Thomas Allen (nonconformist)

Thomas Allen (1608, in Norwich – 21 September 1673) was a nonconformist minister and divine.

Life

Allen was the son of John Allen, a Norwich dyer. He was educated in Norwich and at Caius College, Cambridge, where he took the degrees of B.A. and M.A. in ordinary course.[1] Having received license and holy orders, he was appointed to the parish church of St. Edmund's of Norwich. But he was too pronouncedly evangelical and outspoken. Bishop Matthew Wren silenced him in 1636, together with William Bridge and others, for refusing to read The Book of Sports.

In 1638 Allen passed over as a fugitive to New England. Cotton Mather testified that he "approved himself a pious and painful minister of the Gospel at Charlestown". He remained in New England until 1651, and W. B. Sprague, in his Annals of the American pulpit, enrols his name among the worthies of New England.

In 1651–2 Allen returned to Norwich, where he remained in the exercise of his ministry until 1662. His ministry was twofold — as rector of St. George's, Norwich, and pastor of the congregational church"there (1657). The explanation is that Allen was "preacher of the city" in St. George's parish rather than "rector".

Allen was ejected after the Act of Uniformity 1662. He died 21 September 1673.

Writings

His books are rare. His Invitation to Thirsty Sinners to come to their Saviour, was published in Boston, Massachusetts. His Glory of Christ set forth, with the Necessity of Faith, furnishes an excellent example of the average sermons of the ‘ejected’. The work that won him most reputation was his Chain of Scripture Chronology from the Creation to the Death of Christ (1659). It placed the death of Christ as 3968 Anno Mundi.[2] With a preface by William Greenhill, it became known at home and abroad. It is said that its author was glad to leave others to "dispute" while he should "compute".

References

  1. ↑ "Allen, or Allyn, Thomas (ALN624T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  2. ↑ Jackson, Patrick Wyse (2006). The Chronologers' Quest: episodes in the search for the age of the earth. p. 18.

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Allen, Thomas (1608-1673". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

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