Jacob, Henry

Jacob, Henry an English Nonconformist, was born in the county of Kent in the second half of the 16th century. He was educated at St. Mary's Hall, Oxford. He had secured the living of Cheriton, a place in his native county, but appearing before the public in print as an advocate of a reform of the English Church ("Reasons proving the Necessity of Reforming our Churches in England," Lond. 1604), he was deprived of his parish, and even obliged to flee the country. After residing some time in Holland he returned to England, and founded the first Independent (Congregational) church in that country. SEE INDEPENDENTS. In 1624 he emigrated to Virginia, and here he died soon after his arrival. Henry Jacob was an extensive writer, but his writings are almost without exception of a polemical nature, and at present very scarce. The most important are a reply to bishop Bison's Sermons on Redemption (preached in 1597, publ. 1598, 8vo), entitled Treatise on the sufferings and Victory of Christ (Lond. 1598, 8vo), and Defense of the same (1600, 4to). — See Strype, Life of Whitgift; Allibone, Dict. of Auth. 1, 948; Hook, Eccles. Biog. 6, 273.