Anthony Burgess (?-1664)
James Dodson
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Anthony Burgess was born at Watford in Hartfordshire, England, the son of a learned schoolmaster. Although Dr. Cornelius Burgess was minister there, he was not related. In 1623, Burgess entered the University of Cambridge where he was admitted to Emanuel College. Afterwards, in 1635, he became pastor of the church of Sutton-Coldfield, in Warwickshire, where he gained a reputation as an eminent preacher, a sound and solid divine. There Mr. Burgess continued to labor among his people with great diligence, until the plundering and terrors of the soldiers, in the time of the civil war, made him take refuge in Coventry. From there, he was called to sit in the Assembly of divines at Westminster. During his time in London, he was often called to preach unto the Parliament, at their solemn fasts, and on other public occasions. Upon completing his labors in London, he returned to discharge the duties of his pastoral office at Sutton Coldfield where he remained until he was ejected by the act for Uniformity, in 1662. After the Restoration, despite pressures, he refused to conform, so he removed to Tamworth, where he died, in 1664. He was a prolific author of numerous sermons and volumes of lectures and sermons on various theological topics. His work “Vindiciae Legis, a Vindication of the Moral Law,” (1646), is a valuable work on covenant theology; his “True Doctrine of Justification, (3rd ed. 1654) contains many help thoughts in defense of this Protestant doctrine; and his “Treatise of Original Sin” (1658) is a full defense of that foundational Christian doctrine.