Jacob Bauthumley facts for kids
Jacob Bauthumley (1613–1692) was an English writer who had some very different ideas about religion. He is often seen as an important person among a group called the Ranters. Jacob Bauthumley was part of the New Model Army, which was a strong army during the English Civil War. He left the army in March 1650. Later, after a time called the Restoration of 1660 when the king returned to power, he worked as a librarian in Leicester. There, he put together a book of writings from John Foxe, which was published in 1676.
Who Was Jacob Bauthumley?
Jacob Bauthumley is best known for his book called The Light and Dark Sides of God, which came out in 1650. Some people thought this book was very controversial because of its ideas about God.
Bauthumley believed that God was present in everything around us. He wrote that God was in "all Creatures, Man and Beast, Fish and Fowle, and every green thing." He thought God was the life and being of everything, and that God lived inside creatures, not somewhere else.
Because of his strong beliefs, Jacob Bauthumley faced serious trouble. After a law called the Blasphemy Act was passed in August 1650, he was arrested. He was found guilty of speaking against accepted religious ideas and faced a harsh punishment for his words.
Jacob Bauthumley had served in the Parliamentarian Army. Some historians say he was still in the army when he wrote his book. He also took part in meetings with groups like the Ranters and Quakers in the mid-1650s. His family had faced difficulties before because they allowed religious talks in their home. Jacob Bauthumley worked as a shoemaker.
After the Restoration of 1660, when the monarchy was brought back, he became a librarian in Leicester. He created a book of writings from John Foxe, which was printed in 1676.
What Were His Ideas?
Jacob Bauthumley had some very unique views for his time. He did not believe that the Bible was the exact "Word of God" in the way many others did. He also thought that Christ was not more divine or special than other people.
Bauthumley believed that the real "Devil" was actually inside human nature itself. He also thought that God lived within people. Historians describe his ideas as "quasi-pantheistic." This means his views were similar to Pantheism, which is the belief that God is everything and everything is God. This idea was central to the Ranter group.
Selected Publications
- The Light and Dark Sides of God, Or, A Plain and Brief Discourse of the Light Side (1650)
