George Rust

George Rust (died 1670) was an English Anglican academic and churchman, who became bishop of Dromore in 1667. He is known as a Cambridge Platonist and associate of Jeremy Taylor. Life He was a native of Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. from St Catharine's Hall early in 1647. He became a fellow of Christ's College in 1649, and proceeded M.A. in 1650. He belonged to the Cambridge Platonist school; among his friends at Christ's were Sir John Finch and Henry More. He was also close to Joseph Glanvill. Rust gave up his fellowship in 1659. Soon after the Restoration of 1660, he was invited to Ireland by Jeremy Taylor, ordained deacon and priest on 7 May 1661, and made dean of Connor in August. In 1662 he was presented by the crown to the rectory of Island Magee. On 20 October 1663, preaching at Newtownards at the funeral of Hugh Montgomery, 1st Earl of Mount Alexander, Rust remarked, "New presbyter is but old priest writ large"; John Milton's sonnet containing the same line was not published till 1673. In 1664 he was rector of Lisburn, where Edward Conway, 1st Earl of Conway lived. In 1665 he visited Conway in England, when Valentine Greatrakes was trying to cure Lady Conway's headaches.