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Green
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Green

by the fellows. Green took an active but anonymous part in advocating the new regulations proposed by the chancellor of the university. He published his views in a pamphlet entitled 'The Academic, or a Disputation on the State of the University of Cambridge.' On 22 March 1751 he preached the sermon on the consecration of Dr. Keene to the see of Chester, which was afterwards printed. In October 1756 Green was promoted to the deanery of Lincoln, and resigned his professorship of divinity. He thus became eligible for the office of vice-chancellor of Cambridge, to which he was chosen in November following. Green now became one of the numerous writers against the rising sect of the methodists. He published two letters against the 'Principles and Practice of the Methodists' without his name, the first addressed to John Berridge [q. v.], the second to George Whitefield (1761). He had prepared a third letter on the same subject, but the publication of this was prevented by Archbishop Seeker, who probably considered his attacks too severe. Being on a visit to the primate, Green was desired by the archbishop to proceed no further in the controversy, as 'he looked upon the methodists to be a well-meaning set of people.' On the translation of Bishop Thomas to the see of Salisbury, Green, by the influence of his constant patron, the Duke of Newcastle, was promoted to the bishopric of Lincoln (1761). This vacated his other church preferments, but he still retained the mastership of his college. In 1762 Green visited the diocese of Canterbury as proxy for Archbishop Seeker. In 1763 he preached the 30 Jan. sermon before the House of Lords, which, as usual, was printed. In the following year he resigned his mastership at Cambridge. Lord Hardwicke, son of the famous lawyer, was greatly helped in his contest for the stewardship of Cambridge by Green. The bishop had been associated with him as a contributor to the 'Athenian Letters,' supposed to be written by a Persian residing at Athens during the Peloponnesian war (London, 1781). These were republished in a complete form in 1798 (2 vols.)

Green established a considerable literary reputation. The conversaziones of the Royal Society, which used to be held at the house of Lord Willoughby, were transferred to Green's house in Scotland Yard in 1765. His interest at court also continued to be good, as in 1771, on a representation that the revenues of his diocese were too small for his wants, he attained a residentiary canonry at St. Paul's, to be held in commendam. The bishop now removed to his residentiary house in Amen Court, and he also had a house at Edmonton. He does not appear to have resided much in his diocese. In 1772 he distinguished himself in the House of Lords by being the only bishop to vote in favour of the bill for the relief of protestant dissenters, who, as the law then stood, were required to subscribe the doctrinal articles of the church of England. The bill was rejected by 102 to 27, but seven years afterwards was carried. Green died suddenly at Bath on 25 April 1779. He appears to have enjoyed a high position in society, but was not remarkable as a theologian, nor as an active administrator of his diocese.

[Gent. Mag. 1779 p. 234, 1781, p. 624, and 1782 pp. 167, 227; Cat. Grad. Cant.; Nichols's Lit. Anecd. of Eighteenth Cent. vols. viii. ix.; Parl. Hist. vol. xvii.]

G. G. P.


GREEN, JOHN (fl. 1842–1866). [See Townsend, G. H.]


GREEN, JOHN RICHARDS. [See Gifford.]


GREEN, JOHN RICHARD (1837–1883), historian, was the elder son of Richard Green, a citizen of Oxford, and was born in 1837. He was sent to Magdalen College school at the age of eight, and both at home and at school was trained in the strictest tory and high church views. His father died when he was twelve, leaving him to the guardianship of an uncle, which lasted till he was sixteen. The father had by careful exertions left provision for his son's education, an act which the son never ceased to record with grateful affection. From the time when he could read he was scarcely ever without a book in his hands, though his want of verbal memory made school lessons very trying to him. Of an emotional and religious temperament, he was as a boy a fervent and enthusiastic high churchman, and became eagerly interested in the old customs which survived in Magdalen College. He gathered all the information that he could about the meaning of the old-world ways which were left in Oxford, and used to tell in later days how he was awestruck by the venerable look of Dr. Routh, the president of Magdalen, who as a boy had seen Dr. Johnson at Oxford. At the age of fourteen Green wrote an essay on Charles I, in which he incurred the displeasure of his teachers by coming to his own conclusion that Charles I was in the wrong. A few months later he reached the head of the school, and the authorities advised his removal. He was sent to private tutors, first to Dr. Ridgway in Lancashire, and then to Mr. C. D. Yonge at Leamington. He had just reached sixteen when Mr. Yonge sent him up, as a trial of his power, to compete for an open scholarship at Jesus