John Reading

born of sufficient Parents in Buckinghamshire, was admitted a Student in Magd. Hall in the beginning of the year 1604. aged 16 years, took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 1610, at which time, a little before the Comitia, he had entred himself a Communer of S. Alb. Hall. On the last of Feb. 1612 he was ordained Deacon by John Bishop of Oxon in the Church of Nowenham Courtney, and on the 19 of June 1614, he was made a Priest by the said Bishop in the Church of Dorchester, in the County of Oxon. About that time he became Chaplain to Edward Lord Zouch of Haringworth Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Governour of Dover Castle: with whom going to Dover, where he preached divers Sermons, he was, at the instant request of the Parishioners of S Maries, (who were very much taken with his preaching) made Minister of that Church 2 Dec. 1616. So that being setled there, he was very much resorted to for his frequent and edifying Sermons, and held in great esteem by the neighbourhood, especially by the puritanical party. Afterwards he was made Chapl. in ord. to K. Ch. 1. and Bach. of of Divinity, but whether of this University, it appears not. Upon the change of the times, occasion’d by the violent Presbyterians, he seemed much to discountenance them in his Sermons and Discourses, and therefore in Apr. 1642 his study of books at Dover was plundered by one.... Sandys of Northborne in Kent a Militia Officer, who usually shew’d his valour by plundring several of the loyal inhabitants in the County of Kent; and in Nov. following he was, by the command of Sir Edw. Boys a Parliamenteer, taken violently, by Soldiers out of his study (being then upon his Paraphrase upon the whole Evangelist of S. John, and had gone as far as the 8 and 9 verse of the 5 chap.) and sent to prison and banishment for a year and seven months, and not at all restored to his Cure of Souls at Dover: Which Sir Edward, that he might comply with the Schismaticks, did prosecute, so long as he lived, our Author Reading, to his utter undoing. On the 27 of Jan. following (1642) his Majesty having had notice of his Sufferings, sent his letters to Archb. Laud then a prisoner in the Tower, that he bestow the Parsonage of Chartham in Kent upon him, then void by the death of Dr. Isaac Bargrave Dean of Canterbury: Which being accordingly done, as much as laid in the Arbishops power, Mr. Reading did not receive any profit from it, or from a Prebendship of Canterbury, about that time bestowed on him, because much opposed by Sir Nath. Brent Vicar-General. In the month of July 1644, Sir Will. Brockman did freely bestow upon him the Parsonage of Cheriton in Kent, and about the same time he was appointed by the Ass. of Divines to be one of the nine Divines to write Annotations on the New Test. Not long after, upon the discovery of a plot for the taking of Dover Castle by the Cavaliers, he was inhumanely seised on in a cold winter night in his house in Cheriton, by the command of Major Boys (Son of Sir Edw. before mention’d) and hurried to Dover Castle, and the next day sent to that of Leedes, with many others of the Town of Dover. Where continuing for some time, he composed the book called The guide to the holy city. At length being discharged from his imprisonment by the Committee of those parts, they ordered also his Goods that had been plundered should be restored to him. However Boys of Chilham a Sequestrator (different from either of the former) had money of him before he would part with them. On the 10 of March 1650, he publickly disputed (upon the receipt of a Challenge some days before) with Sam. Fisher an Anabaptist in Folkston Church in Kent. The subject of the debate was, Whether all Christians indefinitely were equally and eternally obliged to preach the Gospel without ecclesiastical ordination, or contrary to the commands of the civil Magistrate, or to that purpose. Fisher pleaded the affirmative, fetching most of his Arguments from Jer. Taylors Discourse of the liberty of prophecying. After the debate was ended, our Author Reading thought himself obliged to answer several passages in the said book of Dr. Taylor, which gave too great a seeming advantage to Fanaticism and Enthusiasm. In the year 1660, May 25, (about which time he was restored to his Cure at Dover) he spake a short Speech to his Maj. Ch. 2, at his first landing there, to take possession of those Kingdoms from whence he, by a barbarous Usurpation, had been ejected: Which being done, he presented to him a large Bible with gold Clasps in the name of the Corporation of Dover. About that time he was restored to his Prebendship of Canterbury and Rectory of Chartham near it, which he kept to his dying day. He was, in the opinion of many, a severe Calvinist, and one, who had not only defended the irresistability of Grace in several Sermons, in opposition to what Joh. Goodwin had delivered in the same Parish Ch. of S. Mary in Dover, but in his oral disputes with Fisher the Anabaptist, being then as zealous in disproving that mans tenet of Universal Redemption, as he was in asserting Paedobaptism against Reading. Farther, since his Maj. return, he did in a publick Sermon in the Cath. Ch. at Canterbury reprehend and disprove some doctrine to that effect, which had been in the same place then lately delivered by Dr. Thom. Pierce Prebendary of that Church. He hath written and published,

