 Herbert Palmer was born in 1601 in Kent. He
learned French as early as he learned English, and spoke both fluently.
His young life was marked by "a precocious religiousness." He earned
his B. A. and M. A. at St. John's College, Cambridge, and became a
teaching fellow at Queen's College in 1623. He never took a church of his
own, but did much catechizing. He was cited as being "factious" because so
many people from surrounding parishes came to hear his catechetical
lectures. Robert Baille called him "the best catechist in England."
Palmer was one of the original members of the Westminster Assembly of
Divines. He was very involved in "The Directory of Public Worship" (he
fought for the insertion of a section on pastoral visititation, which
was not included) and "The Shorter Catechism." Palmer believed that any
group of ministers were qualified to ordain a man to the ministry, and
that a call to a congregation was not necessary for ordination. Though
none of his works have been reprinted in modern form, anyone who has
been raised or instructed in the Westminster Shorter Catechism has the
work of Herbert Palmer engrained in his mind and heart. |
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