Thomas Case (1598–30 May 1682) was an English clergyman of

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...

beliefs, a member of the

Westminster Assembly The Westminster Assembly of Divines was a council of divines (theologians) and members of the English Parliament appointed from 1643 to 1653 to restructure the Church of England. Several Scots also attended, and the Assembly's work was adopte ...

, where he was one of the strongest advocates of Christian government. Although earlier a strong defender of the Parliamentary cause, he fell out of sympathy with the regicides and became a supporter of the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy.

Life

He was born in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, the son of George Case, vicar at

Boxley Boxley is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It lies below the slope of the North Downs approximately northeast of the centre of Maidstone town. The civil parish has a population of 7,144 (2001 census), inc ...

. He was educated at

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

and

Merchant Taylors' School Merchant Taylors' School may refer to: *Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood (founded 1561), is a British independent school originally located in the City of London and now located in Northwood in Middlesex . * Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, Crosb ...

. A student of Christ Church, Oxford in 1616, he graduated M.A. in 1623. A curate at North Repps,

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nort ...

, he became incumbent of Erpingham. He was a preacher at Manchester and Salford in 1635 but was prosecuted for contempt of church ceremonies in both dioceses (Norwich and Chester). His marriage to Anne Mosley of

Ancoats Ancoats is an area of Manchester in Greater Manchester, England. It is located next to the Northern Quarter, the northern part of Manchester city centre. Historically in Lancashire, Ancoats became a cradle of the Industrial Revolution and has ...

in 1637 brought him into an influential family, connecting him to Salford chapel by her late husband Robert Booth and to John Angier. His stepson Sir Robert Booth was

Lord Chief Justice of Ireland The Court of King's Bench (or Court of Queen's Bench during the reign of a Queen) was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror of the Court of King's Bench in England. The Lord Chief Justice was the most senior judge ...

1679-80: Case supervised his education, and instilled his own Presbyterian beliefs in him. He was a lecturer in several London churches 1641-2, and a member of the Westminster Assembly from 1643. He was intruded rector of Stockport,

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's coun ...

, in 1645-6. He was ejected by Parliament from the rectory of

St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street St Mary Magdalen, Milk Street, was a parish church in the City of London, England, dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene. Originally constructed in the 12th century, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt. The ...

in 1649, after he refused the engagement. Then he spent time as a lecturer in Aldermanbury and

Cripplegate Cripplegate was a gate in the London Wall which once enclosed the City of London. The gate gave its name to the Cripplegate ward of the City which straddles the line of the former wall and gate, a line which continues to divide the ward into ...

. He was arrested on 2 May 1651, becoming one of the ministers imprisoned as being privy to the presbyterian plot to recall Charles II, along with William Blackmore, Roger Drake,

Matthew Haviland Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chi ...

, Arthur Jackson, William Jenkyn, Christopher Love who was singled out as ringleader, Ralph Robinson, and Thomas Watson. He spent about six months in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sepa ...

. Subsequently he was rector of

St. Giles-in-the-Fields St Giles in the Fields is the Anglican parish church of the St Giles district of London. It stands within the London Borough of Camden and belongs to the Diocese of London. The church, named for St Giles the Hermit, began as a monastery and ...

, London, from about 1652. He was deputed by presbyterians to congratulate Charles II at

the Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a list of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's ad ...

, 1660, at the time of the Restoration, and became chaplain to the king. He took part in the Savoy conference 1661, but was ejected for nonconformity at the time of the

Act of Uniformity 1662 The Act of Uniformity 1662 (14 Car 2 c 4) is an Act of the Parliament of England. (It was formerly cited as 13 & 14 Ch.2 c. 4, by reference to the regnal year when it was passed on 19 May 1662.) It prescribed the form of public prayers, adm ...

. When he died in 1682, he was the last of the surviving dissenting member of the Westminster Assembly.

Works

*''Correction, Instruction: or, A Treatise of Afflictions'' (1653) *''Imitation of the Saints opened in Practical Meditations'' (1666) *''Mount Pisgah: or, A Prospect of Heaven'' (1670).

References

*''Concise Dictionary of National Biography''

Notes

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Case, Thomas 1598 births 1682 deaths English ministers refusing the engagement of 1649 Participants in the Savoy Conference Ejected English ministers of 1662 Westminster Divines People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford People from Kent English Calvinist and Reformed theologians 17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians