Thomas Morton (bishop) - Views

Views

In theology he belonged to the school of James Ussher and William Bedell, and had little sympathy with Laudianism. Richard Baxter speaks of him as ‘belonging to that class of episcopal divines who differ in nothing considerable from the rest of the reformed churches except in church government,’ and Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon classes him with ‘the less formal and more popular prelates’. He was a sincere episcopalian, regarding ordination by presbyters valid in case of necessity, no such necessity however warranting it in the Church of England.

From the moderation of his ecclesiastical views he was at one time well regarded by William Prynne. Edmund Calamy recorded his liberal treatment of Puritans such as John Hieron, Richard Mather, and John Shawe of Christ's College, Cambridge.

His attitude towards the Roman Catholic Church was hostile; he was one of the only three bishops who, according to a statement made to Gregorio Panzani, the papal envoy, by Richard Montagu, were ‘counted violently bent against the Papists’. Morton corresponded with Sibrandus Lubbertus on matters concerning anti-papal polemic, and their views were close. Lubbertus was a leading contra-Remonstrant and Morton was one of his significant English supporters in the conflict over the appointment of Conrad Vorstius at the University of Leiden.