Lazarus Seaman
Encyclopedia
Lazarus Seaman was an English clergyman, supporter in the Westminster Assembly
of the Presbyterian party, intruded Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and nonconformist minister.
at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
, where he graduated B.A. in 1627, M.A, in 1631. Lack of funds led him to leave Cambridge and teach a school, apparently in London.
He was chosen lecturer at St. Martin's, Ludgate, and became chaplain to Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland
. In 1642 he was presented by William Laud
to the rectory of Allhallows, Bread Street; Laud made this presentation out of courtesy to Northumberland, and complained that, nonetheless, Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester
, had written to pressurize him, commanding him in the name of the House of Lords to give the benefice to Seaman. In 1643 he was nominated a member of the Westminster Assembly
and he was a regular attendant, saying there on 18 February 1645, "In no institution did God go against nature."
On 11 April 1644 Seaman was admitted Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, by Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
, in place of John Cosin
, ejected on 18 March. He was an absentee for much of the time, clashed with the fellowship, and imposed the election of his son as Fellow.
On 6 November 1645 Seaman was placed on the committee of accommodation designed by parliament to arrange terms for the comprehension of the Independents; the project fell through, as the independents rejected the planned comprehension and insisted on religious toleration
. He was one of the remonstrants (26 May 1646) against the toleration of 'separate congregations,' and maintained in the Westminster Assembly the divine right of the presbyterian discipline. At the second meeting (8 November 1647) of the provincial assembly of London, Seaman, a member of the first London classis, was moderator. In September-November 1648 he was one of the four presbyterian divines commissioned to the Isle of Wight
to recommend their case to Charles I
in discussion with the king, aided by episcopalian divines; Charles complimented Seaman on his ability. In January 1649 he signed the Vindication drawn up by Cornelius Burges
, protesting against the king's trial.
He proceeded D.D. in 1649. In 1653 he was vice-chancellor of Cambridge, and in 1654 was appointed by Oliver Cromwell
, one of the Visitors of his university. On the English Restoration
, John Cosin was restored as Master of Peterhouse on 3 August 1660.
Seaman held aloof, with William Jenkyn
and a few others, from the negotiations with Charles II
in the presbyterian interest, and was looked upon as an uncompromising man, whom it was useless to tempt with offers of preferment. He resigned his benefice in consequence of the 1662 Uniformity Act; his successor, Risden, was appointed on 26 August 1662. On the passing of the Five Miles Act of 1665, Richard Baxter
drew up a statement of reasons for not taking the oath which exempted from its operation; Seaman persuaded him to abstain from publishing it, and recommended a policy of 'silent patience.' He privately ministered to a congregation of his former parishioners, preached publicly after the Great Fire of London
of 1666, and after the indulgence of 1672 built a chapel in Meeting-house Yard, Silver Street, Wood Street, Holborn
.
Anthony à Wood, who knew him personally, refers to him respectfully as "a learned nonconformist." He died in Warwick Court, Newgate Street, about 9 September 1675; Jenkyn preached his funeral sermon on 12 September; an elegy on his death was issued (1675) as a broadsheet. His library of 5,000 books was sold at auction, the first time an auction of this kind had been held in England.
He prefixed an address to A Glance of Heaven (1638), by Richard Sibbes
.
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...
of the Presbyterian party, intruded Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and nonconformist minister.
Life
He was a native of Leicester, where he was born of poor parents early in the seventeenth century. On 4 July 1623 he was entered as a sizarSizar
At Trinity College, Dublin and the University of Cambridge, a sizar is a student who receives some form of assistance such as meals, lower fees or lodging during his or her period of study, in some cases in return for doing a defined job....
at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
, where he graduated B.A. in 1627, M.A, in 1631. Lack of funds led him to leave Cambridge and teach a school, apparently in London.
He was chosen lecturer at St. Martin's, Ludgate, and became chaplain to Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland
Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland
Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, KG was an English military leader and a prominent supporter of constitutional monarchy.-Family background:...
. In 1642 he was presented by William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
to the rectory of Allhallows, Bread Street; Laud made this presentation out of courtesy to Northumberland, and complained that, nonetheless, Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester
Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester
Sir Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester was an English judge, politician and peer.-Life:He was the grandson of Sir Edward Montagu, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1539 to 1545, who was named by King Henry VIII one of the executors of his will, and governor to his son, Edward VI.Born...
