Samuel Clarke (annotator) facts for kids

Samuel Clarke (1626–1701) was an English clergyman who didn't follow the official Church of England rules. People called him a Nonconformist. He was famous for working very hard on his notes for the Bible.

Life Story of Samuel Clarke

Samuel Clarke was born on November 12, 1626, in a place called Shotwick, near Chester. He was the oldest son of another man named Samuel Clarke, who was also a minister.

His Time at University

Samuel went to Peterhouse, Cambridge for his education. Later, in 1644, he became a fellow (a kind of teacher or researcher) at Pembroke Hall. This happened because Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester chose him for the role.

Challenges and Changes

During a time when England was a republic (called the Commonwealth), the government asked people to sign a promise of loyalty. Samuel Clarke refused to sign this promise in 1649. Because of this, he lost his position at the university in 1651.

Later, when the king returned to power (this was called the Restoration), Samuel was working as a rector (a type of minister) in Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire. However, a new law called the Uniformity Act of 1662 was passed. This law made it harder for Nonconformists like Samuel to keep their jobs in the official church. So, he was "ejected," meaning he lost his position.

Samuel Clarke was even more committed to being a Nonconformist than his father. After living for a while at Upper Winchendon, he finally settled in High Wycombe. There, he started a church group that was originally Presbyterian but later became Independent. He also helped to train new Nonconformist ministers. Samuel Clarke passed away in High Wycombe on February 24, 1701. His grandson, Samuel Clarke (1684–1750), later became known for a book called Scripture Promises.

Samuel Clarke's Writings

Samuel Clarke's religious ideas were similar to those of another famous theologian named Richard Baxter. Most of his life's work was focused on creating a special edition of the Bible with his own notes. He had planned this project since he was a university student. His notes were usually short and to the point. Many important religious figures, like John Owen, Richard Baxter, Philip Doddridge, George Whitefield, and William Cleaver, approved of his work.

Besides some individual sermons, here are some of the books he published:

• The Old and New Testaments, with Annotations and Parallel Scriptures (1690): This was his main work, a Bible with his notes and cross-references. It was reprinted several times and even translated into Welsh.
• An Abridgement of the Historical Parts of the Old and New Testament (1690): A shorter version of the historical stories from the Bible.
• A Survey of the Bible; or an Analytical Account of the Holy Scriptures by chapter and verse (1693): This book was meant to go along with his Bible annotations.
• A Brief Concordance (1696): A tool to help people find specific words and phrases in the Bible.
• Of Scandal (a treatise on the limits of obedience to human authority): A book discussing how far people should obey human laws, especially when they conflict with religious beliefs.
• An Exercitation concerning the original of the Chapters and Verses in the Bible (1698): This book argued that even the chapter and verse divisions in the Bible were divinely inspired.
• Scripture-Justification (1698): He wrote this book almost twenty years before it was published. Richard Baxter had wanted it to be printed.
• The Divine Authority of the Scriptures asserted (1699): In this book, he responded to other writers, like Richard Simon. He argued that not only the words of the Bible but also the verse divisions in the Old Testament were inspired by God.