John Sturgion (died 1665) was an English

General Baptist General Baptists are Baptists who hold the ''general'' or unlimited atonement view, the belief that Jesus Christ died for the entire world and not just for the chosen Election (Christianity), elect. General Baptists are theologically Arminian, whic ...

preacher and pamphleteer.

Life

Sturgion was a member of

Edmund Chillenden Edmund Chillenden (fl. 1631–1678) was an English soldier, known as an agitator and theological writer. At different times he was a Leveller and a Fifth Monarchist. Life With 60 others, he was arrested at a religious meeting in London in January ...

's church in 1653. At one time a private in

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

's lifeguards, on 27 August 1655 he was arrested as the author of a pamphlet against Cromwell, now Lord Protector. He was discharged from the lifeguards and for a time imprisoned. In 1656, Major-general

William Goffe Major-General William Goffe, in or before 1618 to , was an English religious radical and soldier who fought for Parliament in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and served in the New Model Army. A close associate and supporter of Oliver Cromwell, h ...

complained that Sturgion's preaching attracted large crowds at

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, Southeast England, southeast England. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers River Thames, Thames and River Kennet, Kennet, the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 mot ...

. About July 1656, Sturgion and other Baptists sent an address to Charles II complaining of their sufferings under "that loathsome hypocrite" the Protector, and announcing their return to their allegiance to the king, begging him also to establish liberty of conscience and abolish tithes. He was suspected of a share in

Miles Sindercombe Miles Sindercombe (died 13 February 1657) was the leader of a group that tried to assassinate Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell during the period of the Protectorate in 1657. Early military career Sindercombe was born in Kent and was apprenticed to ...

's plot against Cromwell, became one of

Edward Sexby Colonel Edward Sexby (or Saxby; 1616 – 13 January 1658) was an English Puritan soldier and Leveller in the army of Oliver Cromwell. Later he turned against Cromwell and plotted his assassination. Biography Sexby was born in Suffolk in 1616, b ...

's agents, and was arrested on 25 May 1657 with two bundles of '' Killing No Murder'' under his arms. For this he was committed to the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

, where he remained till February 1659. At 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 ...

, Sturgion was appointed one of the messengers of the court of exchequer. In October 1662 he petitioned for leave to resign his place to Thomas Benbow, on the ground of bodily infirmity.

Works

Sturgion was the author of: * ''A Short Discovery of his Highness the Lord Protector's Intentions touching the Anabaptists in the Army'' (1655) * ''A Plea for Toleration of Opinions and Persuasions in Matters of Religion differing from the Church of England'' (1661), addressed to Charles II. It consists largely of extracts from

Jeremy Taylor Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667) was a cleric in the Church of England who achieved fame as an author during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. He is sometimes known as the "Shakespeare of Divines" for his poetic style of expression, and he is fr ...

's ''Liberty of Prophesying'', and was reprinted in ''Tracts on Liberty of Conscience'', edited by

Edward Bean Underhill Edward Bean Underhill (1813–1901) was an English missionary secretary, known as a Baptist historian and biographer. Life Born at St. Aldate's, Oxford, on 4 October 1813, he was one of seven children of Michael Underhill, a grocer in Oxford, by ...

for the Hanserd Knollys Society in 1846.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Sturgion, John English Baptists English male writers Arminian writers 1665 deaths Place of birth unknown Place of death unknown Year of birth unknown