Nathaniel Stephens (clergyman)
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Nathaniel Stephens (c.1606–1678) was an English clergyman ejected for nonconformity in 1662, who is now best known for his part in the early life of
George Fox George Fox (July 1624 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 13 January 1691 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an English Dissenters, English Dissenter, who was a founder of the Quakers, Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as t ...
. He was a
controversialist Polemic ( , ) is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called polemics, which are seen in arguments on controversial to ...
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 ...
interest, engaging also with
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
s, and with
Gerrard Winstanley Gerrard Winstanley (baptised 19 October 1609 – 10 September 1676) was an English Protestant religious reformer, political philosopher, and activist during the period of the Commonwealth of England. Winstanley was the leader and one of the fo ...
, the universalist. In print he was a moderate, fair by the standards of his time to his opponents, and not bringing rancour to discussion of Catholicism.


Life

He was son of Richard Stephens, vicar from 1604 of
Stanton St Bernard Stanton St Bernard is a village and civil parish in the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire, England. Its nearest town is Devizes, about away to the west. The parish is tall and narrow, extending north onto the Marlborough Downs where it includes Milk ...
, Wiltshire, and was born about 1606. On 14 March 1623, at the age of sixteen, he entered
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 ...
, as a batler (poor scholar), graduating B.A. 14 February 1626, M.A. 25 June 1628. On leaving the university he was curate at
Fenny Drayton Fenny Drayton (once Drayton-in-the-Clay) is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Witherley, in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. OS Explorer Map 232: Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000): It lies nea ...
, Leicestershire, of which Robert Mason was rector. He probably was in sole charge from 1638. Driven from Drayton by the outbreak of the war in 1642, he took refuge in
Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
, where he subscribed the
Solemn League and Covenant The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians in 1643 during the First English Civil War, a theatre of conflict in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. On 17 August ...
and became morning preacher at St. Michael's. He returned to Drayton in 1645, and had among his hearers
George Fox George Fox (July 1624 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 13 January 1691 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an English Dissenters, English Dissenter, who was a founder of the Quakers, Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as t ...
. Stephens thought highly of Fox, discussed religion with him, and preached on the topics of their discourse, a proceeding which made Fox dislike his pastor. In 1649, while Stephens was conducting a lecture at
Market Bosworth Market Bosworth ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. At the 2001 Census, it had a population of 1,906, increasing to 2,097 at the 2011 census. It is most famously near to the site of the decisive final battle of the ...
, Fox interposed, Stephens cried out that he was mad, and Fox, stoned out of the town by a rabble, set down the "deceitful priest" as his "great persecutor". A discussion between them at Drayton in 1654 is narrated in Fox's ''Journal'' "Neighbours": said Stephens, "George Fox is come to the light of the sun, and now he thinks to put out my starlight." In 1659 Stephens was presented by Colonel
William Purefoy William Purefoy (c. 1580 – 8 Sep 1659) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1628 and 1659. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War and was one of the regicides of King Charl ...
to the rectory of Drayton, which he held till 1662, when he resigned under the Uniformity Act 1662. He continued to preach privately, but his services were often interrupted. Having seven times been driven from Drayton, he at length removed to
Stoke Golding Stoke Golding is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, close to the county border with Warwickshire.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : According to the 2001 census ...
, three miles off, and preached there till lameness confined him to his chair. His studies made him absent-minded, but he was not wanting in a playful humour. He was buried on 24 February 1678 in the churchyard of Stoke Golding.


Works

His chief work (1656), on the
Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...
, is notable for its rejection of speculations. His
exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (philosophy), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern us ...
is praised and generally followed by
Matthew Poole Matthew Poole (1624–1679) was an English Nonconformist theologian and biblical commentator. Life to 1662 He was born at York, the son of Francis Pole, but he spelled his name Poole, and in Latin Polus; his mother was a daughter of Alderman T ...
in the fifth volume (1676) of his ''
Synopsis Criticorum ''Critici sacri'' was a compilation of Latin biblical commentaries published in London from 1660, edited by John Pearson (bishop), John Pearson. The publisher was Cornelius Bee. The work appeared in nine volumes, and collected numerous authors, ...
''. He published: *''A Precept for the Baptisme of Infants . . . vindicated . . . from . . . Mr. Robert Everard'', 1651 (preface by John Bryan and
Obadiah Grew Obadiah Grew (1 November 1607 – 22 October 1689) was an English nonconformist minister. Life Grew was born at Atherstone, Warwickshire on 1 November 1607, the third son of Francis Grew and Elizabeth Denison. He was baptised the same day at the ...
). *''A Plain and Easie Calculation of the Name ... of the Beast'', 1656 (preface by
Edmund Calamy the Elder Edmund Calamy (February 160029 October 1666) was an English Presbyterian church leader and Anglicanism#Anglican divines, divine. Known as "the elder", he was the first of four generations of nonconformist ministers bearing the same name. Early ...
). *''Vindiciae Fundamenti, or a threefold defence of the Doctrine of Original Sin'', 1658 (against the Arminian positions of Everard,
Jeremy Taylor Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667) was a cleric in the Church of England who achieved fame as an author during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. He is sometimes known as the "Shakespeare of Divines" for his poetic style of expression, and he is fr ...
, and others). Calamy gives a specimen of his unpublished notes on the Apocalypse, used by Poole, and afterwards in the possession of Sir Charles Wolseley.


Notes


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Nathaniel 1606 births 1678 deaths English Presbyterian ministers of the Interregnum (England) English subscribers to the Solemn League and Covenant 1643 Ejected English ministers of 1662