James Calfhill (also Calfield) (1530?–1570) was an Anglican priest, academic and controversialist, who died as

Archdeacon of Colchester The Archdeacon of Colchester is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Diocese of Chelmsford – she or he has responsibilities within her archdeaconry (the Archdeaconry of Colchester) including oversight of church buildings and some supervision, d ...

and Bishop-designate of Worcester.

Life

He was a native of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

, was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

, and entered

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the cit ...

, in 1545. In 1548 he was appointed a student of the new foundation of Christ Church, Oxford. He graduated B.A. 1549, M.A. 1552, B.D. 1561, and D.D. 1565–6. Calfhill was ordained deacon on 14 January 1559, and in the same month instituted to the rectory of

West Horsley West Horsley is a semi-rural village between Guildford and Leatherhead in Surrey, England. It lies on the A246, and south of the M25 and the A3. Its civil parish ascends to an ancient woodland Sheepleas Woods which are on the northern downsl ...

, Surrey. He took priest's orders on 9 June 1560, and became

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the Anglican diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. This dual r ...

on 5 July following. In 1561 Calfhill superintended the reinterment of the remains of Catherine, wife of Peter Martyr, at Christ Church. He had the bones of Catherine and relics of

Frideswide Frithuswith, commonly Frideswide (c. 65019 October 727; ang, Friðuswīþ), was an English princess and abbess. She is credited as the foundress of a monastery later incorporated into Christ Church, Oxford. She was the daughter of a sub-kin ...

intermingled. In May 1562 Calfhill became rector of St. Andrew Wardrobe, London, and was proctor both for the clergy of London and the chapter of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in the

convocation of 1563 The Convocation of 1563 was a significant gathering of English and Welsh clerics that consolidated the Elizabethan religious settlement, and brought the ''Thirty-Nine Articles'' close to their final form (which dates from 1571). It was, more accu ...

, where he was a conspicuous "precisian", with Arthur Saul. On 14 December 1562 he was presented by the queen to the penitentiaryship of St. Paul's and the annexed prebend of St. Pancras. On 18 February 1564 he was appointed Lady Margaret professor of divinity at Oxford. On 4 May 1565 he became rector of Bocking, Essex, appointed by Archbishop

Matthew Parker Matthew Parker (6 August 1504 – 17 May 1575) was an English bishop. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England from 1559 until his death in 1575. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder (with a p ...

, and on 16 July became

archdeacon of Colchester The Archdeacon of Colchester is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Diocese of Chelmsford – she or he has responsibilities within her archdeaconry (the Archdeaconry of Colchester) including oversight of church buildings and some supervision, d ...

. He applied unsuccessfully to secretary

Cecil Cecil may refer to: People with the name * Cecil (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) * Cecil (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Canada *Cecil, Alberta, ...

for the provostship of

, in 1569. In 1570 he was nominated to the bishopric of Worcester, vacant by the translation of Edwin Sandys to London, but died in August at Bocking before election or consecration. He left a widow, to whom administration of his effects was granted on 21 August 1570. Calfhill is said to have been a cousin of

Tobias Matthew Tobias Matthew (also Tobie and Toby; 13 June 154629 March 1628), was an Anglican bishop who was President of St John's College, Oxford, from 1572 to 1576, before being appointed Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1579 to 1583, and Matthew ...

, whom he persuaded to take orders.

Works

Calfhill was a staunch

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

. A friend of John Foxe praised an eloquent sermon preached by him at St. Paul's Cross in January 1561, bewailing the bondage of Oxford to the "papistical yoke".

Walter Haddon Walter Haddon LL.D. (1515–1572) was an English civil lawyer, much involved in church and university affairs under Edward VI, Queen Mary, and Elizabeth I. He was a University of Cambridge humanist and reformer, and was highly reputed in his ...

complained to Archbishop Parker in July 1564 of a sermon preached by Calfhill before the queen, as shrill and lacking in required wit for the court; and in 1568 he preached two sermons at

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 ...

in defence of John Calvin, against

Richard Cheyney Richard Cheyney (1513 – 29 April 1579) was an English churchman, bishop of Gloucester from 1562. Opposed to Calvinism, he was an isolated and embattled bishop of the reign of Elizabeth, though able to keep his see. Life Born in London, accordin ...

, bishop of Gloucester, who then held Bristol '' in commendam''. The bishop complains that Calfhill would not share a meal with him afterwards; with John Northbrooke Calfhill had attacked Cheyney's views on

free will Free will is the capacity of agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded. Free will is closely linked to the concepts of moral responsibility, praise, culpability, sin, and other judgements which apply only to ac ...

. During Queen Mary's reign Calfhill published some Latin verses in reply to some composed by Bishop John White of Lincoln, in honour of the queen's marriage. ''Sapientiæ Solomonis liber carmine redditus'', dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, 15 May 1559 (Royal MSS. 2 D ii.) records the fact that he met Elizabeth at

Hanworth Hanworth is a district of West London, England. Historically in Middlesex, it has been part of the London Borough of Hounslow since 1965. Hanworth adjoins Feltham to the northwest, Twickenham to the northeast and Hampton to the southeast, with ...

in 1554. His major work was an ''Answer to the Treatise of the Crosse'' (1565), against John Martiall, who had dedicated his book to Queen Elizabeth on hearing that she had retained the cross in her chapel. Martiall replied, and was answered in turn by

William Fulke William Fulke (; 1538buried 28 August 1589) was an English Puritan divine. Life He was born in London and educated at St John's College, Cambridge graduating in 1557/58. After studying law for six years, he became a fellow at St John's Colleg ...

. It was edited for the

Parker Society The Parker Society was a text publication society set up in 1841 to produce editions of the works of the early Protestant writers of the English Reformation. It was supported by both the High Church and evangelical wings of the Church of England, an ...

by Richard Gibbings in 1846. He also wrote: * ''Querela Oxoniensis academiæ ad Cantabrigam'' (a Latin poem on the death of Henry and Charles Brandon), 1552. * ''Historia de exhumatione Catherinæ nuper uxoris Pet. Martyris'' (included in a volume of pieces relating to Martin Bucer, edited by Conrade Hubert in 1562). It includes two Latin poems and two epigrams by Calfhill on the same occasion. * ''Poemata varia''. A lost Latin tragedy ''Progne'' was performed for Queen Elizabeth in 1564 (or 1566). It is believed, based on an account left by John Bereblock, to have been based on Gregorio Corraro's version of Ovid's story of

Procne Procne (; grc, Πρόκνη, ''Próknē'' ) is a minor figure in Greek mythology. She was an Athenian princess as the elder daughter of a king of Athens named Pandion. Family Procne's mother was the naiad Zeuxippe and her siblings were P ...

, which was published in 1558.

Notes

;Attribution

External links

* *
An answer to John Martiall's Treatise of the cross
' (1846) {{DEFAULTSORT:Calfhill, James 1530s births 1570 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of King's College, Cambridge 16th-century English Anglican priests Archdeacons of Colchester English Calvinist and Reformed theologians 16th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians Lady Margaret Professors of Divinity English male non-fiction writers 16th-century Anglican theologians