Archbishop Bramhall
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John Bramhall, DD (1594 – 25 June 1663) was an
Archbishop of Armagh The Archbishop of Armagh is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the Episcopal see, see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic success ...
, and an
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
theologian and
apologist Apologetics (from Greek ) is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and recommended their fa ...
. He was a noted controversialist who doggedly defended the English Church from both
Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...
and Roman Catholic accusations, as well as the
materialism Materialism is a form of monism, philosophical monism according to which matter is the fundamental Substance theory, substance in nature, and all things, including mind, mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. Acco ...
of
Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5 April 1588 – 4 December 1679) was an English philosopher, best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan (Hobbes book), Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influential formulation of social contract theory. He is considered t ...
.


Early life

Bramhall was born in
Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. It lies to the east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the ...
, Yorkshire, the son of Peter Bramhall (died 1635) of Carleton. He matriculated at
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College (historically known as "Sussex College" and today referred to informally as "Sidney") is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1 ...
in 1609, and graduated B.A. 1612, M.A. 1616, B.D. 1623, D.D. 1630. He was ordained around 1616, and was presented with a Yorkshire living,
South Kilvington South Kilvington is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated just off the A19 road, A19, about one mile north of Thirsk. History The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Cheluitun'' in the ''Yar ...
, by
Christopher Wandesford Christopher Wandesford (24 September 1592 – 3 December 1640) was an English administrator and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1629. He was Lord Deputy of Ireland in the last months of his life. Life Wandesford w ...
. In 1623 he took part in a public discussion at
Northallerton Northallerton ( ) is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the River Wiske in the Vale of Mowbray and had a population of 16,832 in 2011. Northallerton is an administrative centre for York and North Yorkshire ...
with Hungate, a Jesuit, and Houghton, a Catholic priest.
Tobias Matthew Tobias Matthew (also Tobie and Toby; 13 June 154629 March 1628), was an Anglican bishop who was President of St John's College, Oxford, from 1572 to 1576, before being appointed Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1579 to 1583, and Matthew ...
, archbishop of York, made him his chaplain; he was also sub-dean of
Ripon Ripon () is a cathedral city and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, the ...
.


