Savoy Conference
Encyclopedia
The Savoy Conference of 1661 was a significant liturgical discussion that took place, after the Restoration of Charles II
, in an attempt to effect a reconciliation within the Church of England
.
, in his lodgings at the Savoy Hospital
in London.
It was attended by commissioners: 12 Anglican bishop
s, and 12 representative ministers of the Puritan
and Presbyterian factions. Each side also had nine deputies (called assistants or coadjutors). The nominal chairman was Accepted Frewen
, the Archbishop of York
. The object was to revise the Book of Common Prayer
. Richard Baxter
for the Presbyterian side presented a new liturgy, but this was not accepted. Shortly afterwards the Anglican church split, with the dissenting Nonconformists largely leaving.
In 1662 the Act of Uniformity
followed.
For the presbyterians:
On the presbyterian side there were:
There was to have been one more deputy on the presbyterian side, Roger Drake
. A clerical error caused his name to appear as "William Drake" in the official document, and he did not actually attend.
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, in an attempt to effect a reconciliation within 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...
.
Proceedings
It was convened by Gilbert SheldonGilbert Sheldon
Gilbert Sheldon was an English Archbishop of Canterbury.-Early life:He was born in Stanton, Staffordshire in the parish of Ellastone, on 19 July 1598, the youngest son of Roger Sheldon; his father worked for Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. He was educated at Trinity College, Oxford; he...
, in his lodgings at the Savoy Hospital
Savoy Palace
The Savoy Palace was considered the grandest nobleman's residence of medieval London, until it was destroyed in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. It fronted the Strand, on the site of the present Savoy Theatre and the Savoy Hotel that memorialise its name...
in London.
It was attended by commissioners: 12 Anglican bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s, and 12 representative ministers of the 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...
and Presbyterian factions. Each side also had nine deputies (called assistants or coadjutors). The nominal chairman was Accepted Frewen
Accepted Frewen
Accepted Frewen was a priest in the Church of England and Archbishop of York from 1660 to 1664.He was born at Northiam, in Sussex, and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, where in 1612 he became a Fellow. In 1617 and 1621 the college allowed him to act as chaplain to Sir John Digby, ambassador...
, the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
. The object was to revise the Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
. 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...
for the Presbyterian side presented a new liturgy, but this was not accepted. Shortly afterwards the Anglican church split, with the dissenting Nonconformists largely leaving.
In 1662 the Act of Uniformity
Act of Uniformity
Over the course of English parliamentary history there were a number of acts of uniformity. All had the basic object of establishing some sort of religious orthodoxy within the English church....
followed.
Commissioners
The nominated commissioners and deputies were as follows:- Accepted FrewenAccepted FrewenAccepted Frewen was a priest in the Church of England and Archbishop of York from 1660 to 1664.He was born at Northiam, in Sussex, and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, where in 1612 he became a Fellow. In 1617 and 1621 the college allowed him to act as chaplain to Sir John Digby, ambassador...
, Archbishop of York - Gilbert SheldonGilbert SheldonGilbert Sheldon was an English Archbishop of Canterbury.-Early life:He was born in Stanton, Staffordshire in the parish of Ellastone, on 19 July 1598, the youngest son of Roger Sheldon; his father worked for Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. He was educated at Trinity College, Oxford; he...
, Bishop of London - John CosinJohn CosinJohn Cosin was an English churchman.-Life:He was born at Norwich, and was educated at Norwich grammar school and at Caius College, Cambridge, where he was scholar and afterwards fellow. On taking orders he was appointed secretary to Bishop Overall of Lichfield, and then domestic chaplain to...
, Bishop of Durham - John WarnerJohn Warner (bishop)John Warner was an English churchman, bishop of Rochester and royalist.-Life and career:Son of Harman Warner of London, merchant tailor, he was baptised at St. Clement Danes in the Strand on 17 September 1581. He became demy of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1599, and was elected fellow there in...
, Bishop of Rochester - Henry KingHenry King (poet)-Life:The eldest son of John King, Bishop of London, and his wife Joan Freeman, he was baptised at Worminghall, Buckinghamshire, 16 January 1592. He was educated at Lord Williams's School, Westminster School and in 1608 became a student of Christ Church, Oxford...
