Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 26.djvu/325

Heylyn admitted into college in 1700. In 1705 he was elected scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated B.A. 1708, M.A. 1711, and D.D. 1728. Rud records in his 'Diary' that Heylyn 'preach'd a very fine sermon at the archidiaconal visitation of Dr Bewley in December 1710 (Cambr. Antiq. Soc. Public, 8vo, No. v. p. 19). He became the first rector of the modern St. Mary-le-Strand on 1 Jan. 1724 and held that living until his death. He was also rector of Sunbury, Middlesex, a prebendary of St. Paul's, and a chaplain in ordinary to George II. On 2 July 1729 he was chosen lecturer of All Hallows, Lombard Street, and on 21 March 1745 was installed prebendary of Westminster. He died on 11 Aug. 1759 aged 74 and was buried on 17th in Westminster Abbey, where there is a monument to his memory. He married twice. His second wife, Elizabeth, then daughter of Mrs Elizabeth Ebbutt of St. Margaret's Westminster, died on 9 June 1747, aged 49.

From his indulgence in mysticism, Heylyn acquired the name of the 'Mystic Doctor.' He was the author of 'Theological Lectures at Westminster Abbey, with an Interpretation of the Four Gospels. To which are added some Select Discourses upon the principal points of the Revealed Religion' London, 1749, 4to. A second part of this work, entitled 'An Interpretation of the New Testament containing the Acts of the Apostles', &c, was prepared by Heylyn for the press, but was not published until after his death (London, 1761, 4to). He also published six single sermons, one of which was delivered by him at the consecration of his friend Joseph Butler, bishop of Bristol (London 1789, 8vo). According to Allibone, 'Seventeen' and 'Forty' of his 'Discourses' were published in 1770 and 1793 respectively.

[Alumni Westmin. 1852, pp. 237, 245; Chester's Westminster Abbey Registers (Harl. Soc. Publ. no. x) pp. 371. 383. 394, 395; Le Neve's Fasti, ii. 436. xi 389; Monthly Review, July 1761, xxv. 32-4l; Gent. Mag. 1759. p. 392; Malcolm's Lond. Red. i. 162, iv. 383: Neale's Westminster Abbey. ii. 268; Grad. Cantabr. 1853. p. 232; Brit. Mus. Cat.]  HEYLYN, PETER (1600–1662), theologian and historian, born at Burford, Oxfordshire, in 1600, was second son of Henry Heylyn by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Clampard of Wrentham, Kent, and was grandnephew of Rowland Heylyn [q. v.] His father seems to have been a small country gentleman. Heylyn was educated at the school of Burford, and made such rapid progress in learning that at the age of fourteen he was sent to Hart Hall, in the university of Oxford, and in 1615 was elected demy of Magdalen College, on the strength of a copy of Latin verses describing a journey to Woodstock (cf. Oxf. Univ. Reg. , Oxf. Hist. Soc. . ii. 347). He was made 'impositor of the hall,' with the duty of seeing that no one dined at each table save those entitled to their commons, and showed such diligence in that office that his comrades dubbed him 'the perpetual dictator.' He took the degree of B.A. on 17 Oct. 1617, and began to lecture on historical geography with such success that he was elected a fellow of Magdalen in 1618, and to celebrate his election wrote a Latin drama, called 'Theomachia.' In 1620 he proceeded to the degree of M.A., and in 1624 he took hold orders; he proceeded B.D. on 13 June 1629 and D.D. on 13 April 1633 (ib. . iii. 357}. He published his 'Geography' in 1621, and presented a copy to the Prince of Wales; the book fell into the hands of James I, who took offence at a passage which said that 'France is the greater and more famous kingdom' than England. Heylyn explained that 'is' was a misprint for 'was,' and that the passage referred to the time of Edward III; but the clause was omitted from subsequent editions. This misadventure led him in 1625 to make a journey through France, after which he wrote a satirical journal to show that he had no French proclivities. This journal circulated in manuscript, and was published without Heylyn's consent in 1656 under the title of 'France Painted to the Life, by a Learned and Impartial Hand.' On this Heylyn issued the original work, 'A Survey of France.'

Heylyn now felt himself to be man of mark, and resolved to enter upon his career as a theologian in such a way as to attract notice. In 1627 he chose as the subjects for disputation in the divinity school at Oxford the two burning questions of the visibility and infallibility of the church; he maintained against Dr. Prideaux, the regius professor of divinity, that the visible Church of England came from the church of Rome,and not from the Waldenses', Wycliffites, and Hussites; and further inclined Prideaux's wrath by speaking approvingly of Bellarmine. This audacity raised a good deal of comment, and introduced Heylyn to the notice of Laud, then bishop of Bath and Wells. Heylyn now felt sure of promotion, and in 1628 took the somewhat rash step of marrying. His wife was Laetitia, daughter of Thomas Highgate, or Heygate, of Hayes, Middlesex, and his brother had already married her elder sister. He was married in his college chapel, and continued to hold his fellowship for a