, had written to pressurize him, commanding him in the name of the House of Lords to give the benefice to Seaman. In 1643 he was nominated a member of the Westminster Assembly
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...
and he was a regular attendant, saying there on 18 February 1645, "In no institution did God go against nature."
On 11 April 1644 Seaman was admitted Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, by Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester KG, KB, FRS was an important commander of Parliamentary forces in the First English Civil War, and for a time Oliver Cromwell's superior.-Life:...
, in place of John Cosin
John Cosin
John 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...
, ejected on 18 March. He was an absentee for much of the time, clashed with the fellowship, and imposed the election of his son as Fellow.
On 6 November 1645 Seaman was placed on the committee of accommodation designed by parliament to arrange terms for the comprehension of the Independents; the project fell through, as the independents rejected the planned comprehension and insisted on religious toleration
Religious toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
. He was one of the remonstrants (26 May 1646) against the toleration of 'separate congregations,' and maintained in the Westminster Assembly the divine right of the presbyterian discipline. At the second meeting (8 November 1647) of the provincial assembly of London, Seaman, a member of the first London classis, was moderator. In September-November 1648 he was one of the four presbyterian divines commissioned to the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
to recommend their case to Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in discussion with the king, aided by episcopalian divines; Charles complimented Seaman on his ability. In January 1649 he signed the Vindication drawn up by Cornelius Burges
Cornelius Burges
Cornelius Burges or Burgess, D.D. , was an English minister. He was active in religious controversy prior to and around the time of the Commonwealth of England and The Protectorate, following the English Civil War...
, protesting against the king's trial.
He proceeded D.D. in 1649. In 1653 he was vice-chancellor of Cambridge, and in 1654 was appointed by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, one of the Visitors of his university. On the English Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
, John Cosin was restored as Master of Peterhouse on 3 August 1660.
Seaman held aloof, with William Jenkyn
William Jenkyn
William Jenkyn was an English clergyman, imprisoned during the Interregnum for his part in the ‘presbyterian plot’ of Christopher Love, ejected minister in 1662, and imprisoned at the end of his life for nonconformity.-Life:...
and a few others, from the negotiations with Charles II
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 the presbyterian interest, and was looked upon as an uncompromising man, whom it was useless to tempt with offers of preferment. He resigned his benefice in consequence of the 1662 Uniformity Act; his successor, Risden, was appointed on 26 August 1662. On the passing of the Five Miles Act of 1665, 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...
drew up a statement of reasons for not taking the oath which exempted from its operation; Seaman persuaded him to abstain from publishing it, and recommended a policy of 'silent patience.' He privately ministered to a congregation of his former parishioners, preached publicly after the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
of 1666, and after the indulgence of 1672 built a chapel in Meeting-house Yard, Silver Street, Wood Street, Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
.
Anthony à Wood, who knew him personally, refers to him respectfully as "a learned nonconformist." He died in Warwick Court, Newgate Street, about 9 September 1675; Jenkyn preached his funeral sermon on 12 September; an elegy on his death was issued (1675) as a broadsheet. His library of 5,000 books was sold at auction, the first time an auction of this kind had been held in England.
Works
Besides sermons before parliament (1644–1647), before the Lord Mayor (1650), and a farewell sermon (in the London collection, 1663), Seaman published:- The Διατριβὴ proved to be Παραδιατριβή. A Vindication of . . . the Reformed Church . . . from Misrepresentations concerning the Ordination (1647), against Sidrach SimpsonSidrach SimpsonSidrach Simpson was an English Independent minister, one of the leaders of the Independent faction in the Westminster Assembly.-Life:Sidrach Simpson came from Lincolnshire. He was educated as a sizar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge....
and Edmund ChillendenEdmund ChillendenEdmund Chillenden was an English soldier, known as an agitator and theological writer. At different times he was a Leveller and a Fifth Monarchist.-Life:...
); - His Majesties Papers . . . with an Answer ... by ... Mr. Seaman (1648), reprinted as The Papers which passed between His Majesty . . , and Mr. Seaman . . . concerning Church-government (1649).
He prefixed an address to A Glance of Heaven (1638), by Richard Sibbes
Richard Sibbes
Richard Sibbes was an English theologian. He is known as a Biblical exegete, and as a representative, with William Perkins and John Preston, of what has been called "main-line" Puritanism.-Life:...
.