Richard Rogers (1550?–1618) was an English clergyman, a nonconformist under both Elizabeth I and James I.

Life

He was born in 1550 or 1551 to John Rogers (died 1558) and Agnes Carter (1500–1559). Family tradition in the 17th century claimed that he was the son or grandson of the steward to the

earls of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation ...

, but since there was no Earl of Warwick during that time, genealogists have disproved this claim. He matriculated as a

sizar At Trinity College, Dublin and the University of Cambridge, a sizar is an undergraduate who receives some form of assistance such as meals, lower fees or lodging during his or her period of study, in some cases in return for doing a defined j ...

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...

, in November 1565, and graduated B.A. 1571, M.A. 1574. He was appointed lecturer at Wethersfield, Essex, about 1577. In 1583 he, with twenty-six others, petitioned the

privy council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, 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 m ...

against Archbishop

John Whitgift John Whitgift (c. 1530 – 29 February 1604) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 8 ...

's three articles, and against Bishop Aylmer's proceedings on them at his visitation. Whitgift suspended all the petitioners. After a suspension of eight months Rogers resumed his preaching, and was restored to his ministry through the intervention of Sir Robert Wroth. Rogers espoused the presbyterian movement under Thomas Cartwright, and signed the ''

Book of Discipline A Book of Discipline (or in its shortened form Discipline) is a book detailing the beliefs, standards, doctrines, canon law, and polity of a particular Christian denomination. They are often re-written by the governing body of the church concern ...

''. He is mentioned by

Richard Bancroft Richard Bancroft (1544 – 2 November 1610) was an English churchman, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1604 to 1610 and "chief overseer" of the King James Bible. Life Bancroft was born in September 1544 at Farnworth, now part of Widnes, Ch ...

as one of a classis round Braintree side, together with Culverwell, Gifford, and others. In 1598 and 1603 he was accordingly again in trouble; on the former occasion before the ecclesiastical commission, and on the latter for refusing the oath ex officio. He owed his restoration to the influence of

William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury, KG, PC (1544 – 25 May 1632) was an English nobleman at the court of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. Biography He was the son of Sir Francis Knollys, of Greys Court in Oxfordshire, and of Readin ...

. Under the episcopate of Richard Vaughan,

bishop of London A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

between 1604 and 1607, he enjoyed considerable freedom; but under Vaughan's successor, Thomas Ravis, he was again in trouble. Rogers died at Wethersfield on 68 April 1618, and was buried in the churchyard. Rogers was the father of Daniel Rogers and Ezekiel Rogers. He was succeeded at Wethersfield by Stephen Marshall.

Works

Rogers wrote: *''Seaven treatises containing such directions as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures'', 1603; 2nd edit. London, 1605, dedicated to King James; 4th edit. 1627, 2 parts; 5th edit. 1630. An abbreviated version, called ''The Practice of Christianity'', is dated 1618, and was often reissued. This was an early Puritan work addressing the Christian life. The introduction mentions the ''Christian Directory'' of Robert Persons, and the ''Exercise of a Christian Life'' by Gaspar Loarte, offering the book as a Protestant alternative. *''A garden of spirituall flowers, planted by R

chard Chard or Swiss chard (; ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf bla ...

gers Gers (; oc, Gers or , ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southwestern France. Named after the Gers River, its inhabitants are called the ''Gersois'' and ''Gersoises'' in French. In 2019, it had a population of 191,377.

W llP rkins R

G eenham M. M., and G orgeW bbe', London, 1612, 1622, 1632, 1643 (2 parts), 1687 (2 parts). *''Certaine Sermons, directly tending to these three ends, First, to bring any bad person (that hath not committed the same that is unpardonable) to true conversion; secondly, to establish and settle all such as are converted in faith and repentance; thirdly, to leade them forward (that are so settled) in the Christian life . . . whereunto are annexed divers . . . sermons of Samuel Wright, B.D.'', London, 1612. *''A Commentary upon the whole book of Judges, preached first and delivered in sundrie lectures'', London, 1615, dedicated to

Sir Edward Coke ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only a ...

. *''Samuel's encounter with Saul, 1 Sam. chap. xv'', London, 1620.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Richard 16th-century English Puritan ministers English Jacobean nonconforming clergy 1550 births 1618 deaths Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge 17th-century English clergy