Several Sermons, viz. (1) A fair warning after sickness. Lond. 1623. qu. (2) Job’s hour; a funeral Sermon at Dover 10 Mar. 1623. Lond. 1624. qu. (3) Moses and Jethro: or the good Magistrate, preached at S. Maries in Dover, on the election day, on Exod. 18.24. Lond. 1626. qu. (4) Davids soliloquy, containing many comforts for afflicted minds, in sundry sermons at S. Maries in Dover, on Psal. 42.11. Lond. 1627. in tw. (5) Characters of true blessedness, preached in the same Church 21 Sept. 1637, at the funeral of Mrs. Alice Percivall wife of Anth. Percivall Esq. on Psal. 84.4.5. Lond. 1638. in tw. dedic. to the said Anthony then Captain of Arcliff Bulwark near Dover, Comptroller for his Majesties Customs in Kent, &c. with several other sermons printed 1621. 1642. &c. which I have not yet seen.

Brief instruction concerning the holy Sacrament, for their use who prepare themselves to receive the Lords Supper. Lond. 1645. oct.

A guide to the holy city: or directions and helps to an holy life, &c. Oxon. 1651. qu.

An antidote against Anabaptisme, in a reply to the plea for Anabaptists. Or animadversions on that part of Liberty of prophecying, which in sect. 18. p. 223. beareth this title, A particular consideration of the opinions of the Anabaptists. Lond. 1654. qu. In another title of this book, which bears date 1655, it runs thus, A particular answer to all that is alledged in favour of the Anabaptists by Dr. Jer. Taylor, in his book called The liberty of prophecying. In the 18 Section of which, the Doctor hath mention’d more, or things in more plausible terms, than ever the Anabaptists have alledged for their own opinions.

Survey of the controverted points concerning (1) Infant baptism. (2) Pretended necessity of Dipping. (3) The dangerous practice of re [•] baptizing.—This was printed with the Antidote 1654. qu. and is sometimes called Anabaptisme routed, &c.

An Evening sacrifice: or prayers for a family, in these times of calamity.

Speech made before K. Ch. 2. on the shore, where he landed at Dover, 25 May 1660. Lond. 1660. on one side of a sh. of paper. To which is added a Lat. copy of Verses, with their English, by Rich. Bradshaw. This our Author Mr. Reading, who had spent his time partly in prosperity and partly in affliction, surrendred up his last breath on the 26 of Octob. in sixteen hundred sixty and seven,1667. and was buried on the 30 of the said month in the chancel of his parish Church of Chartham near to Canterbury before mention’d, leaving then behind him fit for the press (1) Several Sermons preach’d before the King. (2) Comments on the whole Bible. The former are in the hands of Joh. Reading his son, living in Essex; and the other in those of William, another son living in Dover. (3) A whip for sacriledge. Written in answer to a Pamphlet of Anth. Parsons intit. The great case of tithes. This Whip is contained in 13 sheets, and is now in the hands of Basil Kennet M. A. of the University of Dublin, Rector of Dimchurch, and Vicar of Postling in Kent. (4) A Lat. MS. in fol. containing a large Comment, Paraphrase, and Explication on the whole New Testament, dedic. to General George Monke, and sent to be printed at Lond. in 1666, but being prevented by the great fire that hapned there that year, it was delivered into the hands of Dr. Wrenn Bishop of Ely; and whether it be recovered from the hands of his heirs or executors, I know not. The said Mr. Kennet hath also another Tract concerning Proper sacrifice, in vindication of Sir Edw. Deering from the attempts of a popish Priest or Jesuit; but being imperfect, ’twas not design’d, I presume, by the Author Mr. Reading for the press.