Thomas Manton and the Presbyterians in Interregnum and Restoration England
This thesis presents Thomas Manton as a leading figure in the Presbyterian bid for the centre ground of English ecclesiastical culture in the Interregnum and Restoration. Not only was Manton active on multiple committees of national significance for religious settlement from the 1650s to 1670s, but he likely has the largest corpus of sermons for any seventeenth century Puritan. Much modern scholarship has overlooked the more moderate, sober religious figures while giving greater attention to figures who cast a unique but unrepresentative profile. This thesis aims to correct this by tracing the career and writings of a minister who, though a jure divino Presbyterian, served both Cromwell and Charles 11 as chaplain, and whose sermons have been cited by Presbyterians, Independents and Baptists for hundreds of years after his death. This thesis will explore the political and ecclesiological landscape of the Interregnum and Restoration through the life and works of a single divine. Manton's early years in Devon and Tiverton, his education at Blundell's School and Wadham College, Oxford, his early clerical experience with Presbyterianism, his London parishes, and patronage networks will all be considered for their
Richardson, Adam Parker
Thomas Manton and the Presbyterians in Interregnum and Restoration England. This thesis presents Thomas Manton as a leading figure in the Presbyterian bid for the centre ground of English ecclesiastical culture in the Interregnum and Restoration. Not only was Manton active on multiple committees of national significance for religious settlement from the 1650s to 1670s, but he likely has the largest corpus of sermons for any seventeenth century Puritan. Much modern scholarship has overlooked the more moderate, sober religious figures while giving greater attention to figures who cast a unique but unrepresentative profile. This thesis aims to correct this by tracing the career and writings of a minister who, though a jure divino Presbyterian, served both Cromwell and Charles 11 as chaplain, and whose sermons have been cited by Presbyterians, Independents and Baptists for hundreds of years after his death. This thesis will explore the political and ecclesiological landscape of the Interregnum and Restoration through the life and works of a single divine. Manton's early years in Devon and Tiverton, his education at Blundell's School and Wadham College, Oxford, his early clerical experience with Presbyterianism, his London parishes, and patronage networks will all be considered for their
thomas presbyterians interregnum restoration england present thomas lead figure presbyterian bid centre ground english ecclesiastical culture interregnum restoration active multiple committee national_significance religious settlement likely large_corpus sermon puritan much_modern scholarship overlook moderate religious figure give_great attention figure cast unique unrepresentative profile aim correct trace career writing minister though presbyterian serve cromwell charles chaplain whose sermon cite presbyterians baptists death explore political ecclesiological landscape interregnum restoration life_work single divine devon education school college oxford early clerical experience presbyterianism london parish patronage_network consider