Roger Drake (1608–1669) was an English physician, and a minister of strong

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

convictions.

Life

He was the eldest son of Roger Drake, a wealthy

mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (automobile), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City, US * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or tra ...

Cheapside Cheapside is a street in the City of London, the historic and modern financial centre of London, England, which forms part of the A40 road, A40 London to Fishguard road. It links St Martin's Le Grand with Poultry, London, Poultry. Near its eas ...

, who died in December 1651. He received his education at

Pembroke College, Cambridge Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college is the third-oldest college of the university and has over 700 students and fellows. It is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from ...

, as a member of which he graduated B.A. in 1628, and M.A. in 1631. At thirty years of age he entered himself as a medical student at

Leyden Leiden ( ; ; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 127,046 (31 January 2023), but the city forms one densely connecte ...

in 1638 and attended the lectures of

Adolph Vorstius Adolphus Vorstius (born Adolphe Vorst; 18 November 1597, Delft – 9 October 1663, Leiden) was a Dutch physician and botanist. Life He was the son of Aelius Everhardus Vorstius and his wife. After attending the Latin School in Leiden, he enrolled ...

Otto Heurnius Otto Heurnius (born Otto van Heurn; 8 September 1577 – 14 July 1652) was a Dutch physician, theologian and philosopher. Life He studied at Leiden University. He subsequently succeeded his father Johannes Heurnius as professor of medicine at Lei ...

, and Johannes Walaeus. He proceeded doctor of medicine there in 1639. In his

inaugural dissertation A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

he defended

William Harvey William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions to anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, pulmonary and systemic circulation ...

's theory of the

circulation of the blood In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a organ system, system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of ...

, and was subjected to an attack by Dr. James Primrose the following year; Drake replied. Drake appears to have been incorporated a doctor of medicine at Cambridge, and was admitted a candidate of the

College of Physicians A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary school ...

on 22 December 1643. He resigned his candidateship 27 November 1646, having resolved to enter the ministry. A rigid presbyterian, he was implicated in

Christopher Love Christopher Love (1618, Cardiff, Wales – 22 August 1651, London) was a Wales, Welsh Presbyterian preacher and activist during the English Civil War. In 1651, he was executed by the English government for plotting with the exiled Stuart cou ...

's plot, and was arrested by order of the

council of state A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...

, 7 May 1651. With some ten or twelve others, he was pardoned for life and estate without undergoing a trial, after an outside intervention. Drake became minister of St. Peter's Cheap in 1653, was one of the intended commissioners at the Savoy conference (though did not attend after an administrative mistake), and occasionally conducted the morning exercise at

St. Giles-in-the-Fields St Giles in the Fields is the Anglican parish church of the St Giles district of London. The parish stands within the London Borough of Camden and forms part of the Diocese of London. The church, named for St Giles the Hermit, began as the c ...

and that at

Cripplegate Cripplegate was a city gate, gate in the London Wall which once enclosed the City of London, England. The Cripplegate gate lent its name to the Cripplegate Wards of the City of London, ward of the City, which encompasses the area where the gat ...

. Towards the close of his life he lived at

Stepney Stepney is an area in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. Stepney is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name was applied to ...

, where he died in the summer of 1669.

Samuel Annesley Samuel Annesley (c. 1620 – 1696) was an English Puritan and nonconformist pastor, best known for the sermons he collected as the series of '' Morning Exercises''. Life Annesley was born in Haseley, England, in 1620 and christened on 26 March. ...

preached his

funeral sermon A Christian funeral sermon is a formal religious oration or address given at a funeral ceremony, or sometimes a short time after, which may combine elements of eulogy with biographical comments and expository preaching. To qualify as a sermon, it sh ...

and praised his chronological writings, returning to Drake in 1673 in the preface to his sermon on William Whitaker.http://eebo.cica.es/datos1/web.e0007_1/45958/index.pdf

Works

His other medical writings are ''Disputatio de Convulsione'', Leyden, 1640, and ''Disputationum sexta, de Tremore'' Leyden, 1640. Drake was author of these religious works: * ''Sacred Chronologie, drawn by Scripture Evidence al-along that vast body of time . . . from the Creation of the World to the Passion of our Blessed Saviour: by the help of which alone sundry difficult places of Scripture are unfolded'', London, 1648. *''A Boundary to the Holy Mount; or a Barre against Free Admission to the Lord's Supper, in Answer to an Humble Vindication of Free Admission to the Lord's Supper published by Mr. Humphrey'', London, 1653. A ''Rejoynder'', by John Humfrey, was published the following year, as also an answer by John Timson, ''The Bar to Free Admission to the Lord's Supper removed''. *''The Bar against Free Admission to the Lord's Supper fixed; or, an Answer to Mr. Humphrey, his Rejoynder, or Reply'', London, 1656. *''The Believer's Dignity and Duty laid Open'' (sermon on John i. 12, 13), at pp. 433–54 of

Thomas Case Thomas Case (1598–30 May 1682) was an English clergyman of Presbyterian beliefs, a member of the Westminster Assembly, where he was one of the strongest advocates of Christian government. Although earlier a strong defender of the Parliamentar ...

's ''The Morning Exercise at St. Giles-in-the-Fields metho-dized'', London, 1660. *''What difference is there between the Conflict in Natural and Spiritual Persons?'' (sermon on Rom. vii. 23), at pp. 271–9 of Samuel Annesley's ''The Morning Exercise at Cripplegate'', London, 1677, and in vol. i. of the 1844 edition.

Notes

References

External links

Page at Royal College of Physicians
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Roger 1608 births 1669 deaths 17th-century English medical doctors Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge Recipients of English royal pardons Chronologists Savoy Conference