View source for Stephen Charnock

{{Short description|English Puritan Presbyterian clergyman (1628–1680)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
[[Image:Stephen Charnock.jpg|thumb|right|Stephen Charnock.]]
'''Stephen Charnock''' (1628 – 27 July 1680), [[Puritan]] [[Anglican terminology|divine]], was an [[England|English]] Puritan [[Presbyterian]] [[clergyman]] born at the [[St Katherine Cree]] parish of [[London]].
[[File:Charnock title page.png|thumb|Title page of Charnock's ''[[magnum opus]]'']]

==Life==

Charnock studied at [[Emmanuel College, Cambridge]],<ref>{{acad|id=CHNK642S|name=Charnock, Stephen}}</ref> where he was converted to the Christian faith, beginning his spiritual journey as a [[Puritan]] [[Anglicanism#Anglican divines|divine]]. After leaving the college, he possibly held a position as either a private teacher or tutor, then moved on to become a minister of the faith in [[Southwark]] for a short time, converting individuals to Christianity. He continued on to [[New College, Oxford]], where he earned a fellowship and gained a position as senior proctor

In 1656, Charnock moved to [[Ireland]] where he became a [[chaplain]] to [[Henry Cromwell]], governor of Ireland. In [[Dublin]], he began a regular ministry of preaching to other believers. Those who came to hear him were from different classes of society and differing denominations, and he became widely known for the skill by which he discharged his duties.

In 1660, the [[monarchy]] of England was restored after its brief time as the [[Commonwealth of England]], and [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] ascended the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Due to new restrictions, Charnock was now legally prevented from practicing public ministry in Ireland, and in England where he returned. Nevertheless, he continued to study and to minister in non-public ways.

Charnock began a co-pastorship at [[Crosby Hall, London|Crosby Hall]] in London in 1675; this was his last official place of ministry before his death in 1680.

==Works==

Nearly all of the numerous writings attributed to him were [[Transcription (linguistics)|transcribe]]d after his death. Charnock's theological fame rests chiefly in his   ''Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God'', a series of lectures delivered to the members of his congregation at Crosby Hall; unfortunately, however, the ''Discourses'' were cut short by Charnock's death in 1680. The treatise is preserved today as ''The Existence and Attributes of God'', first published posthumously in 1682.

==References==
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{{reflist}}
*<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/historyofpresbyt00irwirich#page/312/mode/2up/search/Williams A history of Presbyterianism in Dublin and the south and west of Ireland, P313]</ref>
*<ref>[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5172 Richard L. Greaves, ‘Charnock, Stephen (1628–1680)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008, accessed 4 Dec 2016]</ref>

==Further reading==
*Beeke, Joel R., and Randall J. Pederson. "Stephen Charnock (1628-1680)." In ''Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints.'' Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2006.
*_____ and Mark Jones. "Stephen Charnock on the Attributes of God." In ''A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life.'' Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2012.
*Deusterman, Ken. "Stephen Charnock's Doctrine of God: An Anthology of the Existence and Attributes of God." ''American Theological Inquiry'' 3, no. 1 (January 2010): 127–149.
*Drayson, F. K. "Divine Sovereignty in the Thought of Stephen Charnock." In ''Puritan Papers'', vol. 1. Edited by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and foreword by W. Robert Godfrey. Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing Company, 2000.
*Gatis, George Joseph. "Stephen Charnock's View of Substantive Biblical Law." ''Contra Mundum'', no.13 (Fall 1994): 1–14.
*Park, Jae-Eun. "[https://www.academia.edu/9993007/_Stephen_Charnock_s_Christological_Knowledge_of_God_in_A_Discourse_of_the_Knowledge_of_God_in_Christ._The_Confessional_Presbyterian_10_2014_73-81 Stephen Charnock’s Christological Knowledge of God in ''A Discourse of the Knowledge of God in Christ''.]" ''The Confessional Presbyterian'', 10 (2014): 73–81.
*Trueman, R. Carl. "Reason and Rhetoric: Stephen Charnock on the Existence of God." In ''Reason, Faith and History Philosophical Essays for Paul Helm.'' Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, 2008.
*Yuille, J. Stephen. "How Pastoral Is Open Theism?: A Critique from the Writings of George Swinnock and Stephen Charnock." ''Themelios'' 32, no. 2 (January 2007): 46–61.

==External links==
*[http://www.puritansermons.com/charnock/charindx.htm Writings of Stephen Charnock]
*[http://www.puritansermons.com/charnock/charnoc4.htm Life and Character of Stephen Charnock]
*[http://www.reformedsermonarchives.com Sermons by Stephen Charnock and others]
*[http://www.stephencharnock.com Stephen Charnock Project]
*{{prdl}}
*{{Librivox author |id=16244}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Charnock, Stephen}}
[[Category:1628 births]]
[[Category:1680 deaths]]
[[Category:Ejected English ministers of 1662]]
[[Category:Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Alumni of New College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Converts to Christianity]]
[[Category:English Calvinist and Reformed theologians]]
[[Category:17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians]]
[[Category:Irish Congregationalist ministers]]
[[Category:17th-century English Presbyterian ministers]] 
[[Category:17th-century Protestant theologians]]