John Brinsley (1600-1665)
A Pastor and Theologian That Draws You Closer to Jesus Christ
“God will have no communion with impure and unholy creatures.”
“Abusing God’s grace is a high contempt.”
“The work of the Son in redemption does not exceed the work of the Father in election.” – John Brinsley
Biography of John Brinsley (1600-1665):
John Brinsley (1600-1665), the younger, was a puritan divine born at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire in 1600, being the son of John Brinsley the elder, master of the public school there, and his wife, who was a sister of Dr. Joseph Hall, (bishop of Norwich). Having received the essentials of education from his father, he was admitted to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, at the age of thirteen and a half years. He attended his uncle, Dr. Hall, at that time dean of Worcester, to the Synod of Dort (1618-19) as his amanuensis; and on his return to Cambridge he was elected to a scholarship in his college, and earned his degrees (B.A. in 1619, M.A. in 1623). After being ordained, he first preached at Preston, near Chelmsford.
In 1625 he was appointed by the corporation of Great Yarmouth as their minister; but the dean and chapter of Norwich, claiming the right of nomination, disputed the office, and he was summoned before the high court of commission at Lambeth, and was dismissed from his ministerial function in Yarmouth church by a decree in chancery (1627), given on a certificate made by Archbishop Laud. He continued, however, to preach in the town in what was then the Dutch church, meeting subsequently in the theater, and is now commonly called the town house. The corporation meanwhile persevered in their struggle with the bishop and the court in his behalf, until in 1632 the king in council forbade him to enact any ministerial duty at Yarmouth altogether, and even committed to prison four individuals—among them well-known ministers such as Miles Corbet, who was then the recorder of the town—for supporting him.
Brinsley, after exercising his pastoral duties in the lower part of Lothingland in 1642, and, through the interest of Sir John Wentworth of Somerleyton Hall, was appointed to the ministerial position of the parish of Somerleyton. After two years he was again chosen one of the town preachers at Yarmouth, and he occupied the office of the church with the Presbyterians. At the same time William Bridge with the congregationalists possessed the north aisle, and the south aisle. Worship services were performed simultaneously in all three places, the building had been divided on purpose at the death of the king, at an expense of 900£.
At the Restoration of Charles II, Brinsley was ejected for refusing to conform. He was inflexible on the points which divided so many ministers from the established church, and it is stated that he refused considerable treatment and monies which were offered to induce him to remain in her communion.
His death occurred on January 22, 1665, and he was buried in St. Nicholas’s Church, Yarmouth, with several others of the family.
For further study:
MS. Addit. 5863 f. 65, 19165 f. 240; Calamy’s Ejected Ministers (1713), ii. 477, 478, and Continuation (1727), ii. 617; Cat. Lib. Impress. Bibl. Bodl. (1843); Brit. Mus. Cat.; Druery’s Hist. Notices of Great Yarmouth, 65; Lilly’s Hist. of his Life (1774), 5–8; Lowndes’s Bibl. Manual (Bohn); Nichols’s Leicestershire, i. pt. ii. Append. p. 140; Notes and Queries, 2nd series, xii. 126, 180, 4th series, iv. 411; Palmer’s Continuation of Manship’s Hist. of Great Yarmouth, 158–161, 365; Palmer’s Nonconf. Memorial (1803), ii. 17; Swinden’s Hist. of Great Yarmouth, 837–849; Sylvester’s Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, 283; Dawson Turner’s Sepulchral Reminiscences of a Market Town, 11.
His Works:
Modernized Works:
An Antidote Against Heretical Blasphemy by John Brinsley – eBook
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Church Reformation Tenderly Handled by John Brinsley – eBook
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Stand Still by John Brinsley – eBook
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Tears for Jerusalem by John Brinsley – eBook
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The False Teacher Tried and Cast by John Brinsley – eBook
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The Healing of Israel’s Breaches by John Brinsley – eBook
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The Principal Causes of Man’s Salvation by John Brinsley – eBook
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The Doctrine and Practice of Infant Baptism by John Brinsley – eBook
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The Saint’s Membership as One Body in Jesus Christ by John Brinsley – eBook
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The Christian’s Union, Communion and Conformity to Jesus Christ In His Death and Resurrection by John Brinsley – eBook
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The Preacher’s Charge and People’s Duty by John Brinsley – eBook
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The Works of John Brinsley (1600-1665) available in old English (Puritan Publications is working to publish the surviving manuscripts of his sermons.):
Brinsley published many treatises and sermons, including:
1. “The Healing of Israel’s Breaches,” London, 1642, 4to.
2. “Church Reformation Tenderly Handled in Four Sermons,” London, 1643, 4to.
3. “The doctrine and practice of Pædo-baptisme asserted and vindicated,” London, 1645, 4to.
4. “Stand Still; or, a Bridle for the Times,” London, 1647 and 1652, 4to.
5. “Two Treatises: the One handling the Doctrine of Christ’s Mediatorship. The other of Mystical Implantation,” 2 parts, London, 1651-2, 8vo.
6. “The Mystical Brasen Serpent, with the Magnetical Vertue thereof; or, Christ exalted upon the Cross,” 2 parts, London, 1653, 8vo.
7. “Two Treatises. I. The Saints Communion with Jesus Christ. II. Acquaintance with God,” London, 1654, 12mo.
8. “Two Treatises. I. A Groan for Israel; or, the Churches Salvation (temporall, spirituall), the desire and joy of Saints; II. Periphereia. The Spiritual Vertigo, or Turning Sickness of Soul-Unsettlednesse in matters of Religious Concernment,” 2 parts, London, 1655, 8vo.
9. “Gospel Marrow, the great God giving himself for the sons of men; or, the Sacred Mystery of Redemption by Jesus Christ, with two of the ends thereof, justification and sanctification, doctrinally opened, and practically applied,” 2 parts, London, 1659, 8vo.
10. “The Preacher’s Charge and the People’s Duty,” 1631.
11. “The Saint’s Solemn Covenant with God,” 1644.
12. “The Sacred and Sovereign Church Remedy,” 1644.
13. “Three Links of a Golden Chain,” 1659.
14. “Prayer and Praise a Twofold Tribute,” 1661.
15. “A Breviate of Christian Knowledge,” 1643.
16. “The Sufficiency of Divine Grace,” 1663.
17. “The Glory of the Latter Temple,” 1631.
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