Francis Rous (1579–1659)

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Biography of Francis Rous (1579-1659):

As it stands today, there is no full biography of Mr. Francis Rous (1579–1659). What we know of him comes from fragments in Cornwall, Eton and documents surrounding the House of Commons. He was a puritan, the son of Sir Anthony Rous of Halton St. Dominick, Cornwall, by his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Southcote. He was born at Dittisham, Devonshire, in 1579. He attended Broadgates Hall, Oxford, and graduated with a B.A. on January 31, 1596-7. While little is ever spoken about concerning the next college he attended, Rous also graduated at the University of Leyden on February 10, 1598-9.

In 1601 he went to Landrake, Cornwall, to occupy himself with intense theological study. He wrote three works of note that stemmed from this time of spiritual study. First, “Meditations of Instruction, of Exhortation, of Reprofe: endeavouring the Edification and Reparation of the House of God,” London, 1616. Next came, “The Art of Happiness, consisting of three Parts, whereof the first searcheth out the Happinesse of Man, the second particularly discovers and approves it, the third sheweth the Meanes to attayne and increase it,” London, 1619 (also edited in 1631). Then two works followed: “Diseases of the Time attended by their Remedies,” 1622, and “Oil of Scorpions,” in 1623. With these works he was established among the puritans with a reputation of being a sound puritan divine.

In 1626 he wrote a reply to Richard Montagu’s work, “Appello Caesarem,” titled “Testis Veritatis. The Doctrine of King James, our late Soveraigne of Famous Memory, of the Church of England, of the Catholicke Church plainly shewed to be one in the points of Predestination, Freewill, Certaintie of Salvation. With a Discovery of the Grounds both Natural and Politicke of Arminianisme,” London. (See the quote above.) He then wrote an exhortation to the nation at large, called, “The only Remedy that can Cure a People when all other Remedies Faile,” London. Later he further distinguished himself by his passionate writings on Dr. Roger Manwaring’s Arminianism, and popery.

In the Long parliament Rous opened the debate on the legality of Laud’s new canons as the practical Calvinist on December 9, 1640, and presented the articles of impeachment against Dr. Cosin on March 15, 1640-1. When the Westminster Assembly convened on June 12, 1643, he was nominated as one of its lay assessors, and on September 23rd he took the covenant (RUSHWORTH, Historical Collections, pt. iii. vol. ii. pp. 337-480). On Feb. 10, 1644 he was appointed provost of Eton College. He was also chairman of the committee for ordination of ministers constituted on October 2nd.

At the outset, Rous had been a staunch adherent to Presbyterianism (at least most considered him as such), but in 1649 he changed his view to Independency and went to that party. In Ballie’s Letters (2:97), Ballie himself states that by 1645 Rous had defected to the “sectaries.” But there is still some debate that Rous remained a “tolerant Presbyterian,” which would have placed him at odds with the rigid Presbyterians (such as Samuel Rutherford, Thomas Edwards and Ephraim Pagitt). In February to March 1651-1652 he served on the committee for propagation of the gospel, and framed a polity for a state church on with congregationalism in mind, though it failed politically. It was again resuscitated by the Little parliament, of which he was speaker (July 5 to December 12 1653). Yet again, it did not meet with success. At that assembly, Rous was sworn as the Protector’s council of state. On March 20th 1653-4 he was placed on the committee for approval of public preachers. He was also appointed to a committee on April 9, 1656 to discuss the question of the kingship with Oliver Cromwell, by whom he was created a lord of parliament in December 1657. Rous died at Acton and was buried on January 24, 1659, at Eton College chapel. Portraits of him are at Pembroke College, Oxford, and Eton College (cf. Catalogue First Loan Exhibition at South Kensington, p. 132). An engraving by Faithorne is prefixed to the 1657 edition of his “Treatises and Meditations.” By his will, dated March 18, 1657-8, he founded three scholarships at Pembroke College.

A point of some contention with Rous’ experimental piety was of his subjectivism in his works, “Mystical Marriage: or Experimental Discourses of the Heavenly Marriage betweene a Soule and her Saviour,” London, 1635 and his, “Heavenly Academic,” London, 1638. These works were published in a collected edition of his, “Treatises and Meditations,” London, 1657.

