Edward Dering (clergyman)
Encyclopedia
Edward Dering was an English clergyman and academic, known as a classical scholar, controversialist, supporter of Thomas Cartwright, and fiery preacher against his fellow clergy. Constantly in trouble from 1570, he was not found to be nonconformist in doctrine, but was an opponent of the episcopate.
, and Margaret, his wife, daughter of John Brent of Charing, Kent. Richard Dering who was the grandfather of Sir Edward Dering, 1st Baronet was his elder brother.
He received his education at Christ's College, Cambridge
where he was admitted B.A. in 1560 and shortly afterwards was elected a Fellow. He commenced M. A. in 1563. In the following year Queen Elizabeth visited the university, and proceeded to make a tour of the colleges; on her arrival at Emmanuel College
, Dering presented her with a congratulatory copy of Greek verses. In 1566 he was university proctor, and the next year preacher before the university on the Lady Margaret foundation. On 28 November 1568 he was collated by Matthew Parker
to the rectory of Pluckley
, his home parish. He also appears about this time to have been one of the chaplains to the Duke of Norfolk
, and to have held a chaplaincy in the Tower of London
, where he preached on 11 December 1569, a powerful sermon, afterwards printed.
He was chosen by Parker as the scholar best qualified to reply to the Catholic Sander (Nicholas Sanders
) and his treatise, De Visibili Monarchia; and he was employed by the privy council to draw up a series of answers to a book which at the time was supposed to have been written by Cartwright. His Sparing Restraint was a reply to Thomas Harding
, the Jesuit opponent of John Jewel
. But on 25 February 1570 he preached vehemently at court before the queen, his text being Ps. lxxviii. 70, a fierce indictment against the clergy, and directly addressed Elizabeth herself whom he made responsible. This was a major turning-point, and the offence thus given meant he was suspended from preaching. He then took a leading part in the resistance to the new statutes of 1570, which were imposed on the University of Cambridge after the expulsion of Cartwright [see Cartwright, Thomas (1535–1603)]. In November 1570 he addressed a letter to William Cecil
, the chancellor of the university, in which he freely criticised the new statutes and their authors with remarkable freedom; and 24 March 1572 he wrote again on behalf of Cartwright, urging that he should be permitted to return to Cambridge and to lecture there.
In 1572 he was appointed divinity reader at St. Paul's Cathedral, and delivered a series of well-attended expositions on the earlier chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews
. In the preface (22 April 1572) to 'A briefe and necessarie Catechism,' he renewed his attacks on the clergy. 'There was never no nation,' he said, 'which had so ignorant ministers'. In 1573 he was suspended from his lectureship and summoned before the Star-chamber. He was there charged with having given utterance to unwarrantable and unorthodox sentiments, and more especially with having predicted that Parker, his former friend, would be the last archbishop of Canterbury. This charge he sought to explain away. Examined as to his general agreement with the doctrine of the Thirty-nine Articles
, his answers were deemed satisfactory. His sentence of suspension from his lectureship was cancelled. But when an effort was made in 1574 to obtain for Dering the appointment of lecturer at Whittington College as successor to Thomas Sampson
, Parker put his veto on the proposal.
Shortly after this Dering's health began to give way. In 1572 he married Anne Locke
, who nursed him as he succumbed to tuberculosis
. He died 26 June 1576 at Thoby, in the parish of Mountnessing, Essex
.
Life
He was the third son of John Dering, esq., of Surrenden-Dering, KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and Margaret, his wife, daughter of John Brent of Charing, Kent. Richard Dering who was the grandfather of Sir Edward Dering, 1st Baronet was his elder brother.
He received his education at Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
where he was admitted B.A. in 1560 and shortly afterwards was elected a Fellow. He commenced M. A. in 1563. In the following year Queen Elizabeth visited the university, and proceeded to make a tour of the colleges; on her arrival at Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
, Dering presented her with a congratulatory copy of Greek verses. In 1566 he was university proctor, and the next year preacher before the university on the Lady Margaret foundation. On 28 November 1568 he was collated by Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559 until his death in 1575. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder of Anglican theological thought....
to the rectory of Pluckley
Pluckley
Pluckley is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, United Kingdom. It is located close to the North Downs, and is approximately 5 miles west of Ashford...
