Giles Firmin facts for kids

Giles Firmin (born 1614, died 1697) was an English church leader and doctor. He was a Congregational minister, which means he led a type of Protestant church where each local church made its own decisions. He also served as a deacon (a church helper) in the first church in Massachusetts, led by John Cotton. Later, he became an ejected minister in 1662, meaning he was forced to leave his church job because he didn't agree with new rules.

His Life Story

Early Life and Education

Giles Firmin was born in Ipswich, England. His father was also named Giles Firmin. When he was a schoolboy, he was deeply moved by the sermons of John Rogers in Dedham, Essex.

In December 1629, Giles officially joined Emmanuel College, Cambridge, a famous university. There, he studied medicine, learning about the human body and how to treat illnesses.

Moving to New England

In 1632, Giles traveled with his father to New England, which was a new colony in America. While living in Boston, Massachusetts, he became a deacon in the first church there. This church was led by John Cotton.

In 1638, he received a grant of about 120 acres (0.49 km2) of land in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He worked as a doctor in New England and was known for being good at anatomy, which is the study of the body's structure. He married Susanna, the daughter of Nathaniel Ward, who was a pastor in Ipswich.

Return to England

Around 1647, Giles Firmin returned to England, leaving his wife and family in America. On his journey, his ship was wrecked off the coast of Spain.

In 1648, Firmin was given the job of vicar (a type of church leader) in Shalford, Essex. The position had been empty for a year. At Shalford, he was ordained as a presbyter (another type of church minister) by Stephen Marshall and other church leaders.

Challenges and Beliefs

Giles Firmin believed in the King and supported the royal family. He also strongly believed in the traditional system of church parishes, which are local church areas. He thought that a special ceremony, called "imposition of hands," was needed to make an ordination (when someone becomes a minister) valid. He also believed that parents who didn't follow church rules shouldn't be able to have their children baptized.

In 1654, he started writing to Richard Baxter, another important church leader. Firmin complained to Baxter about "separatists," who were people who wanted to separate from the main church. The Quakers, another religious group, also caused problems in his parish.

Firmin followed Baxter's ideas about church organization. He preferred a "reformed episcopacy," which was a system with bishops but with some changes, rather than the Presbyterian or Congregational models. He thought it was most important to have a well-organized local church. In 1657, he actively helped create an "agreement of the associated ministers of Essex," based on Baxter's ideas.

The English Restoration and Ejection

After the English Restoration in 1660, when the King returned to power, Giles Firmin wrote to Richard Baxter. He said he was most worried about new rules for church prayers, which "will not downe in our parts" (meaning people in his area wouldn't accept them). He was willing to accept bishops, but only if they didn't claim their power came directly from God.

Even though his seven children tried to persuade him, he refused to follow the new church rules. Because of this, he was "ejected" (forced out) from his job in 1662. As a result, Shalford Church was closed for several months.

Later Life and Work

Firmin moved to Ridgewell, Essex, perhaps after the Five Mile Act was passed in 1665. This law made it harder for ejected ministers to live near their old churches. He supported himself by working as a doctor. The local judges made sure he wasn't bothered, even though he regularly held "conventicles," which were secret religious meetings. Once a month, he would attend the sermon at Ridgewell Church.

On July 22, 1672, Daniel Ray, who had also been ejected from Ridgewell, got permission to use his house as a Presbyterian meeting place. Firmin got similar permission on December 1. Ray moved away in 1673, and Firmin remained in charge of the congregation until he died.

Even as an old man in his eighties, Firmin remained healthy and continued to argue about religious ideas. He had disagreed with Baxter in 1670, and in 1693, he joined a debate about the writings of Tobias Crisp. He became ill on a Sunday night after preaching and died the following Saturday, in April 1697.

His Writings

Giles Firmin wrote several books and papers, often about religious topics and his beliefs. Some of his works include:

• A Serious Question Stated (1651): About infant baptism.
• Separation Examined (1651): About separating from the main church.
• Stablishing against Shaking (1656): Written against the Quakers.
• Tythes Vindicated (1659): About church taxes.
• Presbyterial Ordination Vindicated (1660): About the validity of Presbyterian ordinations.
• The Liturgical Considerator Considered (1661): An anonymous response to John Gauden.
• The Real Christian (1670): In this book, he offered some criticism of Richard Baxter.
• The Question between the Conformist and the Nonconformist (1681): About the differences between those who followed the new church rules and those who didn't.
• Πανουργία (1693): Against Richard Davis and the works of Tobias Crisp.
• Some Remarks upon the Anabaptist's Answer to the Athenian Mercuries (1694): This was likely his last piece of writing.

He also wrote other pieces defending his views and disagreeing with people like John Owen, Daniel Cawdry, and Thomas Grantham.