Griffith Williams

was born in the parish of Llanruc near to Caernarvon in Caernarvonshire, educated in a private School in Caernarvon, applyed his muse to Academical learning in Ch. Church, in the latter end of 1603. aged 16 years, but before he was honoured with a degree, he left that House, and by the perswasions of John Williams (afterwards B. of Lincoln) he removed to Cambridg, where he prefer’d him to a Tutor, patroniz’d him, further’d his entrance into the Ministry, and, after he had attained to the degree of M. of A. got him to be Chaplain to Philip Earl of Montgomery, being about that time also (1614.) Parson of S. Bennet Sherhogg in London. About the time that he was admitted to the reading of the Sentences, he was made Parson of Lhan-Lhechid in Wales, where he received good encouragement in the Ministry from Sir John Wynne Baronet and Sir Rich. Wynne his son, and was infinitely admired for his excellent way in preaching and for his religious life and conversation. He was then accounted a person very well read in scholastical and historical Divinity, as also in the Fathers, Schoolmen and Councils, and therefore it was that he was made one of the Chaplains to K. Ch. 1. he being then D. D. In 1628 he became Prebendary of the eighth Stall in the collegiate Church of Westminster, in the room of Dr. Laud, who till then had kept it in commendam with his Bishopricks, and in 1633 he was made Dean of Banger, (installed therein 28 Mar. 1634.) and Archdeacon of Anglesy; which Deanery had before been enjoyed by Edm. Griffith. Afterwards he was designed to be Tutor to Pr. Charles; but Archb. Laud commending to his Majesty Dr. Duppa for that Employment, our Author Williams (who had been Tutor to the Lord Charles Herbert Son to Philip Earl of Pembroke and Mountgomery, I mean that Charles who died at, or near, Florence, an. 1634.) was then put aside to his great discontent. In 1641, he was, at the motion of his ever honored Lord (the said Earl) made to the King, constituted Bishop of Ossory in Ireland, to which See being consecrated on the [••] of Sept. in the same year, had then leave given to him to keep his Deanery and Archdeaconry in commendam. In the beginning of the Rebellion he adhered to the Cause [〈◊〉] his Majesty, and the first book that he wrot in his [〈◊〉] against the Rebels was his Vindiciae Regum, &c. for which he was fetch’d away from his house at Apethorpe in Northamptonshire by a Troop of Soldiers and carried Prisoner to Northampton, where the Committee, that were appointed by the Parliament to meet and sit there, had the said book in their hands. Afterwards he retired to Oxon, and printed his Discovery of Mysteries; and on that very day he was preaching at S. Maries before the House of Commons, the Soldiers from Northampton went and plunder’d his House, and all his Houshold-stuff at Apethorp, where his Wife and Children then resided, and sequestred his Lands for the use of the Parliament. The next winter following he wrot his Jura Majestatis, and according to his poor abilities, out of the means he had in Wales, he gave unto his Majestys own hands every winter for three years together the testimony of his loyalty and affection to the utmost of his power. Upon the the declining of the Kings cause, this our author being then brought very low, the said Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery offered to procure him a Benefice in Lancashire worth 400 l. per ann. conditionally that he would submit himself to the Parliament, but he refused it, as he did also the importunat invitation of his singular good friend Dr. Williams Archb. of York for the same purpose. Soon after he retired into Wales, where for 12 years together (as he saith) having not one penny of Ecclesiastical means, nor 20 l. per an. in all the world to maintain himself and servants, of any temporal estate, he was forced to live upon a little Tenement, for which he paid 2 l. 10 s. per ann. to Sir Gr. Williams, and 4 l. Land per ann. besides of his own. So that he lived worse than a poor Curat, with oaten-bread, barley-bread, buttermilk and somtimes water, being not able to keep any drop of ale or beer for two lusters of years. He went attir’d in very mean cloaths, (as he farther adds) and was forced to do many servile works himself about his House, Garden and Cattel: And all this he did, as he said, rather than accept of means, benevolence, or maintenance from the Usurpers, Rebels and the Robbers of Christ’s Church. He then also perswaded, as he had done before, some of the Earl of Pembrokes children, who had been his Scholars to adheer to his Majesty, altho their Father was misled to adheer to the Parliament, but they refused. Hen. Cromwell also Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, while his Father was Protector of England, offer’d him, as he did other Irish Bishops an 100 l. per ann. if he, or they, would submit to the then Government and conform in their Ministry, but he scorn’d that motion also, as he farther tells us. After the Kings return in 1660, he was restored to his Bishoprick, Deanery and Archdeaconry, but rose no higher, or was translated to any other place, because the King was informed that he had kept pace with the Parliamenteers, particularly with Philip Earl of Pembroke; and that also he enjoyed his Deanery even in the times of Usurpation, paying a small Rent to the Usurpers, and not only suffered the Deanery House to go to ruine, but helped it forward by selling some of the Wainscot of it; which last is yet frequently reported by the Neighbours at Bangor. Afterwards he retired into Ireland, lived as privately as might be, obtained what he could from the Revenues of his Bishoprick to make Reparations on the Cath. Church belonging thereunto. The Works that he hath written and published are these.

