Thomas Blake (minister)

Thomas Blake (1597?-1657) was an English clergyman and controversialist.

Life

He was a native of Staffordshire, 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 in 1648 among the ministers of Shropshire, and soon after, while he was pastor of St. Alkmond's in Shrewsbury, he received a call to Tamworth. 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, 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.
• '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; 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.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Blake, Thomas". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.