Giles Widdowes

was born at Mickleton in Glocestershire, elected Fellow of Oriel Coll. 1610, being then Bac. of Arts of that House of two years standing, or more. Afterwards he proceeded in that faculty, entred into Orders, and became a noted Preacher. At length being made Rector of S. Martins Church in Oxon, he resign’d his Fellowship in 1621, and lived in the condition of a Commoner for several years in Gloc. Hall, of which he was for the most part of his time Viceprincipal. He was a harmless and honest man, a noted Disputant, well read in the Schoolmen, and as conformable to, and zealous in, the established discipline of the Church of England, as any Person of his time, yet of so odd and strange parts, that few or none could be compared with him. He was also a great enemy to the schismatical Puritan in his Sermons and Writings, which being much offensive to his quondam Pupil Will. Prynne, a controversie therefore fell out between them, an. 1630, and continued for some time very hot, till Prynne was diverted by other matters. He hath written,

The schismatical Puritan: Serm. at Witney concerning the lawfulness of Church authority, for ordaining, &c. on 1. Cor. 14. ver. ult. Oxon. 1630. qu. Which being unadvisedly written, and much displeasing to Dr. Abbot Archb. of Cant. was as scurrilously answer’d by Prynne in his appendix to his Ante Arminisme.

The lawless, kneeless schismatical Puritan. Or, a confutation of the Author of an appendix concerning bowing at the name of Jesus, Oxon. 1631. qu. and other things, as ’tis said, but such I have not yet seen. He was buried in the Chancel of S. Martins Church before-mention’d on the fourth day of Febr. in sixteen hundred forty and five,164 [•] . having been before much valued and beloved, and his high and loyal Sermons frequented, by the Royal Party and Soldiers of the garrison of Oxford, to the poorer sort of whom he was always beneficial, as also ready at all turns to administer to them in their distressed condition.