The delights of the Saints. A most comfortable Treatise of grace and peace, &c. Lond. 1622. oct.

Seven Gold Candlesticks or 7 Lights of Christian Religion. Lond. 1627. qu.

The true Church shewed to all men, that desire to be members of the same, in 6. books. Lond. 1629. fol.

The best religion; wherein is largely explained the sum and principal heads of the Gospel. Ibid. 1636. fol. This book contains 24 Sermons at least, which he had formerly preached, and mostly published, besides some treatises, among which is The delights of the Saints, before mention’d.

Vindiciae Regum: or, the grand rebellion, that is a looking glass for Rebels, whereby they may see, how by ten several degrees they shall ascend to the heighth of their design, &c. Oxon. 1643. qu.

The discovery of Mysteries: or, the plots and practices of a private faction in this present Parliament to overthrow the established religion, &c.—Printed 1643. qu.

Jura Majestatis: the rights of Kings both in Church and State; granted 1. By God, 2. Violated by rebels and 3. Vindicated by the truth. Oxon. 1644. qu.

The only way to preserve peace, Sermon at the publick fast 8. March, at S. Maries in Oxon, before the H. of Commons, on Amos 5.6. Oxon. 1644. qu.

The great Antichrist revealed; before this time never discovered: And proved to be neither Pope nor Turk, nor any single Person, nor the succession of any one Monarch, or Tyrant in any policy; but a collected path or multitude of hypocritical, blasphemous and most scandalous wicked men, that have fulfilled all the prophecies of the Scripture, &c. Lond. 1660. fol.

Seven treatises very necessary to be observed in these bad days, to prevent the seven last vials of Gods wrath, that the seven Angels are to pour down upon the earth; Revel. 16. &c. Lond. 1661. fol.

The declaration of the just judgment of God, 1. Upon our late Kings friends. 2. Upon the Kings enemies that rebell’d and warr’d against him, &c.—This is printed at the end of the Seven Treatises, &c.

Four Treatises; suffering of the Saints, burning of Sodom, &c.—Lond. 1667. qu.

Several Sermons, as (1) The happiness of Saints, on Joh. 20.26.—Printed 1657. qu. (2) Gods war with the wicked, Rebels and Murtherers, on Isa. 57.21. (3) The property and prerogative of true Saints, on Joh. 10.27.28. (4) The monstrous murther of the most holy Jesus parallel’d to the murther of Kings. on Acts 7.32. (5) The four chief duties of every Christian man, on 1. Pet. 2.17. (6) The chiefest cause why we should love God, on 1. John 4.19. (7) The lively picture of these hard times, on Jer. 14.10. (8) The grand rebellion, &c. Psal. 106.16. (9) The tragedy of Zimri that slew his King, that was his Master, on 2. Kings 9.31. All these Sermons, (except the first) with others, were printed in folio an. 1662.

Other Sermons, as (1) Description of the four Beasts, explained in 4 Sermons, on Rev. 4.8. Lond. 1663. qu. (2) The ejection of four devils, on Matth. 17.21. Lond. 1664. qu. (3) The saving Serpent, on John 3.14. Ibid. 1664. qu. (4) The monstrous murther of two mighty Kings, on 2. Cor. 24.23. Ibid. 1665. qu. (5) The faithful Shepherd, on Psal. 80.1. Ibid. 1665. qu. (6) The flying Sea, on Psal. 114.5.—Printed 1665. qu. (7) The only way to preserve life, preached before the House of Commons at Oxon, on Amos 5. ver. 6.—Pr. 1666. qu. Besides all these, he hath several other Sermons, which I have not yet seen. He hath also written a book of his sufferings in the time of the grand rebellion, which was published in English, an. 1664, but this neither, have I yet seen. At length this good old Bishop giving way to fate in Feb. or the beginning of March, 1671/2. in sixteen hundred seventy and one, was buried in his Cath. Church at Kilkenny. By his last Will and testam. dat. 16. of Oct. 1671 and proved in the Prerogative Court at Dublin on the eleventh of Apr. following, he bequeathed his Lands in Ireland called Fermoile, worth forty pounds per an. to be setled upon eight poor distressed Widows, for whom he had erected eight several Alms-houses in the Parish of S. Kenny in his Diocess. In the said Will was a passage by him inserted concerning the noble James Duke of Ormonde, L. Lieut, of Ireland for not promoting him, (as ’tis thought) to a higher Bishoprick: Which being esteemed scandalous, was struck out of his Will, when proved.