Jackson, Thomas, Dd

Jackson, Thomas, D.D.

an eminent English divine, was born at Willowing, Durham, in 1579. He studied at Queen's College, Oxford, and after 1596 at Corpus Christi, of which he became vice-president. He was afterwards appointed successively vicar of Newcastle, president of his college in 1630, prebendary of Winchester in 1633, and, finally, dean of Peterborough in 1638. He died in 1640. Dr. Thomas Jackson enjoyed a great reputation for piety and learning; he was profoundly read in the fathers, and possessed great depth of judgment. His works (commentaries, among these a valuable commentary on the Apostles' Creed, and sermons), which rank very high, form a magazine of theological knowledge, and are remarkable also for elegance and dignity of style. Southey places him among the very best of English divines, and George Herbert says, "I bless God for the confirmation Dr. Jackson has given me in the Christian religion against the Atheist, Jew, and Socinian, and in the Protestant against Rome." A new edition of his works, with a copious index, was published in 1844 (Oxford, 12 vols. 8vo). See Darling, Cyclop. Bibliog. s.v.; Biograph. Britannica, s.v.; Fuller, Worthies; Wood, Athenae Oxonienses (see Index, vol. 1); Hook, Eccles. Biog. s.v.