John Ellis (1606?–1681) was an English clergyman, known as the author of ''Vindiciæ Catholicæ''.

Life

He was

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of St. Catharine Hall, Cambridge, university proctor, and chaplain to Archbishop George Abbot. At the outbreak of the

First English Civil War The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Anglo ...

he took sides with the parliament, and was appointed to preach the fast sermon on 22 February 1643. His next work ''Vindiciæ Catholicæ'' was widely discussed.‘Vindiciæ Catholicæ, or the Rights of Particular Churches rescued: and asserted against that meer … Notion of one Catholick, Visible, Governing Church: the foundation of the … Presbyterie: wherein … all the Arguments for it, produced by the Rev. Apollonius, M. Hudson, M. Noyes, the London Ministers, and others, are examined and dissolved,’ 4to, London, 1647, dedicated ‘to the Parliament of England and Assembly of Divines.’ Samuel Hudson replied with ‘A Vindication’ in 1650. By 1659, when holding a third portion of the rectory of

Waddesdon Waddesdon is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, west-north-west of Aylesbury on the A41 road. The village also includes the hamlets of Eythrope and Wormstone, Waddesdon was an agricultural settlement with milling, silk weaving and lace maki ...

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, Ellis become a royalist. In the preface to a short work ‘The Pastor and the Clerk; or a Debate (real) concerning Infant-Baptisme,’ published in June of that year, he regretted his contributions to the recent turmoil and the publication of ''Vindiciæ Catholicæ''. He also announced his ‘Retractations and Repentings’ on the title-page. He was allowed to retain his living at the

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, and was presented by the king to the first and second portions of Waddesdon, 24 October and 8 November 1661, thus becoming sole rector. Ellis was strongly attacked, especially by

Henry Hickman Henry Hickman (died 1692) was an English ejected minister and controversialist. Life A native of Worcestershire, he was educated at St Catharine Hall, Cambridge, where he proceeded B.A. in 1648. At the end of 1647, he entered Magdalen Hall, Ox ...

in his ‘Apologia pro Ministris in Anglia (vulgo) Non-conformists,’ 1664. Ellis died at Waddesdon on 3 November 1681, aged 75, and was buried on the 8th in the north side of the chancel of the church, within the altar rails.

Family

By his wife Susanna, daughter of William Welbore of Cambridge, he had eleven children: John Ellis, William Ellis, Philip Ellis, and Welbore Ellis, and five other children survived him. Mrs. Ellis died at Cambridge on 29 April 1700, aged 77.

References

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, John 1606 births 1681 deaths 17th-century English Anglican priests Fellows of St Catharine's College, Cambridge