Nathaniel Holmes or HomesAlso Nathanael. (1599–1678) was an English

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

theologian and preacher. He has been described as a “Puritan writer of great ability".

Life

He graduated with a B.A. from

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university. The college was founde ...

in 1620; and with an M.A. from

Magdalen Hall, Oxford Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colle ...

in 1623. He later founded an Independent church, with

Henry Burton Henry Burton may refer to: * Henry Burton (Conservative politician) (1876–1947), British Conservative MP for Sudbury (1924–1945) * Henry Burton (physician) (1799–1849), English physician * Henry Burton (theologian) (1578–1648), English Puri ...

; he was rector of St Mary Staining, Oat Lane,

Aldersgate Aldersgate is a Wards of the City of London, Ward of the City of London, England, named after one of the northern City gate, gates in the London Wall which once enclosed the City. The Ward of Aldersgate is traditionally divided into Aldersga ...

, in London to 1662. In 1644 his ''Gospell-Musick'' defended and promoted psalm-singing, and reprinted the preface to the ''

Bay Psalm Book ''The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre'', commonly called the ''Bay Psalm Book'', is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Colony of Massachusett ...

''. A convinced

millenarian Millenarianism or millenarism () is the belief by a religious organization, religious, social, or political party, political group or Social movement, movement in a coming fundamental Social transformation, transformation of society, after which ...

, he preached to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

in 1641, under the influence of

Thomas Brightman Thomas Brightman (1562–August 24, 1607) was an English clergyman and biblical commentator. His exegesis of the Book of Revelation, published posthumously, proved influential. According to William M. Lamont, Brightman and Joseph Mede were the t ...

. In 1650, in another sermon to the Commons after the battle of Dunbar, he cited the

Book of Daniel The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th-century BC setting. It is ostensibly a narrative detailing the experiences and Prophecy, prophetic visions of Daniel, a Jewish Babylonian captivity, exile in Babylon ...

and

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...

. He has been considered a follower of

Johann Heinrich Alsted Johann Heinrich Alsted (March 1588 – November 9, 1638), "the true parent of all the Encyclopedia, Encyclopædias",s:Budget of Paradoxes/O. was a Germany, German-born Transylvanian Saxon Calvinist minister and academic, known for his varied inte ...

. He with

Henry Jessey Henry Jessey (1603 – 1663) was an English Puritan Nonconformist minister and scholar. He was a founding member of the Puritan religious sect, the Jacobites. Jessey was considered a Hebrew and a rabbinical scholar. His active philosemitis ...

corresponded with

Menasseh ben Israel Manoel Dias Soeiro (; 1604 – 20 November 1657), better known by his Hebrew language, Hebrew name Menasseh or Menashe ben Israel (), was a Jewish scholar, rabbi, Kabbalah, kabbalist, writer, diplomat, printer (publisher), printer, publishe ...

, about the official return of Jews to England, and the supposed Lost Tribes found in North America. This interest was prompted by

John Dury John Dury (1596 in Edinburgh – 1680 in Kassel) was a Scottish Calvinist minister and an intellectual of the English Civil War period. He made efforts to re-unite the Calvinist and Lutheran wings of Protestantism, hoping to succeed when he move ...

’s interest, and was shared with others. His philo-Semitism has been noted, for example, by

Werner Sombart Werner may refer to: People * Werner (name), origin of the name and people with this name as surname and given name Fictional characters * Werner (comics), a German comic book character * Werner Von Croy, a fictional character in the ''Tomb Rai ...

Views

His 1640 work on

usury Usury () is the practice of making loans that are seen as unfairly enriching the lender. The term may be used in a moral sense—condemning taking advantage of others' misfortunes—or in a legal sense, where an interest rate is charged in e ...

was against the permissive line of

William Ames William Ames (; Latin: ''Guilielmus Amesius''; 157614 November 1633) was an English Puritan minister, philosopher, and controversialist. He spent much time in the Netherlands, and is noted for his involvement in the controversy between the Ca ...

. He was against political "levelling". He defended

infant baptism Infant baptism, also known as christening or paedobaptism, is a Christian sacramental practice of Baptism, baptizing infants and young children. Such practice is done in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, va ...

, and attacked

John Goodwin John Goodwin may refer to: Politicians * John Goodwin (Parliamentarian) (1603–1674), Member of Parliament for Reigate *John B. Goodwin (1850–1921), Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1880s * John Noble Goodwin (1824–1887), 1st Governor of ...

salvation by works In Christian theology, good works, or simply works, are a person's exterior actions, deeds, and behaviors that align with certain moral teachings, emphasizing compassion, charity, kindness and adherence to biblical principles and commandments, in ...

. He wrote against

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

, proposing an influential three-fold scheme of possession, and

astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

, regretting its prevalence. (Citing ''Plain Dealing'', a sermon of 1652.)

Works

*''Usury is Injury'' (1640), *''Gospell Musick'' (1644) *''Daemonologie and Theologie'' (1650) *''The Resurrection Revealed, or The Dawning of the Day Star'' *''Some Glimpses of Israel's Call Approaching'' *''Revelation Revealed'' (1653) *''Commentary on Canticles''

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, Nathaniel 1599 births 1678 deaths English theologians Alumni of Magdalen Hall, Oxford Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford