The Nonconformist Clergy and the London Plague of 1665

Abstract

The Nonconformist clergy and the London plague of 1665The Nonconformist ministers ejected from London parish churches in 1662 gained a reputation three years later, during the plague, for being heroes, whereas the clergy of the Church of England were accused of deserting the city. Nonconformists took over the parish churches to preach to the population but were poorly rewarded afterwards for their pains when the Parliament passed the Five-Mile Act. This article takes a fresh look at the Nonconformist plague literature. It contends that the Nonconformists' reputation for heroism rested on the activities of a handful of preachers whose sermons were publicised by clerical figures such Richard Baxter, eclipsing a more nuanced discourse of pastoral responsibility as ministers debated the political implications of their actions. The article argues that an appraisal of the religious context of the mid-1660s can supplement current plague studies, which tend to be dominated by social history and the history of medicine.