An Examination of Thomas Grantham's Leadership Among the Seventeenth-Century General Baptists
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ABSTRACT Messenger, Apologist, and Nonconformist: An Examination of Thomas Grantham's Leadership among the Seventeenth-Century General Baptists John D. Inscore Essick, Jr., Ph.D. Mentor: William L. Pitts, Ph.D. This dissertation argues that Thomas Grantham (1633/4-1692) was instrumental in organizing and legitimizing the General Baptists in Lincolnshire and Norfolk in the second half of the seventeenth century. The first chapter introduces the study and provides a historiographical survey of the variety of ways in which Grantham has been studied. The second chapter provides a biographical and literary sketch of Grantham’s life and published documents. Unlike most surveys of Grantham’s writings which focus on select publications, the literary sketch in the second chapter provides a brief and basic introduction to all of Grantham’s writings. The third chapter of this dissertation builds on the conclusions of J. F. V. Nicholson by examining Grantham’s role in consolidating the office of Messenger and establishing it as a distinctive third ministerial office among the General Baptists in the seventeenth century. Grantham helped to solidify the office of Messenger between 1660 and 1700 by publishing defenses of the Messenger’s office, preaching, baptizing, planting churches, and ordaining ministers in Lincolnshire and later in Norfolk. Chapter Four examines Grantham’s apologetic efforts to defend the baptized believers against Anglicans, Catholics, Quakers, and Presbyterians. He was called upon to contend with other Christian groups by means of public debates and epistolary correspondence. The fifth chapter addresses Grantham’s interactions with the government and his thoughts on civil matters. He represented the baptized believers of Lincolnshire before Charles II and called all Christians to remain loyal, peaceable subjects. Grantham affirmed the acceptance of government-issued licenses to preach and congregate for religious purposes, and he unequivocally instructed his readers to avoid revolution or sedition. Grantham argued that the baptized believers supported the welfare of England by paying taxes; he even believed Christians could hold positions in civil government and serve in the military. Messenger, Apologist, and Nonconformist: An Examination of Thomas Grantham’s Leadership among the Seventeenth-Century General Baptists by John D. Inscore Essick, Jr., B.S., M.Div. A Dissertation Approved by the Department of Religion ___________________________________ William H. Bellinger, Jr., Ph.D., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Approved by the Dissertation Committee ___________________________________ William L. Pitts, Ph.D., Chairperson ___________________________________ Rosalie Beck, Ph.D. ___________________________________ Keith A. Francis, Ph.D. Accepted by the Graduate School December 2008 ___________________________________ J. Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Dean Page bearing signatures is kept on file in the Graduate School. Copyright © 2008 by John D. Inscore Essick, Jr. All rights reserved CONTENTS PREFACE v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi DEDICATION viii Chapter ONE INTRODUCTION 1 Outline of the Dissertation Historiography The Social, Political, and Religious World of Thomas Grantham Early Stuart and Revolutionary Political and Religious Life, 1603-1660 Baptist Life to the Restoration Stuart Lincolnshire to the Restoration TWO BIOGRAPHICAL AND LITERARY SKETCH 43 Birth and Background (1633/34) Childhood and Adolescence (1635-1650) Baptist Beginnings: 1651–1660 Thomas Grantham: Husband, Father, Husbandman? From the Restoration to the Declaration of Indulgence (1660-1672) Thomas Grantham in Mid Life (1673-1685) The Final Years: Norfolk (1686-1692) THREE “Old Things by their Old Names”: GRANTHAM AND THE 92 OFFICE OF MESSENGER, 1660-1700 Background of the Office in the Seventeenth Century “Messengers” in the Grantham Corpus Thomas Grantham’s Activities as a Messenger The Office of Messenger in the Eighteenth Century Conclusion FOUR GRANTHAM THE APOLOGIST 140 Grantham vs. William Fort of the Church of England Background of the Debate The Debate Results and Conclusions iii Grantham vs. an “Unnamed Papist” Background of the Correspondence The Epistolary Correspondence Results and Conclusions of the Correspondence Grantham vs. the Quaker John Whitehead Background The Debates Results and Conclusions Grantham vs. the Presbyterian John Collinges Background of the Correspondence The Epistolary Correspondence Results and Conclusions Conclusion FIVE “The Loyal Baptist”: GRANTHAM AND THE GOVERNMENT 188 Grantham before Charles II Grantham and “A Humble Address and Remonstrance,” 1672 