John Rainolds

, called by Latine writers Reginaldus, the fifth Son of Rich. Rainolds, and he (who was younger Brother to Thom. Rainolds D. D. and Warden of Merton coll.) the third Son of another Richard, was born at Pinhoe, alias Pinhawes near to the City of Excester in Devonshire, became a Student in Merton coll. 1562. aged 13. or thereabouts, admitted Scholar of C. C. coll. 29. Apr. 63. Prob. Fellow 11. Oct. 66. and six years after proceeded in Acts, being then Senior of the Act, and about that time Greek reader in his college. In 1579. he was admitted to the reading of the sentence, and six years after proceeded in Divinity, being then in great esteem for his profound learning. In 1598. he was made Dean of Lincola in the place of one Ralph Griffyn; about which time he lodged and studied in Queens coll. But being unwilling to part with an Academical Life, he changed that Deanery in the year following, with Will. Cole for the Presidentship of C. C. coll. where being setled he had more leisure to follow his studies and have the communication of learned men, than at Lincoln. So temperate then were his affections, notwithstanding of very severe conversation, that he made choice rather to be Head of that House, than to be made a Bishop, which Quene Elizabeth offered to him. He was a person of prodigious reading (p)(p) Dan. Featly in Funebri orat. D. Rainoldi. and doctrine, and the very treasury of erudition: and what Tully spoke of Pompey’s noble exploits in War, that they could not be matched by the valiant acts of all the Roman Commanders in one year, nor in all years, by the prowess of one Commander; so it might be truly said of Jewell, Hooker and this our author Rainolds that they could not be parallel’d by the Students of all countries, brought up in one college, nor the Students in all Colleges, born in one County. The two former mainly opposed the enemies of the doctrine, the third, of the discipline, of the Church of England with like happy success, and they were all three in several kinds very eminent if not equal. As Jewel’s same grew from the Rhetorick Lecture, which he read with singular applause, and Hooker’s from the Logic, so Rainolds from the Greek, in C. C. coll. The Author that he read was Aristotle, whose three incomparable books of Rhetorick he illustrated with so excellent a Commentary so richly fraught with all polite literature, that as well in the Commentary, as in the Text, a man may find a golden river of things and words, which the Prince of Orators tells us of. As for his memory also, it is most certain (q)(q) See in Dr. Georg [•] Hakewill’s Apol. of the power and prov. of God in the govern [•] m. of the world, printed 1635. p. 154. that he excelled to the astonishment of all that were inwardly acquainted with him, not only for S. Augustins Works, but all classick Authors. So that in this respect, it may be truly said of him, which hath been applyed to some others, that he was a living Library and a third Vniversity. I have heard it very credibly reported, that upon occasion of some Writings which passed to and fro, between him and Dr. Gentilis then Professor of the civil Law, in the University of Oxon, that he publikly avow’d that he thought Dr. Rainolds had read and did remember more of the civil and canon Law, than himself, tho’ they were his profession: Dr. Hall also Bishop of Norwich reports (r)(r) In his First Decad. ep. 7. that he alone was a well furnish’d Library, full of all faculties, of all studies, of all learning;—the memory and reading of that man were near to a Miracle, &c. The truth is he was most prodigiously seen in all kind of Learning, and had turn’d over all Writers Profane, Ecclesiastical, and Divine, all the Councels, Fathers and Histories of the Church. He was also most excellent in all Tongues, of a sharp and nimble wit, of mature judgment, indefatigable industry, exceeding therein Origen sirnamed Adamantius, and so well seen in all Arts and Sciences, as if he had spent his whole time in each of them. The learned Cracanthorp tell (s)(s) In Delens Eccles. An [•] s. &c. cap. 69. us also, that for vertue, probity, integrity, and which is above all, piety and sanctiy of life, he was so eminent and conspicuous, that as Nazianzen speaketh of Athanasius, it might be said of him, to name Rainolds is to commend virtue it self. In a word, nothing can be spoken against him, only that he with Tho. Sparke were the pillars of Puritanisme, and grand favourers of Nonconformity, as the general part of writers say, yet (t)(t) Se The friendly debate betw. a Conformist and Non- [〈◊〉] mist, part 2. Lond. 1669. 5th edit. p. 201. one of late date reports that Rainolds professed h [•] mself a Conformist, and died so. His works are,

Sermon of the destruction of the Idumaeans, on Obad ver. 5, 6. Lond. 1584. oct.

