REYNER, CLEMENT, D.D. (1589–1651), abbot of Lambspring or Lansperg in Germany, born in Yorkshire in 1589, made his profession as a Benedictine monk in the monastery of St. Laurence at Dieulward in Lorraine in 1610, and pursued his studies in St. Gregory's monastery at Douay. Subsequently he was sent to the English mission, and he was suffering imprisonment in his native county, on account of his sacerdotal character, on 1 April 1618. On his release he was employed in reforming the great monastery of St. Peter at Ghent. He graduated D.D. probably at Douay, and acted as secretary to the president of his order from 1621 to 1629. Being sent to Germany to negotiate the transfer of monasteries from the Bursfeld congregation, he was for half a year superior of the monastery of Rinteln, and was subsequently president-general of his order from 1635 to 1641. At the ninth general chapter held in 1643 he was declared the first abbot of Lambspring. He died at Hildesheim on 17 March 1650–1 (Snow, Necrology, p. 52). His remains were taken to Lambspring in 1692, and buried in the church there.
To Reyner bibliographers always attribute the authorship of the valuable historical work entitled ‘Apostolatus Benedictinorum in Anglia, sive Disceptatio Historica de Antiquitate Ordinis Congregationisque Monachorum Nigrorum S. Benedicti in regno Angliæ,’ Douay, 1626, fol. The materials for this work were collected by Father David Baker [q. v.] His friend, Father John Jones, D.D. (1575–1636) [q. v.], alias Leander à S. Martino, reduced the mass of materials into respectable latinity, and they left Reyner to edit the work, so that it passes for being finished ‘operâ et industriâ R. P. Clementis Reyneri.’ In the dedication to Cardinal Bentivoglio, Reyner candidly says: ‘Non author operis sum, sed jussu congregationis editor et dedicator’ (Dodd, Church Hist. ed. Tierney, iv. 97 n.)
A contemporary, William Reyner (fl. 1619), who was educated in Paris at the charge of his relative, Richard Smith (1566–1655) [q. v.], and afterwards resided at Arras College in Paris, published translations into Latin of the following: (1) Brereley's ‘Protestant Apology,’ Paris, 1615; (2) Stapleton's ‘Fortress of Faith,’ 1619; (3) Stapleton's ‘Protestancy and its Authors’ (Dodd, Church History, ii. 379).
[Dodd's Church Hist. 1st edit. ii. 408; Duthillœul's Bibl. Douaisienne, 2nd edit. p. 199; Gillow's Biogr. Dict. iii. 665; Notes and Queries, 7th ser. x. 268, 349; Oliver's Catholic Religion in Cornwall, pp. 493, 503, 522, 535; Petre's Notices of English Colleges, p. 33; Rambler (1850), vii. 426; Weldon's Chronological Notes, p. 91.]
REYNER, EDWARD (1600–1668), ejected minister, was born in the parish of Morley, near Leeds, in 1600. Tobie Matthew [q. v.], archbishop of York, took some notice of him as a boy, and foretold that he would rise to distinction. A pious youth, he attended the monthly exercises at Leeds, Pudsey, and Halifax, and heard numerous sermons. After graduating B.A. in 1620 from St. John's College, Cambridge (M.A. 1624), he taught in a school at Aserby, Lincolnshire, and afterwards took charge of the Countess of Warwick's school at Market Rasen. At the close of four years Lady Warwick gave him a lectureship which she supported at Welton. Thence he was invited to Lincoln, where he remained nearly forty years. He was appointed lecturer at St. Benedict's on 13 Aug. 1626, and on 26 Feb. 1627 was presented by the king to the rectory of St. Peter at Arches, to which the vicarage of St. Benedict's was attached.
Despite Reyner's refusal to conform to all the ceremonies, his eloquence drew to his church the chancellor of the cathedral and other officials. He preached during the visitations of Bishop John Williams, and was collated to the prebend of St. Botolph's at Lincoln on 10 Sept. 1635. In 1639 he declined the offer of the pastorate of the English congregation at Arnhem, Holland. In the same year orders were sent him from the ecclesiastical court to certify quarterly, or as often as required, of his conformity to the common prayer.
After suffering much indignity, Reyner escaped from Lincoln during the royalist occupation. For a time he preached at Yarmouth on Sundays. But he soon settled at Norwich, and gave two week-day lectures at St. Andrew's Church in that city (1643-1645). He returned to Lincoln on 29 Oct. 1645 on receipt of a call under the seal of the corporation, and of an order from the Westminster assembly of divines. He preached regularly at St. Peter's in the morning, and at the cathedral in the afternoon, adopting the congregationalist system. His sermons were chiefly directed against antinomianism and anabaptism. During the siege of Newark Reyner preached to the parliamentary army on the fast day appointed for 27 March 1646, and the sermon was printed (London, 1646, 8vo). He did not take the 'engagement' but agreed to the Savoy confession of faith. He was ejected from his benefice in 1662, but appears to have remained at Lincoln, where he died before May 1668. By his wife
