Thomas Horton D.D. (died 1673) was an English clergyman, Professor of Divinity at

Gresham College Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in Central London, England. It does not enroll students or award degrees. It was founded in 1596 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham, and hosts ove ...

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, and

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

Life

A native of London, he was son of Laurence Horton, merchant, and a member of the

Mercers' Company The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the premier Livery Company of the City of London and ranks first in the order of precedence of the Companies. It is the first of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies. Although of even older origin, the c ...

. He was admitted a pensioner of

Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican m ...

, 8 July 1623, proceeding B.A. in 1626, was elected a Fellow of his college, and commenced M.A. in 1630. From 12 July 1638 until 28 November 1640 he was minister of St. Mary Colechurch, London, a donative of the Mercers' Company. He was elected professor of divinity in

, London, on 26 October 1641. In 1644, Horton was one of the association of divines appointed by the parliament to ordain ministers in and near the

city of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

, and in the year following he subscribed the petition of the ministers of the province of London to the parliament, in which they prayed for the speedy establishment of the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

government in

Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

, classical, and national assemblies. He was a member of

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, and from 18 May 1647 until 1657 was preacher there. He was made President of Queens' College, Cambridge, in 1647. In 1649 he was created D.D. at

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

. In 1649 he was chosen vice-chancellor, and with the heads of houses carried new regulations for the government of the presses and printers of the university. About 1651 he married, and although he procured from the committee of parliament for reforming the universities an order that his marriage should not disqualify him for his professorship, the Gresham committee, acting in accordance with the founder's will, declared the place vacant. The committee did not proceed to a new election until 19 May 1656, when George Gifford was chosen, but Horton obtained a new dispensation from Cromwell, and remained in possession until the Restoration. Charles II granted him a temporary respite in 1660, but in 1661 Gifford took his place. On 9 August 1652 Horton was incorporated D.D. at Oxford, and in 1658 he was nominated one of the triers or commissioners for the approbation of young ministers. In 1654 he was appointed by

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three ...

one of the visitors of the university of Cambridge. On 5 November in that year he preached at

St. Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Gra ...

before the lord mayor and court of aldermen, and his sermon was printed. At the

Restoration (England) The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland took place in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile in continental Europe. The preceding period of the Protectorate and the civil wars came to ...

, on 2 August 1660 he was removed from the presidency of Queens' College, Cambridge, to make room for Edward Martin, who had been ejected in 1644. Horton withdrew with good grace. When the Savoy Conference was appointed, Horton was nominated an assistant on the side of the Presbyterians, though, according to

Richard Baxter Richard Baxter (12 November 1615 – 8 December 1691) was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymnodist, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, ...

, he never joined in the deliberations. He was one of the divines who were silenced by the

Bartholomew Act The Act of Uniformity 1662 (14 Car 2 c 4) is an Act of the Parliament of England. (It was formerly cited as 13 & 14 Ch.2 c. 4, by reference to the regnal year when it was passed on 19 May 1662.) It prescribed the form of public prayers, adm ...

in 1662, but he conformed soon afterwards, On 13 June 1666 he was admitted to the rectorship of Great St. Helen's in Bishopsgate Street, London, and held it until his death. He was buried in the chancel of that church (29 March 1673), leaving a widow, but no children. His biographer,

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 royal ...

, who had been under his tuition at Cambridge, says he was "a pious and learned man, an hard student, a sound divine, a good textuary, very well skilled in the oriental languages, very well accomplished for the work of the ministry, and very conscientious in the discharge of it".

Works

He published eight single sermons and left many others prepared for the press. After his death were published: 1. ''Forty-six Sermons upon the whole Eighth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans'', London 1674, fol., edited by Dr. William Dillingham. 2. ''A Choice and Practical Exposition upon the 4, 47, 51, and 63 Psalms'', London 1675, fol. 3. ''One Hundred Select Sermons upon Several Texts: Fifty upon the Old Testament, And Fifty on the New'', London 1679, fol., with the author's life by John Wallis. He and Dillingham prepared for press a treatise written by Dr. John Arrowsmith entitled ''Armilla Catechetica'', Cambridge, 1659, 4to.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Horton, Thomas Year of birth missing 1673 deaths Ejected English ministers of 1662 Professors of Gresham College Presidents of Queens' College, Cambridge Participants in the Savoy Conference Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge Fellows of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Members of Gray's Inn