Samuel Clark (1684–1750), usually known as Samuel Clarke of St Albans, was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
Nonconformist
Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to:
Culture and society
* Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior
*Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity
** ...
pastor and theological writer, known for his ''Collection of the Promises of Scripture''. He is not to be confused with his near-contemporary
Samuel Clarke
Samuel Clarke (11 October 1675 – 17 May 1729) was an English philosopher and Anglican cleric. He is considered the major British figure in philosophy between John Locke and George Berkeley.
Early life and studies
Clarke was born in Norwich, ...
(1675–1729), philosopher and
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 ...
clergyman.
Life
Samuel Clarke was born on 16 December 1684 at
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, into an extended family of clergy. His father Benjamin Clarke (1653–1722) was the youngest son of Daniel Clarke (1609–1654), vicar of
Kirkburton
Kirkburton is a village, civil parishes in England, civil parish and ward in Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is south-east of Huddersfield. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the township ...
in
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
, brother of
Samuel Clarke (1599–1683), the Puritan biographer. Benjamin had married Elizabeth (1656–1736), daughter of his first cousin
Samuel Clarke (1626–1701), annotator of the Bible. After reading the works of the elder Samuel Clark, who was both his paternal great-uncle and maternal great-grandfather, he went through a course of preparation for the ministry.
Clarke declined preferment 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 ...
, on grounds of conscience, as a Dissenter. He became the pastor of a
Nonconformist
Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to:
Culture and society
* Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior
*Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity
** ...
congregation in Dagnall Lane,
St. Albans
St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...
(now Lower Dagnall Street). The first
charity school
Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to ...
outside London, in connection with a dissenting congregation, was instituted by Clarke about 1715, giving free education in reading, writing, and arithmetic to thirty boys and ten girls (see
Dissenting academies
The dissenting academies were schools, colleges and seminaries (often institutions with aspects of all three) run by English Dissenters, that is, those who Nonconformist (Protestantism), did not conform to the Church of England. They formed a sign ...
).
Clarke was on intimate terms with
Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include "When I Survey the ...
,
Job Orton
Job Orton (4 September 1717 – 1783) was an English dissenting minister.
Life
He was born at Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He entered the academy of Dr Philip Doddridge at Northampton, became minister of a congregation formed by a fusion of Presbyteri ...
, and
Philip Doddridge
Philip Doddridge D.D. (26 June 1702 – 26 October 1751) was an English Nonconformist (specifically, Congregationalist) minister, educator, and hymnwriter.
Early life
Philip Doddridge was born in London the last of the twenty children of D ...
, the last of whom he had informally adopted as a recently orphaned thirteen-year-old. The four men were of the same theological school. It was in going to preach Clarke's funeral sermon that Doddridge is said to have caught the illness which caused his death. Clarke is thought to have suggested to Doddridge some of the books which he published; in particular, his ''Principles of the Christian Religion''. Clarke was awarded the degree of
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 ...
by the University of Glasgow in March 1744, 'on the united testimony of Dr Watts, Dr Guise,' and Dr Doddridge. On Sunday 2 December 1750, whilst administering the Lord's Supper in his Dagnall Street chapel, Clarke suffered a stroke. He died two days later.
Works
Clarke published some sermons, but is remembered for his ''Collection of the Promises of Scripture'', arranged systematically.
[Other titles: ''The Scripture Promises'', ''A Collection of the Promises of Scripture'', ''Clark's Scripture Promises'', ''Clark's Bible Promises'', ''Book of Promises'', ''Precious Bible Promises'']
PreciousBiblePromises.com.
http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Promises/Clarkes_Bible_Promises.html Online text.] It is a compilation, often reprinted, and was an enduring popular religious volume.
Family
Clarke married Sarah Jones, of St Albans (1701–1757), by whom he had sons
Samuel Clark (tutor and minister), Samuel (1727–1769) and Thomas (1730–1742), and daughters Ann (1733–1804), who married Rev Jabez Hirons (1727–1812), who succeeded Clark as minister at Dagnall Lane; Elizabeth, who married
Ralph Griffiths
Ralph Griffiths (c.1720 – 28 September 1803) was an English journal editor and publisher of Welsh extraction. In 1749, he founded London's first successful literary magazine, the ''Monthly Review'' (1749–1845), and remained its editor un ...
, editor of the ''
Monthly Review
The ''Monthly Review'', established in 1949, is an independent socialist magazine published monthly in New York City. The publication is the longest continuously published socialist magazine in the United States.
History Establishment
Following ...
''; and Sarah, who married
Dr William Rose, schoolmaster of Chiswick.
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Samuel
1684 births
1750 deaths
English Congregationalist ministers
English theologians