Godfrey Goodman facts for kids

Godfrey Goodman (born February 28, 1582 or 1583; died January 19, 1656) was an important leader in the Church of England. He served as the Bishop of Gloucester for many years. Goodman was born in Ruthin, Denbighshire, in Wales. His family was well-known in the area. People who knew him described him as a kind and quiet man. He was also very generous, often giving money and help to those in need.

Godfrey Goodman's Early Life and Education

Godfrey Goodman was born in Ruthin, a town in Wales. From 1593, he first went to Ruthin School. Later, he moved to Westminster School in London. He stayed there for seven years. His uncle, Gabriel Goodman, who was the Dean of Westminster, looked after him.

Godfrey was a very dedicated student. When he was only seventeen, he earned a special scholarship. This allowed him to study at Trinity College, Cambridge. He finished his studies there in 1604. Soon after, he became a priest in Bangor, Wales.

His Journey in the Church

Godfrey Goodman's first job in the church was in 1606. He became the rector of Stapleford Abbotts in Essex. A rector is a priest who is in charge of a local church and its area. He quickly moved up in the Church of England.

In 1607, he became a prebend of Westminster. This meant he held a special position within Westminster Abbey. He also served as rector of other churches. These included West Isley in 1616 and Kinnerton in Gloucester. In 1617, he became a Canon of Windsor. A canon is another type of church official.

By 1621, he was made the Dean of Rochester. A dean is a senior priest in charge of a cathedral. Finally, in 1625, he became the Bishop of Gloucester. A bishop is a high-ranking leader in the church. He served as bishop until 1646. He was officially confirmed as bishop on March 5, 1625. He became a consecrated bishop the very next day. Even as a bishop, he was allowed to keep most of his earlier church jobs. In 1633 or 1634, he was chosen to be the Bishop of Hereford. However, he decided to stay in Gloucester instead.

Godfrey Goodman and Religious Beliefs

Godfrey Goodman became one of the preachers for the royal family. He was a chaplain to Anne of Denmark, who was the wife of James I of England. During this time, some people noticed that he seemed to have ideas that were similar to Roman Catholicism. This caused problems for him. The King even told him off for some of his sermons.

A few years later, he was criticized again. This was because he put up a crucifix (a cross with Jesus on it) at Windsor. He also used special cloths with a cross design in his own cathedral in Gloucester. He even suspended a minister who preached that all Catholics would go to hell.

It seems that Goodman was starting to have doubts. He wondered if the Church of England should have separated from Rome. He even spent time with Catholic priests who were hiding in the country. He often disagreed with William Laud, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Challenges and Imprisonment

In 1640, Archbishop Laud created seventeen new rules for the church. Goodman refused to sign them because of his beliefs. Because of this, he was arrested. After five weeks in prison, he changed his mind and signed the rules. However, this did not help him much. Soon after, Parliament accused him of serious wrongdoing, along with Archbishop Laud. Goodman was sent to the Tower of London for four months.

In 1643, soldiers from Parliament attacked Goodman's home. They took many of his belongings. Over the next few years, he lost all his church positions and income. He left public life and went to his small estate in Caernarfon, Wales. It is believed that he became a Catholic around this time.

On October 9, 1646, Parliament officially removed him from his position as bishop. This happened because the role of bishops was ended during the time of the Commonwealth of England. This was a period when England was ruled by Parliament, not a king.

Around 1650, Goodman moved to London. He spent his time studying and researching. Some Catholic royalists (people who supported the King) became his friends. He lived closely with them until he died in 1656. A Catholic priest named Father Davenport was with him when he died. Godfrey Goodman passed away in Westminster when he was 62 or 63 years old. In his will, he clearly stated his Catholic faith. He left most of his property to his hometown of Ruthin. His writings and books were given to Trinity College, Cambridge.

Godfrey Goodman's Writings

Godfrey Goodman wrote several books and texts during his life. These works often explored religious and philosophical ideas.

• The Fall of Man, or the Corruption of Nature proved by the light of his Natural Reason (1616)
• The two mysteries of the Christian Religion, the Trinity and the Incarnation, explicated (1653)
• Arguments and animadversions on Dr. George Hakewil's Apology
• The Creatures praysing God (1622)
• The Court of King James the First by Sir A.W. reviewed

One of Goodman's writings from the 1620s was a prose text. It was called "See, see the Word is incarnate." This text described the life of Jesus Christ. A famous English composer named Orlando Gibbons later set this text to music. He created a special type of church song called a verse anthem.