Thomas Allen (1608, Norwich – 21 September 1673) was a nonconformist minister and divine.
Allen was the son of John Allen, a Norwich dyer. He was educated in Norwich and at Caius College, Cambridge, where he took the degrees of B.A. and M.A. in ordinary course.[1] Having received license and holy orders, he was appointed to the parish church of St. Edmund's of Norwich. But he was too pronouncedly evangelical and too outspoken for reformation doctrine as against popish to be long endured by the bishop of the diocese at the time. Bishop Wren ‘silenced’ him in 1636, together with the learned William Bridge and others, for refusing to read The Book of Sports. In 1638 he passed over as a fugitive to New England. Cotton Mather testified that he "approved himself a pious and painful minister of the Gospel at Charlestown". He remained in New England until 1651, and Dr. W. B. Sprague, in his Annals of the American pulpit, enrols his name among the worthies of New England.
In 1651–2 he returned to Norwich, where he remained "in the exercise of his ministry" until 1662. His ministry was twofold — firstly, he became rector of St. George's, Norwich, yet, secondly, he was also chosen "pastor of the congregational church" there (1657). The explanation is that Allen was "preacher of the city" in St. George's parish rather than "rector", and as such was ejected among the two thousand. He died 21 September 1673.
His books are rare. His Invitation to Thirsty Sinners to come to their Saviour, was published in Boston, Massachusetts. His Glory of Christ set forth, with the Necessity of Faith, furnishes an excellent example of the average sermons of the ‘ejected’. The work that won him most reputation was his Chain of Scripture Chronology from the Creation to the Death of Christ (1659). It placed the death of Christ as 3968 Anno Mundi.[2] With a preface by William Greenhill, it became known at home and abroad. It is said that its author was glad to leave others to "dispute" while he should "compute".
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Allen, Thomas (1608-1673)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.