, his home parish. He also appears about this time to have been one of the chaplains to the Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.Norfolk was the son of the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. He was taught as a child by John Foxe, the Protestant martyrologist, who remained a lifelong recipient of Norfolk's patronage...
, and to have held a chaplaincy in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, where he preached on 11 December 1569, a powerful sermon, afterwards printed.
He was chosen by Parker as the scholar best qualified to reply to the Catholic Sander (Nicholas Sanders
Nicholas Sanders
Nicholas Sanders was an English Roman Catholic priest and polemicist.-Early life:Sanders was born at Chariwood , Surrey, the son of William Sanders, once sheriff of Surrey, who was descended from the Sanders of Sanderstead...
) and his treatise, De Visibili Monarchia; and he was employed by the privy council to draw up a series of answers to a book which at the time was supposed to have been written by Cartwright. His Sparing Restraint was a reply to Thomas Harding
Thomas Harding (1516-1572)
Thomas Harding was an English Roman Catholic priest and controversialist.-Life:...
, the Jesuit opponent of John Jewel
John Jewel
John Jewel was an English bishop of Salisbury.-Life:He was the son of John Jewel of Buden, Devon, was educated under his uncle John Bellamy, rector of Hampton, and other private tutors until his matriculation at Merton College, Oxford, in July 1535.There he was taught by John Parkhurst,...
. But on 25 February 1570 he preached vehemently at court before the queen, his text being Ps. lxxviii. 70, a fierce indictment against the clergy, and directly addressed Elizabeth herself whom he made responsible. This was a major turning-point, and the offence thus given meant he was suspended from preaching. He then took a leading part in the resistance to the new statutes of 1570, which were imposed on the University of Cambridge after the expulsion of Cartwright [see Cartwright, Thomas (1535–1603)]. In November 1570 he addressed a letter to William Cecil
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
, the chancellor of the university, in which he freely criticised the new statutes and their authors with remarkable freedom; and 24 March 1572 he wrote again on behalf of Cartwright, urging that he should be permitted to return to Cambridge and to lecture there.
In 1572 he was appointed divinity reader at St. Paul's Cathedral, and delivered a series of well-attended expositions on the earlier chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews
Epistle to the Hebrews
The Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the books in the New Testament. Its author is not known.The primary purpose of the Letter to the Hebrews is to exhort Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. The central thought of the entire Epistle is the doctrine of the Person of Christ and his...
. In the preface (22 April 1572) to 'A briefe and necessarie Catechism,' he renewed his attacks on the clergy. 'There was never no nation,' he said, 'which had so ignorant ministers'. In 1573 he was suspended from his lectureship and summoned before the Star-chamber. He was there charged with having given utterance to unwarrantable and unorthodox sentiments, and more especially with having predicted that Parker, his former friend, would be the last archbishop of Canterbury. This charge he sought to explain away. Examined as to his general agreement with the doctrine of the Thirty-nine Articles
Thirty-Nine Articles
The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are the historically defining statements of doctrines of the Anglican church with respect to the controversies of the English Reformation. First established in 1563, the articles served to define the doctrine of the nascent Church of England as it related to...
, his answers were deemed satisfactory. His sentence of suspension from his lectureship was cancelled. But when an effort was made in 1574 to obtain for Dering the appointment of lecturer at Whittington College as successor to Thomas Sampson
Thomas Sampson
Thomas Sampson was an English Puritan theologian. A Marian exile, he was one of the Geneva Bible translators. On his return to England, he had trouble with conformity to the Anglican practices...
, Parker put his veto on the proposal.
Shortly after this Dering's health began to give way. In 1572 he married Anne Locke
Anne Locke
Anne Locke was an English poet, translator and Calvinist religious figure.-Life:She married first Henry Locke. In 1553 John Knox lived for a period in the Locke household, and in 1557 Anne took two of her children and followed Knox to Geneva, where she translated works of John Calvin...
, who nursed him as he succumbed to tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. He died 26 June 1576 at Thoby, in the parish of Mountnessing, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
Works
The collected edition of 1614, London, contains:- A Sermon preached before the Queenes Maiestie.
- A Sermon preached at the Tower of London.
- Twenty-seven Lectures or Readings upon the Epistle to the Hebrews.
- Certain godly and comfortable Letters, &c.
- A briefe and necessary Catechisme for Christian Housholders.
- Godly private Prayers for Christian Families.