James Janeway (1636–1674) was a
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. ...
minister and author who, after
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 ...
, had the widest and longest popularity as the author of works read by
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
-speaking children.
Life
Janeway was born at
Lilley, in
Hertfordshire, the son of William Janeway, a minister of Kershall, at the end of 1636. He was educated at
Christ Church,
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, graduating with a
B.A
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
. and spent time as a private tutor in a home, like many of the Puritans. He is listed as one of the "ejected" or "silenced" ministers by the
Act of Uniformity 1662. The first evidence that he functioned as a
non-conformist preacher is from the year 1665 at the time of the
Great Plague of London
The Great Plague of London, lasting from 1665 to 1666, was the last major epidemic of the bubonic plague to occur in England. It happened within the centuries-long Second Pandemic, a period of intermittent bubonic plague epidemics that origi ...
. He was then witness to the second great national calamity in the
Great Fire of London in 1666.
In 1672 his congregation built a large meeting house for him near
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
at
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of D ...
, where it is said that
But Janeway's popularity caused the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
to threaten to have him shot. This was actually attempted on at least two occasions, on one of which a bullet pierced his hat but missed his body. Soldiers destroyed the building in which he preached, but his congregation simply built another, larger one big enough for all those who came to hear him preach.
[ p.512]
Janeway was afflicted with
melancholy, contracted
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
, and died in his 38th year. All of his five brothers died of tuberculosis before the age of 40. He was buried in
St Mary Aldermanbury next to his father.
The book for which Janeway is most known is ''A Token for Children'', in which he collected personal accounts of the conversions of a number of children under his pastoral care, and published it. In the introduction, Janeway asks,
It became an effective
evangelistic
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are ...
tool, and was the most widely read book in nurseries in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
next to the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
and ''
Pilgrim's Progress
''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christianity, Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a prog ...
'' by John Bunyan. The
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
preacher
Cotton Mather regarded that book so highly that he wrote his own version of it and called it ''A Token for the Children of New England''.
Janeway also wrote "Upon Earth: Jesus, The Best Friend in the Worst Times". He was among the signers of the 1673 Puritan Preface to the
Scottish Metrical Psalms and contributed one of the "
Cripplegate
Cripplegate was a gate in the London Wall which once enclosed the City of London.
The gate gave its name to the Cripplegate ward of the City which straddles the line of the former wall and gate, a line which continues to divide the ward into ...
Sermons: Duties of Masters and Servants".
Janeway's influence on Puritan thought lasted long after his death.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher.
Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He wa ...
referred to Janeway's works in his sermons on many occasions in the late 1800s.
Published works
* ''Heaven upon Earth; or the Best Friend in the Worst Times'', 1670
* ''A Token for Children; In two parts'', 1671
* ''Death Unstung; a Funeral Sermon for Thomas Mousley, an Apothecary''
* ''Invisible Realities, demonstrated in the holy Life and Death of Mr. John Janeway'', 1673.
* ''The Saints' Encouragement to Diligence in Christ's Service'', 1673
* ''Legacy to his Friends; containing 27 famous Instances of God's providence in and about sea dangers and deliverances'', 1674
* ''Saints' Memorials'', 1674, edited by
Edmund Calamy,
Joseph Caryl
Joseph Caryl (November 1602 – 25 February 1673) was an English ejected minister.
Life
He was born in London, educated at Merchant Taylors' School, and graduated at Exeter College, Oxford, and became preacher at Lincoln's Inn. He frequently p ...
and
Ralph Venning
Ralph Venning (c. 1621 – 10 March 1673 or 1674) was an English nonconformist Christian.
Life
The son of Francis and Joan Venning, he was born in Devon, perhaps at Kingsteignton, about 1621. He was the first convert of George Hughes, the puri ...
* ''The Duties of Masters and Servants; a Sermon in supplement to Morning Exercises'', 1674
* ''Man's last End; a Funeral Sermon on Ps. lxxxiv. 8'', 1675
* ''The Murderer punished and pardoned ; with the Life and Death of T. Savage''
Notes
External links
*
*
Scanned version of "A Token for Children"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Janeway, James
Ejected English ministers of 1662
English children's writers
English non-fiction writers
Christianity in London
People from North Hertfordshire District
1636 births
1674 deaths
Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
English male non-fiction writers