# Thomas Hooker



## VirginiaHuguenot (May 2, 2006)

Thomas Hooker (July 5, 1586 - July 7, 1647), English Puritan (invited to attend the Westminster Assembly but declined), was notable for writing _The Poor Doubting Christian Drawn to Christ_, _A Brief Exposition of the Lord's Prayer_, a catechism entitled _An Exposition of the Principles of Religion_, the introduction to William Ames' _A Fresh Suit Against Human Ceremonies in Worship_, and assisted in the preparation of the _Fundamental Orders of Connecticut_, among other works.

Cotton Mather called him "the Light of the Western Churches." * Dr. Thomas Goodwin said of him, "if any of our late Preachers and Divines came in the Spirit and power of John Baptist this man did." **

* Cotton Mather, Magnalia Christi Americana, (New York: Russell &amp; Russell, 1967), p. 350. 
** Thomas Goodwin, Preface to The Application of Redemption, (London: Peter Cole, 1657), To the Reader.

Source

[Edited on 5-2-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 6, 2006)

A Thomas Hooker Liberator Doppelbock toast to this New England Puritan who was born on July 5 and died on July 7! Prost! 







[Edited on 7-6-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]


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## Peter (Jul 6, 2006)

If I remember correctly, Hooker was a fervent Episcopalian and defender of the divine right of kings. One of the few consistent ones that refused to join the state or church of the Revolution and remained a Jacobin.


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## NaphtaliPress (Jul 6, 2006)

Richard Hooker. Different fellow.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 6, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Peter_
> If I remember correctly, Hooker was a fervent Episcopalian and defender of the divine right of kings. One of the few consistent ones that refused to join the state or church of the Revolution and remained a Jacobin.



Thomas Hooker was a Congregationalist. Richard Hooker was an Anglican.


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## yeutter (Jul 6, 2006)

Were Thomas Hooker and Richard Hooker related?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 6, 2006)

> _Originally posted by yeutter_
> Were Thomas Hooker and Richard Hooker related?



Apparently not:



> NOTE: Of possible interest to Americans:
> 
> Richard Hooker is not related to your Civil War General Joe Hooker or to the Congregationalist, Thomas Hooker, who founded your State of Connecticut.
> 
> Source


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## Don Kistler (Jul 6, 2006)

Thomas Hooker was a master at dealing with troubled souls. His "Poor Doubting Christian" came out of his experience dealing with a woman in his congregation who was sure that she had committed the unpardonable sin. John Dod, among other notable divines, had been unsuccessful in soothing her conscience. But Hooker was able to show her biblically that she could not have committed that tragic offense.

Don Kistler


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## Peter (Jul 7, 2006)

Thanks, I recognized my mistake after I finished reading Andrews post


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## Peter (Jul 18, 2006)

Wow, I just read this http://puritansermons.com/pdf/murray4.pdf about Hooker.

1. Hooker was a master at preaching against presumption and the nominial christian. Some ignorant moderns have criticized him for being too legal for stressing duty in holiness and conversion.
2. Yet he was also concerned with comforting poor doubting souls.
3. And yet he also emphasised inability and the need of the new birth. Murray points out the difference Hooker and the Puritans held between man's activity in Regeneration versus Conversion. Man is completely passive in regeneration but conversion is the process of man's response to God's grace.
4. He stressed that the unregenerate soul must first be prepared to receive Christ by true knowledge and conviction of sin. First he must see his sinfulness then he must see his helplessness then he can come to Christ.
5. He believed assurance of salvation begins with faith and that it does not wait for sanctification, however, a stronger, more mature degree of assurance cannot be found without examination of inward graces.


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