Thomas Young (c. 1587–1655) was a

Scottish 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 na ...

minister and theologian, resident in England and a member of the

Westminster Assembly The Westminster Assembly of Divines was a council of divines (theologians) and members of the English Parliament appointed from 1643 to 1653 to restructure the Church of England. Several Scots also attended, and the Assembly's work was adopt ...

. He was the major author of the Smectymnuus group of leading

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

churchmen. He was also Master of

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes ...

, and is known as the tutor to

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and politica ...

from the age of about ten.

Life

He was born in

Perthshire Perthshire ( locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the nort ...

, his father William Young being a vicar. He studied at

St Andrews University (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

, graduating M.A. in 1606. He then moved south to England. In London, from before 1612, he worked as a teaching assistant to

Thomas Gataker Thomas Gataker (* London, 4 September 1574 – † Cambridge, 27 June 1654) was an English clergyman and theologian. Life He was born in London, the son of Thomas Gatacre. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge. From 1601 to 1611 he h ...

. He tutored Milton, possibly from 1618 to 1620 or 1622, and continued to correspond with him. He then took a position in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

, as minister to English merchants there, returning to England in 1628 and becoming vicar at

Stowmarket Stowmarket ( ) is a market town in Suffolk, England,OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton A2 edition. Publishing Date:2008. on the busy A14 trunk road between Bury St Edm ...

. He was the primary author of the pamphlet ''An Answer'' signed Smectymnuus, an answer to an anonymous publication defending

episcopacy A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

and in fact written by Joseph Hall. It sparked off several more publications. He became a Westminster Assembly member in 1643, and Master of Jesus College in 1644. He was expelled as Master in 1650. Between 1628 and 1655 Young was vicar at the church of St Peter and St Mary in Stowmarket and his portrait hangs on the south wall of the church nave.Paine, C. ''St Peter and St Mary's Church, Stowmarket'', Official Church Guide, St Peter and St Mary's Church, Stowmarket

Works

*''Dies Dominica'' (1639) *''Hope's Incouragement pointed at'' (1644) *''Smectymnuus Redivivus'' (1669)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Thomas 1587 births 1655 deaths Westminster Divines Masters of Jesus College, Cambridge Alumni of the University of St Andrews Scottish Calvinist and Reformed theologians 17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 17th-century Scottish writers