Nicholas Bernard (c. 1600–1661) was an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

priest and author during the 17th century. A dean in Ireland at the time of the Rebellion of 1641, he wrote descriptions of current events. He was also the biographer of

James Ussher James Ussher (or Usher; 4 January 1581 – 21 March 1656) was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656. He was a prolific Irish scholar and church leader, who today is most famous for his ...

Biography

Nicholas Bernard was born around 1600. He was educated at Emmanuel College in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, graduating with a Bachelors of Arts in 1620. In 1626, having migrated to Ireland, Bernard was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

by Archbishop

Archbishop of Armagh The Archbishop of Armagh is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the Episcopal see, see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic success ...

from 1625 to 1656, in St. Peter's church,

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

. He became Ussher's chaplain and librarian. In 1627 he became Dean of Kilmore, a titular position. He was incorporated at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

in 1628 as well as becoming the Rector of St. Peter,

. In 1637 he exchanged with Henry Jones the deanery of Kilmore for that of Ardagh, making him the Dean of Ardagh, he also became

prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Catholic Church, Catholic or Anglicanism , Anglican clergy, a form of canon (priest) , canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in part ...

of Dromore. He continued to be the dean until 1641, when he had to flee to England during the

rebellion Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

. He attended Bishop John Atherton, executed in 1640, in his last days, and wrote an account., which became a popular chap-book. Atherton was convicted of sexual offences; there was a background in church politics, and historians believe that Bernard's writing points to the context behind the scandal, as well as being a tract on repentance. In connection with the rebellion he wrote pamphlets, about the events in Drogheda and

County Louth County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...

, and at

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

. In 1647 he preached in London, but came to the attention of the

Committee for Plundered Ministers The Committee for Plundered Ministers was originally established in late 1642 by the Presbyterian faction in the Long Parliament following the start of the English Civil War. In December 1642 the committee was formalised as a parliamentary committe ...

. They took exception to his not having a licence to preach, and Bernard spent time in the

Fleet Prison Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the River Fleet. The prison was built in 1197, was rebuilt several times, and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846. History The prison was built in 1197 off what is now ...

. He left Ireland around 1649, was appointed preacher of

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in 1651, and became chaplain and almoner to

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

.The Conquest of Death: Violence and the Birth of the Modern English State" Lockwood, M p386:

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

; University of Yale Press; 2017 When Ussher died in 1655, Bernard took care of the funeral expenses, and in 1656 published the ''Life and Death of Archbishop Ussher in a Sermon preached at his Funeral at Westminster, 1656''. A further apologetical work on behalf of Ussher he published in 1657 mentioned Peter Heylin, who replied to both works. Bernard opposed the

Laudian Laudianism, also called Old High Churchmanship, or Orthodox Anglicanism as they styled themselves when debating the Tractarians, was an early seventeenth-century reform movement within the Church of England that tried to avoid the extremes of Rom ...

position, according to which the

Papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

was not to be identified with the

Antichrist In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...

. In 1660 John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater as patron appointed Bernard rector of Whitchurch, and he declined to return to Ardagh. He continued to write, including a work on

William Bedell The Rt. Rev. William Bedell, D.D. (; 22 September 15717 February 1642), was an English Anglican bishop who served as the 5th Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1627 to 1629. He also served as Lord Bishop of Kilmore and as a member of t ...

. He died on 15 October 1661.

Published works

* 1640: ''The penitent death of a woeful sinner'' * 1642: ''The whole proceedings of the Siege of Drogheda''1736 edition
/ref> * 1648: ''The still-borne nativity'' * 1656: ''The life and death of the most reverend and learned father of our church, Dr James Ussher'' * 1659: ''Certain discourses of Babylon'' * 1660: ''Devotions of the ancient church in seven pious prayers'' * 1661: ''Clavi trabales''

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernard, Nicholas 1661 deaths 17th-century English Anglican priests Year of birth uncertain Deans of Ardagh Deans of Kilmore 16th-century Anglican theologians 17th-century Anglican theologians