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Stephen Nye (1648–1719) was an English clergyman, known as a theological writer and for his Unitarian views.


Life

Son of John Nye, he graduated B.A. at
Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...
in 1665. He became rector of Little Hormead,
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For gover ...
in 1679. Thomas Firmin was a close associate.


Works

* ''A brief history of the Unitarians, called also Socinians: in four letters, written to a friend'' (published anonymously at London in 1687, expanded 1691). * ''A letter of resolution concerning the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation'', London, 1691. * ''Considerations on the explications of the doctrine of the Trinity by Dr. Wallis, Dr. Sherlock, Dr. S-th, Dr. Cudworth, and Mr. Hooker lectronic resource: as also on the account given by those that say the Trinity is an unconceivable and inexplicable mystery / written to a person of quality'', London, 1693. Although the term “Unitarian” was already known in England from the Latin '' Library of the Polish Brethren called Unitarians'' published in Amsterdam (1665-1668), and had been used in print before by
Henry Hedworth Henry Hedworth (1626–1705) of Huntingdon was a Unitarian writer. Henry Hedworth is chiefly notable for being the first person in the English language to introduce Latin (and Dutch) term "Unitarian" into print in England 1673, fourteen years befo ...
(1673), Nye's book gave the term wider currency in English among
antitrinitarian Nontrinitarianism is a form of Christianity that rejects the mainstream Christian doctrine of the Trinity—the belief that God is three distinct hypostases or persons who are coeternal, coequal, and indivisibly united in one being, or essence ...
believers, and set off the Unitarian controversy. Nye distinguished Unitarian views from those of
Arius Arius (; grc-koi, Ἄρειος, ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaic presbyter, ascetic, and priest best known for the doctrine of Arianism. His teachings about the nature of the Godhead in Christianity, which emphasized God the Father's un ...
(
Arian Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God t ...
views) and
Fausto Sozzini Fausto Paolo Sozzini, also known as Faustus Socinus ( pl, Faust Socyn; 5 December 1539 – 4 March 1604), was an Italian theologian and, alongside his uncle Lelio Sozzini, founder of the Non-trinitarian Christian belief system known as Socini ...
(
Socinian Socinianism () is a nontrinitarian belief system deemed heretical by the Catholic Church and other Christian traditions. Named after the Italian theologians Lelio Sozzini (Latin: Laelius Socinus) and Fausto Sozzini (Latin: Faustus Socinus), uncl ...
views). He called
William Sherlock William Sherlock (c. 1639/1641June 19, 1707) was an English church leader. Life He was born at Southwark, the son of a tradesman, and was educated at St Saviour's Grammar School and Eton, and then at Peterhouse, Cambridge. In 1669 he became re ...
a
tritheist Tritheism (from Greek τριθεΐα, "three divinity") is a nontrinitarian Christian heresy in which the unity of the Trinity and thus monotheism are denied. It represents more a "possible deviation" than any actual school of thought positing thre ...
,
Robert South Robert South (4 September 1634 – 8 July 1716) was an English churchman who was known for his combative preaching and his Latin poetry. Early life He was the son of Robert South, a London merchant, and Elizabeth Berry. He was born at Hackney, ...
a
Socinian Socinianism () is a nontrinitarian belief system deemed heretical by the Catholic Church and other Christian traditions. Named after the Italian theologians Lelio Sozzini (Latin: Laelius Socinus) and Fausto Sozzini (Latin: Faustus Socinus), uncl ...
, and
John Wallis John Wallis (; la, Wallisius; ) was an English clergyman and mathematician who is given partial credit for the development of infinitesimal calculus. Between 1643 and 1689 he served as chief cryptographer for Parliament and, later, the roy ...
a Sabellian. He faced much opposition from orthodox Anglicans, but had an ally in William Freke.
Thomas Tenison Thomas Tenison (29 September 163614 December 1715) was an English church leader, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1694 until his death. During his primacy, he crowned two British monarchs. Life He was born at Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, the son a ...
,
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Jus ...
from 1695, discouraged those who wanted to continue the debate. Nye wrote also on
natural religion Natural religion most frequently means the "religion of nature", in which God, the soul, spirits, and all objects of the supernatural are considered as part of nature and not separate from it. Conversely, it is also used in philosophy to describe s ...
; he corresponded with
Henry Hedworth Henry Hedworth (1626–1705) of Huntingdon was a Unitarian writer. Henry Hedworth is chiefly notable for being the first person in the English language to introduce Latin (and Dutch) term "Unitarian" into print in England 1673, fourteen years befo ...
and published some of those letters. Andrew Pyle (editor), ''Dictionary of Seventeenth Century British Philosophers'' (2000), article on Nye, pp. 615-6.


Notes


External links


''The Trinitarian Controversy, 1690-1750''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nye, Stephen 1648 births 1719 deaths 17th-century English Anglican priests 18th-century English Anglican priests English theologians