TOZER. 113 was useful in moderating, reading to novices,and lecturing in the chapel. He was an able and a laborious preacher, had much of the primitivereligion in his sermons, and seemed to be a most precise puritan in his looks and life, on which account his sermons and expositions in the churches of St. Giles and St. Martin in Oxford, were much frequented by the puritanical party. In the year 1643, he was nominated one of the assembly of divines, but declined his attendance, " choosing," says Wood, " to remain at Oxford, and preach before the king or parliament, rather than venture himself among rigid Calvinists." He was a noted theologian, and having preached at Christ's Church before his majesty, or at St. Mary's before the parliament, he was appointed by the chancellor of the university, in 1646, to take his doctor's degree ; but this in like manner he refused.. Mr. Tozer was a divine of puritan principles yet, on account of his unshaken loyalty and the use of the Common Prayer, after it was set aside, he experienced some trouble from the opposite party, of which the following account is given by the pen of Dr. Walker :-" Dr. Hakewell having retired from the college, the government," says he, " of course devolved upon Mr. Tozer as sub-rector; nor did he betrayor disgrace hispost, but shewedhimself astout champion against the illegal visitation, boldly and resolutely opposed it, main- tained in the highest degree the rights of the college, and made a noble stand in defence of his own freehold, and that of the other fellows, when that mock-reformation was set on foot, after the surrender of the garrison to the parliament." March 21, 1647, I findhim upon a citation before the visitors at Merton college, having been accused to them of " continu- ing the Common Prayer in the college, after the ordinance for the directory came in force : Also of having sent for and admonished one of the house, for refusing to attend the chapel-prayers on that account." He had also constantly shewed" the utmost dislike to those of the parliament faction, and always countenanced and patronized the loyalists of his college. Although the visitorshad thought fit to put off the term; yet, as Dr. Fell, the vice-chancellor, had proceeded to open it at the usual time in the university, without any regard to that order, so did Mr. Tozer also in his private college. f' These informations," says our author, " the visitors had Wood's Athena Oxon. vol. ii. p. 71, 72. VOL. III.
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