John Geree

John Geree (1601?–1649) was an English clergyman of Puritan and royalist views.

Life

He was born in Yorkshire. In 1615, aged 14, he became either batler or servitor of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. He graduated B.A. on 27 January 1619, M.A. on 12 June 1621.

Having taken orders he obtained the living of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. For not conforming to the ceremonies he was silenced (after 1624) by Godfrey Goodman, bishop of Gloucester, and reduced to live on charity In 1641 he was restored to his cure by the committee for plundered ministers, and remained there till, on 14 March 1646, he was appointed to the rectory of St Albans, Hertfordshire. Here he engaged in a controversy with John Tombes, the baptist, who had been his fellow-student at Oxford.

He left St Albans in 1647, having been appointed preacher at St. Faith's, under St Paul's Cathedral in London. His residence in February 1648 was in Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row. In London, as elsewhere, his sermons were largely attended by Puritans. He was strongly averse to episcopacy, and published his Case of Conscience, 1646, to prove that the king might consent to its abolition without breaking his coronation oath.

Geree died in February 1649.

Works

He published:

• A Catechisme in briefe questions and answers containing such things as are to be knowne or had by all such as would partake the Sacrament of the Lord's supper with comfort (Oxford: Printed by Iohn Lichfield An. Dom. 1629).
• The Down-Fall of Anti-Christ: or, the power of preaching to pull down Popery. In a briefe treatise on 2 Thessal.ii.8 (R. Oulton for J. Bartlet; London 1641).
• Judah's Joy at the Oath: layd out in a Sermon on 2 Chron. 15, 15. for England's example in embracing the Parliamentary Covenant with readiness and rejoycing. Hereunto is annexed a briefe and moderate answere to the Protestation protested (by Henry Burton) discovering the unsoundnesse of that interpretation of the Nationall Covenant (R. Oulton for J. Bartlet; London 1641), 2 parts.
• Ireland's Advocate: or, a Sermon preached at a publicke fast held by authoritie, July the 27 in behalfe of bleeding Ireland (Dublin printed: repr. for William Bladen: London 1642).
• Vindiciæ Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ: or, ten cases resolved, which discover, that though there bee need of Reformation in, yet not of Separation from the Churches of Christ in England, etc (R. Cotes for Ralph Smith: London 1644).
• Vindiciæ Pædo-baptismi: or a vindication of Infant Baptism, in a full answer to Mr [John] Tombs his Twelve Arguments alleaged against it in his Exercitation and whatsoever is rational, or material in his answer to Mr Marshals Sermon (J. Field for Christopher Meredith: London 1646).
• Astrologo-Mastix: or a discovery of the vanity and iniquity of Judiciall Astrology or divining by the starres the successe or miscarriage of humane affaires (M. Simmons, for J. Bartlet: London 1646).
• The Character of an old English Puritane, or Non-Conformist (W. Wilson, for Christopher Meredith: London 1646).
• A Case of Conscience Resolved. Wherein it is cleared that the king may without impeachment to his oath touching the clergy at coronation consent to the abrogation of Episcopacy. And the objections against it in two learned treatises, printed at Oxford, fully answered (M. Simmons for J. Bartlet: London 1646). (see above; Edward Boughen ‘sifted’ it in a reply, 1648).
• Vindiciæ Vindiciarum: or a vindication of his Vindication of Infant-baptisme: from the exceptions of M. Harrison, in his Paedo-Baptisme Oppugned, and from the exceptions of M. Tombes, in his chief Digressions of his late Apology (A.M. for Christopher Meredith, London 1647).
• Σινιοῤῥαγία. The Sifter's Sieve Broken, or a reply to Doctor Boughen's sifting my Case of Conscience touching the king's coronation oath: wherein in cleared that bishops are not jure divino (London: printed for Christopher Meredith, 1648).
• Truth's right-side turned upwards, or, Armies vindication against an aspersion of rebellion and tyrannie cast upon them in several books, whereof one subscribed by divers ministers in the province of London, another by Mr Geree (Printed by James and Joseph Moxon, for William Larnar and to be sold at his shop..., 1648).
• Ἵππος Πυῤῥός, the Red Horse. Or the Bloodines of War, &c., 1648.
• Θειοφάρμακον. A Divine Potion to preserve spirituall health, by the cure of unnaturall health-drinking: Written for the satisfaction, and published by the direction, of a godly Parliament-Man (G. Latham: London 1648).
• Kαταδυνάστης: Might overcoming Right: or, a clear Answer to M. J. Goodwin's “Might and Right well met”, Wherein is cleared, that the action of the Army in secluding many Parliament men... is neither defensible by the rules of solid reason, nor religion (R. Bostock, London 1649). (Answered by John Goodwin and Samuel Richardson).

He prefixed epistles to William Pemble's Vindiciæ Fidei (1625), T. Shephard's Certain Select Cases Resolved (1648), and William Fenner's The Spirituall Mans Directory (1651). Urwick mentions his Catechism (1647).

References

•  "Geree, John". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Geree, John". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.