Sex Theses de S. Scripturâ & Ecclesiâ. Rupellae 1586. Lond. 1602. oct. printed in English at London 1598. qu. with a defence of such things as Tho. Stapleton and Greg. Mar [••] have carped at therein.

Sermon preached to the publick assembly of Scholars in the University of Oxon. ult. Aug. 1586. upon occasion of their meeting to give thanks for the late detection and apprehension of Traytors, who wickedly conspired against the Queens Majesty, &c. on Psal. 18. 48, 49, 50, 51. Oxon 1586. oct.

Orationes duae in coll. Corp. Ch. Ox. 1587. oct.

Summ of a conference between Joh. Rainolds and Joh. Hart, touching the Head and the Faith of the Church, &c. Lond. 1588. 98. and 1609. qu. approved (as ’tis said) by Joh. Hart to be a true conference, and translated into Latin by Hen. Parry of C. C. C.

De Romanae, Ecclesiae idolatriâ, in cultu Sanctorum, Reliquiarum, Imaginum, &c. lib. 2. Oxon. 1596. qu.

The overthrow of Stage-Plays, by way of controversie betwixt Dr. Gager and Dr. Rainolds, wherein all the reasons that can be made for them, are notably refuted, &c.—Finished 1593. and said to be printed at Middelberg in 1599. qu. Printed also at Ox. 1629. qu. whereunto are added certain latin Letters between him and Dr. Alb. Gentilis, concerning the same matter. See more in Will. Gager, under the year 1610.

Apologia Thesium de Sacra Scripturâ & Ecclesiâ. Lond. 1602. oct.

Epistle to Tho. Pye—at the end of Rob. Burhills book intit. In controversiam &c. in sex commentationes. Oxon. 1606. qu. written upon Pyes submitting his lat. Epistle against Dr. Howson’s Thesis, to his censure and approbation. It containes also several emendations and corrections of Pyes Epistle, before it went to the Press. See more in Tho. Pye, under the year 1609.

Defence of the judgment of the reformed Churches, that a man may lawfully, not only put away his wife for her adultery, but also marry another: wherein Rob. Bellarmine the Jesuits latine treatise, and an English pamphlet of a nameless author, maintaining the contrary, are confuted—printed 1609. qu.

Consura librorum Apocryphorum veteris Testamenti, adversus Pontificios, imprimis Robertum Bellarmin, &c. Oppenhiem 1611. Tom. 2. Which book was consulted by Matthew Poole when he composed his third volume of Sinopsis, who saith that the said Censura, &c. was written multijugâ & stupendâ eruditione, &c. which is very true, for the author was seven years in writing and composing it.

The prophesie of Obadiah, opened and applyed in sundry learned and gratious Sermons, preached at Allhallows and S. Maries in Oxon. Oxon. 1613. qu. Published by Will. Hinde of Queens coll.

Letter to his friend containing his advice for the study of Divinity, dat. 4. Jul. 1577. Lond. 1613. in tw. in one sheet.

Orationes duodecem in C. C. C. Oxon. 1614. and 28. in oct. Among which are the two before mention’d, printed. The rest were corrected and published by Hen. Jackson Bach. of Divinity. The first of those which Jackson published, which is the third of the said twelve, and hath this beginning Si quis adsit in hoc conventu, &c. was translated into English by Joh. Leycester of Cheshire, for the use all such that affect the studies of Logick and Philosophy—Lond. 1638. in tw.

Epistolae ad Guliel. Rainoldum fratrmm suum, Guliel. Whitakerum, & Elizab. Reginam. Printed with Orationes duodecem.

The discovery of the man of sin, a Sermon on 2 Thes. 2. 3. Ox. 1614. qu. published by Will. Hinde before mentioned.

