Samuel Clarke (minister)

Samuel Clarke (1599–1683) was an English clergyman and significant Puritan biographer.

He was born 10 October 1599 at Wolston, Warwickshire, the son of Hugh Clarke (d. 1634), who was vicar of Wolston for forty years. Clarke was educated by his father till he was thirteen; then at the free school in Coventry; and when seventeen was entered at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He was ordained about 1622, and held charges at Knowle in Warwickshire, Thornton-le-Moors in Cheshire, and Shotwick on the estuary of the Dee. Here, 2 February 1626, he married Katherine, daughter of Valentine Overton, rector of Bedworth, Warwickshire.

Clarke had already given some offence by his puritan tendencies. He accepted a lectureship at Coventry, where he was opposed by Samuel Buggs, who held both the city churches. Buggs persuaded Bishop Thomas Morton to inhibit Clarke from preaching, and, though Archbishop George Abbot had given him a license, Clarke had to leave Coventry. He was protected by Robert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke, and finally accepted another lectureship in Warwick, where complaints were still made of his omission of ceremonies. On 23 April 1633 he was inducted to the rectory of Alcester, presented to him by Lord Brook. Clarke make himself conspicuous by attacking James I's Book of Sports, set forth afresh by authority in 1634.

In 1640 he was deputed with Arthur Salwey to visit Charles I at York in order to complain of the et cetera oath. The king made some difficulty in seeing them, but promised that they should not be molested till their petition could come before parliament. On 23 October 1642 Richard Baxter was preaching for Clarke at Alcester, when the guns of the battle of Edgehill were heard, and next day they rode over the battle-field.

...
Wikipedia