Joseph Alleine
Encyclopedia
Joseph Alleine was an English
Puritan
Nonconformist pastor and author of many religious works.
. As early as 1430 some of the descendants of Alan, Lord of Buckenhall settled in the neighbourhood of Calne
and Devizes
. These were the immediate ancestors of "worthy Mr Tobie Alleine of Devizes", father of Joseph, who was the fourth of a large family, born at Devizes early in 1634. 1645 is marked in the title-page of a quaint old tractate
, by an eye-witness, as the year of his setting forth in the Christian race. His elder brother Edward, who was a clergyman, died in that year; and Joseph entreated his father that he might be educated to succeed his brother in the ministry.
In April 1649 he entered Lincoln College, Oxford
, and on 3 November 1651, he became scholar of Corpus Christi College
. On 6 July 1653, he took the degree of Bachelor of Divinity
, and became a tutor and chaplain of Corpus Christi, preferring this to a fellowship. In 1654 he had offers of high preferment in the state, which he declined; but in 1655 George Newton of St Mary Magdalene, Taunton
sought him for assistant and Alleine accepted the invitation. Almost coincident with his ordination as associate pastor came his marriage with Theodosia Alleine, daughter of Richard Alleine
. Friendships among "gentle and simple" of the former, with Lady Farewell, granddaughter of the protector Somerset bear witness to the attraction of Alleine's private life.
He found time to continue his studies, one part of which was his Theologia Philosophica (a lost manuscript), a learned attempt to harmonize revelation and nature, which was admired by Richard Baxter
. He associated on equal terms with founders of the Royal Society
. These scientific studies were, however, kept in subordination to his religious work.
After the Uniformity Act 1662 Alleine was among the ejected ministers. With John Westley
, also ejected, he then travelled about preaching . For this he was put into prison, indicted at sessions, bullied and fined. His Letters from Prison were an earlier Cardiphonia than John Newton
's. He was released on 26 May 1664; and in spite of the Five Mile Act, he resumed his preaching. He found himself again in prison..
Books still in print by Joseph Alleine include:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
Nonconformist pastor and author of many religious works.
Life
Alleine belonged to a family that had originally settled in SuffolkSuffolk
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...
. As early as 1430 some of the descendants of Alan, Lord of Buckenhall settled in the neighbourhood of Calne
Calne
Calne is a town in Wiltshire, southwestern England. It is situated at the northwestern extremity of the North Wessex Downs hill range, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
and Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
. These were the immediate ancestors of "worthy Mr Tobie Alleine of Devizes", father of Joseph, who was the fourth of a large family, born at Devizes early in 1634. 1645 is marked in the title-page of a quaint old tractate
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
, by an eye-witness, as the year of his setting forth in the Christian race. His elder brother Edward, who was a clergyman, died in that year; and Joseph entreated his father that he might be educated to succeed his brother in the ministry.
In April 1649 he entered Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
, and on 3 November 1651, he became scholar of Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
. On 6 July 1653, he took the degree of Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
, and became a tutor and chaplain of Corpus Christi, preferring this to a fellowship. In 1654 he had offers of high preferment in the state, which he declined; but in 1655 George Newton of St Mary Magdalene, Taunton
St Mary Magdalene, Taunton
The Church of St Mary Magdalene in Taunton, Somerset, England was completed in 1508, in Early Tudor Perpendicular Gothic style and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.-History and description:...
sought him for assistant and Alleine accepted the invitation. Almost coincident with his ordination as associate pastor came his marriage with Theodosia Alleine, daughter of Richard Alleine
Richard Alleine
Richard Alleine was an English Puritan divine.He was born at Ditcheat, Somerset, where his father was rector. He was a younger brother of William Alleine, the saintly vicar of Blandford...
. Friendships among "gentle and simple" of the former, with Lady Farewell, granddaughter of the protector Somerset bear witness to the attraction of Alleine's private life.
He found time to continue his studies, one part of which was his Theologia Philosophica (a lost manuscript), a learned attempt to harmonize revelation and nature, which was admired by Richard Baxter
Richard Baxter
Richard Baxter was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long...