In Ireland

He went to Ireland in 1633 with Thomas Wentworth and was
archdeacon of Meath The archdeacon of Meath is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the united Diocese of Meath and Kildare. The archdeaconry can trace its history from Helias, the first known incumbent, who held the office in the twelfth century, to the last discr ...
. As a royal commissioner, he worked to obtain the surrender of fee farms on episcopal and clerical revenues, recovering church income. He was consecrated
bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in ...
in the chapel of
Dublin Castle Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin. It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...
on 16 May 1634, succeeding the Puritan
George Downham George Downame (—1634), otherwise known as George Downham, was an author of influential philosophical and religious works who served as Bishop of Derry during the early years of the Plantation of Ulster. He is said to have been a chaplain to bo ...
. In the Irish parliament which met on 14 July 1634, Bramhall had passed acts for the preservation of church property. By the Irish convocation which met in November 1634 the thirty-nine articles were approved, in addition to, the Irish articles of 1615. What Bramhall attempted to get the English canons of 1604 adopted in Ireland; there was conflict over this matter between him and
James Ussher James Ussher (or Usher; 4 January 1581 – 21 March 1656) was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656. He was a prolific Irish scholar and church leader, who today is most famous for his ...
, ending with the passing of distinct canons, in the compiling of which Bramhall had a share. The ninety-fourth canon, endorsing a policy of
William Bedell The Rt. Rev. William Bedell, D.D. (; 22 September 15717 February 1642), was an English Anglican bishop who served as the 5th Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1627 to 1629. He also served as Lord Bishop of Kilmore and as a member of t ...
,
bishop of Kilmore The Bishop of Kilmore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the parish of Kilmore, County Cavan in Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bisho ...
, provided for the use of the bible and prayer book in the vernacular in an Irish-speaking district; this was opposed by Bramhall. In August 1636 Bramhall at
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
assisted Bishop Henry Leslie against the five ministers who would not subscribe to the new canons (see
Edward Brice Edward Brice or Bryce (c. 1569–1636) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister, the first Presbyterian with a living in Ireland. Life He was born at Airth, Stirlingshire, about 1569, and is named Bryce in the Scottish records, but Brice in the Iri ...
). He employed the proceeds of his English property in purchasing and improving an estate at
Omagh Omagh (; from , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. Northern Ireland's c ...
,
County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. Its county town is Omagh. Adjoined to the south-west shore of Lough Neagh, the cou ...
, in a Catholic area. In the same year, he was made receiver-general for the crown of all revenues from the estates of the city of London in his diocese, forfeited through non-fulfilment of conditions of the holding. In 1639 he protected and recommended to Wentworth John Corbet, minister at
Bonhill Bonhill (; ) is a town in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is sited on the Eastern bank of the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven, on the opposite bank from the larger town of Alexandria, Scotland, Alexandria. ...
, who had been deposed by the
Dumbarton Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (historical), Britons') is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ...
presbytery for refusing to subscribe to the assembly's declaration against prelacy. Wentworth used Corbet as a sarcastic writer against the Scottish covenanters, and nominated him to the vicarage of
Templemore Templemore () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is a Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in the historical Barony (Ireland), barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Ecclesiastical parish, parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea i ...
, in the diocese of Achonry. Archibald Adair,
bishop of Killala and Achonry The Bishop of Killala and Achonry was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Killala and Achonry in the Ecclesiastical Province of Tuam. The diocese comprised part of Counties Mayo and Sligo in Ireland. The Episcopal see was a union ...
, a Puritan, was tried as a favourer of the Scottish covenant over his views on Corbet. Adair was deposed on 18 May 1640; these proceedings alienated the Scottish settlers. The Irish commons in October 1640 drew up a remonstrance, in the course of which they speak of the Derry plantation as 'almost destroyed' through the policy of which Bramhall was the administrator. After the English House of Commons had impeached Wentworth (now earl of Strafford) of high treason on 11 November 1640, the Ulster presbyterians drew up a petition to the English parliament (presented by Sir John Clotworthy about the end of April 1641), containing thirty-one charges against the Irish Anglican prelates, and asking that their exiled pastors might be reinstated. Of the Ulster bishops, Bramhall was most in the firing line. The Irish Commons, on the motion of
Audley Mervyn Sir Audley Mervyn of Trillick (1603?–1675) was a lawyer and politician in seventeenth-century Ireland. He was MP for County Tyrone and Speaker of the Irish House of Commons 1661–1666. He was the second son of Sir Henry Mervyn of Petersfield, ...
and others, 4 March 1641, impeached him, with the lord chancellor, the chief justice of the common pleas, and
Sir George Radcliffe Sir George Radcliffe (1599 – May 1657) was an English lawyer and politician. He spent much of his political career in Ireland, where he was a key member of the firm and ruthless Strafford administration. He lived out his last years in exile in ...
, as participants in the alleged treason of Strafford. Bramhall left Derry for Dublin, and took his place in the Irish House of Lords. He was imprisoned and accused of unconstitutional acts; his defence was that he had equitably sought the good of the church, and that his hands were clean. He wrote, on 26 April, to Ussher in London, and through the king, Bramhall was liberated without acquittal: he returned to Derry.


