John Webster (minister) facts for kids

John Webster (1610–1682), also known as Johannes Hyphastes, was a smart English person who was a church leader, a doctor, and a scientist. He was interested in things like astrology (studying how stars might affect people) but didn't believe in witchcraft. He wrote some books that caused a lot of discussion.

Life

John Webster was born in a place called Thornton in Craven in Yorkshire, England. He said he went to the University of Cambridge, but there's no proof of this. Still, his writings show he was very educated.

He studied with a Hungarian scientist named Johannes Huniades, who taught at Gresham College.

In 1634, Webster became a curate (a type of church assistant) in Kildwick. He was linked to a religious group called the Grindletonians. During the First English Civil War, Webster left his job as a teacher in Clitheroe. He then became a surgeon (a doctor who performs operations) and a chaplain (a religious leader) for the Parliamentarian army. Later, he worked with Colonel Richard Shuttleworth's soldiers.

In 1648, he became the vicar (a church leader) at Mitton. Over time, he moved from the Grindletonian ideas closer to the beliefs of the Quakers. He was also called a Seeker, which was someone looking for a deeper religious truth.

On October 12, 1653, Webster preached with William Erbery in London. They had a debate with two other ministers at All Hallows, Lombard Street. Things got a bit chaotic because Erbery spoke very strongly against the church leaders. Webster had also preached there in 1652.

In the late 1650s, Webster was back in Clitheroe. In 1658, he was arrested, and his papers were taken. After this, he stopped being a minister and worked as a doctor instead. He died in Clitheroe.

Ideas on Education

In his book The Saints Guide (1653), Webster said that the knowledge taught in schools wasn't important for spiritual growth. He argued against having only university-trained church leaders. This book was likely written after the government body called the Rump Parliament was dissolved.

His book Academiarum Examen (1654) offered detailed ideas for changing what was taught at universities. He dedicated this book to General John Lambert, an important officer in the New Model Army. Webster used ideas from Francis Bacon (a famous philosopher) and wanted to mix them with astrology and alchemy (an old form of chemistry).

Webster was interested in some of the ideas of Comenius, a famous educator. For example, he liked the idea of a "real character" (a universal language or symbol system). He connected this to Egyptian hieroglyphs. He believed this could help recover an "Adamic language" and the knowledge Adam had before the fall. He also suggested teaching the works of scientists like Robert Fludd and Paracelsus. He wasn't happy with the way theology (religious studies) or medicine were taught at the time.

When the Royal Society (a famous scientific group) was created after the king returned to power, Webster was very supportive of it.

Other Important Works

In 1658, John Webster edited the writings of William Erbery and wrote his life story in a book called The Testimony of William Erbery.

His book Metallographia (1671) was about chemistry. In it, he suggested that minerals could grow. He had a theory about matter being made of tiny particles, which was similar to ideas from other scientists like Kenelm Digby and Herman Boerhaave. This book also used ideas from Robert Boyle and was strongly influenced by Jan Baptist van Helmont. Even Isaac Newton used this book in his own studies of alchemy.

Webster's book The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft (1677) looked closely at the evidence for witchcraft and was very doubtful about it. He argued against people like Henry More and Joseph Glanvill, who believed witches were real. Webster even suggested that parts of the Bible might have been translated incorrectly, which made people believe in witches more. This book was translated into German and published in 1719. In the same year, he defended the reputation of John Dee, a famous scholar, against Meric Casaubon. Webster had praised Dee in his Examen and believed in natural magic.