The Complete Works of Thomas Manton, Volume 9

Thomas Manton (1620–1677) was an English Puritan clergyman. He was born in 1620 in Somerset, England. He attended Oxford University, and graduated in 1639. At age 19, he was ordained as a deacon, and became the town lecturer of Collumpton in Devon. He began preaching at St. Mary’s Church in 1644, and became lecturer at Westminster Abbey in 1656. He also participated in the Westminster Assembly and preached before Parliament. In 1662, Manton was forced to leave the Church of England for nonconformity. He was imprisoned—as were many Puritans—in 1670 for preaching illegally. He also crafted the Fundamentals of Religion with Richard Baxter during this time. Throughout his lifetime, Thomas Manton was a devoted follower and ardent defender of Reformed theology. He died in 1677.