a fatal blow to the Babylonish Hierarchy: Insomuch that he might have justly challenged to himself that glory, which sometimes Ovid, speaking of his own Country,

Mantua Virgilium laudet, Verona Catullum

Romanae gent is gloria dicar ego.

As his learning was admired by forreigners, Sext. Amama, Rivet and others, so were his books, especially those written in Latine; a cat. of which, and of the English follow.

Tabulae ad Grammaticam Graecam introductoriae, &c. Oxon. 1608. 1629. 39. &c. qu.

Tyrocinium ad Syllogismum legitimum contexendum.

Heptades Logicae: sive monita ad ampliores tractatus introductoria. These two last are printed and go with the Tabulae, &c.

Castigatio cujusdem circulatoris, qui R. P. Andream Eudaemon—Johannem Cydonium E Soc. Jesu seipsum nuncupat. Opposita ipsius calumniis in Epistolam Isaaci Casauboni ad Frontonem Ducaeum. Oxon. 1614. oct.

Alloquium sereniss. Reg. Jacobo Woodstochiae habitum 24. Aug. 1624. pr. in one sh. in qu.

Orationes novem inaugurales, de totidem Theologiae apicibus, prout in promotione Doctorum, Oxoniae publicè proponebantur in Comitiis. Oxon. 1626. qu.

Lectiones decem de totidem religionis capitibus, praecipuè hoc tempore controversis prout publicè habebantur Oxoniae in vesperiis. Oxon. 1625. qu.

Several Sermons, as (1) Serm. at the consecration of Exeter Coll. Chap. on Luke 19.46. Oxon. 1625. qu. (2) Purez Uzzah, Serm. before the K. at Woodstock, on 2. Sam. 6. ver. 6.7. Oxon. 1625. qu. (3) Concio ad Art. Baccalaureos pro more habita in ecclesia B. Mariae Oxon. in die cinerum, in Act. 2.22. an. 1616. Oxon. 1626.

Twenty Sermons. Oxon. 1636. qu. The two first of which are entit. Christs counsell for ending law cases. Among them are the Consecration Serm. and Perez-Uzzah beforementioned.

Nine Sermons on several occasions. Oxon. 1641. qu.

Lectiones XXII, Orationes XIII, Conciones VI, & Oratio ad Jacobum Regem. Oxon. 1648 fol. Among which are contained the former Lections, Orations, and Speech to the K. Jam. at Woodst.

Fasciculus controversiarum ad Juniorum aut occupatorum captum collegatus, &c. Oxon. 1649. 51. 52. qu.

Theologiae Scholasticae Syntagma Mnemonicum. Oxon 1651.

Conciliorum Synopsis. Printed with the Syntagma beforementioned. Published in English at the end of An easie and compendious introduction, &c. mentioned before in Mathias Prideaux.

Historie of successions in states, countries or families, &c. Oxon. 1653. &c.

Epistola de Episcopatu. fol. a fragment of which I have seen in one folio sh.

Euchologia: or, the doctrine of practical praying, being a legacy left to his daughters in private, directing them to such manifold uses of our Common-prayer-book, as may satisfie upon all occasions, without looking after new lights from extemporal flashes. Lond. 1655. 56. oct. &c. Dedicated to his daughters Sarah Hodges ((*))((*)) Wife of Will. Hodges D. D. Archd. of Worcester. and Elizabeth Sutton.

The doctrine of conscience framed according to the form in the Common-prayer, left as a legacy to his Wife.—Printed in tw.

Manuductio ad Theologiam polemicam. Oxon. 1657. oct. Published by Mr. Tho. Barlow, with an Epistle before it, in the name of the printer.

Hypomnemata Logica, Rhetorica, Phys. Metaphys. &c. Oxon. in oct.