, Bishop of Chichester - Humphrey HenchmanHumphrey HenchmanHumphrey Henchman was a Church of England clergyman and bishop of London from 1663 to 1675.-Early life:He was born in Burton Latimer , Northamptonshire, the son of Thomas Henchman, a skinner, and educated at Christ's College, Cambridge where he achieved BA in 1613 and MA in 1616...
, Bishop of Salisbury - George MorleyGeorge MorleyGeorge Morley D.D. was an English bishop.-Life:He was born in London, England, and educated at Westminster school and the University of Oxford. In 1640, he was presented to the sinecure living of Hartfield, Sussex, and in the following year he was made canon of Christ Church, Oxford and exchanged...
, Bishop of Worcester - Robert SandersonRobert SandersonRobert Sanderson was an English theologian and casuist.He was born in Sheffield in Yorkshire and grew up at Gilthwaite Hall, near Rotherham. He was educated at Lincoln College, Oxford. Entering the Church, he rose to be Bishop of Lincoln.His work on logic, Logicae Artis Compendium , was long a...
, Bishop of Lincoln - Benjamin LaneyBenjamin LaneyBenjamin Laney may refer to:* Benjamin Laney * Benjamin Travis Laney , Democratic Governor of Arkansas...
, Bishop of Peterborough - Brian Walton, Bishop of Chester
- Richard Sterne, Bishop of Carlisle
- John GaudenJohn GaudenJohn Gauden was an English bishop of Exeter then bishop of Worcester and writer, and the reputed author of the important Royalist work Eikon Basilike.-Life:...
, Bishop of Exeter
For the presbyterians:
- Edward ReynoldsEdward ReynoldsEdward Reynolds was a bishop of Norwich in the Church of England and an author.He was born in Holyrood parish Southampton, the son of Augustine Reynolds, one of the customers of the city, and his wife, Bridget....
, Bishop of Norwich - Anthony TuckneyAnthony TuckneyAnthony Tuckney was an English Puritan theologian and scholar.-Life:Anthony Tuckney was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and a fellow there from 1619 to 1630...
- John ConantJohn ConantRev. John Conant D.D. was an English clergyman, theologian, and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.-Life:John Conant was born at Yettington, Bicton, in southeast Devon, England, the eldest son of Robert Conant, son of Richard Conant and his wife, Elizabeth Morris...
- William Spurstow
- John Wallis
- Thomas MantonThomas MantonThomas Manton was an English Puritan clergyman.-Life:Thomas Manton was baptized March 31, 1620 at Lydeard St Lawrence, Somerset, a remote southwestern portion of England. His grammar school education was possibly at Blundell's School, in Tiverton, Devon...
- Edmund CalamyEdmund Calamy the ElderEdmund Calamy was an English Presbyterian church leader and divine. Known as "the elder", he was the first of four generations of nonconformist ministers bearing the same name.-Early life:...
- Richard BaxterRichard BaxterRichard 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...
- Arthur JacksonArthur Jackson (minister)Arthur Jackson was an English clergyman of strong Presbyterian and royalist views. He was imprisoned in 1651 for suspected complicity in the ‘presbyterian plot’ of Christopher Love, and ejected after the Act of Uniformity 1662.-Life:...
- Thomas CaseThomas CaseThomas Case was an English clergyman of Presbyterian beliefs, member of the Westminster Assembly where he was one of the strongest advocates of theocracy, and sympathizer with the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy.-Life:...
- Samuel ClarkeSamuel Clarke (minister)Samuel Clarke was an English clergyman and significant Puritan biographer.-Life:He was born 10 October 1599 at Wolston, Warwickshire, the son of Hugh Clarke , who was vicar of Wolston for forty years. Clarke was educated by his father till he was thirteen; then at the free school in Coventry; and...
- Matthew NewcomenMatthew NewcomenMatthew Newcomen was an English nonconformist churchman.His exact date of birth is unknown. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge . In 1636 he became lecturer at Dedham in Essex, and led the church reform party in that county. He assisted Edmund Calamy the Elder in writing Smectymnuus ,...
Deputies
On the episcopal side there were:- John EarleJohn EarleJohn Earle may refer to:*John Earle , English bishop*John Earle *John Earle , Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford...
