Jeremy Taylor
Jeremy Taylor was a religious leader who believed that revenge can have destructive consequences.
Religious Leader
August 15, 1613
August 13, 1667
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Jeremy Taylor, a prominent 17th-century English clergyman and bishop, greatly influenced the Church of England and contributed to the restoration of the Church of Ireland. Known for his theological writings and works on spirituality, his most notable book is “Holy Living and Holy Dying.” Born to Nathaniel Taylor, he studied at Cambridge College and went on to write other significant works such as “The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living,” “The Rule and Exercises of Holy Dying,” and “Discourse of the Nature, Offices and Measures of Friendship.” Taylor also served as a chaplain to Bridget, Oliver Cromwell’s daughter, and advocated for religious tolerance among various Christian denominations. An interesting perspective held by Taylor was his belief that revenge is akin to a rolling stone, which, once pushed uphill, returns with greater force and injures the person who set it in motion.