John Hales

From THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS TOLERATION IN ENGLAND, 1936 by Wilbur Kitchener Jordan

'His known liberal views were so far distorted that he was popularly regarded as the author of two important Socinian tracts of the period. While there is little evidence that he was the author of the works in question, it is indicative of the temper of his mind that he was so regarded.¹

      ¹ The earlier of the two works was the Dissertation de pace et concordia Ecclesiae, which was probably first published in 1628. It was reprinted in 1630 and in 1653, and again in Phenix, II, 348 ff., under a variant title. The work was condemned by Parliament in 1654. It was attributed to Hales by Peter Heylyn, Cyprianus Anglicus, 361 ; Samuel Parker, A Reproof to the Rehearsal Transposed (1673) ; and Wood, Ath. Oxon. Though the style and the views expressed in the work are by no means dissimilar to Hales's writings, there is very little reason for believing that he wrote it. In particular, it seems clear that the work was written by an author who knew at first hand the horrors of the Thirty Years' War. Tulloch and Gardiner were definitely of the opinion that it was not the work of Hales. The view adopted by Mosheim, the Biog. Britt., and D.N.B., that it was the production of Samuel Przypkowski, a Polish Socinian (1592-1670), seems probable. The work exercised considerable influence in England (etc).

The second work, the Brevis disquisition, was first published in 1651, and a translation appeared probably in 1653. This work was reprinted in Phenix, II, 315 ff. In this case there can be no doubt that the work was the work of a later writer. The B.M. catalogue ascribes it to Joachim Stegmann, but it would seem more probable that it was written by John Biddle. [Apparently, it was written by Stegmann and translated from the Latin by Biddle. — (WPT)]

(page 431)

Harvard University Press 1936, Vol. II, p. 403.

Selected bibliographic ( University of California http://melvyl.cdlib.org )

Author Tindal, Matthew, 1653?-1733 Title A defence of The rights of the Christian church, In two parts. Part I. Against Mr. Wotton's visitation sermon, preach'd at Newport-Pagnel. Part II. Occasion'd by two late indictments against a bookseller and his servant, for selling one of the said books. With some tracts of Hugo Grotius, and Mr. John Hales ... Edition The 2d ed. corr. To which is added, A letter form a country attorny to a country parson, concerning The rights of the church. never publish'd before. And likewise, Mons. Le Clerc's extract and judgment of the said book, translated from his Bibliotheque choisie. Publisher London, 1709. Description 3, 288, viii, 32 p. 19 cm.

Author Hales, John, 1584-1656. Title Historia Concilii Dordraceni / Io. Laur. Moshemius ex anglico sermone latine vertit, variis observationibus et vita Halesii auxit. De autoritate Concilii Dordraceni paci sacrae noxia consultatio.
Publisher Hamburg : Aupd T. C. Felginer, 1724. Description 468 p. : port. ; 17 cm.
Note Title in red and black; title vignette (printer's device) Contents Mosheim, J. L. De auctoritate Concilii Dordraceni concordiae sacrae noxia consultatio. -- Mosheim, J. L. Jo. Halesii vita, fata, et labores. Hales, J. Ad Dudleium Carletonum epistolae ex Dordraceno Concilio scriptae. -- Ad epistolas Io. Hallesii appendix aliorum quasdam epistolas ad Dordraceni Concilii historiam spectantes exhibens. Language Latin