Seth Ward

a most noted Mathematician and Astronomer of his time, was born in a little market town in Hertfordshire called Buntingford, and on the 15 of Apr. 1617, was baptized there. His father was an Attorney of good repute among his neighbours, who perceiving his son very forward to learn, he taught him common Arithmetick, and caus’d him to be carefully educated in Grammar learning. When he was fitted for the University he was sent to Sidney Coll. in Cambridge, where he became Servitour to Dr. Sam. Ward Master of that house, who being much taken with his ingenuity and industry, as also with the suavity of his nature, did soon after make him Scholar of the said house: And because he was of the same Sirname, many supposed that he was of kin, occasion’d by the Doctor’s great kindness to him: But there was no relation at all between them, only the consimility of their dispositions, which made a greater tye of friendship than blood perhaps could do. His genie was then much inclining to the Mathematicks, which being, as ’twere, natural to him, he quickly and easily obtained them. Mr. Cha. Scarborough then an ingenious young Student and Fellow of Caies Coll. in the same University, was his great acquaintance, and both being equally Students in that faculty and desirous to perfect themselves, they took a journey to Mr. Will. Oughtred living then at Albury in Surrey, to be informed of many things in his Clavis Mathematica, which seemed at that time very obscure to them. Mr. Oughtred treated them with great humanity, being very much pleased to see such ingenious young men apply themselves to those studies, and in short time he sent them away well satisfied in their desires. When they returned to Cambridge, they afterwards read the Clav. Math. to their Pupils, which was the first time that that book was read in the said University. Mr. Laur. Rook a disciple of Oughtred, I think, and Mr. Ward’s friend, did admirably well read in Gresham Coll. on the sixth Chapt. of the said book, which obtained him great repute from some, and greater from Mr. Ward, who ever after had an especial favour for him. In 1643 he with the Master and several of his Coll. were, for the Kings Cause, imprison’d in S. Johns Coll. in Cambridge, and ejected from their several places; much about which time he and Mr. P. Gunning, Mr. Is. Barrow, Mr. Jo. Barwick &c. did write a well pen’d treatise against the Covenant which was made publick. After his release, he was civilly and kindly received by his friend and neighbour Ralph Freeman of Aspden in Hertfordshire Esq. and upon the ceasing of the Civil War, he was entertained in the quality of a Chaplain to Thomas Lord Wenman of Thame Park in Oxfordshire. In 1649, his mind being then changed as to orthodox Principles, he, by friends made to the Committee for the reformation of the University of Oxon, became Astronomy Professor thereof, in the place of Mr. Joh. Greaves then ejected, (who, upon an infallible foresight that he should be turn’d out put Ward upon, to gain, it, because he would be sure, as far as his power laid, to get an able Successor) and about that time he entred himself a Gentleman Commoner in Wadham Coll, for the sake of VVilkins then Warden of that House. In Oct. the same year he was incorporated Master of Arts, and admitted to his Professorship, and soon after took the Independent Oath called the Engagement, the effect of which was to be faithful to the Commonwealth of England, as it was then established without a King or House of Lords. In 1654 he proceeded D. of D. in which year Mr. Joh. Wallis the other Savilian Professor proceeding also, fell out a Controversie between them (occasion’d by Wallis) who should have seniority: which being decided by the Vicechanc. on VVards behalf, VVallis went out grand Compounder, and so got superiority, as I shall largely tell you in the Fasti of that year. In 1656 or thereabouts he obtained of Dr. Brownrigg, the silenc’d Bishop of Exeter, the Chantorship of that Church then void, and in the year following gaining an interest among the Fellows of Jesus Coll. he was elected by them to be their Principal, upon the resignation of Dr. Mich. Roberts, but Franc. Howell of Exeter Coll. an Independent got it from him by his interest used to Oliver the Protector. In 1659 he was elected President of Trin. Coll. by a majority of Fellows, made by the interest of Dr. Ralph Bashurst, but being soon after forced to leave that place to make room for the right owner Dr. Han. Potter, who had in a most woful manner endured great hardship, from the time of his ejection in 1648, the Politician retired to the great City, where he became Minister of S. Lawrence in the Jewry, upon the promotion of Reynolds to Norwich, and in the same year (1660) he was installed in his place of Chantor of Exeter. At that time it was his endeavours to make his Loyalty known by being imprison’d at Cambridge, by his ejection, his writing against the Covenant, and I know not what. About that time he became a member of the Royal Society and soon after Dean of Exeter, where being setled, he wound himself in a short time, by his smooth language and behaviour, into the favour of the Gentry of the neighbourhood. In 1662 Dr. Gauden Bishop of Exeter being translated to VVorcester, he was by the endeavours of a considerable party of the Gentry of Devonsh. (who were of the H. of Commons) advanced to that See: And being consecrated thereunto 20 July 1662, sate there but few years; for on the death of Dr. Hyde, he was translated to Salisbury 12 Sept. 1667. In 1671. Nov. 25, he was made Chancellour of the most noble Order of the Garter, by the restitution of K. Ch. 2, after that place had been occupied by Lay-persons about 154 years. He was a benefactor to the Royal Society, gave a Pendulum Clock thereunto, which goes for a week together, to perpetuate the memory of his dear and learned friend Laur. Rook. Also, about 1672 he gave a considerable sum of money towards the making of the River at Salisbury navigable to Christ Church in Hampshire, and in 1679 he bestowed a 1000 l. on Sid [•] ey Coll. in Cambridge. In 1683 he built an Hospital or College at Salisbury for the entertainment of ten poor widows of Ministers of Gods word, and in 1684 he built an Alms-house at the place of his nativity for four antient men, and four antient women, who had lived handsomely, and brought by misfortune to poverty, &c. His Works, as to learning are these.

