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John Flavel (c. 1627–1691) was an English
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 ...
Presbyterian minister Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...
and author.


Life

Flavel, the eldest son of the Rev. Richard Flavel, described as 'a painful and eminent minister,' who was incumbent successively of
Bromsgrove Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about northeast of Worcester and southwest of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 (39,644 in the wider Bromsgrove/Catshill urban area). Bromsgrove is the main town in the ...
, Worcestershire,
Hasler Hassler (also Haßler, Häßler, Hässler, Hasler, ...) is a toponymic surname derived from a number of places called Hasel or Hassel in German-speaking parts of Europe. Notable people with this name include: Musicians *A musical dynasty in Nu ...
and
Willersey Willersey is a village in Gloucestershire, South West England, situated close to the boundary with Worcestershire, West Midlands region and southwest of Evesham. Although situated in Gloucestershire, the postal county for the village is Worces ...
, Gloucestershire (from which last living he was ejected in 1662), was born in or about 1627 at Bromsgrove. Having received his early education at the schools of the neighbourhood, he entered
University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the univer ...
, at an early age, and gained a good reputation for talent and diligence. On 27 April 1650, he was sent by 'the standing committee of Devon' to
Diptford Diptford is a village in the county of Devon, England. It is perched on a hill overlooking the River Avon. The name is believed to come from "deep ford", referring to the local site of a river crossing. The village is mentioned in the Domesday ...
, a parish on the Avon, five miles from
Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-so ...
, where the minister, Mr. Walplate, had become infirm. On 17 October 1650, after examination and the preaching of a 'trial sermon,' he was ordained Mr. Walplate's assistant by the classis at
Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
. He continued to minister at
Diptford Diptford is a village in the county of Devon, England. It is perched on a hill overlooking the River Avon. The name is believed to come from "deep ford", referring to the local site of a river crossing. The village is mentioned in the Domesday ...
for about six years, succeeding the senior minister when he died, and endearing himself greatly to the people, not only by his earnestness, but by his easy dealings with them in the matter of tithes. In 1656 he removed to Dartmouth, though the Diptford emoluments were much greater. On the passing of the Act of Uniformity (1662) he was ejected, but continued to preach in private until the
Five Mile Act The Five Mile Act, or Oxford Act, or Nonconformists Act 1665, was an Act of the Parliament of England (17 Charles II c. 2), passed in 1665 with the long title "An Act for restraining Non-Conformists from inhabiting in Corporations". It was one ...
drove him from Dartmouth. He kept as near it, however, as possible, removing to Slapton, five miles off, and there preached twice each Sunday to all who came, among whom were many of his old parishioners. On the granting of the indulgence of 1671 he returned to Dartmouth, and continued to officiate there even after the liberty to do so was withdrawn. In the end he found himself obliged to remove to London, travelling by sea and narrowly escaping shipwreck in a storm, which is said to have ceased in answer to his prayers. Finding that he would be safer at Dartmouth he returned there, and met with his people nightly in his own house, until in 1687, on the relaxation of the penal laws, they built a meeting-house for him. Just before his death he acted as moderator at a meeting of dissenting ministers held at Topsham. He died suddenly of paralysis at
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
on 26 June 1691, and was buried in Dartmouth churchyard.
Wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
bitterly comments on the violence of his dissent.


Family

Flavel was four times married: first to Jane Randal; secondly, to
Elizabeth Morries Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...
; thirdly, to
Ann Downe Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
; and, lastly, to a daughter of the Rev.
George Jeffries George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, PC (15 May 1645 – 18 April 1689), also known as "the Hanging Judge", was a Welsh judge. He became notable during the reign of King James II, rising to the position of Lord Chancellor (and serving a ...
. There is a portrait of him in
Dr Williams's Library Dr Williams's Library is a small English research library in Gordon Square, Bloomsbury, London. Historically, it has had a strong Unitarian focus. The library has also been known as University Hall. History The library was founded using the es ...
, London.


Written works

He was a voluminous and popular author. There is a play of fine fancy in some of them, such as the 'Husbandry Spiritualised.' All display vigorous diction and strong evangelical sentiments. They comprise: *''Navigation Spiritualised'', London 1664. *''Antipharmacum Saluberrimum, or a serious and seasonable Caveat to all the Saints in this Hour of Temptation''. 1664. *''Tydings from Rome, or England's Alarm''. 1667. *''A Saint indeed'', London 1668. *''Husbandry Spiritualised'', London 1669. *''The Fountain of Life Opened, or a Display of Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory, containing forty-two sermons'', London 1672. *''A Token for Mourners'', London 1674. *''The Seaman's Companion'', London 1676. *''A pathetic and serious Dissuasive from the horrid and detestable Sins of Drunkenness, Swearing, Uncleanness, Forgetfulness of Mercies, Violation of Promises, and Atheistic Contempt of Death''. 1677 *''Divine Conduct, or the Mystery of Providence Opened'', London 1678, 1814, 1822. *''The Touchstone of Sincerity'', London 1679. *''Sacramental Meditations upon divers select places of Scripture'', London 1679. *''A Table or Scheme of the Sins and Duties of Believers''. 1679 *''A Faithful and Succinct Account of some late and wonderful Sea Deliverances''. 1679. *''The Method of Grace in the Gospel Redemption'', London 1680. *''A Practical Treatise of Fear, wherein the various Kinds, Uses, Causes, Effects, and Remedies thereof are distinctly opened and prescribed'', London 1682. *''The Righteous Man's Refuge'', London 1682. *''Preparations for Sufferings, or the Best Work in the Worst Times'', London 1682. *''Pneumatologia, a Treatise of the Soul of Man'', London 1685. *''The Balm of the Covenant applied to the Bleeding Wounds of afflicted Saints''. 1688 *''England's Duty under the present Gospel Liberty'', London 1689. *''Mount Pisgah, or a Thanksgiving Sermon for England's Delivery from Popery'', London 1689. *''The Reasonableness of Personal Reformation and the Necessity of Conversion'', London 1691. *''Vindiciarum Vindex, or a Refutation of the weak and impertinent Rejoinder of Mr. Philip Carey'' (a leading anabaptist in Dartmouth). 1691. *''An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism'', London 1692. *''Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable Discourse of the Occasions, Causes, Nature, Rise, Growth, and Remedies of Mental Errors''. *''Gospel Unity recommended to the Churches of Christ''. *''Vindiciæ Legis et Fœderis''. *''A Familiar Conference between a Minister and a doubting Christian concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper''. Editions of Flavel's writings appeared more than 720 times from 1664 to the present day.


References


Sources

* *


External links

*
The Life of the late Rev. Mr. John Flavel, minister of DartmouthFlavel, John (c. 1630–1691)
– brief biography and further links
''The Mystery of Providence''
text
Chapter by Chapter Summary of ''The Mystery of Providence''On Keeping the Heart
by John Flavel , AgapePress GitHub Repository
On Keeping the Heart (John Flavel)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flavel, John 1627 births 1691 deaths English Calvinist and Reformed theologians English Presbyterian ministers of the Interregnum (England) English evangelicals Ejected English ministers of 1662 People from Bromsgrove English male non-fiction writers