Obadiah Grew facts for kids

Obadiah Grew (born November 1, 1607 – died October 22, 1689) was an English minister who didn't follow the official Church of England. People like him were called "nonconformists." He faced many challenges because of his beliefs.

Life of Obadiah Grew

Obadiah Grew was born in Atherstone, Warwickshire, on November 1, 1607. He was the third son of Francis Grew and Elizabeth Denison. His father, Francis, had lost much of his wealth because he was punished for not following the official church rules.

Obadiah went to school in Reading, where his uncle, John Denison, was the headmaster. In 1624, he started studying at Balliol College, Oxford. He earned his first degree in 1629 and a master's degree in 1632. That same year, he became the headmaster of the Atherstone grammar school.

In 1635, he became a minister. When the English Civil War began, Obadiah Grew supported the Parliament's side against the King. In 1642, he moved to Coventry for safety. He started preaching at St. Michael's Church. In 1643, many people in Coventry made a promise called the "Solemn League and Covenant" to support Parliament. Obadiah Grew became the official vicar of St. Michael's Church in 1644.

In 1646, Obadiah Grew took part in a public discussion about whether babies should be baptized. Later, in 1648, he asked Oliver Cromwell, a powerful leader, to spare the King's life. In 1651, he earned two more degrees from Oxford. He also helped a group that looked into church leaders in Warwickshire.

Obadiah Grew welcomed the return of the King to England in 1660. However, a new law called the Uniformity Act of 1662 made it hard for him. This law required ministers to follow strict rules of the Church of England. Because he couldn't agree to these rules, he had to leave his church job. His bishop even gave him extra time to think about it, but Grew still chose to leave.

In 1665, during a time of plague, many churches were empty. Obadiah Grew and other nonconformists started holding their own public worship meetings. But a law called the Five Mile Act, which started in 1666, forced him to move away from Coventry. This law stopped nonconformist ministers from living within five miles of towns where they used to preach.

He returned to Coventry in 1672 when the King gave a special permission (called an "indulgence") for nonconformists to worship. He and another minister, John Bryan, started a Presbyterian church group. Even when the special permission was taken away in 1673, the city leaders often allowed their meetings to continue.

After John Bryan died in 1675, Obadiah Grew started training young men to become ministers. In 1682, even though he had lost his eyesight, he was found guilty of breaking the Five Mile Act. He was sent to Coventry jail for six months. While in prison, he would dictate sermons every week. These sermons were then copied and used in many secret church meetings. In 1685, almost 200 people were put in jail in Coventry for attending these secret meetings.

In 1687, King James II announced that people could worship freely. This allowed Obadiah Grew to return to his church group. They set up a meeting place in St. Nicholas' Hall. Obadiah Grew led services there until September 1689. He passed away on October 22, 1689, and was buried in St. Michael's Church.

Obadiah Grew's Family

Obadiah Grew married Helen Vicars on December 25, 1637. Helen was born in February 1603 and died in October 1687. She was a widow with a son named Henry Sampson, who later became a doctor.

Obadiah and Helen had one son, Nehemiah Grew, who became a famous scientist. They also had a daughter named Mary, who died in 1703. Mary married John Willes, a nonconformist scholar.

Obadiah's older brother, Jonathan, had a son also named Jonathan Grew (1626–1711). This nephew also became a nonconformist minister and teacher. He refused to follow the official church rules and later became the first minister of a Presbyterian church in St. Albans.

Obadiah Grew's Works

Obadiah Grew published some of his writings:

• His 'Farewell Sermon,' published in 1663.
• 'A Sinner's Justification,' published in 1670, and again in 1698. It was also translated into Welsh in 1785.