Elizabeth Bathurst (1655-1685) was an English

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

preacher and

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 th ...

, and the author of one of the few early systematic accounts of Quaker beliefs.

Life

Bathurst was born in London, the eldest child of Charles Bathurst. She and her siblings became Quakers in 1678. Soon after her conversion to Quakerism, she interrupted worship at

Samuel Annesley Samuel Annesley (c. 1620 – 1696) was a prominent Puritan and nonconformist pastor, best known for the sermons he collected as the series of '' Morning Exercises''. Life He was born in Haseley, in Warwickshire in 1620, and christened on the 26t ...

's Presbyterian chapel in London, speaking against the doctrine of

reprobation Reprobation, in Christian theology, is a doctrine which teaches that a person can reject the gospel to a point where God in turn rejects them and curses their conscience. The English word ''reprobate'' is from the Latin root ''probare'' (''En ...

. Later, she undertook several preaching tours, and was imprisoned at least once in the

Marshalsea The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, it became known, i ...

prison. Bathurst was recognised during her lifetime by the Quaker community as a gifted preacher. George Whitehead, who discussed her major work with her before its publication, commented on her "excellent gift, both of understanding, life and utterance". She has been described by historian Sarah Apetrei as "by far the most theologically sophisticated" of the numerous women leaders among early Quakers. According to her father's account of her life, Bathurst suffered "great weakness of body" from infancy.

Writings

Bathurst's major work was ''Truth's Vindication: Or, A Gentle Stroke to Wipe Off The Foul Aspersions, False Accusations and Misrepresentations, Cast Upon the People of God, call'd Quakers'' (first published 1679). It explains and defends the distinctive Quaker account of

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

, focusing in particular on the universal offer of salvation and the infallible guidance of the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts ...

. ''Truth's Vindication'' was reprinted six times by Quaker publishers - notably in a posthumous (1691) edition by Tace Sowle, as her first project after she took over her father's publishing firm. She also wrote ''The Sayings of Women... in several places of the Scriptures'', presenting a theological defence of women's authority to preach and teach.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bathurst, Elizabeth Quakers English theologians English Quakers Quaker ministers Quaker theologians 17th-century Quakers 1655 births 1685 deaths