, Dean of Westminster - Peter HeylinPeter HeylinPeter Heylin or Heylyn was an English ecclesiastic and author of many polemical, historical, political and theological tracts. He incorporated his political concepts into his geographical books Microcosmus in 1621 and Cosmographie .-Life:He was born in Burford, Oxfordshire, the son of Henry Heylyn...
Sub-dean of Westminster. - John HacketJohn HacketJohn Hacket was an English churchman, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry from 1661 until his death.-Life:He was born in London and educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge. On taking his degree he was elected a fellow of his college, and soon afterwards wrote the comedy, Loiola , which...
- John BarwickJohn BarwickJohn Barwick was an English royalist churchman and Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral.-Early life:He was born at Witherslack, in Westmorland. John was the third of five sons, and he and his brother Peter Barwick were the ones given an education. After time at local grammar schools John was sent to...
- Peter GunningPeter GunningPeter Gunning was an English Royalist church leader, Bishop of Chichester and later of Ely.-Life:He was born at Hoo St Werburgh, in Kent, and educated at The King's School, Canterbury, and Clare College, Cambridge, where he became a fellow in 1633. Having taken orders, he advocated the Royalist...
- John PearsonJohn PearsonJohn Pearson may refer to:* John A. Pearson , Canadian architect* John Pearson , English master-craftsman* John Pearson , British author...
- Thomas PierceThomas PierceThomas Pierce or Peirse was an English churchman and controversialist, a high-handed President of Magdalen College, Oxford and Dean of Salisbury.-Early life:...
- Anthony SparrowAnthony SparrowAnthony Sparrow was an English Anglican priest. He was Bishop of Norwich and Bishop of Exeter.-Life:He was educated and became a fellow at Queens' College, Cambridge, and was ordained a priest in February 1635. He was an adherent to the Laudianism movement...
- Herbert ThorndikeHerbert ThorndikeHerbert Thorndike was an English academic and clergyman, known as an orientalist and Canon of Westminster Abbey. He was an influential theological writer during the reigns of King Charles I and, after the Restoration, King Charles II...
On the presbyterian side there were:
- Thomas HortonThomas Horton (Gresham College)Thomas Horton D.D. was an English clergyman, Professor of Divinity at Gresham College in London, and President of Queens' College, Cambridge.-Life:...
- Thomas Jacomb
- William BatesWilliam Bates (minister)William Bates was an English presbyterian minister.-Life:He was born in London in November 1625, and was educated at Cambridge, initially at Emmanuel College and subsequently at Queens' College. In 1647 he proceeded B.A. He was a presbyterian. His first living was St...
- John Rawlinson
- William CooperWilliam Cooper (Puritan)William Cooper was an English clergyman of Puritan views, chaplain to Elizabeth of Bohemia, participant in the Savoy Conference, and ejected minister.-Life:...
- John LightfootJohn LightfootJohn Lightfoot was an English churchman, rabbinical scholar, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge.-Life:...
- John CollingesJohn CollingesJohn Collinges was an English presbyterian theologian, participant in the Savoy Conference, ejected minister, and prolific writer.-Life:...
- Benjamin WoodbridgeBenjamin WoodbridgeBenjamin Woodbridge was an English clergyman and controversialist, Harvard College's first-ever graduate, and participant in the Savoy Conference.-Life:...
There was to have been one more deputy on the presbyterian side, Roger Drake
Roger Drake (physician)
Roger Drake was an English physician, and a minister of strong Presbyterian convictions.-Life:He was the eldest son of Roger Drake, a wealthy mercer of Cheapside, who died in December 1651. He received his education at Pembroke College, Cambridge, as a member of which he graduated B.A. in 1628,...
. A clerical error caused his name to appear as "William Drake" in the official document, and he did not actually attend.
Publications
- "Order of the Savoy Conference," in Gee and Hardy Documents Illustrative of English Church History, pp. 588–594 (London, 1896)
- Prof. C. W. ShieldsCharles Woodruff ShieldsCharles Woodruff Shields, DD was an American theologian. He graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1844 and at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1847....
, Book of the Common Prayer . . . as amended by Westminster Divines, 1661 (Philadelphia, 1867; new edition, New York, 1880). - D. NealDaniel NealDaniel Neal was an English historian.Born in London, he was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, and at the universities of Utrecht and Leiden...
, History of the Puritans, part iv (New York, 1863)