Robert Harrison (died 1585?) was an English lay schoolmaster who became a religious leader as a
Protestant Separatist
English Dissenters or English Separatists were Protestant Christians who separated from the Church of England in the 17th and 18th centuries.
A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who disagrees in opinion, belief and ...
, one of the original
Brownists
The Brownists were a group of English Dissenters or early Separatists from the Church of England. They were named after Robert Browne, who was born at Tolethorpe Hall in Rutland, England, in the 1550s. A majority of the Separatists aboard the ' ...
.
Life
Harrison matriculated as a pensioner of
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...
on 4 October 1564, moved to Corpus Christi College, and graduated B.A. 1567, M.A. 1572.
In July 1573 Harrison applied for the post of master of the
grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
of
Aylsham
Aylsham ( or ) is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, nearly north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea, ...
,
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
. He was recommended to Bishop
John Parkhurst
John Parkhurst (c. 1512 – 2 February 1575) was an English Marian exile and from 1560 the Bishop of Norwich.
Early life
Born about 1512, he was son of George Parkhurst of Guildford, Surrey. He initially attended the Royal Grammar School, Guild ...
by the mayor and some of the
aldermen
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members them ...
of
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
, with reasons excusing Harrison for having raised an objection to the use of the service of the ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
'' at his marriage. Parkhurst made difficulties, including that the liturgical offence had been in the face of warnings; but finally gave way after an appeal from inhabitants of Aylsham. Within a month of his appointment Harrison requested that changes might be made in the baptismal service on the occasion of his being godfather to an infant, and he was removed by the bishop in January 1574.
Harrison returned to Cambridge with a view to taking orders in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
orders. He was dissuaded by
Robert Browne. Subsequently he became master of a hospital in Norwich (perhaps the hospital of St. Giles, or the Old Men's Hospital, which had some connection with Aylsham). Browne visited him at Norwich, and lodged and boarded with him and his wife. In his autobiographical ''A True and Short Declaration'', Browne placed Harrison first in the list of his helpers and disciples. According to Browne's narrative, Harrison came completely over to his views, and the two spent all their energies in preaching and collecting a congregation at Norwich.
In April 1581 Bishop
Edmund Freke
Edmund Freke (also spelled Freake or Freak; c. 1516–1591) was an English dean and bishop.
Life
He was born in Essex, and educated at Cambridge, gaining his M.A. there c. 1550.
In 1565 he was appointed Canon of the sixth stall at St George's ...
of Norwich sent formal articles of complaint against Browne and Harrison to
Lord Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598) was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from 1 ...
, and the whole congregation decided to migrate to
Middelburg Middelburg may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Europe
* Middelburg, Zeeland, the capital city of the province of Zeeland, southwestern Netherlands
** Roman Catholic Diocese of Middelburg, a former Catholic diocese with its see in the Zeeland ...
in
Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
in the autumn of that year. Harrison, according to his own account, suffered imprisonment before leaving England. At Middelburg the refugees enjoyed freedom of worship, and wrote tracts explaining their views, which were shipped over to England. Two men were hanged for distributing them, and a royal proclamation issued against them in June 1583. The cost of printing these "Brownist" tracts was apparently borne largely by Harrison.
Conflicts arose among the members of the Middelburg congregation. Browne broke with Harrison, and sailed for Scotland with a few followers in November or December 1583. Harrison as head of the congregation, made an unsuccessful effort to join it to the Conforming Church of English merchants presided over by
Thomas Cartwright and
Dudley Fenner
Dudley Fenner (1587) was an English puritan divine. He helped popularise Ramist logic in the English language. Fenner was also one of the first theologians to use the term "covenant of works" to describe God's relationship with Adam in the ''Bo ...
.
Harrison died about 1585.
Works
Harrison wrote two of the prohibited books:
* ''A Little Treatise uppon the firste verse of the 122nd Psalm. Stirring up unto carefull desiring and dutiful labouring for true Church Gouvernement, R. H.'', 1583, reprinted at Leyden, 1618. The preface states that the book is a fragment of a work on church government. A manuscript of such a work was published in 1952. Harrison's part in writing it remains unclear, however, since part is closely related to a work now attributed to
Henry Barrowe
Henry Barrow (or Barrowe) ( – 6 April 1593) was an English Separatist Puritan, or Brownist, executed for his views. He led the London Underground Church from 1587 to 1593, spending most of that time in prison, and wrote numerous works of Bro ...
.
* ''Three formes of Catechismes, conteyning the most principal pointes of Religion'', 1583.
Correspondence with Cartwright led to ''An Answere to Master Cartwright his Letter for joyning with the English Churches: whereunto the true copie of his sayde Letter is annexed'', London.
Harrison is also credited with:
* ''Of Ghostes and Spirites walking by night, and of strange noyses, crackes, and sundry forewarninges, which commonly happen before the death of menne, great slaughters and alterations of kyngdomes. One Booke. Written by Lewes Lavaterus of Tigurine, and translated into Englyshe by R. H.'', London,1572 and 1596. Translation of a demonological work by
Ludwig Lavater
Ludwig Lavater (4 March 1527; Kyburg (castle) – 5 July 1586 in Zurich) was a Swiss Reformed theologian working in the circle of his father-in-law, Heinrich Bullinger. He served as Archdeacon at the Grossmünster in Zurich and briefly Antistes ...
.
* ''A boke of the forme of common prayers, administration of the Sacramentes, &c., agreeable to Gods worde and the use of the Reformed Churches'', 1586, 1587;
and possibly
* ''Master R. H. His letter to the B. of Norwich'', 1576 (in ''A Parte of a Register'', pp. 365–70).
''A Theologicall Discourse of the Lamb of God and His enemies'', London, 1590, which has been attributed to Harrison, is by
Richard Harvey
Richard Allen Harvey (born 25 September 1953) is an English composer and musician. Originally of the mediaevalist progressive rock group Gryphon, he is best known now for his film and television soundtracks. He is also known for his guitar co ...
.
Notes
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Robert
Year of birth missing
1585 deaths
English religious leaders
16th-century Puritans
Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge