Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 06.djvu/266

 where he had much friendly converse with him. The duration of Bregwin's archiepiscopate is variously stated; by the 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle' as four, by Eadmer as three, and by Osbern as seven years. As he signs charters in 764 {Codex Dipl. civ., cxi.), the date of his death given by Osbern (25 Aug. 765) may be accepted as correct. The place of his burial was a matter of interest. His predecessor, Cuthberht, caused the custom of making St. Augustine's the burying-place of the archbishops to be broken through, and was laid in his cathedral church. This greatly angered the monks of St. Augustine's; for the miracles and offerings at the tombs of archbishops brought them both honour and profit. In order to secure the new privilege of their church, the clergy of Christ Church observed the same secrecy on the death of Bregwin as they had done in the case, and by the order, of Cuthberht. They concealed the illness of the archbishop, and on his death buried him before they rang the bell for him. When Jaenberht, abbot of St. Augustine's, heard of the death, he came down with a band of armed men to claim the body, but found that he was too late (, 1772-4). An attempt was made in aftertimes to deprive Christ Church of Bregwin's body. After the marriage of Henry I and Adeliza of Louvain a monk named Lambert came from the queen's old home to see her, and was lodged at Canterbury. He begged the body of Bregwin of Archbishop Ralph, who promised to allow him to have it to carry back with him. Finding that the archbishop repented of his weakness, Lambert set out for Woodstock to lay his case before the queen. On his way he died at London. This attempt to despoil the church of Canterbury was naturally followed by a vision, in which the departed archbishop expressed his indignation.



BREKELL, JOHN (1697–1769), presbyterian minister, born at North Meols, Lancashire, in 1697, was educated for the ministry at Nottingham. His first known settlement was at Stamford, apparently as assistant, but he did not stay long. He went to assist [q. v.] at Kaye Street, Liverpool, 1729 (so Dr. manuscript;, D.D., in his manuscript funeral sermon (2 Tim. iv. 7, 8) for Brekell, preached on 7 Jan. 1770, says he was minister in Liverpool 'for upwards of forty years;' a manuscript letter of Winder's, 2 June 1730, mentions Brekell as a Liverpool minister). Toulmin prints a letter (dated Liverpool, 3 Dec. 1730) from Brekell to Rev. Thomas Pickard of Birmingham, showing that Brekell had been asked to Birmingham, but had 'handsome encouragement to continue' where he was. The date, April 1732, given by Dr. Martineau, maybe that of Brekell's admission to the status of a colleague after ordination. On Bassnett's death on 22 July 1744 Brekell became sole pastor. His ministry covers the period between the rise of the evangelical liberalism of Doddridge (his correspondent, and the patron of his first publication), and the avowal of Socinianism by Priestley, to whose 'Theological Repository' he contributed in the last year of his life. Brekell, though his later treatment of the atonement shows Socinian influence, stood firm on the person of Christ. In his sermons he makes considerable use of his classic literature. Lardner quotes him (Hist. of Heretics, bk. i.) as a critic of the ante-Nicene writers. His first publication was ' The Christian Warfare … a Discourse on making our Calling and Election sure; with an Appendix concerning the Persons proper to be admitted to the Lord's Supper,' 1742, 8vo. Following the example of his predecessor, he preached and published a sermon to sailors, 'Euroclydon, or the Dangers of the Sea considered and improved,' &c. (Acts xxvii.), 1744, 12mo. Then came 'Liberty and Loyalty,' 1746, 8vo (a Hanoverian pamphlet). More important is 'The Divine Oracles, or the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures,' &c., 1749, 8vo, in reply to a work by Thomas Deacon, M.D., of Manchester, a nonjuring bishop of the irregular line. At this date (see pp. 72, 74) Brekell sides with Athanasius against the Arians. He published also on 'Holy Orders,' 1752, and two tracts in vindication of 'Paedobaptism,' 1753 and 1755. Brekell's name appears among the subscribers to a work by Whitfield, a Liverpool printer and sugar refiner, who had left the presbyterians, entitled 'A Dissertation on Hebrew Vowel-points.' After Whitfield's lapse, Brekell wrote 'An Essay on the Hebrew Tongue, being an attempt to shew that the Hebrew Bible might be originally read by Vowel Letters without the Vowel Points,' 1758, 8vo, 2 pts., in which he is generally admitted to have had the best of the argument. Brekell wrote tracts on 'Baptizing sick and dying Infants,' Glasgow, 1760, and on 'Regeneration,' 1761. Soon arose a burning question among Liverpool 