John Burges
Encyclopedia
John Burges (1563–1635) was an English clergyman and physician. He held nuanced reformist views on the vexed questions of the time, on clerical dress and church ceremonies. His preaching offended James I of England
, early in his reign, and Burges went abroad for medical training. He spent many years building up a practice, and only resumed a relationship of conformity within the Church of England in the 1620s.
as early as 1590; it has been conjectured that he was a Norfolk
man.
When proceedings were taken against Thomas Cartwright and his supporters, Burges identified with the Puritan
party of Cartwright. He accepted their position on the surplice
and the cross in baptism: they were not unlawful, but they were inexpedient. He left himself in the hands of his congregation; if they would not be scandalised by his wearing the surplice and using the ceremonies, he would conform; if their consciences would be wounded by his submission, he would not. They answered that if he wore the surplice they would not profit by his ministry; and accepting the verdict he resigned.
Not long after this Burges moved into the diocese of Lincoln
, and had for his diocesan William Chadderton, who was translated from Chester in 1595. Chadderton seems to have left him unmolested during the remainder of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Throughout the first year after James I's accession the nonconformist party gave the king no peace. On 16 July 1604 a proclamation was issued requiring all ministers to conform to the new book of ecclesiastical canons before the last day of November following. Burges was regarded as a leading man among the conscientiously disaffected. While the Convocation
was deliberating on the canons he was called upon to explain the ground he took and to preach before the king at Greenwich
on 19 June 1604. Burges chose his text from Psalm cxxii. 8, 9. One particular passage seems to have provoked the king. Burges likened the ceremonies to Vedius Pollio
's glasses, "which were not worth a man's life or livelihood," and for this and other expressions he was sent to the Tower of London
.
He was not kept long in prison; on sending a written copy of his sermon with a letter of submission to the king and another to the lords of the privy council
, he was released. He drew up his Apology, which was addressed to Bishop Chadderton, and sent to him in manuscript; another copy was presented to the king by a friend, Sir Thomas Jermyn of Rushbrooke, Suffolk. The pamphlet was circulated, and William Covell
was ordered to prepare an answer. When the day appointed for arrived, Burges refused to subscribe to the canons, resigned his living, and was silenced; he left England and retired to Leyden, where for the next six or seven years he studied medicine and took the degree of doctor of physic. He seems to have returned to England in 1612 or 1613; in June of the latter year James I wrote a letter to the university of Cambridge complaining that he had been allowed to take the degree of doctor of physic without subscription to the three articles of the 36th canon. The university, in consequence of the king's letter, passed a statute enacting that none should take the doctorate in any faculty without previously subscribing.
Burges had taken up his residence in London, and by a stretch of the royal prerogative
he was prevented from practising physic in London on the ground that he had been in holy orders. He moved to Isleworth
, and rapidly acquired a large and lucrative practice, his patients including Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
. Theodore Mayerne, court physician, defended him, and in June 1616 Francis Bacon
wrote to George Villiers
suggesting that he should intercede for Burges with the king, saying that the doctor was then prepared to subscribe, and desired to resume his ministry.
Burges was elected to a preachership at Bishopsgate
, and six months afterwards he was offered and he accepted the living of Sutton Coldfield
in Warwickshire
, which had been resigned by Edward Chetwynd
on his promotion to the deanery of Bristol in July 1617. On 5 July of that month he preached at Paul's Cross, where the audience included Ralph Winwood
. But at no point did he regain royal favour.
When Sir Horatio Vere went out to engage in the war of the Palatinate in 1620, Burges accompanied him as his chaplain; he does not seem to have remained long with the English force, and he was succeeded by his future son-in-law, William Ames
. In January 1625 Bishop Thomas Morton
collated him to a prebendal stall of Wellington in Lichfield Cathedral
. At Sutton Coldfield he continued to reside till the end of his life, being, as Anthony à Wood writes, "held in much respect among the godly."
On 10 July 1627 Burges was one of fifty-nine Cambridge men who incorporated at Oxford, regarded then as a conformist to the church of England.' Four years after this he published his last work. Burges died 31 August 1635, and was buried in the chancel of Sutton Coldfield church, where a monument exists to his memory. He perhaps never quite relinquished his medical practice, and as late as August 1634 he was admitted an extra licentiate of the College of Physicians
.
, whose works he edited in folio in 1624. By her he had at least three daughters, one of them married to William Ames.
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, early in his reign, and Burges went abroad for medical training. He spent many years building up a practice, and only resumed a relationship of conformity within the Church of England in the 1620s.
Life
He was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, and graduated at that university as B.A. in 1586. He was rector of the small living of St. Peter Hungate in NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
as early as 1590; it has been conjectured that he was a Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
man.
When proceedings were taken against Thomas Cartwright and his supporters, Burges identified with the Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
party of Cartwright. He accepted their position on the surplice
Surplice
A surplice is a liturgical vestment of the Western Christian Church...
and the cross in baptism: they were not unlawful, but they were inexpedient. He left himself in the hands of his congregation; if they would not be scandalised by his wearing the surplice and using the ceremonies, he would conform; if their consciences would be wounded by his submission, he would not. They answered that if he wore the surplice they would not profit by his ministry; and accepting the verdict he resigned.
Not long after this Burges moved into the diocese of Lincoln
Diocese of Lincoln
The Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire.- History :...
