Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Patrick, John
PATRICK, JOHN (1632–1695), protestant controversialist, baptised on 14 April 1632 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, was second son of Henry Patrick and Mary Naylor, and was grandson of Simon Patrick (d. 1613) [q. v.] He was educated at the school of Houghton Regis, and admitted to Peterhouse, Cambridge, on 7 Aug. 1661. He subsequently became a scholar on the foundation of Dr. Barnard Hall, and graduated B.A. 1665 and M.A. 1671. In September 1665 he was ill of the plague (Simon Patrick, Autobiography, p. 53). For a time he served the cure of Battersea on behalf of his brother, Simon Patrick (1626–1707) [q. v.], afterwards bishop of Ely (ib. p. 66). On the death of Shircross, preacher of the Charterhouse, Patrick obtained the post, through his brother's influence, on 8 Dec. 1671 (ib. p. 66; Smythe, Hist. of the Charterhouse, p. 240). This office Patrick held, with other dignities, till his death. From 1 July 1685 till January 1695-6 he was prebendary of the first stall of Peterborough Cathedral.
On 29 July 1690 he was installed precentor of Chichester. On 19 Jan. 1688-9 he seems to have preached before the Prince of Orange on the union of the protestant churches; the prince ordered the sermon to be printed (Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rep. v. 93, vii. 233).
Patrick died on 19 Dec. 1695, and was buried in the Charterhouse chapel. By his will he left to his brother Simon 'a noble library, which cost him above 1,000l., and all that he was worth, except some legacies to some particular friends' (Simon Patrick, Autobiogr. p. 174).
John, like his brother, by whose reputation he has been unduly dwarfed, was among the foremost champions of the protestant against the catholic cause in the days of James II. His works, almost all anonymous, are noteworthy. They are: 1. 'Reflexions upon the Devotions of the Roman Church, with the Prayers, Hymns, and Lessons themselves taken out of their authentick Book. In three parts,' London, 1674 (anon.); reprinted, London, 1687 (parts ii. and iii. do not appear to be extant). 2. 'A Century of Select Psalms and Portions of the Psalms of David, especially those of Praise, turned into metre and fitted to the church tunes in parish churches, for the use of the Charterhouse, London,' London, 1679, 8vo; later editions, 1684, 12mo; 1688, 12mo; 1691, 12mo; 1692, 16mo; 1694, 12mo; 1698, 12mo; 1701, 12mo; 1710, 12mo; 1724, 12mo; 1742, 12mo. These psalms were in high repute among many dissenting congregations (Wilson, Dissenting Churches, iv. 35). 3. 'Transubstantiation no Doctrine of the Primitive Fathers, being a defence of the Public Letter herein against "The Papist Misrepresented and Represented," part ii. cap. iii.' (anon.), London, 1687 [see under Goter, John]. 4. 'A Full View of the Doctrines and Practices of the Ancient Church relating to the Eucharist wholly different from those of the present Roman Church, and inconsistent with the Belief of Transubstantiation’ (anon.), London, 1688. In a preface the author acknowledges the authorship of No. 3 supra. Reprinted in (Gibson's) ‘Preservative against Popery,’ 1738, fol. (vol. ii. tit. vii. pp. 176–252), and in John Cummings's edition of the ‘Preservative,’ London, 1848 (ix. 89–299). The argument of Patrick's treatise has been recently reissued in ‘The Witness of the Roman Missal against the Roman and Ritualistic Doctrine of the Mass,’ by Joseph Foxley, M.A., London, 1878. 5. ‘The Virgin Mary misrepresented by the Roman Church in the traditions of that Church concerning her Life and Glory, and in the Devotions paid to her as the Mother of God; part i. wherein two of her feasts, her Conception and Nativity, are considered,’ London, 1688; reprinted in the ‘Preservative against Popery,’ 1738.
Patrick contributed to ‘Plutarch's Morals translated from the Greek by several hands,’ 1684–94 (cf. for Patrick's work i. 109 sq., ii. 112 sq., iii. 19 sq.). He also issued an abridgment of Chillingworth's ‘Religion of Protestants a Safe Way to Salvation’ (anon.), London, 1687, with some additional discourses of Chillingworth, printed from manuscripts in the hands of Archbishop Tenison. Patrick is said to have undertaken the work at the instigation of Tillotson, Burnet, and Stillingfleet; it was reprinted in 1845.
[Graduati Cantabrigienses; Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rep. v. 99, vi. 233, 7th Rep. p. 500; Ackermann's Hist. of Colleges of Winchester, Eton, Westminster, and the Charterhouse, part iv. p. 28; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. vi. 297, 1st ser. iii. 214; Le Neve's Fasti; Stark's History of Gainsborough; Gurnhill's Lyffe and Death Book of Gainsborough; information kindly supplied by James Porter, master of Peterhouse, and by the Rev. R. E. Warner, rector of Gainsborough.]