John Pordage (1607–1681) was aChurch of England priest,astrologer,alchemist andChristian mystic. He founded the 17th-century EnglishBehmenist group, which would later become known as thePhiladelphian Society when it was led by his disciple and successor,Jane Lead.
John Pordage was the eldest son of Samuel Pordage (d. 1626), grocer, by his wife Elizabeth (née Taylor), and was born in the parish ofSt Dionis Backchurch, London, and baptised on 21 April 1607. He matriculated as a pensioner atPembroke College, Cambridge, in 1623, and received his B.A. in 1626.[1]
On 18 January 1633, Pordage married the widow Mary Freeman atSt Gregory by St Paul's Church, London.[2] In London, Pordage soon attracted notoriety for his unusual religious conceptions. In 1634, it was reported that “One Pordage broches new-fangled opinions concerning the signes, that No Man can trie himself by them, but was to stay by for an over-powring light.” In response, the famous puritan ministerJohn Davenport reportedly preached against Pordage, disagreeing at length with his claims.[3] This was an early sign of the mysticism and heterodoxy that would later make Pordage infamous. Possibly, Pordage's opinions owed something to furtive influence of theFamilia Caritatis, followers of the sectarian prophetHenry Nicholis (alias H. N.). In 1637, Pordage's brother-in-law, Henry Faldo, was accused of Familism.[4] In the 1640s, Pordage would be described as one of those who had “taught the doctrine of H. N.” in London.[5] Despite allegations of heterodoxy, Pordage preached occasionally in London in the 1630s, acting as chaplain to Mary Lady Vere.[2] He also reportedly preached atSt Lawrence Jewry.[6]
Meanwhile, he began to act as an unlicensed medical physician, bringing him into conflict with theRoyal College of Physicians. In 1639, he travelled to the Netherlands and obtained a medical degree fromLeiden University, and later that year was incorporatedM.D. at Cambridge. In 1640 and 1641, he was again in trouble with the Royal College forunlicensed medical activity andmalpractice.[2]
Pordage wascurate in charge ofSt Laurence's,Reading, Berkshire, in 1644, thevicar beingThomas Gilbert (1613–1694). By 1647 (after 9 Nov 1646) he wasrector ofBradfield, Berkshire, a living in the gift ofElias Ashmole, who thought highly of hisastrological knowledge.Richard Baxter, who describes Pordage as chief of the 'Behmenists', or English followers of the German theologianJakob Böhme, knew of him through a young man, probablyAbiezer Coppe, who in 1649 was living under Pordage's roof in a 'family communion', the members 'aspiring after the highest spiritual state' through 'visible communion with angels'. Baxter thought they tried to carry too far 'the perfection of a monastical life'. Among themselves this family went by scripture names; Pordage was 'Father Abraham', his wife was 'Deborah'.[7]
He was eventually charged before theCommittee for Plundered Ministers withheresies comprised in nine articles, accusing him of a sort ofmysticalpantheism. But on 27 March 1651, the committee acquitted him on all counts. On 18 September 1654, he was summoned to appear on 5 October before the county commissioners (known as 'expurgators') at the Bear Inn,Speenhamland, Berkshire. The nine articles were revived against him at the instance of John Tickel, aPresbyterian minister atAbingdon, Berkshire. The inquiry was successively adjourned several times, fresh articles being from time to time brought forward against him, to the number of fifty-six, in addition to the original nine. Most of them dealt with unsubstantial matters of personal gossip; the accusation of intercourse with spirits was pressed (from 19 October) byChristopher Fowler. It was made a charge against him that he had shelteredRobert Everard andThomas Totney. One of his maid-servants, while attesting some of the stories about spirits, bore witness to the purity andpiety of the family life. By 30 November, Pordage was too ill to appear; the inquiry was adjourned to 7 December at the Bear Inn,Reading, Berkshire. On 8 December the commissioners ejected him as 'ignorant and very insufficient for the work of the ministry'. He was to leave therectory by 2 February and clear out his barns by 25 March 1655.[7] Subsequent to the trial he published a pamphlet,Innocencie Appearing, in which he gave his account of the proceedings, and included a document, not presented at court, in which he confessed to frequent conversations with angels. These were probablysummoned by magical means.[8]
At theRestoration Pordage was reinstated. In 1663, he became acquainted withJane Lead, and assisted her in the study ofJakob Böhme. In August 1673 or 1674 (there is a doubt about the year), Pordage and Mrs Lead 'first agreed to wait together in prayer and pure dedication'.Francis Lee, Jane Lead's son-in-law, speaks of Pordage's devoutness and sincerity, maintaining that 'his conversation was such as malice itself can hardly except against'. He was not, however, a man of robust intellect; his insight into Böhme's writings was feeble, and histheosophy was of theemotional order. In his will, he describes himself as 'doctor in physick.' It does not appear that he held the degree of MD, though it was assigned to him by others, and he was commonly called Dr Pordage.[7]
He died in 1681, and was buried inSt Andrew's, Holborn, on 11 December. His will, made on 28 November 1681, and proved 17 January 1682, was witnessed by Jane Lead. His portrait was engraved byWilliam Faithorne. His first wife Mary (Lane), ofTenbury, Worcestershire, was buried atBradfield on 25 August 1668. His second wife was Elizabeth, widow of Thomas Faldo of London. His sonSamuel Pordage was a writer and poet; he had other sons: John, William, and Benjamin. His daughter Elizabeth was buried atBradfield on 23 December 1663; other daughters were Mary, Sarah (married inStisted), and Abigail. His brother Francis, who survived him, wasrector ofStanford Dingley, Berkshire.[7]
InTheologia Mystica, Pordage describes a spiritual journey through theBoehmean cosmology of the three worlds of the "Dark-Fire" or wrath-world, the "Fire-Light" or severe world of common human experience, and the "Light-Fire World" or paradise.[citation needed]
He published:[7]
Posthumous were
A two-page advertisement in Jane Lead'sA Fountain of Gardens, 1697, gives full titles of the following works of Pordage, unpublished in English:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: "Pordage, John".Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.| International | |
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