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Holdsworth (Holsworth, Oldsworth, or Oldisworth), Richard

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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Holdsworth (Holsworth, Oldsworth, or Oldisworth), Richard

an English divine, was born in 1590, and educated at St. John's College, Cambridge. Later he became a fellow of that university. In 1620 he was appointed one of the twelve preachers at Cambridge, was then called to St. Peter-le-Poor, London, and in 1629 was appointed professor of divinity at Gresham College. In 1631 he was made prebendary of Lincoln, in 1633 was further promoted to the archdeaconry of Huntingdon, and in 1637 was recalled to Cambridge as master of Emanuel College. He was a zealous adherent to the cause of Charles I, and suffered on this account by imprisonment at the outbreak of the Rebellion. He died in 1649. Holdsworth wrote, besides a large collection of sermons, of which a list is given by Darling (Cyclopedia Bibliogr. 1, 1509) and by Allibone (Dict. of Authors, 1, 863), Praelectiones Theologicae (London, 1661, fol.), published by his nephew, Dr. Wm. Pearson, with the life of the author: — Valley of Vision, in twenty-one sermons (London, 1651, 4to), of which Fuller speaks in very commendatory terms, paying the following tribute to Holdsworth (also cited by Allibone): "The author was composed of a learned head, a gracious heart, a bountiful hand, and a patient back, comfortably and cheerfully to endure such heavy afflictions as were laid upon him." — Hook, Eccles. Biog. 6, 106 sq.