Burges, Cornelius

BURGES, bŪr´jes, CORNELIUS: Presbyterian; b. in Somersetshire (date undetermined, probably 1589); d. at Watford (7 m. s.w. of St. Albans), buried there June 9, 1665. He was educated at Oxford in Wadham and other colleges; was vicar of Watford (1613–45), also (1626–41) rector of St. Magnus Church in London, holding the two charges at the same time. On the accession of Charles I. (1625), he was appointed one of the chaplains in ordinary. He was appointed a member of the Westminster Assembly in 1643. July 8 he was chosen by them assessor with Dr. White, and generally occupied the chair on account of the illness of Dr. Twisse. He was chairman of the first of the three grand committees of the Assembly, and one of the most energetic members of the body, being active especially in the discussion of Church Government and the Directory for Worship. He was energetic in political as well as ecclesiastical affairs. On the Restoration his handsome property was confiscated, and he died in want. His chief works are: A Chain of Graces Drawn out at Length for Reformation of Manners (London, 1622); The Fire of the Sanctuary newly Discovered or a Compleat Tract of Zeal (1625); and Baptismal Regeneration of Elect Infants (Oxford, 1629). In the latter he maintains: "It is most agreeable to the Institution of Christ that all elect infants that are baptized (unless in some extraordinary cases doe, ordinarily, receive, from Christ, the Spirit in 306Baptism, for their first solemn initiation into Christ, and for their future actual renovation, in God's good time, if they live to yeares of discretion, and enjoy the ordinary means of grace appointed of God to this end." He delivered a large number of sermons before Parliament and other civil bodies, which were published from time to time. He is credited also with the paper subscribed by the London ministers, entitled A Vindication of the ministers of the Gospel in and about London from the unjust Aspersions cast upon their former Actings for the Parliament, as if they had promoted the Bringing of the King to Capital Punishment, London, 1648.

C. A. Briggs.

Bibliography: A. à Wood, Athenæ Oxonienses, ed. P. Bliss, iii. 681; D. Neal, History of the Puritans, ii. 365, 368, iv. 332, Dublin, 1759; DNB, vii. 301–304 (quite detailed).