Matthew Poole's Church

Matthew Poole pastored at only one church during his ministry -- in 1649, he succeeded Westminster Divine Anthony Tuckney as pastor of St. Michael-le-Querne, in London. He served there, and participated in the London Provincial Assembly, until he was ejected for nonconformity in 1662. At one point (1654), he wrote The Blasphemer Slain by the Sword of the Spirit, a defense of the orthodox doctrine of the Deity of the Holy Spirit in opposition to the heretical teaching of John Biddle, and dedicated the work to the members of his congregation. In 1666, the church was destroyed by the Great Fire of London. In the aftermath of the fire, many churches were rebuilt, but St. Michael-le-Querne was not. Today, the site of the church near downtown London is the location of a coffee shop, Caffè Nero.