Timothy Manlove facts for kids

Timothy Manlove (born in 1663, died in 1699) was an English religious leader and doctor. He was a Presbyterian minister, which means he was a type of Christian minister who followed the Presbyterian faith. Even though he died quite young, he is remembered for supporting the ideas of Richard Bentley, who believed that there was more to life than just physical things.

Timothy Manlove's Life Story

Early Life and Education

Timothy Manlove was the son of a poet named Edward Manlove. He was born in a place called Ashbourne in Derbyshire, England. For his education, he went to a special school called a dissenting academy. This was a school for people who didn't agree with the main Church of England at the time. He studied at the Sheriffhales school, where his teacher was John Woodhouse.

His Work as a Minister and Doctor

Timothy officially became a minister on September 11, 1688, in a town called Attercliffe, near Sheffield. His first known job as a minister was in 1691 in Pontefract, Yorkshire, where many people liked him.

In 1694, he was asked to lead the Mill Hill Chapel in Leeds. However, he didn't earn much money from his ministry in Leeds. To help support himself, he also worked as a doctor for private patients.

At first, he got along well with Ralph Thoresby, who was a historian and collector of old things. But they later had disagreements because Timothy was a nonconformist, meaning he didn't follow the rules of the official Church of England.

In 1699, Timothy moved to Newcastle-on-Tyne to work as an assistant to another minister named Richard Gilpin. Sadly, he soon became sick with a fever and died on August 4, 1699. He was still quite young when he passed away and was buried the next day. Richard Gilpin later published a sermon in 1700 called The Comforts of Divine Love in his memory.

What Did He Write?

Timothy Manlove wrote and published a few books during his life:

• The Immortality of the Soul asserted. … With … Reflections on a … Refutation of … Bentley's “Sermon,” (1697): In this book, he strongly argued that the soul lives forever. He also wrote against the ideas of Henry Layton, who had disagreed with Richard Bentley's sermons.
• Præparatio Evangelica … Discourse concerning the Soul's Preparation for a Blessed Eternity, (1698): This book was about how a person's soul can get ready for a happy life after death.

Another minister named William Tong said that Timothy Manlove wrote in a "clear, weighty way," much like the famous writer Richard Baxter.