Life

He was a native of Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

, and entered Christ Church College, Oxford, in 1616 in his nineteenth year. He proceeded B.A. and M. A., and having obtained orders, had some minor church position. In 1648 he subscribed to the solemn league and covenant

Solemn League and Covenant

The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians. It was agreed to in 1643, during the First English Civil War....

 in 1648 among the ministers of Shropshire

Shropshire

Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...

, and soon after, while he was pastor of St. Alkmond's in Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...

, he received a call to Tamworth

Tamworth

Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...

. He was nominated one of the assistants to the commissioners of Staffordshire for the ejecting of scandalous ministers and schoolmasters.

Blake died at Tamworth, and was interred in his own church on 11 June 1657. His funeral sermon was preached by Anthony Burgesse, and was published in 1658, along with an oration by Samuel Shaw

Samuel Shaw (minister)

-Life:The son of Thomas Shaw, blacksmith, he was born at Repton, Derbyshire, in 1635. From Repton Grammar School he went to St John's College, Cambridge, where he was admitted sizar, 23 December 1650, and graduated B.A....

, then schoolmaster at Tamworth

Works

The following are his chief works:

• 'Birth Privilege, or the Right of Infants to Baptism,' 1644.
• 'Infant's Baptism freed from Antichristianisme. In a full Repulse given to Mr. Ch. Blackwood in his Assault of that Part of Christ's Possession which he holds in his Heritage of Infants, entitled "The Storming of Antichrist,"' 1645 Wood misnames Blackwood 'Charles' for 'Christopher.'
• 'A Moderate Answer to the Two Questions: (1) Whether there be sufficient Ground from Scripture to warrant the Conscience of a Christian to present his Infants to the Sacrament of Baptism; (2) Whether it be not sinful for a Christian to receive the Sacrament in a Mixt Assembly,' 1645.
• 'An Answer to Mr. Tombes his Letter in Vindication of the Birth-privilege of Believers and their issue,' 1646.
• 'Testimony of the Ministers of Stafford to Solemn League,' 1648.
• 'Vindiciae Foederis, a Treatise of the Covenant of God with Mankind,' 1653.
• 'Infant Baptism maintain'd in its Latitude,' 1653.
• 'The Covenant Sealed, or a Treatise of the Sacrament of both Covenants,' 1655.
• 'Postscript to the Rev. and Learned Mr. Richard Baxter,' 1655; answered 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...
  
  .
• 'Mr. Jo. Humphrey's Second Vindication of a Disciplinary Anti-erastian, Orthodox, Free Admission to the Lord's Supper, taken into consideration,' 1656, supporting John Humfrey
  John Humfrey
  John Humfrey was an English clergyman, an ejected minister from 1662 and controversialist active in the Presbyterian cause.-Life:...
  
  ; and other pamphlets and occasional sermons.

Ebenezer, or Profitable Truths after Pestilential Times, 1666, which has been attributed to him, was not his, but by another Thomas Blake, who was ejected from East Hoadley, Sussex

Sussex

Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

.