A philosophical Essay towards an eviction of the being and attributes of God, the immortality of the souls of men, and the truth and authority of Scripture. Oxon. 1652. oct. &c.

De cometis, ubi de cometarum natura disseritur. Nova cometarum Theoria, & novissimae cometae historia proponitur. Praelectio Oxonii habita. Oxon. 1653. qu.

Inquisitio in Ismaelis Bullialdi Astronomiae philolaicae fundamenta. Printed with the book De cometis.

Idea Trigonometriae demonstratae in usum juventutis Oxon. Oxon. 1654. qu. The method of which, mention’d in the Preface to this book, Mr. Oughtred challenged for his.

Vindiciae Academiarum. Containing some brief animadversions upon Mr. Joh. Websters book, stiled The Examen of Academies. Oxon. 1654. qu. Before this book is an Epistle written to the author by one who subscribes himself N. S. i. e. John Wilkins of Wadh. Coll, being the two last letters of both his names.

Appendix concerning what Mr. Hobbes and Mr. Will. Dell have published on the same arguments.—Printed at the end of Vindiciae Academiarum. As for Dell he had been educated in Cambridge, and Webster, who was then, or lately a Chapl. in the Parl. Army, had, as I conceive, been educated there also: See in Thom. Hall, under the year 1665, among the titles of his books p. 234, and in Will. Erbury, an. 1654. p. 104.

In Thomae Hobbii philosophiam exercitatio Epistolica, ad D. Joh. Wilkinsium Guardianum Coll. Wadhami. Ox. 1656. octav.

Appendicula, ad calumnias ab eodem Hobbio (in sex documentis nuperrimè editis) in authorem congestas, responsoria. Printed with the Exercitatio epistolica.

Astronomia Geometrica, ubi methodus proponitur qua primariorum Planetarum Astronomia sive Elliptica sive circularis possit Geometricè absolvi. Lond. 1656. oct.

Several Sermons, as (1) Against resistance of lawful powers, preached 5 Nov. 1661. on Rom. 13.2. (2) Against the Antiscripturists, pr. 20 Feb. 1669, on 2 Tim. 3.16. (3) Concerning sinfulness, danger and remedies of infidelity, pr. 16 Feb. 1667, on Heb. 3.12. (4) Sermon before the H. of Peers at Westm. 10 Oct. 1666, on Eceles. 11.9. (5) Serm. concerning the strangeness, frequency and desperate consequence of impenitency, preached 1 Apr. 1666, soon after the great Plague, on Rev. 9.20. (6) Serm. against Ingratitude, on Deut. 32.6. (7) An Apologie for the mysteries of the Gospel, preached 16. Feb. 1671 on Rom. 1.16. Some of which Sermons having been severally printed at several times were all printed in one vol. at Lond. 1673. 74. oct. and then said to have been all preached at Whitehall, except the fourth. (8) The Christians victory over death, preached at the funeral of George Duke of Albemarle, &c. in the collegiat Church of S. Pet. Westm. 30 Apr. 1670, on 1. Cor. 15.57. Lond. 1670. qu. (9) The Case of Joram, preached before the House of Peers, 30. Jan. 1673 on 2. Kings 6, last vers. Lond. 1674. qu. He also collected viewed and reviewed the Determinationes Theologicae, Tractatus de justificatione and Praelectiones de peccato originali of Dr. Samuel Ward before mentioned; which he caused to be printed and published at London. In the beginning of the year 1683 arose a controversie between him the said Dr. Ward Bishop of Salisbury and Dr. Tho. Pierce Dean of the Cathedral Church there, occasion’d by the denial, upon the first asking of Pierce for a Prebendship in the said Church for his Son Robert: which denial being much resented by Pierce, notwithstanding the reversion of it had been before promised by the Bishop, he studied revenge and forthwith rais’d a controversie by maintaining that the King had right of giving and bestowing of the Dignities in the Church of Salisbury and not the Bishop. Which controversie being laid before his Majesties Commissioners for Ecclesiastical affairs, they ordered Dr. Pierce to write a Narrative of that matter; which being done, Dr. Ward answered it, but ’twas not printed: Whereupon Pierce wrot A Vindication of the Kings Soveraign rights, &c. which was printed at Lond. 1683 in 12. sh. in fol. Afterwards the controversie being carried on by the black and dismal malice of Pierce, it did so much discompose the Bishop, especially by the several journies to London in unseasonable time and weather, that by degrees his spirits were exhausted, his memory gone, and totally unfit for business. About a month before he died, he took very little sustenance, and lived only on the stock and died a Skeleton; which hapning in his house at Knightbridge near London on Sunday morn. the sixth of January, being the day of Epiphany, in sixteen hundred eighty and eight,1688/9. his body was afterwards conveyed to Salisbury and buried in the Cathedral there. What epitaph he hath over his grave, I know not, notwithstanding I have more than once sent for it; and therefore take this character of him given by Mr. Oughtred in his pref. to Clavis mathem. running thus.—Vir prudens, pius, ingenu [•] s, nec mathesi solum sed & omni politioris literaturae genere cultissimus, &c. He tells us there that he was the first in Cambr. that expounded his Clav. Math. and that he had taken a large journey to see him in his hidden and retired condition, at which time, by his importunate desire, he did correct, add many things to, and republish his said book of Clav. Math. There had been formerly several learned Letters passed between him, and Ballialdus and Hevelius, which are yet kept private.