Exile

In 1642, he returned to England, and was in Yorkshire until the
battle of Marston Moor The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1639–1653. The combined forces of the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester and the Scottish Covenanters unde ...
(2 July 1644); he supported the royalist cause by preaching and writing, and sent his plate to the king. With the Marquess of Newcastle, and others, he hurried abroad, landing at
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
on 8 July 1644. The
treaty of Uxbridge The Treaty of Uxbridge was a significant but abortive negotiation in early 1645 to try to end the First English Civil War. Background Parliament drew up 27 articles in November 1644 and presented them to Charles I of England at Oxford. Much input ...
, in January 1645, excepted him, with Laud, from the proposed general pardon. In Paris, he met Hobbes (prior to 1646), and argued with him on liberty and necessity. This led to controversies with Hobbes for years. Up to 1648, he was mainly at
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, preaching at the English embassy, and to the English merchants of
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
monthly. He then went back to Ireland, but not to Ulster, in 1648; at
Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
he received in 1649 the profession of the dying
James Dillon, 3rd Earl of Roscommon Sir James Dillon, 3rd Earl of Roscommon ( – 1649) was an Irish magnate and politician. He was born a Catholic but converted at a young age to the Church of Ireland. He supported Strafford during his term as governor of Ireland. In the Conf ...
. While he was in
Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...
, the city declared for the parliament (October 1649); he had a narrow escape, and returned to foreign parts. He corresponded with Montrose, and disputed and wrote in defence of the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
. He went to Spain around 1650. He was excluded from the Act of Indemnity of 1652; subsequently, he occasionally adopted in correspondence the pseudonym 'John Pierson'.


Archbishop of Armagh

After the Restoration, in October 1660, he returned to England. He then went to Ireland, and on 18 January 1661, he became Archbishop of Armagh. As archbishop, Bramhall was responsible for ensuring that the Acts of religious conformity were prosecuted with moderation in Ireland. On 27 January 1661 he presided at the consecration in St Patrick's Cathedral of two archbishops and ten bishops for Ireland. Bramhall was ''ex officio'' president of convocation, and on 8 May 1661, he was chosen speaker of the
Irish House of Lords The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from medieval times until the end of 1800. It was also the final court of appeal of the Kingdom of Ireland. It was modelled on the House of Lords of Englan ...
. Both houses erased from their records the old charges against Bramhall. Although Parliament passed declarations requiring conformity to the episcopacy and the liturgy, and ordering the burning of the Covenant, Bramhall could not carry his bills for a uniform
tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...
system, and for extending episcopal leases. Until 1667 there was no Irish act of uniformity, just the old statute of 1560 on the use of Edward VI's second prayer book. The ejection of Irish nonconformists was carried out by episcopal activity, some time before the passing of the English Act of Uniformity of 1662. Armagh was not a specially presbyterian diocese, and Bramhall used moderation. Bramhall was defending his rights in a court of law at
Omagh Omagh (; from , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. Northern Ireland's c ...
against Sir
Audley Mervyn Sir Audley Mervyn of Trillick (1603?–1675) was a lawyer and politician in seventeenth-century Ireland. He was MP for County Tyrone and Speaker of the Irish House of Commons 1661–1666. He was the second son of Sir Henry Mervyn of Petersfield, ...
when a third paralytic stroke deprived him of consciousness. He died on 25 June 1663.


