Matthew Poole
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Matthew Poole (1624–1679) was an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
Non-conformist
theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
and biblical commentator.


Life to 1662

He was born at
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, the son of Francis Pole, but he spelled his name Poole, and in Latin Polus; his mother was a daughter of Alderman Toppins there. He was educated at
Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...
, from 1645, under John Worthington. Having graduated B.A. at the beginning of 1649, he succeeded
Anthony Tuckney Anthony Tuckney (September 1599, in Kirton-in-Holland – February 1670) was an English people, English Puritan theologian and scholar. Life Anthony Tuckney was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and a fellow there from 1619 to 1630. He w ...
, in the sequestered rectory of St Michael le Querne, then in the fifth classis of the London province, under the parliamentary system of presbyterianism. This was his only preferment. He proceeded M.A. in 1652. On 14 July 1657 he was one of eleven Cambridge graduates incorporated M.A. at Oxford on occasion of the visit of
Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who was the second and last Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and son of the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. On his father's death ...
as chancellor. Poole was a ''jure divino'' presbyterian, and an authorised defender of the views on ordination of the London provincial assembly, as formulated by William Blackmore. After the
Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...
of the English monarchy, in a sermon of 26 August 1660 before the lord mayor Sir Thomas Aleyn at
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
, he made a case for simplicity in public worship. On the passing of the
Uniformity Act 1662 The Act of Uniformity 1662 (14 Car 2 c 4) is an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of England. (It was formerly cited as 13 & 14 Charles II of England, Ch.2 c. 4, by reference to the regnal year when it was passed on 19 May 1662.) It pr ...
he resigned his living, and was succeeded by R. Booker on 29 August 1662.


Later life

Though he occasionally preached and printed some tracts, Poole made no attempt to gather a congregation. He had a patrimony of £100 a year, on which he lived. He was one of those who presented to the king ‘a cautious and moderate thanksgiving’ for the indulgence of 15 March 1672, and were offered royal bounty.
Gilbert Burnet Gilbert Burnet (18 September 1643 – 17 March 1715) was a Scottish philosopher and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Burnet was highly respected as a cleric, a preacher, an academic, ...
reports, on
Edward Stillingfleet Edward Stillingfleet (17 April 1635 – 27 March 1699) was a British Christian theologian and scholar. Considered an outstanding preacher as well as a strong polemical writer defending Anglicanism, Stillingfleet was known as "the beauty of holin ...
's authority, that Poole received for two years a pension of £50. Early in 1675 he entered with
Richard Baxter Richard Baxter (12 November 1615 – 8 December 1691) was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymnodist, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he ...
into a negotiation for comprehension, promoted by
John Tillotson John Tillotson (October 1630 – 22 November 1694) was the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury from 1691 to 1694. Curate and rector Tillotson was the son of a Puritan clothier at Haughend, Sowerby, Yorkshire. Little is known of his early youth ...
, which came to nothing. According to Henry Sampson, Poole made provision for a nonconformist ministry and day-school at
Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the Weald, High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Roc ...
,
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
. In his depositions relative to the alleged
Popish plot The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there was an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate C ...
(September 1678),
Titus Oates Titus Oates (15 September 1649 – 12/13 July 1705) was an English priest who fabricated the " Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II. Early life Titus Oates was born at Oakham in Rutland. His father Samuel (1610 ...
had represented Poole as marked for assassination, because of his
tract Tract may refer to: Geography and real estate * Housing tract, an area of land that is subdivided into smaller individual lots * Land lot or tract, a section of land * Census tract, a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census ...
(1666) on the ''Nullity of the Romish Faith''. Poole gave some credit to this, reportedly after a scare on returning home one evening near
Clerkenwell Clerkenwell () is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The well after which it was named was redisco ...
with Josiah Chorley. Poole left England, and settled at
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
. Here he died on 12 October 1679 (N.S.), and was buried in a vault of the
English Reformed Church, Amsterdam The English Reformed Church is one of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam, situated in the centre of the city. It is home to an English-speaking congregation which is affiliated to the Church of Scotland and to the Protestant Church in the Nethe ...
. His wife was buried on 11 August 1668 at St Andrew Holborn, Stillingfleet preaching the funeral sermon. He left a son, who died in 1697.


