Robert Sibthorpe
Encyclopedia
Robert Sibthorpe or Sibthorp (died 1662) was an English clergyman who gained notoriety during the reign of King Charles I of England
for his outspoken defense of the divine right of kings
.
of Trinity College, Cambridge
, receiving his M.A. from that institution in 1619. He became vicar
of The Holy Sepulchre, Northampton
in 1619. He received his D.D. ca. 1626.
Sibthorpe first gained national prominence in 1627, when he gave an assize
sermon
in which he asserted the doctrine of passive obedience
. King Charles I wanted to have Sibthorpe's sermon, along with a similar sermon delivered by Roger Maynwaring
, printed. George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury
opposed the publication of these sermons, but William Laud
, Bishop of Bath and Wells
urged George Montaigne
, Bishop of London
to license the publication and as a result the sermons were published. (Laud was promoted to Bishop of London in 1628 as a result.)
At the 1628 Parliament
, John Pym
moved in the House of Commons of England
to impeach Sibthorpe and Maynwaring. In the House of Lords
, the two were accused of subverting the commonwealth. As a result, Sibthorpe and Maywaring were imprisoned and fined; suspended from the ministry, prevented from clerical or secular advancement, and told they could not preach at Court.
The King was furious at Parliament's actions, and instructed Attorney General
Robert Heath
to draw up papers giving Sibthorpe and Maynwaring a royal pardon. Charles then made Sibthorpe a chaplain
in the Chapel Royal
, signaling his intention to defend Sibthorpe against future attacks from Parliament.
In 1629, Sibthorpe was appointed rector
at Burton Latimer
. He later became commissary
of the Diocese of Peterborough, and in that capacity he gained a reputation as a zealous represser of Puritanism
.
With the outbreak of the English Civil War
, in 1643 Sibthorpe joined the king at Oxford
. His living
was sequestrated
by the Long Parliament
in 1647, but restored in 1660 at the time of the English Restoration
.
and John Locke
continued to denounce Sibthorpe's opinions decades after his death. Algernon Sidney also spoke out against Sibthorpe and Maynwaring. In the next century, Jonathan Mayhew
was continuing to denounce Sibthorpe and Maynwaring.
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
for his outspoken defense of the divine right of kings
Divine Right of Kings
The divine right of kings or divine-right theory of kingship is a political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving his right to rule directly from the will of God...
.
Biography
Sibthorpe was a fellowFellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, receiving his M.A. from that institution in 1619. He became 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 The Holy Sepulchre, Northampton
The Holy Sepulchre, Northampton
The Holy Sepulchre is a Norman round church in Sheep Street, Northampton, England.Simon de Senlis, Earl of Northampton, was responsible for making Northampton, England, a Norman stronghold by building a castle and a town wall...
in 1619. He received his D.D. ca. 1626.
Sibthorpe first gained national prominence in 1627, when he gave an assize
Assizes (England and Wales)
The Courts of Assize, or Assizes, were periodic criminal courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the Quarter Sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court...
sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
in which he asserted the doctrine of passive obedience
Passive obedience
Passive obedience is a religious and political doctrine advocating the absolute supremacy of the Crown and the treatment of any dissent as sinful and unlawful...
. King Charles I wanted to have Sibthorpe's sermon, along with a similar sermon delivered by Roger Maynwaring
Roger Maynwaring
Roger Maynwaring was an English bishop, known for his support for absolutism.-Life:He was born in Shropshire, and educated at Worcester grammar, and All Souls College, Oxford. He became rector of St Giles in the Fields in 1616.He was made a royal chaplain in 1626...
, printed. George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
opposed the publication of these sermons, but 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...
, Bishop of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
urged George Montaigne
George Montaigne
George Montaigne was an English bishop.-Life:He graduated B.A. from Queens' College, Cambridge in 1590, and M.A. in 1593. In 1597 he was chaplain to Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, on his expedition against Cadiz. He became rector of Great Cressingham in 1602...
, 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...
to license the publication and as a result the sermons were published. (Laud was promoted to Bishop of London in 1628 as a result.)
At the 1628 Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
, John Pym
John Pym
John Pym was an English parliamentarian, leader of the Long Parliament and a prominent critic of James I and then Charles I.- Early life and education :...
moved in the House of Commons of England
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
to impeach Sibthorpe and Maynwaring. In the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, the two were accused of subverting the commonwealth. As a result, Sibthorpe and Maywaring were imprisoned and fined; suspended from the ministry, prevented from clerical or secular advancement, and told they could not preach at Court.
The King was furious at Parliament's actions, and instructed Attorney General
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
Robert Heath
Robert Heath
Sir Robert Heath was an English lawyer and judge.-Early life:He was educated at Tunbridge Wells grammar school, St John's College, Cambridge from age 14 and Clifford's Inn from age 17; and became a barrister of the Inner Temple in 1603. He was an MP for the City of London in 1620, and became...
to draw up papers giving Sibthorpe and Maynwaring a royal pardon. Charles then made Sibthorpe a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in the Chapel Royal
Chapel Royal
A Chapel Royal is a body of priests and singers who serve the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they are called upon to do so.-Austria:...
, signaling his intention to defend Sibthorpe against future attacks from Parliament.
In 1629, Sibthorpe was appointed rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
at Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer is a town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population in 2001 of 6,740. It is just south of the junction of the A6 and A14 in the borough of Kettering. The two-mile A6 bypass opened in October 1991.-History:...
. He later became commissary
Commissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
of the Diocese of Peterborough, and in that capacity he gained a reputation as a zealous represser of Puritanism
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...
.
With the outbreak of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, in 1643 Sibthorpe joined the king at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. His living
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
was sequestrated
Sequestration (law)
Sequestration is the act of removing, separating, or seizing anything from the possession of its owner under process of law for the benefit of creditors or the state.-Etymology:...
by the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
in 1647, but restored in 1660 at the time of the English Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
.
Legacy
Sibthorpe and Maynwaring remained hated by defenders of English liberty. Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury PC , known as Anthony Ashley Cooper from 1621 to 1631, as Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, 2nd Baronet from 1631 to 1661, and as The Lord Ashley from 1661 to 1672, was a prominent English politician during the Interregnum and during the reign of King Charles...
and John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
continued to denounce Sibthorpe's opinions decades after his death. Algernon Sidney also spoke out against Sibthorpe and Maynwaring. In the next century, Jonathan Mayhew
Jonathan Mayhew
Jonathan Mayhew was a noted American minister at Old West Church, Boston, Massachusetts. He is credited with coining the phrase "no taxation without representation." -Early life:...
was continuing to denounce Sibthorpe and Maynwaring.