Thomas Goad

Thomas Goad (1576–1638) was an English clergyman, controversial writer, and rector of Hadleigh, Suffolk. A participant at the Synod of Dort, he changed his views there from Calvinist to Arminian, against the sense of the meeting.

He was born at Cambridge in August 1576, the second of the ten sons of Roger Goad by his wife, Katharine, eldest daughter of Richard Hill, citizen of London. He was educated at Eton College, and elected to a scholarship at King's College, Cambridge, on 1 September 1592; on 1 September 1595 he became fellow, B.A. in 1596, and lecturer in 1598. In 1600 he proceeded M.A.Anthony à Wood wrongly identifies him with the jurist Thomas Goad.

At Christmas 1606 he was ordained priest, and commenced B. D, in 1607 . In 1609 he was bursar of King's; in 1610 he succeeded his father in the family living of Milton, Cambridge, which he held together with his fellowship; in 1611 he was appointed dean of divinity, and very shortly afterwards he left Cambridge to reside at Lambeth as domestic chaplain to Archbishop George Abbot, his father's old pupil at Guildford Free School. In 1615 he took the degree of D.D.; on 16 February 1618 he was made precentor of St. Paul's Cathedral, and in 1618 he was presented by Abbot to the rectory of Hadleigh, Suffolk. He also held the rectory of Black Notley, Essex, and probably that of Merstham, Surrey.

In 1619 the king, at the instance, it is said, of Abbot, sent him out to replace the ill Joseph Hall at the Synod of Dort. At Dort Goad, previously a Calvinist, went over to the Arminians. He is supposed to have lost a chance of the preferments which were granted to his colleagues by King James, and his name was omitted, accidentally perhaps, in the acts of the synod. He and his colleagues received the acknowledgments of the States-General, their travelling expenses home, and a gold medal apiece weighing three quarters of a pound in weight. Goad returned to his chaplaincy.

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