Hanserd Knollys | |||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Engraving of Hanserd Knollys | |||||||||||||||
| Born | Hanserd Knollys 1598 | ||||||||||||||
| Died | September 19, 1691(1691-09-19) (aged 92–93) | ||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | St Catharine's College | ||||||||||||||
| Occupations | |||||||||||||||
| Notable work | The Rudiments of the Hebrew Grammar in English | ||||||||||||||
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| Theological work | |||||||||||||||
| Era | Transition ofRenaissance to theAge of Enlightenment | ||||||||||||||
| Tradition or movement | Baptist | ||||||||||||||
| Main interests | Hebrew | ||||||||||||||
Ordination history | |||||||||||||||
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Hanserd Knollys (1598 – 1691) was an EnglishParticular Baptistminister,divine (theologian), andschoolmaster.
Hanserd Knollys was born atCawkwell,Lincolnshire, in 1598. He was educated privately under a tutor, and later was for a short time educated atGreat Grimsby grammar school. Knollys afterwards was matriculated atSt Catharine's College,Cambridge, in 1627[1] or 1629.[2] Leaving the university, Knollys became schoolmaster of theQueen Elizabeth's High School atGainsborough, Lincolnshire. In 1620, he was ordained in theChurch of England asdeacon on 29 June. On the next day, 30 June, Knollys was ordainedpriest byJohn Williams,Bishop of Lincoln, and was presented by Williams to the vicarage ofHumberston, Lincolnshire. In addition to being a vicar, Knollys preached every Sunday in the neighbouringparish churches ofHolton-le-Clay andScartho. Two or three years later, he resigned his living owing to scruples about ceremonies and admission to the Eucharist, but continued his preaching office.
In 1636, Knollys came toNonconformist ideas and renounced his orders. He removed toLondon with his wife and family. Shortly afterwards, he fled toNew England to escape theCourt of High Commission. A warrant from the Court reached Knollys atBoston,Massachusetts, but after a brief imprisonment he was allowed to remain unmolested. During his time in New England, Knollys preached atDover, New Hampshire, and adoptedcredobaptism.Cotton Mather enumerated him among 'godly Anabaptists;' quite when he adopted the doctrine is not clear.[3]
On 24 December 1641, Knollys returned to England and reached London, due to his aged father. He founded aboarding-school inGreat Tower Hill. Soon afterwards, Knollys was elected to the mastership of the free school inSt. Mary Axe. After about a year, he temporarily left to become anarmy chaplain. Dissatisfied with the parliamentary commanders, he returned to London and his school-keeping. Knollys learned Hebrew fromChristian Ravis of Berlin. In 1644, he preached in the London andSuffolk churches and churchyards, and occasionally, in what afterwards became quaker fashion, endeavouring to supplement the regular sermon by a discourse of his own. This led, according toThomas Edwards, to tumults. Knollys was twice brought before a committee of parliament, but on each occasion was absolved from blame and protected.[3] In 1645, withBenjamin Cox and others, Knollys was the author ofA Declaration concerning the Publicke Dispute which should have been in the Meeting House of Aldermanbury, December 3 1645, concerninginfant baptism.[4]
He gathered a church in 1646, meeting first for about a year, in Great St. Helen's, then inFinsbury Fields, next in Coleman Street, subsequently in George Yard,Whitechapel, and ultimately at Broken Wharf, Thames Street. His most important convert wasHenry Jessey, whom he baptised in June 1645. Knollys wrote a letter on 11 January 1646 to John Dutton of Norwich, in favour of toleration, printed by Edwards inGangraena; embittered the Presbyterians against him. Knollys, in the next year, subscribed the second edition (1646) of theFirst London Confession of Faith, drafted up by Baptists in London. On 17 January 1649, theParliament of England gave a commission to Knollys andWilliam Kiffin to preach in Suffolk, on petition from inhabitants ofIpswich. His name is attached to pleas for toleration addressed to the Parliament in 1651 and 1654, and toOliver Cromwell on 3 April 1657.[3]
Between 1645 and the Restoration, Knollys met with no interference. He held some offices of profit under theCommonwealth of England. On the outbreak ofThomas Venner's insurrection, on 7 January 1661, Knollys was committed toNewgate Gaol on suspicion, and detained until the act of grace onKing Charles II's coronation, on 23 April, liberated him; but still was not safe for Knollys to resume his ministry in London. After a time inWales and Lincolnshire, Knollys went toGermany (then theHoly Roman Empire), where he remained for two or three years, and returned at length to London by way ofRotterdam. In his absence, ColonelWilliam Legge in the king's name took possession of his property.[3]
In London he once more resumed his school and his pastorate, preaching also a morning lecture on Sundays at Pinners' Hall, Old Broad Street, then in the hands of independents. On 10 May 1670 he was arrested at his meeting in George Yard, under theConventicles Act 1670. He was committed to theBishopgate compter, but was considerately treated and was allowed to preach to the prisoners; at the nextOld Bailey sessions he obtained his discharge. He survived theAct of Toleration 1689 and despite old age, took part in efforts to consolidate the Baptists. He continued preaching to the last, with Robert Steed as his assistant.[3]
He died on 19 September 1691, in his ninety-third year, and was buried inBunhill Fields. The funeral sermon was preached by Thomas Harrison (1699–1702), particular Baptist minister at Petty France, and afterwards at Loriners' Hall. He married in 1630 or 1631; his wife died on 30 April 1671; he had at least three sons and a daughter; Isaac, his last surviving son, died on 16 November 1671.[3]
The Hanserd Knollys Society was founded in London in 1845, "for the publication of the works of early English and other Baptist writers".[5] A total of ten volumes were published. Seven of the volumes were edited byEdward Bean Underhill. Other volumes were edited byGeorge Offor, the Reverend C. Stovel, and the Reverend F. A. Cox. The two volumes byThieleman J. van Braght were translated from the Dutch by the Reverend Benjamin Millard, while the first of the two volumes has illustrations by the engraverJan Luyken.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1887). "Cox, Benjamin".Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 12. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 404. This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: "Knollys, Hanserd".Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900._(cropped).jpg)