Writings

Bramhall's historical importance lies in his writing while in exile. Without office, he turned his hand to writing replies to all attacks on the Anglican church. In 1643, he wrote ''Serpent Salve,'' a defence of
episcopacy A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...
and monarchy against the attacks of the Puritan
presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
model and democracy. He followed this with his 1649 ''Fair Warning against the Scottish Discipline,'' which was an attack on the weaknesses of the presbyterian model and an excoriation of the Puritan religious claims. He also attacked and defended against Hobbes's ''Leviathan.'' In 1655, Bramhall wrote ''Vindication of True Liberty.'' Hobbes replied to Bramhall with ''Animadversions,'' and Bramhall replied to this with ''Castigation of Hobbes' Animadversions'' (with an afterpiece called "The Catching of Leviathan, the Great Whale") in 1658. Additionally, Bramhall attempted to defend the English Church from attacks from the Roman Catholic Church. In 1653, he countered
Théophile Brachet de la Milletière Theophilus is a male given name with a range of alternative spellings. Its origin is the Greek word Θεόφιλος from θεός (''theós'', "God") and φιλία (''philía'', "love or affection") can be translated as "Love of God" or "Friend ...
's restatement of the doctrine of
transubstantiation Transubstantiation (; Greek language, Greek: μετουσίωσις ''metousiosis'') is, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, "the change of the whole substance of sacramental bread, bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and ...
with a reply that restated the justifications of the Anglican doctrine of
Real Presence The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, sometimes shortened Real Presence'','' is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist, not merely symbolically or metaphorically, but in a true, real and substantial way. Th ...
. He also attacked the Ultramontanists of France. Bramhall's ''A Just Vindication of the Church of England from the Unjust Aspersion of Criminal Schism'' (1654) was answered by the titular Bishop of Chalcedon, and Bramhall replied to this with ''Replication'' in 1656, where he prays that he might live to see the day when all Christian churches united again. His works were collected by
John Vesey John Vesey or Veysey ( – 23 October 1554) was Bishop of Exeter from 1519 until his death in 1554, having been briefly deposed 1551–3 by King Edward VI for his opposition to the Reformation. Origins He was born (as "John Harman"), probab ...
, Dublin, 1677. They break down as *five treatises against Catholics (including a confutation of the
Nag's Head fable The Nag's Head Fable was a fiction which purported that Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury under Elizabeth I, was consecrated with a Bible pressed to his neck in the Nag's Head tavern in Cheapside. The story surfaced more than 40 years aft ...
); *three against sectaries; *three against Hobbes; and *seven unclassified defences of royalist and Anglican views. The works were reprinted in the ''
Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology The Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology (published by John Henry Parker) was a series of 19th-century editions of theological works by writers in the Church of England. Devoted, as the title suggests, to significant Anglo-Catholic figures, it broug ...
'', Oxford, 1842–5, 5 vols.
John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...
thought, mistakenly, that Bramhall wrote the ''Apologia pro Rege et Populo Anglicano'', 1650; the real author was John Rowland. The posthumous publication of Bramhall's ''Vindication of himself and the Episcopal Clergy from the Presbyterian Charge of Popery, as it is managed by Mr. Baxter'', &c., 1672, with a preface by Samuel Parker, produced
Andrew Marvell Andrew Marvell (; 31 March 1621 – 16 August 1678) was an English metaphysical poet, satirist and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1659 and 1678. During the Commonwealth period he was a colleague and friend ...
's 'The Rehearsal Transpros'd,' 1672. He is remembered also for the phrase ''It is the last feather that breaks the horse's back'' (Works, 1655), an early version of '' The last straw that breaks the camel's back''.Dictionary of Proverbs
/ref>


Family

His marriage to a clergyman's widow, Ellinor Halley, gave him a fortune and a library. Their children included: * Sir Thomas Bramhall, bart., who married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir
Paul Davys Sir Paul Davys ( 1600–1672) was an Irish politician and civil servant, who held office as Clerk to the Privy Council of Ireland and later as Secretary of State (Ireland). He had considerable influence in public affairs, and enjoyed the close ...
, and died without issue. * Isabella, married Sir James Graham, son of
William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith, 1st Earl of Airth (–1661), was a 17th-century Scottish nobleman. A supporter of King Charles I, he held offices including Lord President of the Court of Session and was a Privy Counsellor. Although he ...
; her daughter Ellinor, or Helen, married Sir Arthur Rawdon, of Moira, lineal ancestor of the Marquis of Hastings. * Jane, married Alderman Toxteith of Drogheda. * Anne, married as his second wife
Sir Standish Hartstonge, 1st Baronet Sir Standish Hartstonge, 1st Baronet (1627–August 1701Oliver 1973 pp.42, 45) was an English-born lawyer who had a distinguished career as a judge in Ireland, but was twice removed from office. He was also a very substantial landowner in Ireland ...
, one of the Barons of the
Court of Exchequer (Ireland) The Court of Exchequer (Ireland), or the Irish Exchequer of Pleas, was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was the mirror image of the equivalent court in England. The Court of Exchequer was one of the four royal courts of jus ...


Notes


External links

* ;Attribution , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bramhall, John 1594 births 1663 deaths Alumni of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Archdeacons of Meath Anglican bishops of Derry Anglican archbishops of Armagh Irish Anglican theologians Christian apologists 17th-century Anglican archbishops Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Anglo-Catholic bishops Anglo-Catholic theologians British expatriate archbishops