Gabriel Powell
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Powell was a Welsh
Anglican priest
, known for his strident anti-Catholic views.
) was born in Ruabon
, Denbighshire
, Wales
and baptised in January 1576. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford
from 1592 to 1596 and then, after some studying abroad, was appointed to the sinecure
position of rector
of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain
, Montgomeryshire
, Wales. Richard Vaughan
, the Bishop of London
, appointed him as his domestic chaplain in 1605; Powell became rector of Chellesworth, Suffolk
, England in 1606 and ceased to hold the parish of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain after 1607. In 1609, he was made a prebendary
of St Paul's Cathedral, London and in the following year he became the vicar
of Northolt
, Middlesex
.
married a Catholic, and (1605) on the Pope
as the Antichrist
and the Roman Catholic Church as the "synagogue of Antichrist". Whilst this language was condemned in later years by Archbishop Laud, his views were regarded as orthodox at the time and his writings were admired by contemporaries. The Resolved Christian (1600), a treatise on piety, reached its seventh edition by 1617. Other writings were directed against Protestant non-conformists, such as De adiophora (1607), noting the shared beliefs that they held and arguing that divisions between Protestants undermined the fight against Catholics.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
Anglican priest
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, known for his strident anti-Catholic views.
Life
Powell (the son of the clergyman and historian David PowelDavid Powel
David Powel was a Welsh Church of England clergyman and historian who published the first printed history of Wales in 1584.-Life:...
) was born in Ruabon
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and baptised in January 1576. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
from 1592 to 1596 and then, after some studying abroad, was appointed to the sinecure
Sinecure
A sinecure means an office that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service...
position of rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain
Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain
Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain is a village and community in Powys, Mid-Wales, close to the border with Shropshire, about south west of Oswestry....
, Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
, Wales. Richard Vaughan
Richard Vaughan (bishop)
-Life:His father was Thomas ap Robert Fychan of Nyffryn, Llyn, Caernarvonshire. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1574, MA in 1577, and DD in 1589...
, the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, appointed him as his domestic chaplain in 1605; Powell became rector of Chellesworth, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England in 1606 and ceased to hold the parish of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain after 1607. In 1609, he was made a prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of St Paul's Cathedral, London and in the following year he became the vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Northolt
Northolt
Northolt is a town in the London Borough of Ealing, England. The town has London Underground and Network Rail stations and is on the A40 road...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
.
Views
Powell was a strident anti-Catholic and wrote a number of works condemning the Roman Catholic faith and its followers. His writings included Consideration of the Papists (1604), with warnings of the appalling results that would follow if Prince HenryHenry Frederick, Prince of Wales
Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales was the elder son of King James I & VI and Anne of Denmark. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Frederick II of Denmark. Prince Henry was widely seen as a bright and promising heir to his father's throne...
married a Catholic, and (1605) on the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
as the Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
and the Roman Catholic Church as the "synagogue of Antichrist". Whilst this language was condemned in later years by Archbishop Laud, his views were regarded as orthodox at the time and his writings were admired by contemporaries. The Resolved Christian (1600), a treatise on piety, reached its seventh edition by 1617. Other writings were directed against Protestant non-conformists, such as De adiophora (1607), noting the shared beliefs that they held and arguing that divisions between Protestants undermined the fight against Catholics.