John Johnson (theologian) facts for kids
John Johnson, of Cranbrook (1662–1725) was an English church leader. He was known for his strong religious beliefs. These beliefs followed the Laudian tradition, which was a way of thinking about the Church of England. He spent most of his life in Cranbrook, Kent.
Life of John Johnson
John Johnson was born on December 30, 1662. His birthplace was Frindsbury in Kent, England. His father, Thomas Johnson, was a vicar, which is a type of priest. His mother was Mary Drayton.
John's father passed away when John was about four years old. His mother moved to Canterbury with John and his sister. John went to the King's School there.
At 15, he started studying at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He earned his first degree in 1681. Later, he received a scholarship to Corpus Christi College. He earned his master's degree in 1685. After that, he became a priest. He worked as a curate in Hardres, near Canterbury. A curate is a priest who helps the main priest in a church.
In 1687, Archbishop William Sancroft appointed him to lead the church in Boughton-under-the-Blean. He also looked after the church in Hernhill. In 1697, he became the vicar of St. John's, which included Margate. Because the pay was low, Archbishop Thomas Tenison also made him vicar of Appledore in Kent.
Johnson started teaching a few students along with his two sons. He enjoyed teaching so much that he left his church duties in 1703. He moved to Appledore. However, the air there did not suit him. So, in 1707, he moved to Cranbrook, Kent. He stayed there until he died. Most of his books were written in Cranbrook. People often called him 'Johnson of Cranbrook'.
In 1710 and 1713, the church leaders in Canterbury chose him. He became one of their representatives in the convocation. This was a meeting of clergy. He was a dedicated priest. He held church services every day. His church beliefs were similar to the nonjurors. These were people who did not swear loyalty to the new king after the Glorious Revolution. He was good friends with Dr. George Hickes. He also wrote letters to Robert Nelson and Thomas Brett.
John Johnson never fully recovered after his oldest son died in December 1723. He passed away on December 15, 1725. He was buried in Cranbrook churchyard. In 1689, he married Margaret Jenkin. They had five children, but only one lived longer than him.
John Johnson's Writings
Many of John Johnson's books were published without his name. His first book was a simple explanation of the Book of Psalms. It was called ‘Holy David and his Old English Translation cleared’ (1706).
His next important work was ‘The Clergyman's Vade Mecum’. The first part came out in 1708. It was so popular that it had five editions by 1723. In 1709, he published the second part. This part explained the church laws from early times.
In 1710, he published ‘The Propitiatory Oblation in the Holy Eucharist’. This book disagreed with some popular ideas of the time. It made Archbishop Thomas Tenison unhappy. Many people wrote replies to it.
In 1714, Johnson shared more of his strong views. He did this in his most important book, ‘The Unbloody Sacrifice and Altar Unvail'd and Supported’. In 1717, he published the second part of this work. Both parts were reissued in 1847. After this, he put together a collection of church laws in 1720. He also wrote some practical guides.
After he died, his daughters published some of his other works. These included ‘The Primitive Communicant’ and ‘Daniel's Prophecy of the LXX Weeks explained’. They also published two sermons. These writings, along with a sermon he gave at Canterbury school, were put into one book in 1748. This book also included a story of his life written by Thomas Brett. Two more books of his sermons were published in 1728. A paper he wrote about the job of an archdeacon was printed in another book in 1797.
