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Thomas Emlyn (1663–1741) 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 ** ...
divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine
.


Life

Emlyn was born at
Stamford, Lincolnshire Stamford is a town and civil parish in the South Kesteven District of Lincolnshire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 19,701 and estimated at 20,645 in 2019. The town has 17th- and 18th-century stone buildings, older timber-framed ...
. He served as chaplain to the presbyterian Letitia, countess of Donegal, the daughter of
Sir William Hicks, 1st Baronet Sir William Hicks, 1st Baronet (1596 – 9 October 1680), of Beverston, in Gloucestershire, and of Ruckholt, at Leyton in Essex, was an English Member of Parliament. Early life William Hicks was born in 1596. He was the son of the wealthy court ...
who married (1651) and survived
Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall (16 June 1606 – 18 March 1675), was an Anglo-Irish peer and soldier. Origins He was the eldest son and heir of The 1st Viscount Chichester, from Eggesford, Devon, by his first wife Anne Copleston, ...
. Emlyn was then chaplain to Sir Robert Rich, afterwards (1691) becoming colleague to Joseph Boyse, presbyterian minister in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. From this office he was virtually dismissed on his own confession of
unitarianism Unitarianism (from Latin ''unitas'' "unity, oneness", from ''unus'' "one") is a nontrinitarian branch of Christian theology. Most other branches of Christianity and the major Churches accept the doctrine of the Trinity which states that there i ...
, and for publishing ''An Humble Inquiry into the Scripture Account of Jesus Christ'' (1702) was sentenced to a year's imprisonment for
blasphemy Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religiou ...
and a fine of £1000. More than two years later (thanks to the intervention of Boyse), he was released in 1705 on payment of £90. He is said to have been the first English preacher definitely to describe himself as "unitarian," and writes in his diary, "I thank God that He did not call me to this lot of suffering till I had arrived at maturity of judgment and firmness of resolution, arid that He did not desert me when my friends did. He never let me be so cast down as to renounce the truth or to waver in my faith." Of
Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
he writes, "We may regard with fervent gratitude so great a benefactor, but our esteem and rational love must ascend higher and not rest till it centre in his God and ours." Emlyn preached a good deal in Paul's Alley, Barbican, in his later years, and died in London in 1741.


Works

Emlyn's ''Works'' were collected by his son
Sollom Emlyn Sollom Emlyn (27 December 1697 – 28 June 1754) was an Irish legal writer. Life Emlyn was the second son of Thomas Emlyn. He was born at Dublin, where his father was at the time settled, on 27 December 1697. He studied law, entered as a student ...
in 1746, 3 vols., called the "fourth edition", but this refers only to the included ''Collection of Tracts'' (1719; 1731, 2 vols.; 1742, 2 vols.). His first publication was ''The Suppression of Public Vice'', Dublin, 1698, (sermon on 1 Sam. ii. 30). Among his other pieces are: * ''The Case of Mr. E—— in relation to the Difference between him and some Dissenting Ministers of the City of Dublin'', &c., London ugust1702, Dublin, 1703. * ''An Humble Inquiry into the Scripture Account of Jesus Christ'', &c., Dublin, 1702 (anon.; the printer, Laurence, swore "he knew not whose writing it was"). * ''A Vindication of the Worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, on Unitarian Principles'', &c., 1706 (anon.; written 1704). * ''General Remarks on Mr. Boyse's Vindication of the True Deity of our Blessed Saviour'', &c. (written 1704; sent to England and mislaid; first printed in ''Works''). * ''Remarks on Mr. Charles Leslie's First Dialogue'', &c., 1708 (anon.; in this, anticipating Clarke, he calls himself "a true scriptural trinitarian"; he wrote two other tracts against Charles Leslie in the same year). * ''The Previous Question to the Several Questions about ... Baptism'', &c., 1710 (anon.; answered by Grantham Killingworth and
Caleb Fleming Caleb Fleming, D.D. (4 November 1698 – 21 July 1779) was an English dissenting minister and Polemicist. Life Fleming was born at Nottinghamshire on 4 November 1698. His father was a hosier; his mother, whose maiden name was Buxton, was a d ...
). * ''A Full Inquiry into the Original Authority of that Text, 1 John v. 7'', &c., 1715 (the controversy with Martin lasted till 1722; each wrote three pieces). * ''A True Narrative of the Proceedings ... against Mr. Thomas Emlyn; and of his Prosecution'', &c., 1719 (dated September 1718); latest edition, 1829. * ''Sermons'', 8vo, 1742 (with new title-page, forms vol. iii. of ''Works''). * ''Memoirs of the Life and Sentiments of the Reverend Dr. Samuel Clarke'' (written 1731; first printed in ''Works''). Also controversial tracts against Willis (1705), Sherlock (1707), Bennet (1718), Tong and others (1719), George Trosse (1719), and
Daniel Waterland Daniel Cosgrove Waterland (14 March 1683 – 23 December 1740) was an English theologian. He became Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge in 1714, Chancellor of the Diocese of York in 1722, and Archdeacon of Middlesex in 1730. Waterland opposed ...
(1731). In 1823
Jared Sparks Jared Sparks (May 10, 1789 – March 14, 1866) was an American historian, educator, and Unitarian minister. He served as President of Harvard College from 1849 to 1853. Biography Born in Willington, Connecticut, Sparks studied in the common s ...
published at Boston, U.S., a selection from Emlyn's works, with memoir. Answers to Emlyn's positions were furnished by Stephen Nye (1715),
Jacques Abbadie Jakob Abbadie (; 25 September 1727), also known as Jacques or James Abbadie, was a French Protestant minister and writer. He became Dean of Killaloe, in Ireland. Life Jacques Abbadie was born at Nay, Béarn, probably in 1654, although 1657 an ...
(1719), C. Alexander (1791), and
Aaron Burr Sr. Aaron Burr Sr. (January 4, 1716 – September 24, 1757) was a notable Presbyterian minister and college educator in colonial America. He was a founder of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and the father of Aaron Burr ( ...
, president of the college in New Jersey (1757), on occasion of an American edition (1790) of extracts from the 'Humble Inquiry.'


Notes

Attribution: * {{DEFAULTSORT:Emlyn, Thomas 1663 births 1741 deaths English Unitarian ministers People convicted of blasphemy in Ireland People from Stamford, Lincolnshire English Presbyterian ministers Burials at Bunhill Fields Irish non-subscribing Presbyterian ministers