John Collinges facts for kids
John Collinges (1623–1690) was an English religious leader and writer. He was a Presbyterian, a type of Protestant Christian. For over 40 years, he lived and worked in Norwich, a city in England. He helped bring the city library back to life. Collinges was also a representative for Presbyterians at an important meeting called the Savoy Conference. Later, he had to leave his official church positions. A kind woman named Frances Hobart became his supporter. He became her personal chaplain, leading church services in a special chapel she made in her Norwich home.
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John Collinges' Early Life and Education
John Collinges was born in Boxted, Essex. His father, Edward Collinges, was also a religious scholar. From age 16, John studied at the grammar school in Dedham. There, he was taught by Matthew Newcomen, a well-known preacher.
When John was fifteen, his father passed away. Despite this, he went to Emmanuel College, Cambridge as a "sizar." This meant he received financial help for his studies. He earned several degrees, including a Bachelor of Arts in 1643 and a Doctor of Divinity in 1658.
Becoming a Preacher and Chaplain
By the age of 22, John Collinges had become a preacher. He lived with the family of Isaac Wyncoll in Bures, Essex. He later married Wyncoll's oldest daughter. We know he had an adult son, but his name is not known.
In 1646, he met Lady Frances Hobart and Sir John Hobart, who were very religious. They asked him to be their chaplain. He created a daily schedule for them. This included studying the Bible twice a day and praying three times a day. They also studied the catechism, which is a set of religious teachings.
Sir John Hobart was a member of Parliament, but he became ill. He had to return home to Norwich. Collinges accepted their invitation to join them there.
Work in Norwich and Challenges
After Sir John Hobart died in 1647, his wife, Lady Frances, turned part of her Norwich home into a chapel. For sixteen years, John Collinges gave lectures there on weekdays. He also repeated his Sunday sermons there at night.
In 1653, he took over as vicar of St. Stephen's parish in Norwich. He held this position until the English Restoration in 1660. The Restoration was when the monarchy was brought back to England. This change forced him to leave his church job.
Collinges was part of the Savoy Conference, a meeting to discuss religious differences. He hoped for an agreement between different Christian groups. After losing his official church role, he continued to live in Norwich. Members of his church supported him financially so he could keep ministering to Presbyterians. In 1672, he received a special license to be a Presbyterian teacher in Norwich.
Facing Suspicion and Later Life
In the early 1680s, people in Norwich who did not follow the official church were viewed with suspicion. A report mentioned Collinges as a leader of those who disagreed with the government. It said he was a learned man who promoted Presbyterian beliefs. The report even claimed that Presbyterians, Anabaptists, and Quakers were working together against the government.
After the Rye House Plot in 1683, a plan to harm the king, Collinges was arrested twice in 1685. He was suspected of not supporting the new king, but no action was taken against him.
John Collinges died in Walcott, Norfolk in January 1690. His funeral sermon was given by Martin Fynch and published in 1695. There is a memorial to him in the Old Meeting House in Norwich.
John Collinges' Writings
Throughout his life, John Collinges wrote many religious books and papers. He published these in London and Norwich. Some were under his own name, some used his initials, and some were published without his name.
Lectures and Sermons
His first published works were longer versions of his lectures and sermons. For example, The spouses hidden glory, and faithfull leaning upon her welbeloved (1646 and 1647) and A memorial for posteritie (1647), which was preached at the funeral of his patron, Sir John Hobart.
He published nearly one hundred sermons and lectures. Some were individual works, and others were in collections. An example is A cordiall for a fainting soule (published in three parts from 1649 to 1652). This book contained sermons given in a private chapel in Norwich. Another collection was Thirteen sermons upon several useful subjects (1684).
Devotional and Explanatory Writings
In 1650, he published Five Lessons for a Christian to learn. In 1675, he wrote The Weaver's Pocket Book, or Weaving spiritualised. This book was written especially for the weavers of Norwich. It used ideas from weaving to explain spiritual lessons. This book was very popular and was reprinted many times, especially in Scotland. The last known edition was from 1780.
In 1676, he published The Intercourses of Divine Love between Christ and His Church. This book explained a chapter from the Song of Solomon in the Bible. In 1683, this work was combined with another explanation of a different chapter. In 1678, he published Several Discourses concerning the actual Providence of God, which contained 98 sermons. In 1680, he wrote Defensative Armour against four of Satan's most fiery Darts, and in 1681, a paper on Improveableness of Water Baptism.
Biographical Works
Collinges also wrote two books about people's lives. One was Faith and Experience, published in 1647. It told the story of Mary Simpson from Norwich. The other was Par Nobile. He started writing it in 1665 after his patron, Lady Frances Hobart, died. However, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London destroyed his first draft. He rewrote it and published it in 1675. This book shared stories about the lives of Lady Frances Hobart and Lady Katharine Courten, who were daughters of John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater.
Collinges also helped with Matthew Poole's Bible. He wrote notes and explanations for many parts of the Bible, including parts of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, the four Gospels, Corinthians, Galatians, Timothy, Philemon, and Revelation.
