Roger Laurence

Roger Laurence (1670–1736) was an English nonjuring priest and controversialist.

The son of Roger Laurence, armorer, he was born 18 March 1670, and admitted on the royal mathematical foundation to Christ's Hospital in April 1679, from the ward of St Botolph, Bishopsgate, on the presentation of Sir John Laurence, merchant, of London. On 22 November 1688 he was discharged and bound for seven years to a merchant vessel. He was afterwards employed by the firm of Lethieullier, merchants of London, and was sent by them to Spain, where he remained for some years.

He studied divinity, became dissatisfied with his baptism among dissenters, and was informally baptised at Christ Church, Newgate Street, on 31 March 1708, by John Bates, reader at the church. Laurence's act attracted attention, and was disapproved by the Bishop of London. Laurence then published his Lay Baptism Invalid, which gave rise to a controversy. It was discussed at a dinner of thirteen bishops at Lambeth Palace on 22 April 1712, and a declaration was drawn up in favour of the validity of baptisms performed by non-episcopally ordained ministers. This was offered to Convocation on 14 May 1712, but rejected by the lower house after some debate.

Through the influence of Charles Wheatly, then Fellow of St John's College, Oxford an honorary degree of M.A. was conferred on Laurence by the University of Oxford on 16 July 1713. He was ordained deacon on 30 November, and priest on 19 December 1714, by the nonjuring bishop George Hickes. In 1716–18 nonjuring ordinations took place in Lawrence's chapel on College Hill, City of London. He was consecrated a bishop by Archibald Campbell in 1733; but his consecration, performed by a single bishop, as not recognised by other nonjurors. A new faction was started, of which Campbell and Laurence were the leaders, Thomas Brett being at the head of the original body of nonjurors.

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