John Davenant
Encyclopedia
John Davenant was an English academic and bishop of Salisbury
from 1621.
, from which he was called away by James I
to represent the Church of England
at the Synod of Dort
in 1618, along with Samuel Ward
, Joseph Hall and George Carleton
.
He later came into conflict with William Laud
, who regarded him as a suspect Calvinist.
A compromise pursued went in Davenant’s direction. According to one interpretation of Davenant’s views:
Other interpretations see Davenant as distinguishing himself from the School of Saumur and from the views of Moses Amyraut
. When French Amyraldians attempted to garner support, citing the views of members of the British delegation to the Synod of Dort, Davenant offered a reply by way of clarification in his tract, “On the controversy among the French divines,” in which he appears to make a distinction between his own views and those of the Amyraldians.
Davenant sympathised with the aims of John Dury
, as far as unifying Protestantism went, and wrote in his favour, a piece subsequently quoted by Gerard Brandt
.
On the topic of predestination
, he engaged in controversy with the Arminian Anglican Samuel Hoard
.
In an undated letter to his friend Samuel Ward
, with whom he had serves as a delegate to Dort, Davenant endorses the view (shared by Ward) that all baptized infants receive the remission of the guilt of original sin
in baptism
and that this constitutes their infant baptismal regeneration, justification, sanctification, and adoption. In his view, this infant baptismal remission, which involves the objective status of the infant apart from subjective operations of grace, will not suffice for justification, if the child does not later come to faith. Nonetheless, he goes on to argue that this poses no contradiction to the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints
as articulated by Dort, since the “perseverance” intended there presupposes subjective grace.
Davenant’s “Dissertation on the Death of Christ” was translated into English from Latin in 1831 by Josiah Allport and published as an appendix to his commentary on the Letter of Paul to the Colossians. The Commentary on Colossians was reprinted, without the “Dissertation,” in 2005 by the Banner of Trust Trust (ISBN 0 85151 909 1). The “Dissertation” was republished by Quinta Press in 2006 (ISBN 978-1-89785-627-7).
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
from 1621.
Life
He was educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge, elected a fellow there in 1597, and was its President from 1614 to 1621. From 1609 onward, he served as the Lady Margaret’s Professor of DivinityLady Margaret's Professor of Divinity
The Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity is the oldest professorship at the University of Cambridge. It was founded initially as a readership by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, in 1502....
, from which he was called away by James I
James I
James I may refer to:* King James I of Aragon * King James I of Sicily , also King James II of Aragon* James I, Count of La Marche , Count of Ponthieu...
to represent the Church of England
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...
at the Synod of Dort
Synod of Dort
The Synod of Dort was a National Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618-1619, by the Dutch Reformed Church, to settle a divisive controversy initiated by the rise of Arminianism. The first meeting was on November 13, 1618, and the final meeting, the 154th, was on May 9, 1619...
in 1618, along with Samuel Ward
Samuel Ward (scholar)
Samuel Ward was an English academic and a master at the University of Cambridge.-Life:He was born at Bishop Middleham, county Durham. He was a scholar of Christ's College, Cambridge, where in 1592 he was admitted B.A. In 1595 he was elected to a fellowship at Emmanuel, and in the following year...
, Joseph Hall and George Carleton
George Carleton
George Carleton was an English churchman, Bishop of Llandaff . He was a delegate to the Synod of Dort, in the Netherlands. From 1619 to 1628 he was Bishop of Chichester.-Life:...
.
He later came into conflict with William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
, who regarded him as a suspect Calvinist.
Views
At Dort there were divisions in the Anglican camp:A compromise pursued went in Davenant’s direction. According to one interpretation of Davenant’s views:
Other interpretations see Davenant as distinguishing himself from the School of Saumur and from the views of Moses Amyraut
Moses Amyraut
Moses Amyraut , also known as Amyraldus, was a French Protestant theologian and metaphysician. He is perhaps most noted for his modifications to Calvinist theology regarding the nature of Christ's atonement, which is referred to as Amyraldism or Amyraldianism.-Life:Born at Bourgueil, in the valley...
. When French Amyraldians attempted to garner support, citing the views of members of the British delegation to the Synod of Dort, Davenant offered a reply by way of clarification in his tract, “On the controversy among the French divines,” in which he appears to make a distinction between his own views and those of the Amyraldians.
Davenant sympathised with the aims of John Dury
John Dury
John Dury was a Scottish Calvinist minister and a significant intellectual of the English Civil War period. He made efforts to re-unite the Calvinist and Lutheran wings of Protestantism, hoping to succeed when he moved to Kassel in 1661, but he did not accomplish this...
, as far as unifying Protestantism went, and wrote in his favour, a piece subsequently quoted by Gerard Brandt
Gerard Brandt
Gerard Brandt was a Dutch preacher, playwright, poet, church historian, biographer and naval historian...
.
On the topic of predestination
Predestination
Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...
, he engaged in controversy with the Arminian Anglican Samuel Hoard
Samuel Hoard
Samuel Hoard was an English clergyman and controversialist in the Arminian interest. He is credited with the first worked-out attack on Calvinistic doctrine by an English churchman.-Life:...
.
In an undated letter to his friend Samuel Ward
Samuel Ward
Samuel Ward was a farmer, politician, colonial Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and a delegate to the Continental Congress. The son of an earlier Rhode Island Governor, Richard Ward, he was well educated as he grew up in a large Newport, Rhode Island family...
, with whom he had serves as a delegate to Dort, Davenant endorses the view (shared by Ward) that all baptized infants receive the remission of the guilt of original sin
Original sin
Original sin is, according to a Christian theological doctrine, humanity's state of sin resulting from the Fall of Man. This condition has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt, referred...
in baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and that this constitutes their infant baptismal regeneration, justification, sanctification, and adoption. In his view, this infant baptismal remission, which involves the objective status of the infant apart from subjective operations of grace, will not suffice for justification, if the child does not later come to faith. Nonetheless, he goes on to argue that this poses no contradiction to the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints
Perseverance of the saints
Perseverance of the saints, as well as the corollary—though distinct—doctrine known as "Once Saved, Always Saved", is a Calvinist teaching that once persons are truly saved they can never lose their salvation....
as articulated by Dort, since the “perseverance” intended there presupposes subjective grace.
Davenant’s “Dissertation on the Death of Christ” was translated into English from Latin in 1831 by Josiah Allport and published as an appendix to his commentary on the Letter of Paul to the Colossians. The Commentary on Colossians was reprinted, without the “Dissertation,” in 2005 by the Banner of Trust Trust (ISBN 0 85151 909 1). The “Dissertation” was republished by Quinta Press in 2006 (ISBN 978-1-89785-627-7).