Life

He was born at Cranford St Andrew

Cranford St Andrew

Cranford St Andrew is a settlement in the civil parish of Cranford, Northamptonshire, England. It neighbours Cranford St John....

, Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...

, about 1551. At twelve years of age he entered Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...

 as a chorister. He was afterwards student of Christ Church, reputed in philosophy. Though he is said to have taken no degree, Cole has identified him with the Eusebius Paget who matriculated at Christ's College, Cambridge

Christ's College, Cambridge

Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...

, on 22 February 1564, and commenced B.A. in 1567.

In 1571 he was suspended from preaching for not subscribing the articles, and at this time he had no benefice. On 21 April 1572 he was preferred to the rectory of Lamport, Northamptonshire

Lamport, Northamptonshire

Lamport is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire, England. The village is on the A508, about south of Market Harborough and north of Northampton. Nearby is Lamport Hall...

. On 29 January 1574 he was cited before Edmund Scambler

Edmund Scambler

-Life:He was born at Gressingham, and was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, Queens' College, Cambridge and Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1542....

, then bishop of Peterborough

Bishop of Peterborough

The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...

, for nonconformity, was suspended, and shortly afterwards was deprived. He subscribed Thomas Cartwright's book of discipline (1574), and with John Oxenbridge

John Oxenbridge

John Oxenbridge was an English Nonconformist divine, who emigrated to New England.-Life:He was born at Daventry, Northamptonshire, and was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and Magdalen Hall, Oxford .As tutor of Magdalen Hall he drew up a new code of articles referring to the government of...

, B.D., was arrested and taken to London by order from Archbishop Edmund Grindal

Edmund Grindal

Edmund Grindal was an English church leader who successively held the posts of Bishop of London, Archbishop of York and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Elizabeth I of England.-Early life to the death of Edward VI:...

, for taking a leading part in the presbyterian associations of Northamptonshire and Warwickshire

Warwickshire

Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...

.

Subsequently he was presented to the rectory of Kilkhampton

Kilkhampton

Kilkhampton is a village and civil parish in northeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated on the A39 approximately four miles north-northeast of Bude.Kilkhampton was mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Chilchetone"...

, Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

. He told the patron and the bishop (presumed to be John Wolton, elected 2 July 1579) that he could not conform in all points, and was admitted and inducted on this understanding. His ministry was popular. In March 1584 he was brought up before his ordinary and enjoined to an exact conformity. Towards the end of 1584 articles of accusation, founded on his preaching, were exhibited against him before the high commission by Farmer, curate of Barnstaple

Barnstaple

Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...

, Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

. He appeared before the commission, presided over by Archbishop John Whitgift

John Whitgift

John Whitgift was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 800 horsemen...

, on 11 January 1585. The articles were dropped, and he was charged with refusing to use the prayer-book and to observe the ceremonies. In his written defence he admitted his obligation to use the prayer-book authorised by the Uniformity Act of 1559 (i.e. Edward VI's second prayer-book), and denied that he had ever refused to do so. He allowed that he had not exactly followed that book, but pleaded that there was no copy of it provided for his church; that greater liberty in varying from the statutory form than he had taken was used by Whitgift himself, by his own bishop (Walton), and by other bishops and clergy; that his conscience would not allow him to follow the prescribed forms in every particular, and that his bishop had promised to refrain (as he legally might) from urging him to do so. He claimed a conference with his bishop or some other to be appointed by the commission. He was immediately suspended.

On his preaching, without stipend, after suspension he was deprived for ignoring the suspension, disusing the surplice

Surplice

A surplice is a liturgical vestment of the Western Christian Church...

 and the cross in baptism, and omitting parts of the prayers. Counsel's opinion adverse to the legality of the deprivation was brought forward without effect, and the living was filled up.

Pagit now set up a school; but the high commission required him to take out a license and subscribe the articles. This he scrupled at. On 3 June 1591 he addressed an appeal to Sir John Hawkins, who had previously shown himself a friend, asking his intercession with Elizabeth. He stated that he abhorred schism, and had never been present in any separate assembly but had always adhered to and communicated in his parish church. He remained silenced till the death of Whitgift (29 February 1604). On 21 September 1604 he obtained the rectory of St. Anne and St. Agnes, Aldersgate Street, London, which he held till his death. He died in May or June 1617, and was buried in his church. Ephraim Pagit

Ephraim Pagit

Ephraim Pagit , was an English clergyman and heresiographer. His Heresiography of 1645 was a precursor of the better-known Gangraena, and is a well-referenced account of contemporary sectarian Protestantism in England...

 was his son. is separately noticed.

Works

He published:

• A Godlie and Fruitef ull Sermon . . . upon . . . what Provision ought to be made for the Mynister, &c. [1580 ?], 1583, (on tithes).
• The Historie of the Bible, briefly collected, by way of Question and Answer, &c., 1613, (often reprinted and translated into French and German).
• A Godly Sermon . . . at Detford, 1586,
• A Catechism, 1591.

His Latin Catechism is mentioned by Peter Heylyn, Aerius Redivivus, 1670, p. 350. He translated John Calvin

John Calvin

John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...

's harmony of the first three gospels with his commentary on St. John, A Harmonie vpon Matthew, Mark, &c., 1584.