Other works by Rous, all of which appeared in London, are the following:

1. A religious and worthy speech spoken by Mr. Rouse in Parliament. Concerning the goods, libertjes, and lives, of his Majesties subjects (1641) by Francis Rous
2. Catholick charitie (1641) by Francis Rous
3. Diseases of the time, attended by their remedies (1622) by Francis Rous
4. Interiora regni Dei (1655) by Francis Rous
5. Meditations of instrvction, of exhortation, of reprofe (1616) by Francis Rous
6. Mr. Rouse his speech before the Lords at the transmission of Dr. Cossens March 16. 1640. (1641) by Francis Rous
7. Mr. Rouse his speech made in the lower House of Parliament the thirtieth of December, 1641 (1642) by Francis Rous
8. Oile of scorpions (1623) by Francis Rous
9. Testis veritatis (1626) by Francis Rous
10. The ancient bounds (1645) by Francis Rous
11. The arte of happines (1619) by Francis Rous
12. The balme of love (1648) by Francis Rous
13. The bounds & bonds of publique obedience (1649) by Francis Rous
14. The heavenly academie (1638) by Francis Rous
15. The lavvfulnes of obeying the present government (1649) by Francis Rous
16. The misticall marriage (1653) by Francis Rous
17. The onely remedy (1627) by Francis Rous
18. The Psalms of David in English meeter (1643) by Francis Rous
19. The truth of three things (1633) by Francis Rous
20. Thule, or Vertues historie (1598) by Francis Rous
21. Treatises and meditations dedicated to the saints, and to the excellent throughout the three nations (1657) by Francis Rous

 

Further study can be found in Randall J. Pederson’s, Unity in Diversity: English Puritans and the Puritan Reformation 1603-1689; Foster’s Alumni Oxon.; Nichols’s Progr. James I, i. 218; Lysons’s Magna Britannia, iii. 78, and Environs of London, ii. 6; Wood’s Athenae Oxon. ed. Bliss, iii. 467; Thule, or Virtue’s Historic (Spenser Soc. 1878), Introduction; Fitz-Geffrey’s Affaniae, 1601, pp. 50, 121, 167; Peacock’s Index of English-speaking Students at the Leyden University; Manningham’s Diary (Camd. Soc.), p. 101; Gardiner’s Hist. Engl. vii. 35, ix. 248; Parl Hist, ii. 377,444, 726; Cobbett’s State Trials, iv. 23; Wood’s Annals of Oxford, ed. Gutch, vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 504; Baillie’s Letters (Bannatyne Club), ii. 198, 23, iii. 97, 532, 548; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1648-9, pp.90, 130; Whitelocke’s Mem. pp. 81, 560, 666; Autobiography of Sir John Bramston (Camden Soc.), p. 90; Somers Tracts, vi. 248; Clarendon’s Rebellion, bk.xiv. 18-21; Burton’s Diary, i. 350; Thurloe State Papers, i. 338; Noble’s Protectoral House of Cromwell, i. 400-2; Granger’s Biogr. Hist. of England, 2nd edit. iii. 107; Harwood’s Alumni Etonenses; Diary of John Rous (Camden Soc.), p. 5; Brydges’s Restituta, ii. 240, iii. 189, iv. 7, 425-6; Tighe’s Annals of Windsor, ii. 184; Notes and Queries, 1st ser. ix. 440; Lords’ Journals, vi. 419, viii. 277; Hist. MSS. Comm. 4th Rep. App. pp. 457, 466, 6th Rep. App. p. 5, 7th Rep App. p. 19, 8th Rep. App. pt. i. p. 95; Bayley’s Catalogue of Portraits in the possession of Pembroke College, Oxford; Masson’s Life of Milton; Carlyle’s Oliver Cromwell’s Letters and Speeches; Manning’s Lives of the Speakers; Neal’s Puritans; Chalmers’s Biogr. Diet.; Rose’s Biogr. Dict.; Boase aud Courtney’s Bibliotheca Cornubiensis.