Arthur Dent (died 1607) was an English
Puritan
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...
cleric, known as an author and preacher.
Life
Dent was born at
Melton,
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire ...
. He matriculated as a pensioner of
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...
, in November 1571. He graduated B.A. in 1575–6, and M.A. in 1579.
Dent served as a curate for three years to
George Withers, at
Danbury, Essex
Danbury is a village in the City of Chelmsford district, in the county of Essex, England. It is located northeast of Charing Cross, London and has a population of 6,500. It is situated on a hill above sea level.
The city of Danbury, Connectic ...
.
He was on 17 December 1580 instituted to the rectory of
South Shoebury
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
, Essex, on the presentation of
Robert Rich, 2nd Baron Rich
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
. In 1582 he was one of the witnesses examined in support of charges brought against
Robert Wright, a Puritan minister. About 1584 Dent himself was in trouble with
John Aylmer, his diocesan bishop, for refusing to wear the
surplice
A surplice (; Late Latin ''superpelliceum'', from ''super'', "over" and ''pellicia'', "fur garment") is a liturgical vestment of Western Christianity. The surplice is in the form of a tunic of white linen or cotton fabric, reaching to th ...
and omitting the sign of the cross in baptism. His name is appended to the petition sent to the lords of the council by twenty-seven ministers of Essex, who refused to subscribe the declaration "that there is nothing contained in the Book of Common Prayer contrary to the word of God".
Dent died of a fever after three days' illness about the end of 1607. He left a widow.
Ezekiel Culverwell
Ezekiel (; he, יְחֶזְקֵאל ''Yəḥezqēʾl'' ; in the Septuagint written in grc-koi, Ἰεζεκιήλ ) is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible.
In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknow ...
, in dedicating an edition of the ''Ruine of Rome'' to Lord Rich, remarked on Dent's diligence. He was considered a good preacher, and his printed sermons ran to numerous editions.
Works
* . This was one of the two books that
John Bunyan
John Bunyan (; baptised 30 November 162831 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress,'' which also became an influential literary model. In addition ...
read before or during the four years of spiritual struggle that led eventually to his conversion, and his subsequent writing of ''
Pilgrim's Progress
''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...
''. The other title was ''The Practice of Piety'' by
Lewis Bayly
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
. The work also influenced
Richard Baxter
Richard Baxter (12 November 1615 – 8 December 1691) was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymnodist, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, ...
, who recast it in 1674 as ''The Poor Man's Family Book''.
* ''The Ruine of Rome. Or, An Exposition upon the whole Revelation. Wherein is plainly shown and proved, that the Popish religion, together with all the power and authority of Rome, shall ebbe and decay still more and more throughout all the churches of Europe, and come to an utter overthrow even in this life, before the end of the world. Written especially for the comfort of Protestants, and the daunting of Papists, Seminary Priests, Jesuits, and all the cursed rabble.'' London, 1607. Printed by W.I. for Simon Waterson and Richard Banckworth.
* ''The opening of heauen gates, or, The ready vvay to euerlasting life: Deliuered in a most familiar dialogue, betweene reason and religion, touching predestination, Gods word and mans free-will, to the vnderstanding of the weakest capacitie, and confirming of the more strong'', by Aurthur Dent, London : Printed
t Eliot's Court Pressfor Iohn Wright, and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Bible without New-gate, 1624 (fifth edition)
* ''Sermon of Gods prouidence. Very godly and profitable'': preached at South-Shoobery in Essex
* ''Hand-maid of repentance. Or, A short treatise of restitution'' (As a necessary appendix to his Sermon of Repentance.)
;Modern edition
* ''The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven'',
References
*
External links
South Shoebury Parish Website - Area History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dent, Arthur
Year of birth missing
16th-century births
1607 deaths
People from Shoeburyness
16th-century English writers
16th-century male writers
17th-century English writers
17th-century English male writers
16th-century English Puritan ministers
16th-century English theologians
17th-century English theologians
Early modern Christian devotional writers