, and had for his diocesan William Chadderton, who was translated from Chester in 1595. Chadderton seems to have left him unmolested during the remainder of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Throughout the first year after James I's accession the nonconformist party gave the king no peace. On 16 July 1604 a proclamation was issued requiring all ministers to conform to the new book of ecclesiastical canons before the last day of November following. Burges was regarded as a leading man among the conscientiously disaffected. While the Convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
was deliberating on the canons he was called upon to explain the ground he took and to preach before the king at Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
on 19 June 1604. Burges chose his text from Psalm cxxii. 8, 9. One particular passage seems to have provoked the king. Burges likened the ceremonies to Vedius Pollio
Vedius Pollio
Publius Vedius Pollio was a Roman equestrian of the 1st century BC, and a friend of the Roman emperor Augustus, who appointed him to a position of authority in the province of Asia. In later life he became known for his luxurious tastes and cruelty to his slaves – when they displeased him,...
's glasses, "which were not worth a man's life or livelihood," and for this and other expressions he was sent to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
.
He was not kept long in prison; on sending a written copy of his sermon with a letter of submission to the king and another to the lords of the privy council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
, he was released. He drew up his Apology, which was addressed to Bishop Chadderton, and sent to him in manuscript; another copy was presented to the king by a friend, Sir Thomas Jermyn of Rushbrooke, Suffolk. The pamphlet was circulated, and William Covell
William Covell
-Life:He was born in Chadderton, Lancashire, England, and proceeded M.A. at Queens' College, Cambridge in 1588.In the 1590s Covell took part in the controversy about how far the newly-reformed Church of England should abandon the liturgy and hierarchy of the past, to which debate he contributed...
was ordered to prepare an answer. When the day appointed for arrived, Burges refused to subscribe to the canons, resigned his living, and was silenced; he left England and retired to Leyden, where for the next six or seven years he studied medicine and took the degree of doctor of physic. He seems to have returned to England in 1612 or 1613; in June of the latter year James I wrote a letter to the university of Cambridge complaining that he had been allowed to take the degree of doctor of physic without subscription to the three articles of the 36th canon. The university, in consequence of the king's letter, passed a statute enacting that none should take the doctorate in any faculty without previously subscribing.
Burges had taken up his residence in London, and by a stretch of the royal prerogative
Royal Prerogative
The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognized in common law and, sometimes, in civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the sovereign alone. It is the means by which some of the executive powers of government, possessed by and...
he was prevented from practising physic in London on the ground that he had been in holy orders. He moved to Isleworth
Isleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
, and rapidly acquired a large and lucrative practice, his patients including Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford was a major aristocratic patron of the arts and literature in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras...
. Theodore Mayerne, court physician, defended him, and in June 1616 Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
wrote to George Villiers
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
suggesting that he should intercede for Burges with the king, saying that the doctor was then prepared to subscribe, and desired to resume his ministry.
Burges was elected to a preachership at Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate is a road and ward in the northeast part of the City of London, extending north from Gracechurch Street to Norton Folgate. It is named after one of the original seven gates in London Wall...
, and six months afterwards he was offered and he accepted the living of Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, which had been resigned by Edward Chetwynd
Edward Chetwynd
-Life:A native of Ingestre in Staffordshire, he entered Exeter College, Oxford, in 1592, where he graduated B.A. in 1595, M.A. in 1598, and B.D. in 1606. He was chosen lecturer to the Corporation of Abingdon in 1606, and in the following year lecturer to the Corporation of Bristol. In 1613 he was...
on his promotion to the deanery of Bristol in July 1617. On 5 July of that month he preached at Paul's Cross, where the audience included Ralph Winwood
Ralph Winwood
Sir Ralph Winwood was an English diplomat and politician.-Life:He was born at Aynhoe in Northamptonshire and educated at St John's College, Oxford....
. But at no point did he regain royal favour.
When Sir Horatio Vere went out to engage in the war of the Palatinate in 1620, Burges accompanied him as his chaplain; he does not seem to have remained long with the English force, and he was succeeded by his future son-in-law, William Ames
William Ames
William Ames was an English Protestant divine, philosopher, and controversialist...
. In January 1625 Bishop Thomas Morton
Thomas Morton (bishop)
Thomas Morton was an English churchman, bishop of several dioceses.-Early life:Morton was born in York on 20 March 1564. He was brought up and grammar school educated in the city and nearby Halifax. In 1582 he became a pensioner at St John's College, Cambridge from which he graduated with a BA in...
collated him to a prebendal stall of Wellington in Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
. At Sutton Coldfield he continued to reside till the end of his life, being, as Anthony à Wood writes, "held in much respect among the godly."
On 10 July 1627 Burges was one of fifty-nine Cambridge men who incorporated at Oxford, regarded then as a conformist to the church of England.' Four years after this he published his last work. Burges died 31 August 1635, and was buried in the chancel of Sutton Coldfield church, where a monument exists to his memory. He perhaps never quite relinquished his medical practice, and as late as August 1634 he was admitted an extra licentiate of the College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
.
Family
Burges married Dorothy, daughter of Thomas WilcoxThomas Wilcox
Thomas Wilcox was a British Puritan clergyman and controversialist.-Life:In 1571, with John Field he authored the Admonition to the Parliament, that called for the removal of Bishops and ecclesiastical hierarchy. Wilcox and Field were imprisoned for one year for this...
, whose works he edited in folio in 1624. By her he had at least three daughters, one of them married to William Ames.