Eleazar Duncon
Encyclopedia
Eleazar Duncon was an English royalist
divine.
; but took his B.A. degree as a member of Caius College, and was then elected Fellow of Pembroke Hall in 1618. On 13 March 1624-5, being M. A., he was ordained deacon
by William Laud
, then bishop of St. David's, receiving priest's orders from Richard Neile
, at that time bishop of Durham, on 24 September 1626. Neile made him his chaplain, and gave him several valuable preferments.
In January 1628, being then B.D., he was collated to the fifth stall in the church of Durham, obtaining the twelfth stall at Winchester
13 November 1629. On 10 April 1633, having taken his doctor's degree in the previous March, he became rector of Haughton-le-Skerne, Durham. He resigned his stall at Winchester, 24 April 1640, to succeed to the prebend of Knaresborough-cum-Brickhill in York Minster
on the following 1 May. He was also chaplain to the king.
Duncon, who was one of the most learned as well as ablest promoters of Laud's high church policy, was stripped of all his preferments by the parliament, and retired to the continent. In 1651 he was in attendance upon the English court in France
, and officiated with other exiled clergymen in Sir Richard Browne
's chapel at Paris
. During the same year he went to Italy
(Cosin, Correspondence, i. 280), but in November 1655 he was living at Saumur
, busied with a scheme of consecrating bishops. On 28 August 1659 John Cosin
, writing from Paris to William Sancroft
, says of Duncon, 'now all his employment is to make sermon
s before the English merchants at Ligorne and Florence'. According to his friend, Dr. Richard Watson, Duncon died at Leghorn in 1660; in Barnabas Oley
's preface to George Herbert
's A Priest to the Temple he and his brother, John Duncon, are mentioned as having ' died before the miracle of our happy restauration.'
entitled Altar Worship, London, 1661, gave little ground to the Puritan view; a tirade by Daniel Cawdry
, Bowing towards the Altar ... impleaded as grossely Superstitious, London, 1661, came out shortly afterwards. Two of Duncon's letters to John Cosin
from the 1630s are in Additional MS. 4275, ff. 197, 198.
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
divine.
Life
Duncon probably matriculated at Queens' College, CambridgeQueens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...
; but took his B.A. degree as a member of Caius College, and was then elected Fellow of Pembroke Hall in 1618. On 13 March 1624-5, being M. A., he was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
by William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
, then bishop of St. David's, receiving priest's orders from Richard Neile
Richard Neile
Richard Neile was an English churchman, bishop of several English dioceses and Archbishop of York from 1631 until his death.-Early life:...
, at that time bishop of Durham, on 24 September 1626. Neile made him his chaplain, and gave him several valuable preferments.
In January 1628, being then B.D., he was collated to the fifth stall in the church of Durham, obtaining the twelfth stall at Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
13 November 1629. On 10 April 1633, having taken his doctor's degree in the previous March, he became rector of Haughton-le-Skerne, Durham. He resigned his stall at Winchester, 24 April 1640, to succeed to the prebend of Knaresborough-cum-Brickhill in York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
on the following 1 May. He was also chaplain to the king.
Duncon, who was one of the most learned as well as ablest promoters of Laud's high church policy, was stripped of all his preferments by the parliament, and retired to the continent. In 1651 he was in attendance upon the English court in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and officiated with other exiled clergymen in Sir Richard Browne
Sir Richard Browne, 1st Baronet, of Deptford
Sir Richard Browne, 1st Baronet of Deptford was English ambassador to the court of France at Paris from 1641 to 1660....
's chapel at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. During the same year he went to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(Cosin, Correspondence, i. 280), but in November 1655 he was living at Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
, busied with a scheme of consecrating bishops. On 28 August 1659 John Cosin
John Cosin
John Cosin was an English churchman.-Life:He was born at Norwich, and was educated at Norwich grammar school and at Caius College, Cambridge, where he was scholar and afterwards fellow. On taking orders he was appointed secretary to Bishop Overall of Lichfield, and then domestic chaplain to...
, writing from Paris to William Sancroft
William Sancroft
William Sancroft was the 79th Archbishop of Canterbury.- Life :Sancroft was born at Ufford Hall in Fressingfield, Suffolk, son of Francis Sandcroft and Margaret Sandcroft née Butcher...
, says of Duncon, 'now all his employment is to make sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
s before the English merchants at Ligorne and Florence'. According to his friend, Dr. Richard Watson, Duncon died at Leghorn in 1660; in Barnabas Oley
Barnabas Oley
Barnabas Oley was an English churchman and academic. A royalist figure of the First English Civil War, he was also the first editor of George Herbert and Thomas Jackson, and a personal friend of Nicholas Ferrar...
's preface to George Herbert
George Herbert
George Herbert was a Welsh born English poet, orator and Anglican priest.Being born into an artistic and wealthy family, he received a good education that led to his holding prominent positions at Cambridge University and Parliament. As a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, Herbert excelled in...
's A Priest to the Temple he and his brother, John Duncon, are mentioned as having ' died before the miracle of our happy restauration.'
Works
His only known work, 'De Adoratione Dei versus Altare,' his determination for the degree of D.D., 15 March 1633, appears to have been published soon after that date. The arguments were answered in a tract entitled Superstitio Superste. It was reprinted after the author's death by R. Watson, (Cambridge?), 1660, an English version, by I. D., appearing a few months later, London (1661). A reply by Zachary CroftonZachary Crofton
Zachary Crofton was an Anglo-Irish nonconforming minister and controversialist, in England from the 1640s.-Life:He was born in Ireland and principally educated at Dublin. He came to England about 1646. His first living was at Wrenbury in Cheshire, from which he was expelled in 1648 for refusing to...
entitled Altar Worship, London, 1661, gave little ground to the Puritan view; a tirade by Daniel Cawdry
Daniel Cawdry
Daniel Cawdry was an English clergyman, member of the Westminster Assembly, and ejected minister of 1662.-Life:He was the youngest son of Robert Cawdry, and was educated at Sidney Sussex College and Peterhouse, Cambridge. From about 1617 to 1625 he was rector of Little Ilford...
, Bowing towards the Altar ... impleaded as grossely Superstitious, London, 1661, came out shortly afterwards. Two of Duncon's letters to John Cosin
John Cosin
John Cosin was an English churchman.-Life:He was born at Norwich, and was educated at Norwich grammar school and at Caius College, Cambridge, where he was scholar and afterwards fellow. On taking orders he was appointed secretary to Bishop Overall of Lichfield, and then domestic chaplain to...
from the 1630s are in Additional MS. 4275, ff. 197, 198.