preaching and writing vigorously. He collected around him a select band of followers, with whom he frequently held meetings for prayer in the vicarage-house. He allowed his house to fall into ruin, and diminished the income of the living by refusing to accept legal tithes, urging that ministers ought to depend solely on voluntary support. In 1660 he left Bray to escape ejection, and retired to Uxbridge, where he continued to preach to his adherents until his death on 29 March 1675. He was buried in Eton Chapel yard near to the grave of his wife Frances, who died on 30 Aug. 1681. His daughter Frances became the second wife of John Oxenbridge [q. v.]
Woodward was the ‘Friend’ who wrote a lengthy ‘Judgment upon Mr. Edwards his Booke, he calleth an Anti-Apologie,’ in response to Samuel Hartlib's ‘Short Letter,’ which was printed in 1644. The ‘Judgement’ is, according to Masson, a ‘real though somewhat hazy and perplexed reasoning for toleration.’ Of forms of prayer he disapproved, and strongly objected to children being taught the Lord's prayer. His ardour for the observance of the Lord's day, and his horror of ‘the cursed liberty for sports,’ probably prompted Hearne to describe him as ‘that most abominable and prophane Fanatick, Hezekiah Woodward.’
Besides the ‘Inquiries’ already mentioned, Woodward's publications include:
- ‘A Child's Patrimony,’ London, 1640.
- ‘Of the Child's Portion’ (continuation of the above), London, 1640, 1649. The long preface to this second part was published separately in 1640 under the title of ‘Vestibulum, or a Manuduction towards a Faire Edifice.’
- ‘A Light to Grammar and all other Arts and Sciences,’ London, 1641.
- ‘A Gate to Science, opened by a Naturall Key,’ London, 1641.
- ‘The Compendious History of Foolish, Wicked, Wise and Good Kings,’ London, 1641, 1716. In 1643 the work appeared under the title of ‘The King's Chronicle,’ in two parts, part i. dealing with the wicked, and part ii. with the good kings.
- ‘The Church's Thank-Offering to God, her King, and the Parliament, for Rich and Ancient Mercies,’ London, 1642 (anon.).
- ‘Three Kingdoms made One by ent'ring Covenant with one God,’ London, 1643.
- ‘The Solemn League and Covenant of Three Kingdoms cleared to the Conscience of Every Man,’ London, 1643.
- ‘The Cause, Use, and Cure of Feare,’ London, 1643.
- ‘As You Were,’ London, 1644 (anon.).
- ‘A Good Souldier maintaining his Militia,’ London, 1644.
- ‘A Dialogue arguing that Archbishops, Bishops, Curates, Neuters, are to be cut off by the Law of God,’ London, 1644; the book was reissued in the same year under the title of ‘The Sentence from Scripture and Reason against Archbishops, Bishops with their Curates.’
- ‘Soft Answers unto Hard Censures,’ London, 1645, in which the treatment received by the ‘Inquiries’ and by the ‘Judgement on the Anti-Apologie’ is described.
- ‘The Lord's Day the Saints' Day, Christmas an Idol-Day,’ London, 1648.
- ‘A Just Account upon the Account of Truth and Peace,’ London, 1656; directed chiefly against the practice of free admission to the Lord's Supper, and the vindication of the practice by John Humfrey [q. v.], London, 1656.
- ‘An Appeal to the Churches of Christ for their Righteous Judgment in the Matters of Christ,’ London, 1656. The seven points or sections were published separately in the same year.
- ‘A Conference of some Christians in Churchfellowship, about the Way of Christ with His People,’ London, 1656.
- ‘A Church-Covenant Lawfull and Needfull,’ London, 1656.
- ‘An Inoffensive Answer to remove Offences,’ London, 1657.
[Woodward's Works; Wood's Athenæ, ed. Bliss, iii. 1034–5, Fasti, ed. Bliss, i. 342; Masson's Milton, iii. 230–1, 293–6; Hist. MSS. Comm. 6th Rep. App. p. 39; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714; Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. x. 506; Cat. of Library at Sion College; Hearne's Collections (Doble), ii. 239; Lords' Journals, vii. 118; information from Miss Hubback and from Alfred de Burgh, esq., of Trinity College Library, Dublin.]
WOODWARD, JOHN (1665–1728), geologist and physician, whose father is said to have sprung from the Woodwards of Deane in Gloucestershire, his mother being descended from the family of Burdett, was born in Derbyshire on 1 May 1665 (cf. Visitation of Gloucestershire, Harl. Soc. pp. 185–6). On leaving school at sixteen he is believed to have been apprenticed to a linendraper in London. About 1684 he came under the notice of Dr. Peter Barwick [q. v.], physician to Charles II, who received him into his house and took him under his tuition in his own family. On 13 Jan. 1692 he was elected professor of physic in Gresham College, and F.R.S. on 30 Nov. 1693. On 4 Feb. 1695 he was created M.D. by Archbishop Thomas Tenison [q. v.], and on 28 June of that year he received the same degree from the university of Cambridge, being at the same time admitted a member of Pembroke Hall (Graduati Cantabr. 1659–1823, p. 528). He was admitted a candidate of the College of Physicians on 25 June
