Joshua Sprigge

son of Will. Sprigge sometimes servant to Will. Lord Say, afterwards Steward of New Coll, was born at Banbury in Oxfordshire, became a Commoner of New Inn in Midsummer term an. 1634, aged 16 years, left it without a degree, journied into Scotland, and became Master of Arts at Edinburgh, and a Preacher. A little before the Rebellion began he retired to London, was a Preacher at S. Mary Alderm, afterwards took the Covenant, was made Minister of S. Pancras Ch. in Soperlane, and at length a retainer to Sir Tho. Fairfax General of the Parliament Army. In 1648 he was constituted one of the Fellows of Alls. Coll. by the Committee and Visitors appointed by Parliament to reform the University, and in the year following he was incorporated M. of A. as he had stood at Edinburgh. While he continued in Alls. Coll, he was of civil conversation, but far gone in Enthusiasme; and blamed much by some of the Fellows then there, for his zeal of having the history of our Saviours Ascension curiously carved from stone over that Coll. gate, to be defaced, after it had remained there since the foundation of that House. About that time he was esteemed also a noted Independent, and afterwards very well known to be a great favourer of factious and blasphemous persons, particularly that grand Impostor James Naylor Quaker, in whose behalf, he did, in the head of an 100 men, deliver a Petition in favour of him to Oliver L. Protector. After the Kings return, he retired to an Estate which he had purchased at Crayford in Kent, lived privately there, and frequented Conventicles. At length, upon the death of James Lord Say, which was in the latter end of 1673, he married his widow named Frances, daughter of Edward Viscount Wimbledon, with whom he had great familiarity during the time of her first Husband. But she being a holy Sister, and kept, or caused to be kept, Conventicles in her house, they, upon trouble ensuing, removed to Highgate near London, where our Author-Sprigge died, as I shall tell you anon. He hath extant these things following, viz.

Several Sermons, viz. (1) God a Christians all, himself nothing, on Gen. 5.24.—Printed 1640. (2) A Testimony to approaching glory, in five Sermons delivered at S. Pancrass Church in Soperlane. Lond. 1649 sec. edit. In which Sermons are contained several blasphemies, as certain ((a))((a)) The Beacons quenched, &c. Lond. 1652. qu. p. 13. And The Beacons flaming, &c. Lond. 1652. p. 20.21. Pamphlets inform us. See more in Joh. Owen. (3) A farther Testimony, &c. Printed in oct. This I have not yet seen, (4) The dying and living Christian, &c. on Rom. 14.8. Lond. 1648. oct, and others, as ’tis probable, but such I have not yet seen.

Anglia rediviva; Fnglands recovery: Being the History of the motions, actions and successes of the Army under the conduct of Sir Tho. Fairfax Knight, Capt. General of all the Parliament forces in England. Lond. 1647. fol. Characterized falsly by an outlandish ((b))((b)) Georg. Hornius in Epist. ad Lectorem ante librum cui tit. est Rerum Britannicarum lib. 7. &c. Lugd. Bat. 1648. oct. author to be opus rude & moles indigesta, &c. This book goes under the name of J. Sprigge, but if a knowing ((c))((c)) Clem. Walker in his Hist. of Independency—Printed 1649. § 12. p. 32. author saies true, Nath. Fiennes second son to Will. Lord Say had a chief hand in compiling the said book.

Certaine weighty considerations humbly tendred and submitted to the consideration of such of the Members of the High Court of Justice for the trial of the King, as they shall be presented unto. Lond. 1648. in two sh. in qu.

Solace for Saints in the saddest times—Printed in oct. This I have not yet seen.

News of a new world from the word and works of God, compared together; evidencing that the times of the man of sin are legally determined, and by the same right the days of the son of man are already commenced; with an account of the times of Gog and Magog, and of the three last Viols. Lond. 1676. oct. Besides these, he hath other things, without doubt, extant, but I cannot yet in all my searches find them out. He died at Highgate before mention’d in the month of June in sixteen hundred eighty and four:1684. whereupon his body being carried to Crayford aforesaid, was buried in the Church there. About a fortnight after his beloved wife Frances dying, was, I presume, buried near him. So that the Estate of him the said J Sprigge went to his younger brother William, who hereafter is to be mention’d as a writer.