Joseph Hussey (1660–1726) was an English

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 ...

and congregationalist minister.

Life

Hussey was born in Fordingbridge,

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

. After studying with the

ejected Ejection or Eject may refer to: * Ejection (sports), the act of officially removing someone from a game * Eject (''Transformers''), a fictional character from ''The Transformers'' television series * "Eject" (song), 1993 rap rock single by Sense ...

minister Robert Whitaker, he attended Charles Morton's

dissenting academy The dissenting academies were schools, colleges and seminaries (often institutions with aspects of all three) run by English Dissenters, that is, those who did not conform to the Church of England. They formed a significant part of England's edu ...

Newington Green Newington Green is an open space in North London that straddles the border between Islington and Hackney. It gives its name to the surrounding area, roughly bounded by Ball's Pond Road to the south, Petherton Road to the west, Green Lanes and ...

. He attributed a 1686 conversion to the reading of Stephen Charnock's ''The Existence and Attributes of God''. In 1688, Hussey underwent ordination in a Reformed church. He was pastor at

Hitchin Hitchin () is a market town and unparished area in the North Hertfordshire Districts of England, district in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 35,842. History Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce peopl ...

, and then from 1691 in Cambridge,

Stephen Scandrett Stephen Scandrett (also Scandret or Scanderet) (1631? – 8 December 1706) was an English nonconformist minister and controversialist. Life Born about 1631, he was a son of the yeoman of the wardrobe of Charles I. He matriculated at Wadham Colleg ...

preaching as he took up the post. At that time the congregation met at the Hog Hill church, where a piece of land had been bought in 1687 on the basis of the

Declaration of Indulgence The Declaration of Indulgence, also called Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, was a pair of proclamations made by James II of England and Ireland and VII of Scotland in 1687. The Indulgence was first issued for Scotland on 12 February and t ...

; and it took on the name "Great Meeting". From 1694 Hussey's Cambridge church was congregational; but there was a Presbyterian secession in 1696, who moved to a meeting in Green Street.Wilson, p. 412. He moved to a ministry in

Petticoat Lane Petticoat Lane Market is a fashion and clothing market in Spitalfields, London. It consists of two adjacent street markets. Wentworth Street Market is open six days a week and Middlesex Street Market is open on Sunday only. The modern market ...

, London, in 1719.

Works

He wrote: * ''The Gospel Feast Opened'' (1693) * '' The Glory of Christ Unveil'd or the Excellency of Christ Vindicated'' (1706) * ''God's Operations of Grace but No Offers of His Grace'' (1707). The two latter books, on the denial of the

free offer of the gospel The free offer of the Gospel, sometimes called the well-meant offer of the gospel, in Christian theology, is the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ to all people. It is generally accepted by Calvinists, but rejected by a few small Reformed denomin ...

, were influential in the formation of English hyper-Calvinism. Distinctive of Hussey's views were

supralapsarianism In Calvinist theology, lapsarianism is the study of the logical order of God's decree to ordain the fall of man in relation to his decree to save some sinners through election and condemn others through reprobation. Several opposing positions have ...

, the doctrine of

irresistible grace Irresistible grace (also called effectual grace, effectual calling, or efficacious grace) is a doctrine in Christian theology particularly associated with Calvinism, which teaches that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those wh ...

, and a christology derived in part from Thomas Goodwin. Those who followed Hussey's views included William Bentley, John Skepp and Samuel Stockell.

References

*Peter Toon, ''The Emergence of Hyper-Calvinism in English Nonconformity, 1689-1765'', Chapter IV, ''No Offers of Grace (The Theology of Hussey and Skepp)''
online
* Walter Wilson, ''The History and Antiquities of Dissenting Churches'' (1814), Vol. 4, pp. 411–2.

Notes

*
Hussey Glory of Christ Website''
*
Surman Library entry
*

by Peter Toon (1967) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hussey, Joseph 1660 births 1726 deaths English Congregationalist ministers English Dissenters English sermon writers English theologians People from Fordingbridge Social history of London Hyper-Calvinism 17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 17th-century English writers 17th-century English male writers 18th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 18th-century English non-fiction writers 18th-century English male writers English Calvinist and Reformed theologians