Ames (or Amesius), William

Ames (or Amesius), William, a celebrated Puritan divine, born in Norfolk, 1576, and educated at Christ's College, Cambridge, under Dr. Perkins, by whom he was taught evangelical religion. Appointed chaplain to the university, he gave great offense by a sermon in which he inveighed against some of the bad practices of the university, e.g. card-playing, etc., and, to avoid expulsion, he left England and became English chaplain at the Hague, and afterward divinity professor at Franeker in Friesland. He attended the synod of Dort, and died at Rotterdam, Nov. 14, 1633. He wrote many works, among them,

1. Puritanismus Anglicanus (1623, in English, 1641): — 2. De Conscientia (1630, in English, 1643): — 3. A Reply to Bishop Morton (on Ceremonies): — 4. Fresh Suit against Human Ceremonies in God's Worship (1633): — 5. Antisynodalia, 1629 (against the Remonstrants): — 6. Medulla Theologica (1623 and often after, both Lat. and Eng.).

His Latin works are collected under the title Opera, quoe Lat. scripsit, omnia (Amst. 1658, 5 vols. 12mo). Ames was eminent in casuistry (q.v.), and was a strong opponent of Arminianism. — Neal, Hist. of Puritans, 1, 572 sq.; Brooks, Lives of Puritans, 2, 405; Mosheim, Ch. Hist. c. 16, sec. 3, pt. 2, ch. 2, § 371 n.