TAYLOR, JEREMY, "the modern Chrysostona"; born in Cambridge, Eng land (baptized Aug. 15, 1613). He studied as a sizar at Caius College, and took his degree of M.A. in 1633. Shortly after he was admitted to holy orders, and his fine appearance and vivid elo quence soon attracted admiration. He won Laud's favor, and through the in fluence of that prelate was made a fel low of All Soul's College, Oxford. In 1638 he was appointed rector of Upping ham in Rutlandshire. In the civil war, Taylor, whose intellect was impregnably entrenched in reverence for ecclesiastical antiquity, naturally took the royal side, and so lost all his preferments. For many years he lived in retirement in Wales, busily engaged in writing books. In 1658 he went, on the invitation of the Earl of Conway, to Ireland. Immedi ately after the Restoration he was made Bishop of Down and Connor, which see, as also that of Dromore, he held till his death at Lisburne Aug. 13, 1667. Tay lor's writings may be classified as prac tical, theological, casuistic, and devo tional. Under the first head we have a "Life of Christ" (1649), which deals with the main incidents of the gospel narrative, and steers clear of theological discussions; "Holy Living" (1650) and "Holy Dying" (1651), and "Sermons" (1651-1653). To the second class be
long his "Episcopacy Asserted" (1642) a temperate and reasoned defense of the principles of his Church, with which may be classed his "Apology for Author ized and Set Forms of Liturgy," "The Liberty of Prophesying" (1648), "The Doctrine of Repentance, or Unum Neces sarium" (1655), a work condemned by his brethren for its arguments as to the nature of sin, and "Dissuasion from Popery" (1647). His chief casuistic work is his "Ductor Dubitantium" (1660), while his best devotional work is his "Golden Grove" (1655).
His writings are distinguished in their best parts by a sweet, rich, and solemn eloquence and an artless grace of style. Emerson calls him the "Shakespeare of divines." Personally he was a man of a truly Christian disposition and of such a noble charity that he stands out in gra cious contrast to most of his contem poraries.