Letter to Sir Franc. Knollys concerning some passages in Dr. Rich. Bancrofts Serm. at Pauls-cross, 9. Feb. 1588. Lond. 1641. qu.

The original of Bishops and Metrapolitans briefly laid down. Ox. 1641. qu. ’Tis but a little thing, and included in Archb. Vshers discourse of that matter. Other titles have it thus. Dr. Rainolds his jugment touching the original of Episcopacy, more largly confirmed out of antiquity by James Vsher Archbish. of Armagh.

Judgment concerning Episcopacy, whether it be Gods ordinance. In a Letter to Sir Franc. Knollys Kt. 19. Sept. 1598. Lond. 1641. qu. which Sir Franc. was Son of Sir Fr. Knoll [•] s Knight.

Prophesie of Haggai interpreted, and applyed in 15. Sermons. Lond. 1649. qu. Published by Edw. Leigh Esquire, who had the Copy from Nath. Hinde a Minister of Staffordshire, Son of Will. Hinde before mention’d, who had view’d and perfected it. What else is printed under Rainolds name, unless a Treatise against the Racovian Catechism (as some say, which I doubt) I know not. Among the MSS. which he left behind him, I find these.

Commentarii in tres lib. Aristot. de Rhetorica.

Answer to Nich. Saunders his books De Schismate Anglicano, in defence of our reformation, &c.

Defence of our English Liturgy against Rob. Browne his Schismatical book.—This Browne, who was a Knights Son of Rutlandshire, and educated in Cambridge, and afterwards Father of the Sect called Brownists, did use to say that the true Protestants had no Church in England, yet afterwards he found the way into their Church and became Pastor of a place in Northamptonshire called Aychurch: Bonum nomen, bonum omen, & quantum mutatus ab illo. And then he used to say that there was no Church in England [〈◊〉] his, and that was A Church. He died in Prison in [〈…〉] (after he had been in very many before) about the year of his age 80. and the year of our Lord 1630. or, as some say, 34.

Treatise of the beginning and progress of Popish errors, and that for the first 300. years after Christ, Bishops ruled their own Dioceses, without subjection to the Pope.

Collectaye [•] quaedam, potissimè Theologica. MS. in the Libr. of Dr. Tho. Barlow.

Collectanea continent. diversa Rhetorica & Theologica. MS. in oct. in the same Library: Where also I have seen some of his Orations and Declamations, which have not been yet printed. He also translated into Latin Plutarchs two books, viz. (1) De utilitate ex hostibus capienda. (2) De morbis animi & corporis. This last was also translated by the before-mentioned. Hen. Jackson, some time after Rainolds’s death, but differs much, by the comparing, which I have made, between them. Our author Rainolds also translated into Latin Maximus Tyrius his Three Disputations: Which Translations, with his Epistles to his Brother William, Will. Whittaker and Q. Elizabeth, are printed at the end of his Orationes duodecem.—Oxon. 1628. oct. The translation of Plutarchs two books, were also printed at Ox. 1614. in oct. At length after he had lived many years a severe Student, and a mortified devout person, he surrendred up his last breath to him that first gave it, [〈◊〉] Thursday next after the Ascension, being then the 21. of May, 16 [••] in the year sixteen hundred and seven. On the Monday following his corps was carried to S. Maries Church, where a Funeral Sermon was Preached by Dr. Hen. Ayray the Vicechancellour. Which being ended, the corps was removed into the Chancel of the said Church, where Isaac Wake the Orator of the University made an elegant Oration in praise of the Defunct. Which being ended also, it was carried to C. C. coll. where (the Chappel being not spacious enough) an Oration was excellently well delivered from a Pew, covered with mourning, in the middle of the Quadrangle, by Dan. Featley Fellow of that house, containing a brief History of the life and death of our most admired author. He was buried in the inner Chappel of the said coll. under the North wall, and had a Monument, with his bust, fastned to the said Wall, by Dr. Joh. Spenser his Successor in the Presidenship of the said coll. with an inscription thereon in golden letters; a copy of which you may see in Hist. & Antiq. Vniv. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 244. b.