Thomas Ford (minister)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Ford was an English nonconformist minister, a member of the Westminster Assembly
and ejected minister of 1662.
. He entered, in Easter term 1619, as a batler in Magdalen Hall, Oxford, proceeding B.A. on 22 February 1624, and M.A. 1 June 1627. Taking orders, he became tutor in his hall for several years. His opinions were those of a Puritan
, and were openly held. They attracted the attention of William Laud
.
Accepted Frewen
, then president of Magdalen College, Oxford
, relocated the communion-table in the college chapel, making it into an altar
according to Puritan views. Several of the preachers at St Mary's Church inveighed against this innovation. Ford in his turn preached (on 2 Thess. ii. 10) 12 June 1631, and offered some reflections on making the Eucharist
a sacrifice, setting up altars instead of tables, and bowing to them. This plain speaking having excited the wrath of the Laudian party, the next Saturday the vice-chancellor William Smyth called Ford before him and demanded a copy of his sermon. Ford offered to give him one if he demanded it ‘statutably.’ The vice-chancellor then ordered him to surrender himself prisoner at the castle. He refused to go unless accompanied by a beadle
or a servant. The following Saturday the vice-chancellor sealed up his study, and afterwards searched his books and papers, but found nothing that could be urged against him. In the meantime an information was sent to Laud, then chancellor of the university, who returned orders to punish the preachers. Thereupon a citation in his name was fixed on St. Mary's, 2 July, commanding Ford's appearance before the vice-chancellor on the 5th. Appearing on the day appointed he was pressed to take an oath, ex officio, to answer any questions about his sermon; but he refused it, because there were no interrogatories in writing. He again offered a copy of his sermon if demanded according to the statutes, and the next day delivered one, which was accepted. But on pretence of former contumacy
the vice-chancellor commanded him again to surrender himself prisoner. Ford appealed from him to the congregation, and delivered his appeal in writing to the proctors (Atherton Bruch and John Doughty). They carried it to convocation, who referred the cause to delegates, a majority of whom, upon a full hearing, acquitted him of all breach of the peace. From them the vice-chancellor himself appealed to convocation, who again appointed delegates; but the time limited by statute expired before they could arrive at a decision. Laud then brought the cause before the king and council, who heard it at Woodstock
23 August. Ford, when questioned by the king, stuck to his statement. In the end he was sentenced to quit the university within four days. Many of the scholars in their gowns,assembled at Magdalen to conduct him out of the city.
Soon afterwards Ford was invited by the magistrates of Plymouth to become their lecturer. Laud procured letters from the king forbidding the townsmen to elect Ford on pain of his majesty's displeasure, and another to the Bishop of Exeter
, commanding him not to admit him in case he should be elected. Ford went abroad as chaplain to an English regiment under the command of Colonel George Fleetwood
, in the service of Gustavus Adolphus. He travelled with the colonel into Germany, and was for some time in garrison at Stode
and Elbing
. The English merchants at Hamburg invited him to be their minister, bur he returned home. He was instituted to the rectory of Aldwinkle All Saints, Northamptonshire
, 18 October 1637, a preferment which he owed to Sir Myles Fleetwood.
In 1640 he was elected proctor for the clergy of the diocese of Peterborough in the convocation which framed the so-called et cetera oath. He held his rectory for ten years; but on the outbreak of the First English Civil War
, after a short stay at Exeter
, he retired to London, and was chosen minister of St Faith under St Paul's
, and in 1644, on the death of Oliver Bowles, a member of the Westminster Assembly. Ford afterwards settled at Exeter, where he exercised an evangelical ministry. He preached in the choir of Exeter Cathedral
, as his brother pastors, Lewis Stucley and Thomas Mall, did in the nave. Calamy relates that in 1649, Major-general John Desborough
, who quartered there, expelled Ford for refusing the engagement
. He was appointed minister of St. Lawrence, Exeter, and also acted as an assistant-commissioner for Devon.
