Jonas Proast (c.1640-1710) was an English High Church Anglican clergyman and academic. He was an opponent of latitudinarianism, associated with Henry Dodwell, George Hickes, Thomas Hearne and Jonathan Edwards.[1] He is now known for his controversy with John Locke, over Locke's Letter concerning Toleration.
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He was born in Colchester. After an Oxford education he was ordained in 1669,[2] and became chaplain of All Souls College, Oxford in 1677.[3]
He left his Oxford chaplaincies at Queen's College and All Souls as the result of an extended controversy with Leopold William Finch, the Warden of All Souls. Finch wrote an account of the quarrel in The case of Mr. Jonas Proast (1693). According to Anthony à Wood Proast was first expelled by Finch for "not giving his vote for the warden when he stood to be History Professor and for being medling and troublesome in the house."[4] This was on the occasion in 1688 of the election, won by Henry Dodwell, for Camden Professor of History. Proast returned, though only in 1692, by the intervention of the Visitor, William Sancroft.[5]
He became Archdeacon of Berkshire in 1698.[6]
Proast reacted to the appearance of the English translation, by William Popple, of the Epistola de Tolerantia (Locke's Letter concerning Translation first appeared in this anonymous Latin version). In the anonymous reply, The argument of the Letter concerning toleration, briefly consider’d and answer’d (1690) he advocated for the possible moderate use of force in matters of religion. He argued that the magistrate had power to restrain false religion.[7]
Proast's main point was that coercion may not lead directly to changed understanding of religion; but indirectly certain uses of force may actually inculcate beliefs or make the mind receptive to them.[8] This argument aimed at undermining the premise of Locke's main argument on the ineffectiveness of intolerant behaviour and penal laws.
Locke reacted with A Second Letter concerning Toleration later in 1690, though under a pseudonym Philanthropus. Proast followed up with a reply in February 1691.[9] After a pause Locke produced a Third Letter later in 1692. It was eight years before Proast replied with Three Letters of Toleration (1704). In that year Locke died, and his Fourth Letter was a posthumous work.
As a consequence of the exchanges with Proast, Locke had to sharpen his arguments, and moved further onto the ground of religious skepticism.[10]