John Graile

John Graile, A.M.—This worthy minister was born in Gloucestershire, in the year 1614, and educated in Magdalen college, Oxford. Upon his leaving the university, he became a famous puritanical preacher; and, about the year 1645, succeeded Mr. George Holmes as master of the free-school at Guildford in Surrey. Towards the close of this year, he married the daughter of Mr. Henry Scudder; and, the year following, he lived at Collingborn-Dukes in Wiltshire, where he was most probably exercised in the ministerial function. Afterwards he became rector of Tidworth in Hampshire, where he was much followed by the precise and godly party, as they are contemptuously called. Wood says " he was a presbyterian, but tinged with arminianism."+ Whether he was or was not tinged with arminianism, we shall not undertake to determine; but in his work entitled " A modest Vindication of the Doctrine of Conditions in the Covenant of Grace, and the Defenders thereof, from the Aspersions of Arminianism and Popery," 1655, he certainly labours much to repel the charge. He was a man of great learning, humility, integrity, and christian circumspection; and a pious, faithful, and laborious minister of Christ, being ever opposed to the use of superstitious ceremonies, lie lived much

» Gross's Blossomings of Old Truths, Pref. + Wood's Alhcna Oxon. vol. ii. p. 105.

respected, and died greatly lamented.* During his last sickness, when afflicted with extreme pain, he discovered becoming submission to the will of God. He said, " I could be contented, if the Lord see it good, to abide a while in this condition, amongst these poor people. It may be, I shall do more good amongst them, in my sickness, than they have received from all my labours dming the time of my health."+ He died in the year 1654, and the foitieth of his age. His remains were interred in Tidworth church, when Dr. Chambers preached his funeral seimon to a very numerous congregation. This sermon was afteiwauls pubhshed, from which part of the above account is collected.