covered uncommon zeal, constancy, and popularity in his ministerial labours. In the year 1572, he became prebendary of Durham; the year following, upon the resignation of Mr. Ralph Lever, he was made archdeacon of Northumberland; and in 1578, he became rector of Ryton, in the bishopric of Durham. Though he obtained these preferments, he did not hold them all at the same time, but in succession. Upon his going into the north, the Bishops Pilkington and Barns, successively of Durham, shewed him great favour, and his labours were rendered particularly useful. The former of these prelates was a great friend to the puritans and silenced nonconformists. He often took them under his patronage and protection. He connived at their nonconformity; and, to the utmost of his power, promoted, encouraged, and sheltered them from the storm. Such appears to have been the conduct of this generous prelate towards Mr. Bunney. Wood says "he was very zealous in his way, (meaning the way of puritanism;) a great admirer of John Calvin, a constant preacher, and much given to charity; but a stiff enemy to popery." He died at Ryton, April 16, 1617, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. His remains were interred in the chancel of the church at that place; and upon the wall over his grave is a monumental inscription on a brass plate, the first stanza of which is the following: My bark now having won the haven, I fear no stormy seas; God is my hope, my home is heaven, Mr. Bunney, by his last will and testament, bequeathed thirty-three pounds to Magdalen college, Oxford, and one hundred pounds towards the erection of new colleges in that university. He was brother to Mr. Edmund Bunney, another puritan divine, whose memorial is given in the following article. His WORKS.-1. A Survey and Trial of the Pope's Supremacy, 1590. -2. A Comparison between the ancient Faith of the Romans and the new Romish Religion, 1595.-3. Answer to a Popish Libel, called A Petition to the Bishops, Preachers, and Gospellers, 1607.-4. Exposition on Romans iii. 28, wherein is manifestly proved the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, 1616.-5. A plain and familiar Exposition of the Ten Commandments, 1617.-6. In Joelis Prophetiam enarratio, The last was left in manuscript, and probably never published. * Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 355, 740. + Strype's Annals, vol, iii, p. 355. Athena Oxon. vol. i. p. 355. EDMUND BUNNEY, B. D.-This zealous minister was born at Vach, near Chalfont St. Giles, in Buckinghamshire, in the year 1540, and educated in the university of Oxford; where, on account of his great knowledge of logic and philosophy, he was elected probationer fellow of Magdalen college. He was the son of Mr. Richard Bunney of Newton, usually called Bunney-hall, near Wakefield in Yorkshire. His father, designing him for the law, removed him from the university, and sent him to the inns of court, where he continued about four years, Mr. Bunney, not liking the law, resolved to study divinity, for which his father cast him off, and disinherited him. Upon this he returned to Oxford, and in 1565, was elected fellow of Merton college, and admitted to the reading of the sentences. There was not at this time a single preacher in his college, and the greatest scarcity through the whole university; but Mr. Bunney was chosen preacher to the society. In this situation, he soon became a very eminent, constant, and popular preacher. He used frequently to visit the university, for many years after he left it; when he was constantly engaged in preaching; and, by his sound doctrine and holy life, was the means of doing unspeakable good, especially among the scholars. He also travelled like an apostle, over most parts of England, every where preaching the word. Hereby he incurred the displeasure and censure of many. But, to acquit himself of all blame, he wrote " A Defence of his Labour in the Work of the Ministry." This he dispersed among his friends, though it does not appear that it was ever published. But because he was a thorough Calvinist, and a zealous puritan, Wood denominates him "a busy, forward, and conceited man, and a most fluid preacher." According to this writer, he seldom or never studied his sermons, but prayed and preached extempore; and, in the opinion of many, was troubled with the divinity squirt: and, he adds, that, by the liberties which he took in his preaching, he did a great deal of harm. The same author, indeed, styles him "an excellent writer, an eminent preacher, and a learned theologist." Mr. Strype calls him "an eminent writer and divine." About the year 1570, Mr. Bunney became chaplain to Grindal, Archbishop of York, who gave him a prebend in * Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 364. + Wood's Hist. and Antiq. of Oxon. vol. ii. p. 152. Ibid. p. 395, 717.-Hist, and Antiq. vol. ii. p. 152. that church, and the rectory of Bolton-Percy, near the city of York. After holding the rectóry twenty-five years, he resigned the living, when he was made sub-dean of York. He died at Cawood in that county, February 26, 1617, aged fifty-seven years. His remains were interred in the south aisle joining to the choir of the cathedral of York; and over his grave is his effigy carved in stone and fixed in the wall, with a monumental inscription to his memory, of which the following is a translation: EDMUND BUNNEY, born of the ancient and noble family of the Bunneys, and once Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, a very worthy Prebendary of St. Paul's, London; and St. Mary's, Carlisle. He spent a great part of his time in going about He died February 26, in the year 1617. His WORKS.-1. The Summ of the Christian Religion, 1576.— 2. An Abridgment of John Calvin's Institutions, 1580.--3. A Treatise of Purification, 1584.-4. The Coronation of King David, 1588.