Background
He was born at Witton-le-Wear, County Durham, and educated at the University of Oxford, where he attended Queen's College from 1595.
He was born at Witton-le-Wear, County Durham, and educated at the University of Oxford, where he attended Queen's College from 1595.
The Queen"s College.
Originally a Calvinist, he became in later life an Arminian. He became a probationer fellow of Corpus Christi College in 1606, and was soon afterwards elected vice-president there. In 1623 he was presented to the living of Street Nicholas, Newcastle, and about 1625 to the living of Winston, County Durham.
In 1631 he was appointed President of Corpus.
And in 1632 Charles I presented him to the living of Witney, Oxfordshire. He was made a prebendary of Winchester in 1635, and was Dean of Peterborough from 1635 to 1639.
Strongly against the Catholic doctrine on transubstantiation, he belonged to the "Durham House group" headed by Richard Neile.
Strongly against the Catholic doctrine on transubstantiation, he belonged to the "Durham House group" headed by Richard Neile. He was an early anti-Calvinist among Oxford theologians. He made his views known only in the late 1620s, but stated that around 1605 he had already decided against predestination.
In theology he was a syncretic Platonist.
He took an interest in the Epicurean view of free will, but argued for a middle way accommodating the Stoic criticism of the Epicureans. His humanistic Platonism has been compared to that of Robert Burton. And William Prynne, arguing against William Laud"s promotion of Jackson, claimed his learning only made him more dangerous.