Elisha Coles (1608?–1688) was an English college servant and official in the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, known as the author of a

Calvinist 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 Ca ...

theological work.

Life

Originally in trade in London, Coles had by 1651 moved to Oxford, on 23 May of the year acting as deputy-registrar to the parliamentary visitors there, in the absence of

Ralph Austen Ralph Austen (c. 1612–1676) was an English writer on gardening and husbandry, who urged the use of concise, plain language. He also worked to popularize cider as a beverage. Life Austen was a native of Staffordshire. He spent the second pa ...

, the registrar. In 1657 Coles became steward of

Magdalen College Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

, through the favour of

Thomas Goodwin Thomas Goodwin (Rollesby, Norfolk, 5 October 160023 February 1680), known as "the Elder", was an English Puritan theologian and preacher, and an important leader of religious Independents. He served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and was impos ...

, the intruded President, and was also

manciple A manciple is a person in charge of the purchase and storage of food at an institution such as a college, monastery, or court of law. Manciples were sometimes also in charge of catering more generally, including food preparation. The title sti ...

Magdalen Hall Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colleg ...

. He was also active on the committee for "scandalous ministers" for Oxfordshire, with Joshua Cross and John Palmer who were intruded heads of house in the university. Coles lost his posts after the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

of 1660. He obtained a place as clerk to the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

. According to Anthony Wood, Coles "died in his house in Scalding Alley, near the

Stocks Market Stocks Market was a market in central London operating between 1282 and 1737 and for centuries was London's main retail meat and produce market. The market was located to the east of the Walbrook in the heart of the City of London. It was demol ...

in London, about 28 Oct. 1688, aged eighty years or more."

Works

Coles wrote ''A Practical Discourse of God's Sovereignty: with other Material Points deriving thence'', London, printed by Ben Griffin for E. C., 1673. It enjoyed popularity among

English Dissenters English Dissenters or English Separatists were Protestant Christians who separated from the Church of England in the 17th and 18th centuries. A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who disagrees in opinion, belief and ...

, and went through numerous editions. The third impression (1678) was preceded by recommendatory epistles from Thomas Goodwin and other well-known

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

divines.

Andrew Kippis Andrew Kippis (28 March 17258 October 1795) was an English nonconformist clergyman and biographer. Life The son of Robert Kippis, a silk-hosier, he was born at Nottingham. Having gone to Carre's Grammar School in Sleaford, Lincolnshire he pass ...

wrote that reading this book at the age of 14 convinced him, contrary to its intention, of the illogical character of Calvinism.

Family

By his wife, Elizabeth, Coles had a son, Elisha, whom he apprenticed.

Elisha Coles Elisha Coles (c. 1640 – 1680) was a 17th-century English lexicographer and stenographer. Life He was son of John Coles, schoolmaster of Wolverhampton, and nephew of Elisha Coles the religious author. He became chorister of Magdalen Coll ...

the lexicographer was not this son, but a nephew. The son or the nephew published rhymes entitled ''Χριστολογία, or a Metrical Paraphrase on the History of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ''; the ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' suspends judgement.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Coles, Elisha (1608?-1688) 1608 births 1688 deaths English theologians English Calvinist and Reformed Christians