-5, A necessary Admonition out of the Prophet Joel, concerning the hand of God that late was upon us, and is not clean taken off as yet, 1588. -6. A brief Answer to those idle and frivolous Quarrels of R. P. (Robert Parsons) against the late edition of the Resolution, 1589.7. Divorce for Adultery, and Marrying again, that there is no sufficient Warrant so to do, 1610.-8. The Corner Stone; or, a form of Teaching Jesus Christ out of the Scriptures, 1611. EUSEBIUS PAGET.-This excellent divine was born at Cranford in Northamptonshire, about the year 1542, and educated in Christ's Church, Oxford. He went to the university at twelve years of age, and became an excellent logician and philosopher. During his abode at Oxford, he broke his right arm, and was lame of it ever after. Removing from the university, he became vicar of Oundle, and rector of Langton, in his native county, but was exceedingly harassed on account of his nonconformity. Bridges's Hist. of Northamptonshire, vol. i. p. 366, January 29, 1573, he was cited before Scambler, bishop of Peterborough, who first suspended him for the space of three weeks, then deprived him of his living, worth a hundred pounds a year. Several others were suspended and deprived at the same time, because they could not, with a good conscience, subscribe to certain promises and engagements proposed to them by the bishop. Upon their deprivation, they presented a supplication to the queen and parliament, for their restoration to their beloved ministry; but to no purpose: They must subscribe, or be buried in silence. A circumstantial account of these intolerant proceedings will be found in another place.+ In the year 1576, Mr. Paget was exercised with new oppressions. His unfeeling persecutors, not content with depriving him of his ministry and his living, ordered him to be taken into, custody, and sent up to London. He was, therefore, apprehended, with Mr. John Oxenbridge, another leading person in the associations in Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, and they were both carried prisoners to the metropolis, by a special order from Archbishop Grindal. It does not, however, appear how long they were kept in custody, nor what further persecutions they suffered. Mr. Paget was afterwards preferred to the rectory of Kilkhampton in Cornwall. Upon his presentation to the benefice, he acquainted both his patron and ordinary, that he could not, with a good conscience, observe all the rites, ceremonies, and orders appointed in the Book of Common Prayer; when they generously promised, that, if he would accept the cure, he should not be urged to the precise observation of them. On these conditions, he accepted the charge, and was regularly admitted and inducted. He was a lame man; but, in the opinion of Mr. Strype," a learned, peaceable, and good divine, who had formerly complied with the customs and devotions of the church, and had been indefatigable in the ministry." But Mr. Farmer, curate of Barnstaple, envying his popu * Dr. Edmund Scambler, successively bishop of Peterborough and Norwich, was the first pastor of the protestant congregation in London, in the reign of Queen Mary; but was compelled, on account of the severity of persecution, to relinquish the situation. He was a learned man, very zealous against the papists, and probably driven into a state of exile: but, surely, he forgot his former circumstances when he became a zealous persecutor of his brethren in the days of Queen Elizabeth. + See Art. Arthur Wake. § MS. Register, p. 572. Strype's Grindal, p. 215, 216. larity, complained of him to the high commission; when the following charges were exhibited against him: That in his prayers he never mentioned the queen's supremacy over both estates.-That he had said the sacraments were only dumb elements, and would not avail without the word preached. That he had preached that Christ did not descend, both body and soul, into hell.-That the pope might set up the feast of jubilee, as well as the feasts of Easter and Pentecost.-That holy days and fast days were only the inventions of men, which we are not obliged to follow. That he disallowed of the use of organs in divine worship. That he called ministers who did not preach, dumb dogs; and those who have two benefices, knaves.And that he preached that the late Queen Mary was a detestable woman, and a wicked Jezebel." These were the crimes exhibited against our divine; though upon his appearance before Archbishop Whitgift and other commissioners, January 11, 1584, he was charged only in the common form, with refusing to observe the Book of Common Prayer, and the ecclesiastical rites and ceremonies; to which he made the following reply:+ "I do acknowledge, that by the statute of the 1 Eliz. I am bound to use the said Book of Common Prayer, in such manner and form as is prescribed, or else abide by such pains as by the law are imposed upon me. I have not refused to use the Common Prayer, or to minister the sacraments, in such order as the book appoints, though I have not used all the rites, ceremonies, and orders set forth in the said book. 1. Because, to my knowledge, there is no Common Prayer Book in the church. 2. Because I am informed, that you, before whom I stand, and mine ordinary, and greatest part of the other bishops and ministers, do use greater liberty in omitting and altering the said rites, ceremonies, and orders. 3. Because I am not resolved in my conscience, that I may use divers of them. 4. Because, when I took the charge of that church, I was promised by mine ordinary, that I should not be urged to such ceremonies; which, I am informed, he might do by law. "In those things which I have omitted, I have done nothing obstinately; neither have I used any other rite, ceremony, order, form, or manner of administration of the sacraments or open prayers, than is mentioned in the said book; although there are some things which I doubt *MS. Register, p. 574, 575. + Ibid, p. 570. |