Abraham Taylor ( fl. 1727–1740), was an English

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

minister and

dissenting academy The dissenting academies were schools, colleges and seminaries (often institutions with aspects of all three) run by English Dissenters, that is, those who did not conform to the Church of England. They formed a significant part of England's edu ...

tutor, known as a controversialist.

Life

He was a son of Richard Taylor (d. 1717), independent minister at

Little Moorfields Coleman Street is one of the 25 ancient wards of the City of London and lies on the City's northern boundary with the London Borough of Islington. The ward, which includes land lying on either side of the former city wall, takes its name from ...

, London. His name occurs in a list (December 1727) of "approved ministers" among congregationalists in the London district, and in 1728 he became minister at

Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...

. Taylor's writings attracted the notice of

William Coward William Coward (1657?–1725) was an English physician, controversial writer, and poet. He is now remembered for his sceptical writings on the soul, which Parliament condemned as blasphemous and ordered to be burned in his presence. Life He wa ...

, who selected him as one of nine preachers for a weekly lecture in defence of

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

at Paved Alley, Lime Street, in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

. While these lectures were proceeding in 1730–1, Taylor was ordained (1 January 1731), having been selected as divinity tutor for a new dissenting academy, established by the

King's Head Society The King's Head Society was an 18th-century organisation funding dissenting academies in England. The King's Head Society was a group of laymen named after the pub behind the Royal Exchange at which they met. From 1730 they worked to promote Calv ...

(itself founded 1730). It was an extended course of study (six years), in which more stress was to be laid on theological orthodoxy than on other learning. Soon Taylor clashed on a point of Calvinist theology with

John Gill John Gill may refer to: Sports *John Gill (cricketer) (1854–1888), New Zealand cricketer *John Gill (coach) (1898–1997), American football coach *John Gill (footballer, born 1903), English professional footballer *John Gill (American football) ...

, another of the Lime Street lecturers. When Coward first projected (early in 1735) his scheme of founding a college, after his death, Taylor appeared a rival to

Philip Doddridge Philip Doddridge D.D. (26 June 1702 – 26 October 1751) was an English Nonconformist (specifically, Congregationalist) minister, educator, and hymnwriter. Early life Philip Doddridge was born in London the last of the twenty children of D ...

as its head. He obtained a degree of D.D. about the same time as Doddridge (1736).

Hugh Farmer Hugh Farmer (20 January 1714, – 5 February 1787) was an English Dissenter and theologian. He was educated at the Dissenting Academy in Northampton under Philip Doddridge, and became pastor of a congregation at Walthamstow, Essex. In 1701 he bec ...

believed in mid-1737 that Taylor was favoured;

Samuel Clarke Samuel Clarke (11 October 1675 – 17 May 1729) was an English philosopher and Anglican cleric. He is considered the major British figure in philosophy between John Locke and George Berkeley. Early life and studies Clarke was born in Norwich, ...

and David Jennings deprecated his influence with Coward. Taylor, however, mismanaged his money affairs. He lost character with Coward, and ceased to be tutor in 1740; he ended his ministry at Deptford soon after. He died in poverty, when and where being unclear.

Works

Taylor's first publication, an attack on

Samuel Chandler Samuel Chandler (1693 – 8 May 1766) was an English Nonconformist minister and pamphleteer. He has been called the "uncrowned patriarch of Dissent" in the latter part of George II's reign. Early life Samuel Chandler was born at Hungerford in B ...

, appeared in 1729. It was entitled ''A Letter to a Friend, occasioned by a rhapsody delivered in the Old Jewry by a reverend bookseller'' handler''… at the shutting up his evening entertainment for the last winter season'', 1729. In 1730 he published a ''Letter'' in reply to the ''Enquiry'' (into the causes of the decline of dissent) by Strickland Gough. Among Taylor's other publications (mainly sermons) was ''A Practical Treatise of Saving Faith'', 1730, 3 parts. Appended to his funeral sermon (1733) for John Hurrion is ''Some Account'' and it was reprinted with Hurrion's ''Works'', 1823, 3 vols. The Lime Street lectures (delivered from 12 November 1730 to 8 April 1731) were collected, 1762, in 2 vols.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Abraham 18th-century English people English Congregationalist ministers Dissenting academy tutors