Peter Sterry

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Peter Sterry

Peter Sterry (* 1613 in Surrey ; † November 19, 1672 ) was a British philosopher and theologian who belonged to the Cambridge Platonists , but was also known as a radical Puritan preacher in his day. He was chaplain to Oliver Cromwell .

Life

Sterry studied from 1629 in Cambridge at Emmanuel College . His teacher was Benjamin Whichcote . He received the degree of 1633 Bachelor of Arts , 1637 he became Master of Arts . In 1636 he became a Fellow of Emmanuel College. He became a well-known preacher in London with close contacts with the Puritans; he was particularly close to Henry Vane and was chaplain to General Robert Greville (1607–1643) and his wife. In May 1642 he was one of 14 theologians sent to the Westminster Synod by the House of Lords . After the execution of King Charles I in 1649, he was appointed preacher for the State Council. In that capacity he preached sermons to Oliver Cromwell on Sundays at Whitehall or Hampton Court, Parliament and House of Lords. He also served the state in various tasks, such as the preparation of pamphlets. After the death of Cromwell, of whom he was a staunch supporter and ardent admirer, he fell from grace. He taught in London and devoted himself to literary work.

Teaching

Sterry's sermons were considered obscure and mystical by many contemporaries (including Puritans), but Oliver Cromwell liked it. Samuel Butler satirically portrayed him in the Hudibras .

His discourse on free will from 1675 is considered visionary. According to him, freedom consists in acting in harmony with one's nature, be it that of a plant, an animal or a rational being. According to him, human freedom of will and understanding is based on the divine being.

Fonts

  • The spirits conviction of senses, 1645
  • England's Deliverance from the Northern Presbytery compared with its Deliverance from the Roman Papacy, London 1652
  • A discourse on the freedom of Will, 1675
  • The Rise, Race, and Royalty of the Kingdom of God in the Soul of Man, London, 1683
  • The Appearance of God to Man in the Gospel and Gospel Change, London, 1710

output

  • Peter Sterry: Select Writings , ed. by Nabil Matar, Lang, New York a. a. 1994, ISBN 0-8204-1953-2

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Sarah Hutton: Sterry, Peter. In: The Continuum Encyclopedia of British Philosophy , Vol. 4, London / New York 2006, pp. 3039-3040.
personal data
SURNAME Sterry, Peter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British philosopher and theologian
DATE OF BIRTH 1613
PLACE OF BIRTH Surrey
DATE OF DEATH November 19, 1672