Thomas Allen (nonconformist)

Thomas Allen or Allyn (1608 in Norwich – 21 September 1673) was an East Anglian nonconformist minister and divine who preached during the 1640s in Charlestown, Massachusetts, but returned to England during the Commonwealth and was ejected after the Restoration.

[7] On 3 May 1639 Allen received the large grant of 500 acres of land from the General Court, "in regard to Mr. Harvard's gift".

[8] Cotton Mather observed that he "approved himself a pious and painful minister of the Gospel at Charlestown", where he remained Teacher until 1651.

During this time also he conceived and developed his best-known work, A Chaine of Scripture Chronologie, which constructed a chronology of the history of the world, in seven periods down to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in 3968 Anno Mundi.

[9] Although not published until 1659 in London, the Epistle to Allen's book by William Greenhill (as quoted by Cotton Mather) states: "This work having had its conception in a remote corner of the world, it was latent in his closet, the greatest part of seven years... and it had still been suppressed, had not the author been pressed, and charged with hiding of a talent in a napkin, by... [Mr. John Cotton]."

Greenhill remarks that its author, wearied with controversy, was glad to leave others to "dispute" while he should "compute": like Abraham Buchholzer [de] (he says with a flourish), malle se computare quam disputare.

On his return he wrote a letter (dated 8 November 1651 from Norwich) affirming the missionary work of John Eliot and Thomas Mayhew, jnr., as they had themselves told him of it, in preaching the gospel among the Native Americans.

He calls him a "burning and shining light": "he was an excellent preacher, plain and powerful in his doctrine, and though he was a learned man, yet he preached without all ostentation, he did not confound his hearers with obscure terms and fantastical expressions, but endeavoured to set forth the Truths of God in the most plain and convincing way to the consciences of men... Another thing that I would mention of this worthy man was his marvellous condescension in private discourses to his brethren in the ministry, who were much inferiour to him in age and gifts, not standing on his own great worth, never exalting himself, but preferring them above himself, hearing their judgements in any matter with as great reverence and respect as if they had been his superiors.