Sacred eloquence: or, the art of Rhetorick, as it is laid down in Scripture. Lond. 1659. oct. What other things are published under his name I know not, unless a Comment on the Church Catechisme. pr. 1656. in oct. and therefore I am to add that he departing this mortal life, of a Feaver, at Bredon in Worcestershire, in the house of Dr. Hen. Sutton, (Son of Will. Sutton D. D. Chanc. of Glocester and Rector of Bredon) who married his daughter Elizabeth, 1650. on the twentieth day of July in sixteen hundred and fifty, was accompanied to his grave, in the Chancel of the Church there, by many Persons of quality in the neighbourhood of that place, on the 16. of August following. Over his grave was a plain stone soon after laid with an Epitaph composed by himself, (the day and year of his death excepted) engraven on a brass plate, fixed thereunto; the copy of which is already ((g))((g)) In Hist. & Antiq. Ʋniv. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 99. printed, wherein you’ll find that he was sometimes Chaplain to Pr. Henry, and afterwards to K. Jam. and K. Ch. 1. Before I go any farther, I shall take leave, upon the hint before-mentioned of Dr. Prideaux’s making his College florish, to set down the names of such Outlanders that have retired to Exeter Coll. for his sake, have had Chambers there and diet, purposely to improve themselves by his company, his instruction, and direction for course of studies. Some of them have been Divines of note, and others meer Lay-men, that have been eminent in their respective Countries, wherein afterwards they have lived; most of them are these. Joh. Combachius the Philosopher, Phil. Cluver the Geographer, Sixt. Amama Linguist, Nichol. Vignier and Dav. Primerose two learned Frenchmen: All whom are already mentioned among these Writers. Christian. Rumphius an eminent Physician; see in the Fasti an. 1613. Jacobus Dorvilius commonly called D’Orville a Gentlemans Son of Heidelberg in Germany, matriculated as a member of Exeter Coll. in Mich. term 1615, and in that of his age 19. Joh. Schermarius a learned German, who occurs a member of Ex. Coll. 1613, in which year he had certain lat. verses published at Oxon. Jacobus Aretius and Frederick Dorvilius two other Germans, who are mentioned in the Fasti, an. 1613. and 15. Joh. Rodolphus Stuckius of Zurick in Helvetia, was a Sojournour of the said Coll. in Mich. term 1615, and afterwards published some of Pet. Martyrs works, as I have before told you. Joh. Waserus a Native of the same place, entred Soj. in the same term and year, and afterwards the writer of Elementale Chaldaicum, and other things. Caesar Calendrinus entred into the said Coll. in the beginning of 1616. see in the Fasti 1620. Imanius Young or de Junge a Zelander, in Mich. term 1619. Paul Amaraut or Amarant a Germ. matriculated among the Exonians, 1619 aged 18. Christian Son of Herman Julius Viceroy to the K. of Denmark in the Isle of Gotland, Gregory and Errick Sons of Pet. Julius Lord of Alsted, Linberg, &c. in Denmark. Which three young men were instructed in Logick and Philosophy by Dr. Prideaux. Ovenius Julius elder brother to the said Christian, was also a Student in the said Coll. under Prideaux, who dying 26. Sept. 1607. aged 23, was buried at the upper end of the S. isle joyning to the body of the Church of S. Mary the Virgin in Oxon. Afterwards Christian put up a monument over his grave, which is yet remaining, but defaced. Mark Zeiglier a German, was entred into the Coll. about 1624. Wibbo Jansonius Artopaeus, Finsoendensis Civis, Gen. was admitted into the Coll. in June 1635 aged 20. Hieronimus Ernesti Erffurto [•] Thuringus, was admitted to the Fellows table in the beginning of Aug. 1638, and continued in the College till July 1641. Besides these and many more, which shall now be omitted, have been several of the Scotch nation that have been received into the said House, upon the same account, among which have been (1) Joh. Balcanquall: see in the Fasti 1612. among the Incorporations (2) .... Gilman who studied there 1613, and some time after (3) Sam. Balcanquall, 1616. One of both his names occurs Fellow of Pemb. Hall in Cambridge 20 years after: See in the Fasti 1618 among the Incorporations (4) Rob. Spotswood M. of Arts of Glascow was admitted to the Fellows table in the beginning of the year 1613. He was afterwards raised by the favour of K. James and K. Ch. 1. unto great honours, as his singular virtues did merit. K. Jam. made him a Knight and a Privy Counsellour: K. Charles advanced him to be Lord President of the Sessions, and at length Principal Secretary of Scotland, in the place of William Earl of Lanerick, (afterwards Duke of Hamilton) when he revolted to the Covenateers of that Kingdom. After James Marquess of Montross had gained great victories against the said Cov. the said Sir Rob. Spotswood conveyed from the King at Oxon to him the said Montross letters pattents whereby he was made Vice-Roy of Scotland, and General of the Army there. But being soon after taken prisoner, upon the defeat of Montross near Silkerke, he was conveyed to S. Andrews, where, at length, they found him guilty of High Treason, lamented by many, because he never bore arms against them; for his eminency laid in the way of peace, and knew not what belonged to the drawing of a sword. His treason being for conveying the said let. pat. he was beheaded at S. Andrews, in 1645, leaving then behind him the general character of a most excellent and good man. He was a Gentleman of great abilities, both in the Art of Government and study of the law, hath written things in nature of our Reports of the law, which have been highly valued among Lawyers in Scotland. His Father was Dr. Joh. Spotswood the famous and orthodox Theologist of Scotland, consecrated Archbishop of Glascow in the Archbishps Chappel at Lambeth near London, according to the ceremonies of the Church of England, on the 20. of Oct. 1610. At which time Gawen Hamilton was consecrated Bishop of Galloway, and Andr. Lamb B. of Brechin. The said Dr. Spotswood was afterwards translated to St. Andrews, and dying on the fourth of the Cal. of Dec. an. 1639. aged 74 years, was buried in the Abbey Church at Westminster. (5) James Hamilton Earl of Arran, Baron of Evenu in Scotland, and of Ennerdale in Cumberland, eldest Son of James Marquess of Hamilton, was admitted a Noble man under the said Dr. Prideaux his tuition, 6. Jul. 1621. He was afterwards Marquess and Duke of Hamilton and Earl of Cambridge. (6) James Baylie Governour to the said Count, was admitted at the same time to the Fellows table with him. See in the Fasti 1621. among the Creations. It is farther also to be noted, that as the said College did send out many eminent men into the Church and State, that had been under the Government of Prideaux, so also many that did great mischief, and were enemies to them, as you may see at large in this work, in the lives and characters of several that had been educated in the said College. Some also of the English Nobility having been sent thereunto, have by the Principles that they have sucked in, proved no great friends either to the Church or State. Among such have been John Lord Roberts E. of Radnor a severe predestinarian, and a Promoter of the grand Rebellion. Philip Lord Wharton another Promoter; Sir Anth. Ashley Cooper Earl of Shaftesbury, of whom shall be large mention made elsewhere, Philip the second, Earl of Pemb. and Mountgomery, who lived and died little better than a Quaker, &c.