Works

In 1654 Poole published a tract against John Biddle. In 1658 he put forward a scheme for a scholarship for university courses, for those intending to enter the ministry. The plan was approved by Worthington and Tuckney, and had the support also of John Arrowsmith,
Ralph Cudworth Ralph Cudworth ( ; 1617 – 26 June 1688) was an English Anglican clergyman, Christian Hebraist, classicist, theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is tau ...
, William Dillingham, and Benjamin Whichcote. Money was raised, and supported
William Sherlock William Sherlock (c. 1639/1641June 19, 1707) was an English church leader. Life He was born at Southwark, the son of a tradesman, and was educated at St Saviour's Grammar School and Eton, and then at Peterhouse, Cambridge. In 1669 he became r ...
at
Peterhouse Peterhouse is the oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Today, Peterhouse has 254 undergraduates, 116 full-time graduate students and 54 fellows. It is quite o ...
. His ''Vox Clamantis'' gives his view of the ecclesiastical situation after 1662. The work with which his name is principally associated is the '' Synopsis criticorum biblicorum'' (5 vols fol., 1669-1676), in which he summarizes the views of one hundred and fifty biblical critics. On the suggestion of William Lloyd, Poole undertook the ''Synopsis'' as a digest of biblical commentators, from 1666. It took ten years, with relaxation often at Henry Ashurst's house. The prospectus of Poole's work mustered of eight bishops and five continental scholars. A patent for the work was obtained on 14 October 1667, and the first volume was ready for the press, when difficulties were raised by Cornelius Bee, publisher of the '' Critici Sacri'' (1660); the matter was decided in Poole's favour. Rabbinical sources and Roman Catholic commentators are included; little is taken from
John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...
, nothing from
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
. The book was written in Latin and is currently being translated into English by the Matthew Poole Project. Poole also wrote ''English Annotations on the Holy Bible'', completing the chapters as far as Isaiah 58 before his death in 1679. The rest of the Annotations were completed by friends and colleagues among his Nonconformist brethren.''Gilman, Daniel Coit, Harry Thurston Peck, Frank Moore Colby, eds., “POOLE, or POLE, Matthew (1624–79),” in The New International Encyclopedia, 20 vols. (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1905), 16:241.'' The first printing of the completed edition was in 1685 683? 2 volumes folio, followed by editions in 1688, 1696 (with valuable chapter outlines added by the editors, Samuel Clark and
Edward Veale Edward Veel or Veal (c. 1632–1708) was an English academic, ejected minister and dissenting tutor. Life Veel was born, probably in Gloucestershire, about 1632. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, on 27 February 1651, and graduated B.A. 13 ...
), and the 4th and definitive edition in 1700, the basis of all others. The other authors, by Biblical book, were: * Isaiah 59-60 – John Jackson * Isaiah 61-66, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Gospels, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Revelation – Dr.
John Collinges John Collinges (1623–1690) was an English Presbyterian theologian, and prolific writer. He lived and worked in Norwich for more than forty years where he played a major role in reviving and administering the City Library. He was one of the repr ...
* Ezekiel, Minor Prophets – Henry Hurst * Daniel –
William Cooper William Cooper may refer to: Business *William Cooper (accountant) (1826–1871), founder of Cooper Brothers * William Cooper (businessman) (1761–1840), Canadian businessman *William Cooper (co-operator) (1822–1868), English co-operator * Will ...
* Acts – Peter Vinke * Romans – Richard Mayo * Ephesians, James, 1 and 2 Peter – Edward Veale * 1 and 2 Thessalonians – Matthew Barker * Philippians, Colossians – Richard Adams * Hebrews – Obadiah Hughes * 1, 2 and 3 John – John Howe


Selected works

* * Poole, Matthew riginally 1673 Harley, Thomas, ditor, 2009''A Seasonable Apology for the Christian Religion''. Bloomington: iUniverse.


Further reading

* Thomas Harley, ''Matthew Poole: His Life, His Times, His Contributions Along with His Argument Against The Infallibility of the Roman Catholic Church'', 2009.


Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Poole, Matthew 1624 births 1679 deaths English Presbyterians Ejected English ministers of 1662 People associated with the Popish Plot English theologians Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Bible commentators