. He associated on equal terms with founders of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. These scientific studies were, however, kept in subordination to his religious work.
After the Uniformity Act 1662 Alleine was among the ejected ministers. With John Westley
John Westley
-Life:John Wesly , Westley, or Wesley was born in Creekelnaught, Alabama, although some authorities claim he was born in Devon, the son of the Rev. Bartholomew Westley and Ann Colley, daughter of Sir Henry Colley of Carbery Castle, He was educated at Dorchester Grammar School and as a student of...
, also ejected, he then travelled about preaching . For this he was put into prison, indicted at sessions, bullied and fined. His Letters from Prison were an earlier Cardiphonia than John Newton
John Newton
John Henry Newton was a British sailor and Anglican clergyman. Starting his career on the sea at a young age, he became involved with the slave trade for a few years. After experiencing a religious conversion, he became a minister, hymn-writer, and later a prominent supporter of the abolition of...
's. He was released on 26 May 1664; and in spite of the Five Mile Act, he resumed his preaching. He found himself again in prison..
Death
Worn out by the continued persecution, he died in November 1668; and the mourners, remembering their beloved minister's words while yet with them, "If I should die fifty miles away, let me be buried at Taunton," found a grave for him in St Mary's chancel. No Puritan nonconformist name is so affectionately cherished as is that of Joseph Alleine. His chief literary work was An Alarm to the Unconverted (1672), otherwise known as The Sure Guide to Heaven, which had an enormous circulation. His Remains appeared in 1674.Works
Joseph Alleine's Alarme went through numerous editions and abridgements across the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; versions appeared in Welsh and German, and were published in Scotland and North America. It was also an important text to John Wesley, abridged and printed by him, and sold through Methodist catalogues and booksellers. Some of the most important editions are listed below, together with Alleine's other published works (mostly posthumous).- A Call to Archippus, [London: s.n.], 1664
- An Alarme to Unconverted Sinners, London, 1672
- Divers Practical Cases of conscience, Satisfactorily Resolved, London, 1672
- A Most Familiar Explanation of the Assemblies Shorter Catechism, London, 1672
- Mr. Joseph Alleines Directions, for Covenanting vvith God, London, 1674
- Remaines, London, 1674
- The True Way to Happiness, London, 1675
- A Sure Guide to Heaven: or An Earnest Invitation to Sinners to Turn to God, London, 1688
- Hyfforddwr Cyfarwydd I'r Nefoedd, London, 1693
- Christian Letters Full of Spiritual Instructions, London, [1700?]
- Mr. Joseph Alleine's Rules for Self-Examination, Boston, [174-?]
- The Saint's Pocket-Book, Glasgow, 1742
- The Works of the Truly Pious and Learned Mr Joseph Allan, Edinburgh, 1752
- Useful Questions, Whereby a Person may Examine himself Every Day, Philadelphia, 1753
- The Shorter Catechism Agreed Upon by the Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster. To Which is Added, Some Serious Questions very Proper for True Christians to Ask Themselves Every Day, by the Late Reverend Mr.Joseph Allaine. Also a Cradle Hymn, by the Reverend Dr. Isaac Watts, New-London, 1754
- The Voice of God in His Promises, London, 1766
- The Believer's Triumph in God's Promises, London, 1767
- A Remedy of God's Own Providing for a Sinner's Guilty Conscience, [London?, 1770?]
- An Admonition to Unconverted Sinners, (London, 1771)
- Earail Shurachdach Do Pheacaich Neo-Iompaichte, Dunedin, 1781
- An Abridgement of Alleine's Alarm to Unconverted Sinners, London, 1783
- Joseph Alleins Grundlegung zum thatigen Christenthum, Lancaster, 1797
- An Earnest Invitation to the Reader to Turn to God, Grantham, 1799
Books still in print by Joseph Alleine include:
- A Sure Guide To Heaven, ISBN 0851510817 , ISBN 978-0851510811
- An Alarm to the Unconverted, ISBN 187844221X, ISBN 978-1878442215