Robert Adkins (1626 – 28 March 1685) (occasionally Atkins) was one of the most notable of the two thousand ejected ministers of 1662.

Biography

Adkins was born at

Chard Chard (; '' Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, or Swiss chard, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf b ...

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 ...

, in 1626. His father intended to put him into business, but, discovering that his heart was set upon being a preacher of the gospel, he sent him to Oxford. He entered

Wadham College Wadham College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road. Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy Wadham, a ...

, of which he became ultimately a fellow. He had for tutor the afterwards famous Bishop Wilkins. When Adkins 'first appeared in the pulpit at

St. Mary's, Oxford The University Church of St Mary the Virgin (St Mary's or SMV for short) is an Anglican church in Oxford situated on the north side of the High Street. It is the centre from which the University of Oxford grew and its parish consists almost exclu ...

, being but young and looking younger than he was, from the smallness of his stature, the hearers despised him, expecting nothing worth hearing from "such a boy," as they called him. But his discourse soon turned their contempt into admiration.. Cromwell appointed him one of his chaplains. But, like

Richard Baxter Richard Baxter (12 November 1615 – 8 December 1691) was an English Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist church leader and theologian from Rowton, Shropshire, who has been described as "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". He ma ...

, he found the place unsuitable 'by reason of the insolency of the sectaries.' He resettled at Theydon as the successor of John Feriby and the predecessor of

Francis Chandler Francis Chandler (1849 – 6 October 1937) was a British trade unionist. Born in Harrow, Chandler became an apprentice joiner in Notting Hill at the age of fourteen. On completing the apprenticeship, he joined the Amalgamated Society of Carp ...

and his ministry here extended from 1652–3 to 1657. His health having given way, he removed to

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

, at the instance of Thomas Ford, then minister of

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The presen ...

. Here he first preached in the parish church of St. Sidwell, while the choir of the cathedral was being prepared for him. When the alterations were completed, the choir, commonly known as East Peter's Church, was capable of accommodating a vast congregation.. He was regarded as one of the best preachers in the west of England at the time. He was ejected from St. Peter's under the Restoring of Ministers Act 1660 ( 12 Cha. 2. c. 17), but was immediately chosen to St. John's in the same city, which was then vacant. When the Act of Uniformity came, he was for a second time ejected from St. John's. In his farewell sermon, preached 17 August 1662, Adkins said:

Let him never be accounted a sound christian that doth not fear God and honour the king. I beg that you would not suffer our nonconformity, for which we patiently bear the loss of our places, to be an act of unpeaceableness and disloyalty. We will do anything for his majesty but sin. We will hazard anything for him but our souls. We hope we could die for him, only we dare not be damned for him. We make no question, however we may be accounted of here, we shall be found loyal and obedient subjects at our appearance before God's tribunal.

Robert Adkins remained in Exeter after his ejection and died there on 28 March 1685, aged 59. His

funeral sermon A Christian funeral sermon is a formal religious oration or address given at a funeral ceremony, or sometimes a short time after, which may combine elements of eulogy with biographical comments and expository preaching. To qualify as a sermon, it sh ...

was preached by George Trosse and published in his ''The Sin and Danger of Popery, in six sermons'' (1712) and his ''Farewell Sermon at St. John's'' (1715).

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adkins, Robert Ejected English ministers of 1662 People from Chard, Somerset 1626 births 1685 deaths Fellows of Wadham College, Oxford