John Humfrey (1621–1719) was an English clergyman, an ejected minister from 1662 and controversialist active in the

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 ...

cause.

Life

He graduated B.A from

Pembroke College, Oxford Pembroke College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is located on Pembroke Square, Oxford. The college was founded in 1624 by King James I of England and VI of Scotland, using in part the endowment of merchant Thomas Tesdale ...

in 1641, and M.A. in 1647. He studied in Oxford during the royalist occupation there. He received presbyterian ordination in 1649, and became vicar of Frome Selwood,

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

. He defended with Thomas Blake free admission to communion, in a controversy that opposed him to Roger Drake. His views of the Interregnum period were

Erastian Thomas Erastus (original surname Lüber, Lieber, or Liebler; 7 September 152431 December 1583) was a Swiss physician and Calvinist theologian. He wrote 100 theses (later reduced to 75) in which he argued that the sins committed by Christians shou ...

. He was re-ordained by

William Piers William Piers may refer to: * William Piers (bishop), vice-chancellor of Oxford University, bishop of Peterborough, and of Bath and Wells * William Piers (constable) William Piers (c. 1510 – 1603) was an English constable, who spent most of ...

Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly greater part of the (ceremonial) county of Somerset and a small area of D ...

in 1661. Humfrey defended his action, in ''The Question of Re-Ordination''(1661). He shortly changed his mind, however, and lost his living in 1662 for nonconformism. He set up a church in Duke's Place, London, and afterwards in Petticoat Lane,

Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...

. With the congregationalist Stephen Lobb he wrote two works against

Edward Stillingfleet Edward Stillingfleet (17 April 1635 – 27 March 1699) was an English Christian theologian and scholar. Considered an outstanding preacher as well as a strong polemical writer defending Anglicanism, Stillingfleet was known as "the beauty of ho ...

's ''Mischief of Separation''. He was a staunch advocate of a national church and the unity of Protestants within it, and supported ‘comprehension’, the adjustment of positions to bring nonconformists back within the Church of England. His ''A Case of Conscience'' (1669) argued that in matter of religion the magistrate should not constrain people against the requirements of their conscience. Andrew Pyle (editor), ''Dictionary of Seventeenth Century British Philosophers'' (2000), article on Humfrey, pp. 455-6.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Humfrey, John 1621 births 1719 deaths Ejected English ministers of 1662 Erastians