Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Rogers, Henry (1585?-1658)
ROGERS, HENRY (1585?–1658), theologian, born in Herefordshire about 1585, was son of a clergyman. He matriculated from Jesus College, Oxford, on 15 Oct. 1602, and graduated B.A. 21 Oct. 1605, M.A. 30 May 1608, B.D. 13 Dec. 1616, D.D. 22 Nov. 1637. He became a noted preacher, and was successively rector of Moccas from 1617, and of Stoke-Edith from 1618, and vicar of Foy from 1636 to 1642, and of Dorstone—all are in Herefordshire. He was installed in the prebend of Pratum Majus of Hereford Cathedral on 28 Nov. 1616 (Le Neve, Fasti), and in 1638 became lecturer, apparently in Hereford, through the influence of Secretary Sir John Coke and of George Coke, then bishop of Hereford. Laud gave testimony that Rogers was ‘of good learning and conformable’ (Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rep. ii. 199, 200, 208). Rogers also had the reputation of being an eminent schoolmaster. In the convocation of 1640 ‘he showed himself an undaunted champion’ for the king (Walker, Sufferings of the Clergy, i. 35, ii. 343). On the surprise of Hereford by the parliamentary forces (December 1645), Rogers was imprisoned and deprived of his prebend, and on 17 Dec. 1646 of his rectory of Stoke-Edith. He subsequently experienced great straits, though ‘sometimes comforted by the secret munificence of John, lord Scudamore, and the slenderer gifts of the loyal gentry’ (Walker, ubi supra; cf. Calendar of Committee for Compounding, v. 3239). He died in 1658, and was buried under the parson's seat in Withington church on 15 June 1658.
Rogers wrote:
- ‘An Answer to Mr. Fisher the Jesuit his five propositions concerning Luther, by Mr. Rogers, that worthy Oxford divine, with some passages also of the said Mr. Rogers with the said Mr. Fisher. Hereunto is annexed Mr. W. C. [i.e. William Crashaw [q. v.] ], his dialogue of the said argument, wherein is discovered Fisher's folly’ [London?], 1623, 4to.
- ‘The Protestant church existent, and their faith professed in all ages and by whom, with a catalogue of councils in all ages who professed the same,’ London, 1638, 4to; dedicated to George Coke, bishop of Hereford.
[Wood's Athenæ, ed. Bliss, iii. 31; Rogers's works; information kindly sent by the Rev. Thomas Prosser Powell, rector of Dorstone, and the Rev. Charles S. Wilton, rector of Foy; Havergal's Fasti Herefordenses.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.238
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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