Smectymnuus was the nom de plume of a group of Puritan clergymen active in England in 1641 during the reign of Charles I . It comprised four leading English churchmen, and one Scottish minister ( Thomas Young ). They went on to provide leadership for the anti-episcopal forces in the Church of England , continuing into the Westminster Assembly , where they also opposed the Independent movement.

The name is an acronym derived from the initials of the five authors: Stephen Marshall , Edmund Calamy , Thomas Young, Matthew Newcomen , and William Spurstow . Their first pamphlet, An Answer to a booke entituled, An Humble Remonstrance. In Which, the Original of Liturgy and Episcopacy is discussed , appeared in March 1641. The pamphlet was written in response to Joseph Hall's An Humble Remonstrance to the High Court of Parliament . It is thought that John Milton wrote the postscript for Smectymnuus's reply. ^[1]

This response provoked Hall to write another reply: A Defence of the Humble Remonstrance, against the Frivolous and false Expectations of Smectymnuus . Smectymnuus answered Hall again with there A Vindication of the Answer to the Humble Remonstrance, from the Unjust Imputations of Frivolousnesse and Falsehood .

Milton also published two tracts defending the Smectymnuus group from Hall: Animadversions upon The Remonstrants Defence Against Smectymnvvs (1641) and Apology for Smectymnuus (1642). ^[2] Thomas Young was a former tutor and close friend to Milton. ^[3]

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