John Heylyn (1685 – 11 August 1759) was an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine

, who had a major influence on religious thought in eighteenth century

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 ...

. Because of his interest in

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

he was known as the Mystic Doctor.

Early life

Heylyn was the son of John Heylyn, a saddler of London, and his wife Susanna Sherman. The Heylyn family originally came from

North Wales , area_land_km2 = 6,172 , postal_code_type = Postcode , postal_code = LL, CH, SY , image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg , map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...

. He was born in

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

and entered

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

in 1700. He was admitted at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

on 7 June 1705 and was elected scholar of Trinity. In 1708 he graduated BA. He was ordained priest at London on 18 December 1709. It was recorded by Edward Rud in his 'Diary' that Heylyn "preach'd a very fine sermon" at the archidiaconal visitation of Dr Bewley in December 1710.Rud, E.
The diary (1709-1727) of Edward Rud, sometime fellow of Trinity college, and rector of North Runcton in Norfolk; to which are added several unpublished letters of Dr. Bentley
accessed 31 August 2019

Career

Heylyn was living at

Turnham Green Turnham Green is a public park on Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London, and the neighbourhood and conservation area around it; historically, it was one of the four medieval villages in the Chiswick area, the others being Old Chiswick, Little S ...

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and Full ...

(then Middlesex, since 1885 part of London) in 1712,Extracts of the diary of John Heylyn (younger), Bristol Record Office 33290/16
/ref> and in 1714 became

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

Haslingfield Haslingfield is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England. The village is about six miles south-west of Cambridge, between Harston, Barton and Barrington. The population in the 2001 census was 1,550 people living in 6 ...

near

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

. He was awarded MA in 1714. In 1719 he left Haslingfield and served in various parishes in London, where he lived at Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, and Queen Street, Westminster, among other places. In 1724 he became the first rector of the rebuilt

St Mary-le-Strand St Mary le Strand is a Church of England church at the eastern end of the Strand in the City of Westminster, London. It lies within the Deanery of Westminster (St Margaret) within the Diocese of London. The church stands on what was until rec ...

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. In the summer of 1725 he took his family to

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

, where he left his sons to learn French. In the following year his second son Charles was drowned in the River

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

in the rapid water where it runs out of

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial lak ...

. Heylyn gained a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

in 1728. He became chaplain in ordinary to

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) * ...

. In 1729 he was chosen Lecturer of

All Hallows Lombard Street All Hallows Lombard Street, also seen with descriptor Gracechurch Street, was a parish church in the City of London. It stood behind thin buildings fronting both streets, in Langbourn Ward, The west and south sides faced into Ball Alley. Of ...

. He published many theological works and from his indulgence in

was known as the Mystic Doctor. Heylyn was an influence on

John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...

as early as the Oxford Methodist days. According to Wesley’s diaries, on 10 May 1738 (Whitsunday), Wesley heard Heylyn "preach a truly Christian sermon on 'They were all filled with the Holy Ghost'—and so, said he, may all of you be." In 1739 Wesley heard Heylyn give a sermon on feigned and hypocritical

repentance Repentance is reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs, which is accompanied by commitment to and actual actions that show and prove a change for the better. In modern times, it is generally seen as involving a co ...

, and as a result, declared that he (Wesley) had been a hypocrite for twenty years. Heylyn’s “Theological Lectures” was used as a source in Wesley's compilation of the ''

Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament ''Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament'' is a Biblical commentary and translation of the New Testament by English theologian John Wesley. First published in 1755 the work went through five editions in Wesley's lifetime.Scroggs p.415 Developme ...

''. He served as vicar of

Sunbury on Thames Sunbury-on-Thames (or commonly Sunbury) is a suburban town on the north bank of the River Thames in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, centred southwest of central London. Historically part of the county of Middlesex, in 1965 Sunbury and other ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

1742–7, a

prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

. In 1743 Heylyn was installed prebendary of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

. Heylyn died at Hampstead at the age of 74 and was buried in Westminster Abbey in August 1759.

Family

Heylyn was married twice. He married the daughter of Dr Herbert Masters physician at Cirencester. She died in about 1718 and was buried in Covent Garden Churchyard. Heylyn had one surviving son John by his first wife who became a merchant of

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. His second wife was Elizabeth Ebutt, the daughter of Mrs Elizabeth Ebbutt of St. Margaret's Westminster. She died on 9 June 1747, aged 49. Heylyn had a daughter Elizabeth by his second wife. He was the brother of

Edward Heylyn Edward Heylyn (1695 – April 10, 1765) was a merchant and entrepreneur who was one of the founders of the Bow porcelain factory. The Heylyn family originally came from North Wales. Heylyn was the third son of John Heylyn, a saddler of London who ...

, one of the founders of

Bow porcelain The Bow porcelain factory (active c. 1747–64 and closed in 1776) was an emulative rival of the Chelsea porcelain factory in the manufacture of early soft-paste porcelain in Great Britain. The two London factories were the first in England. It ...

Works

* Theological lectures at Westminster-Abbey. With an interpretation of the New Testament. Part 1. Containing, the four Gospels (1749) * An interpretation of the New Testament. Part 2. Containing the Acts of the Apostles and the several Epistles. (1761). Heylyn published six single sermons, one of which was delivered by him at the consecration of his friend Joseph Butler,

Bishop of Bristol A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. According to Allibone, 'Seventeen' and 'Forty' of his 'Discourses' were published in 1770 and 1793 respectively.

References

*. {{DEFAULTSORT:Heylyn, John 1685 births 1759 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Anglican writers 18th-century English Anglican priests 18th-century Christian mystics English religious writers People educated at Westminster School, London English male non-fiction writers Protestant mystics