The enforcement of the Act of Uniformity 1662
obliged him to desist from preaching publicly. A year later he was compelled by the Oxford Act to move to Exmouth
, about nine miles from Exeter, where he lived very privately. When the Declaration of Indulgence
came out he returned to Exeter, but in feeble health. He died in December 1674, in his seventy-sixth year, and was buried on the 28th in St. Lawrence's Church, Exeter, near his wife, Bridget Fleetwood, and several of his children.
He preached once before the commons, 30 July 1645, and once before the lords, at a fast held 29 April 1646, and his sermons were published.
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...
and ejected minister of 1662.
Life
He was born at Brixton, DevonBrixton, Devon
Brixton is a village near Plymouth in England. It is located on the A379 Plymouth to Kingsbridge road and is about from Plymouth. Its population is 1207.It has views of the River Yealm. The church is 15th century, with a tower arch 200 years older.**...
. He entered, in Easter term 1619, as a batler in Magdalen Hall, Oxford, proceeding B.A. on 22 February 1624, and M.A. 1 June 1627. Taking orders, he became tutor in his hall for several years. His opinions were those of a Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
, and were openly held. They attracted the attention of William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
.
Accepted Frewen
Accepted Frewen
Accepted Frewen was a priest in the Church of England and Archbishop of York from 1660 to 1664.He was born at Northiam, in Sussex, and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, where in 1612 he became a Fellow. In 1617 and 1621 the college allowed him to act as chaplain to Sir John Digby, ambassador...
, then president of Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, relocated the communion-table in the college chapel, making it into an altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
according to Puritan views. Several of the preachers at St Mary's Church inveighed against this innovation. Ford in his turn preached (on 2 Thess. ii. 10) 12 June 1631, and offered some reflections on making the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
a sacrifice, setting up altars instead of tables, and bowing to them. This plain speaking having excited the wrath of the Laudian party, the next Saturday the vice-chancellor William Smyth called Ford before him and demanded a copy of his sermon. Ford offered to give him one if he demanded it ‘statutably.’ The vice-chancellor then ordered him to surrender himself prisoner at the castle. He refused to go unless accompanied by a beadle
Beadle
Beadle, sometimes spelled "bedel," is a lay official of a church or synagogue who may usher, keep order, make reports, and assist in religious functions; or a minor official who carries out various civil, educational, or ceremonial duties....
or a servant. The following Saturday the vice-chancellor sealed up his study, and afterwards searched his books and papers, but found nothing that could be urged against him. In the meantime an information was sent to Laud, then chancellor of the university, who returned orders to punish the preachers. Thereupon a citation in his name was fixed on St. Mary's, 2 July, commanding Ford's appearance before the vice-chancellor on the 5th. Appearing on the day appointed he was pressed to take an oath, ex officio, to answer any questions about his sermon; but he refused it, because there were no interrogatories in writing. He again offered a copy of his sermon if demanded according to the statutes, and the next day delivered one, which was accepted. But on pretence of former contumacy
Contumacy
Contumacy is a stubborn refusal to obey authority or, particularly in law, the wilful contempt of the order or summons of a court The term is derived from the Latin word contumacia, meaning firmness or stubbornness....
the vice-chancellor commanded him again to surrender himself prisoner. Ford appealed from him to the congregation, and delivered his appeal in writing to the proctors (Atherton Bruch and John Doughty). They carried it to convocation, who referred the cause to delegates, a majority of whom, upon a full hearing, acquitted him of all breach of the peace. From them the vice-chancellor himself appealed to convocation, who again appointed delegates; but the time limited by statute expired before they could arrive at a decision. Laud then brought the cause before the king and council, who heard it at Woodstock
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock is a small town northwest of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. It is the location of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and is buried in the nearby village of Bladon....
23 August. Ford, when questioned by the king, stuck to his statement. In the end he was sentenced to quit the university within four days. Many of the scholars in their gowns,assembled at Magdalen to conduct him out of the city.
Soon afterwards Ford was invited by the magistrates of Plymouth to become their lecturer. Laud procured letters from the king forbidding the townsmen to elect Ford on pain of his majesty's displeasure, and another to the Bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
, commanding him not to admit him in case he should be elected. Ford went abroad as chaplain to an English regiment under the command of Colonel George Fleetwood
George Fleetwood (Swedish general)
-Life:He was second son of Sir Miles Fleetwood of Cranford and Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, receiver of the court of wards, and brother of Charles Fleetwood, the parliamentary general. George was baptised at Cople, Bedfordshire, 30 June 1605...