Licensing the Baptists, 1672 and 1688/9 The Declaration of Indulgence, 1672 The Toleration Act, 1689 Grantham and the Government: The Loyal Baptist and Christianismus Primitivus The Loyal Baptist, 1674 and 1684 Christianismus Primitivus, 1678 Conclusion SIX CONCLUSION 242 APPENDICES 249 BIBLIOGRAPHY 256 iv PREFACE I will always remember the fifth of November. Whereas many historians of English history remember the fifth of November as the anniversary of the failed Gunpowder Plot in England in 1605, I will also celebrate this anniversary because it is the day on which I defended this dissertation. I first encountered Thomas Grantham (1633/4-1692) while studying under William H. Brackney at Baylor University in 2006. Aside from being a suitable dissertation topic, Grantham’s activities as a seventeenth-century Nonconformist were of particular interest to me. It is to Grantham’s credit that after more than two years and hundreds of written pages I remain intrigued by this well-known yet elusive Baptist figure. My initial foray into the secondary literature revealed that Grantham was an appreciated but under-studied figure. I offer this study, then, as but another small step in explaining and justifying such an appreciation. Dates are according to the Old Style, but I have taken the new year to begin at 1 January instead of 25 March. I have modernized the spelling in quotations only where absolutely necessary. John D. Inscore Essick, Jr. Waco, Texas Season after Pentecost, 2008 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation would still be incomplete were it not for the assistance of numerous friends, mentors, and institutions. It is a pleasure here to thank them. I must begin by thanking the Department of Religion at Baylor University for providing an environment conducive to learning, research, and writing. I am grateful to the staff of Moody Memorial Library on the campus of Baylor University for their wonderful work. In particular, I must call attention to the unbelievable ability of Interlibrary Services to procure even the most difficult request. The Glenn O. and Martell B. Hilburn Endowed Graduate Research Scholarship, given through the Department of Religion at Baylor University, made possible a successful and productive research trip to England in the spring of 2008. Additional financial aid for research abroad was provided by the Baylor University Graduate School. While researching in Lincolnshire, England, Mr. Bob Kershaw led me down many helpful paths and directed me away from dead ends. I must express particular gratitude to Mr. Kershaw for his helpful direction related to the biographical information for Thomas Grantham. The staff of the Lincolnshire Archives endured my many questions and requests with uncommon patience and expertise. In Oxford, George Southcombe willingly shared his scholarly research. The following libraries in England were hospitable and granted access to numerous manuscripts: The Lincoln Public Library, Lincoln; Dr. Williams’s Trust and Library, London; The Bodleian Library, Oxford; and The Norfolk & Norwich Millennium Library, Norwich. Finally, the kind staff members vi of St. Stephen’s Church in Norwich were helpful in my efforts to locate Grantham’s final resting place. Countless friends, colleagues, and professors encouraged me throughout this process, and for their meaningful support I am most appreciative. The dependable editing of Ms. Stephanie Moody was extremely beneficial during the writing process. I am grateful to Dr. Rosalie Beck, Dr. Keith Francis, Dr. Charles McDaniel, and Dr. Rady Roldan-Figueroa for participating in my oral defense; their insights and patience were invaluable. It is impossible to measure the debt of gratitude owed to my dissertation director, Dr. Bill Pitts. His faithful and generous guidance shaped my thinking and writing in countless ways, and his gracious spirit reassured me during the final stages of manuscript preparation. Finally, I must express my love and appreciation for the wonderful members of my family. The completion of this project would have been impossible without their support. I must call attention to Amber’s perseverance and unyielding optimism throughout this lengthy and occasionally frustrating process. Above all, the completion of this dissertation is my gift to her. It was her gentle encouragement and continual affirmation that sustained me in the difficult times, and it was her congratulations and praises that surrounded me in the good times. vii To Amber, my navigator viii CHAPTER ONE Introduction Thomas Grantham (1633/34-1692) provided important leadership as an English Nonconformist and General Baptist polemicist and Messenger in the second half of the seventeenth century. Grantham was baptized in 1652 in the Baptist church at Boston, Lincolnshire and became one of the most significant