John Warner

received his first breath, as ’tis said, in the Parish of S. Clements Danes within the liberty of Westminster, was elected Demie of Magd. Coll. as a Surrey man born an. 1599 aged 16 years, where being put under the tuition of a careful Person, made a considerable progress in his studies, took the degrees in Arts, and in 1605 was made perpetual Fellow of that house, being then esteemed a witty man, a good Logician and Philosopher. In 1610 he resigned his Fellowship, was about that time Rector of S. Dionyse Backchurch in London, and afterwards taking the degrees in Divinity was made one of his Majesties Chaplains, Prebendary of Canterbury, Governour of Sion Coll, Dean of Lichfield in the place of Dr. Aug. Lindsell (promoted to the See of Peterborough) an. 1633, and in the year 1637 being nominated Bishop of Rochester upon the death of Dr. Jo. Bowles, was consecrated thereunto on the 14th, and installed 21, of January the same year, being then noted for a good School Divine, and one well read in the Fathers. In 1639 he perceiving the want of a fixed Font in the Cath. Ch. of Canterbury, built one at his proper charge, which, whether more curious or more costly, was difficult to judge; and the same year it was consecrated by John L. Bishop of Oxon. In the beginning of the Long Parliament he shew’d himself a zealous assertor of Episcopacy in the H. of Lords, speaking for the function as long as he had any voice left, and very pertinently and valiantly defended the antiquity and justice of Bishops votes in the H. of Parliament. Afterwards he did not only suffer with his Brethren, by having the Lands of his See taken away, but by compounding for his temporal Estate which was considerable. He hath written,

Church Lands not to be sold: or a necessary and plain answer to the question of a conscientious Protestant, whether the Lands of Bishops and Churches in England and Wales may be sold?—Printed 1646. 48. qu.

Letters to Dr. Jer. Taylor concerning the Chapter of Original sin in the Unum necessarium—Printed in the said Dr. Taylor’s Collection of Polemical discourses. See more in Dr. Taylor among these Writers, under the year 1667. He hath also one or more Sermons extant which I have not yet seen, and perhaps other things. Quaere. At length he giving way to fate on the 14 of Octob. in sixteen hundred sixty and six, was buried in the Cath. Ch. of Rochester, 1666. and soon after had a stately monument erected over his grave, with a large Epitaph thereon, wherein ’tis said that he died in the year of his age 86. By his last Will and Test. he left his personal estate, for an Hospital or Alms-house to be built as conveniently as might be near the Cath. Ch. of Rochester, and Lands for the maintenance therein of twenty poor Widows (tho himself had always led a single life) the Relicts of Orthodox and Loyal Clergy men, and a Chaplain to administer holy things to them according to the Church of England. To which Chaplain he bequeathed 50 l. per an. and to each of the Widows 20 l. per an. always reserving so much out of their exhibition, as may keep in good repair the said Hospital or Almeshouse. The election of the Chaplain is to be made out of Magd. Coll. in Oxon, and not out of any other House: And the election of the said 20 Widows, is to be made by his Executors for the time being, and after their decease, by such Trustees as they shall appoint. In his life time, and at his death, he gave a 1000 l. for the encrease of the Library of Magd. Coll. with books. Five hundred pounds at his death to buy books for the late erected Library at Rochester. Two hundred pounds in his life time for the reparation of Rochester Cathedral, and at his death he bequeathed 800 l. more. To the repair of S. Pauls Cath. Ch. in London he gave 1050 l. To [•] he buying in of impropriations in the Dioc. of Rochester, to be laid to the smallest Vicaridges in the said Dioc. 2000 l. To S. Clem. Danes 20 l, to Bromley where his Bishops seat is, 20 l, and an yearly pension to S. Dionyse Backchurch. By his said last will also he bequeathed 80 l. per an. to issue out of his mannour of Swayton for the maintenance of four Scholars of the Scotch Nation to live and abide in Balliol Coll, to be chosen from time to time by the Archb. of Canterbury and Bishop of Rochester, and each to have 20 l. yearly till they were Masters of Arts, and then to return to their Country and there be Ministers of Gods word, &c. But the Overseers of the said Will being not willing to place the said Scholars in that College, neither the Master and Fellows thereof altogether willing to receive them, thoughts were had of making Glocester Hall a College for them; and thereupon till they should come to a final resolution concerning that matter, the Scholars for the present time were placed there. At length when Dr. Tho. Good became Master of the said Coll. of Balliol, which was in 1672, he took order that they should be translated thither, where they yet remain.