, in the service of Gustavus Adolphus. He travelled with the colonel into Germany, and was for some time in garrison at Stode
Stöde
Stöde is a locality situated in Sundsvall Municipality, Västernorrland County, Sweden with 543 inhabitants in 2005....
and Elbing
Elbing
Elbing is the German name of Elbląg, a city in northern Poland which until 1945 was a German city in the province of East Prussia.Elbing may also refer to:- Ships :* SMS Elbing, light cruiser of the Imperial Germany Navy...
. The English merchants at Hamburg invited him to be their minister, bur he returned home. He was instituted to the rectory of Aldwinkle All Saints, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, 18 October 1637, a preferment which he owed to Sir Myles Fleetwood.
In 1640 he was elected proctor for the clergy of the diocese of Peterborough in the convocation which framed the so-called et cetera oath. He held his rectory for ten years; but on the outbreak of the First English Civil War
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War began the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War and...
, after a short stay at Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, he retired to London, and was chosen minister of St Faith under St Paul's
St Faith under St Paul's
St Faith under St Paul’s in Castle Baynard Ward was an unusual parish within the City of London . It had been physically removed in 1256 to allow for the eastern expansion of the Old St Paul's Cathedral . Until the reign of Edward VI the parishioners worshipped at the end of the west crypt under...
, and in 1644, on the death of Oliver Bowles, a member of the Westminster Assembly. Ford afterwards settled at Exeter, where he exercised an evangelical ministry. He preached in the choir of Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
, as his brother pastors, Lewis Stucley and Thomas Mall, did in the nave. Calamy relates that in 1649, Major-general John Desborough
John Desborough
John Desborough was an English soldier and politician who supported the parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.-Life:He was the son of James Desborough of Eltisley, Cambridgeshire, and of Elizabeth Hatley of Over in the same county, was baptized on 13 November 1608. He was educated for...
, who quartered there, expelled Ford for refusing the engagement
Engagement controversy
The Engagement Controversy was a debate in England from 1649-1652 regarding loyalty to the new regime after the execution of Charles I. During this period hundreds of pamphlets were published in England supporting 'engagement' to the new regime or denying the right of English citizens to shift...
. He was appointed minister of St. Lawrence, Exeter, and also acted as an assistant-commissioner for Devon.
The enforcement of the Act of Uniformity 1662
Act of Uniformity 1662
The Act of Uniformity was an Act of the Parliament of England, 13&14 Ch.2 c. 4 ,The '16 Charles II c. 2' nomenclature is reference to the statute book of the numbered year of the reign of the named King in the stated chapter...
obliged him to desist from preaching publicly. A year later he was compelled by the Oxford Act to move to Exmouth
Exmouth
Exmouth is a town in Devon. It may also refer to:Places*Exmouth Peninsula in Southern Chile*Exmouth, Western AustraliaPeople*Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth , a British naval officerShips...
, about nine miles from Exeter, where he lived very privately. When the Declaration of Indulgence
Declaration of Indulgence
The Declaration of Indulgence was two proclamations made by James II of England and VII of Scotland in 1687. The Indulgence was first issued for Scotland on 12 February, and then for England on 4 April 1687...
came out he returned to Exeter, but in feeble health. He died in December 1674, in his seventy-sixth year, and was buried on the 28th in St. Lawrence's Church, Exeter, near his wife, Bridget Fleetwood, and several of his children.
Works
His writings are as follows:- ‘Singing of Psalmes the duty of Christians under the New Testament, or a vindication of that Gospel-Ordinance in V sermons upon Ephesians v. 19,’ London, 1659; 2nd edit., with additions, the same year.
- ‘The Sinner condemned of himself: being a Plea for God against all the Ungodly, proving them alone guilty of their own destruction,’ London, 1668.
- ‘Scripture's Self-Evidence, proving it to be the only Rule of Faith’.
He preached once before the commons, 30 July 1645, and once before the lords, at a fast held 29 April 1646, and his sermons were published.