Benjamin Woodbridge facts for kids

Benjamin Woodbridge (born 1622, died 1684) was an English minister and a person who liked to debate ideas. He was famous for being the very first student to graduate from Harvard College. He also took part in an important meeting called the Savoy Conference.

Benjamin Woodbridge's Life

Benjamin Woodbridge was born in 1622. His father, John Woodbridge V, was a minister in a place called Stanton Fitzwarren in England. In 1638, Benjamin started studying at Magdalen Hall, Oxford University. A year later, in 1639, he moved to New England in America. His older brother, John Woodbridge, had already moved there in 1634.

Benjamin made history by becoming the first student ever to graduate from Harvard College in 1642. After finishing his studies, he returned to England. He went back to Magdalen Hall and earned his Master's degree in 1648. Around this time, he was working as a minister in Salisbury. On May 18, 1648, he became the main minister in Newbury, Berkshire. He was very successful there, especially with the Presbyterians, a group of Christians.

In 1652, Benjamin Woodbridge wrote a sermon about "Justification by Faith." This sermon was published and praised by another important minister, Richard Baxter. Benjamin was also one of the people chosen in 1654 to remove ministers who were not doing their jobs well.

When the king returned to power in England in 1660, this time was called the English Restoration. Benjamin was offered a special job as one of the king's chaplains. He was also offered a position at Windsor Castle, but he didn't accept it right away, so it was given to someone else.

In 1661, Benjamin was one of the leaders at the Savoy Conference. This was a meeting where different religious groups tried to agree on how the church should be run. However, a new law called the Act of Uniformity 1662 made it difficult for him to continue his work. This law required ministers to follow very strict rules, and if they didn't, they lost their jobs.

After this, Benjamin preached in private in Newbury. He was often bothered and even put in prison for this. Eventually, in 1665, he agreed to follow the new rules and became a minister again under Bishop John Earle. But he soon regretted this decision. He went back to quietly preaching in Newbury. In 1675, a new rule allowed him to preach more openly.

In 1678, during a time when people were worried about a false story called the Popish Plot, Benjamin was encouraged to preach even more. He held services every Sunday in Highclere in Hampshire. In 1683, he moved to Englefield, where he passed away on November 1, 1684. He was buried in Newbury a few days later.

Benjamin Woodbridge's Writings

In 1648, Benjamin Woodbridge published a book called Church Members set in Joynt. He used a pen name, "Filodexter Transilvanus," which means "friend of the right hand from Transylvania." This book was a response to another book that argued people could preach without being officially ordained as ministers. Benjamin's book was published again in 1656 and 1657.

He also helped publish a book by James Noyes in 1601. This book was called Moses and Aaron; or the Rights of the Church and State. Benjamin Woodbridge also wrote some poems for the tomb of John Cotton, a famous minister who died in 1652. These poems compared John Cotton to a book, suggesting that his life was like a commentary on religious texts.