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Except for his 1834-1836 first clerical assigment, Maurice’s career can be divided between his conflictive years in London (1836-1866) and his peaceful years in Cambridge (1866-1872)

For his first clerical assignment, Maurice served an assistant curacy at Bubbenhall in Warwickshire from 1834 until 1836. During his time at Bubbenhall, Maurice began writing on the topic of “Moral and metaphysical philosophy.” Writing on this topic by “revision and expansion” continued the rest of his life until the publicataion of Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy, 2 vols in 1871–2, the year of his death.^[1] Also, Maurice’s novel Eustace Conway, begun c1830, was published in 1834 and was praised by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. ^[2]

In 1836, he was appointed chaplain of Guy's Hospital where he took up residence and “lectured the students on moral philosophy.” He continued this post until 1860.^[3] Maurice’s public life began during his years at Guy’s.^[4]

In June 1837, Maurice met Anna Barton. They became engaged and were married on 7 October 1837.”^[5]

In 1838, the first edition of The Kingdom of Christ was published. It was “one of his most significant works.” A second enlarged edition was published in 1842 and a third edition in 1883. For Maurice the signs of this kingom are “the sacraments of baptism and the eucharist, to which must be added the creeds, the liturgy, the episcopate, and the scriptures—in fact, all the marks of catholicity as exemplified in the Church of England.” The book was met with critcism when published, a criticism “that lasted throughout Maurice's career.”^[6]

Maurice served as editor of the Educational Magazine during its entire 1839-1841 existence. He argued that “the school system should not be transferred from the church to the state.” Maurice was elected professor of English literature and history at King's College London in 1840. When the college added a theological department in 1846, he became a professor there also. That same year Maurice was elected chaplain of Lincoln's Inn and resigned the chaplaincy at Guy's Hospital,^[7]

In 1845, Maurice was made both the Boyle lecturer by the Archbishop of York’s nomination and the Warburton lecturer by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s nomination. He held these chairs until 1853 ^[8]

Maurice’s wife, Anna, died on 25 March 1845, leaving two sons, one of whom was John Frederick Maurice who wrote his father's biography.^[9]

Queen’s College
During his London years, Maurice engaged in two lasting educational initiatives: founding Queen's College, London in 1848 and the Working Men's College in 1854.

In 1847, Maurice and “most of his brother-professors” at King’s College formed a Committee on Education for the education of governesses. This committee joined a scheme for establishing a College for Women that resulted in the founding of Queen’s College. Maurice was its first principal. The college was “empowered to grant certificates of qualification ‘to governesses’ and ‘to open classes in all branches of female education’.”^[10]

On 4 July 1849, Maurice remarried, this time to Georgina Hare-Naylor^[11]

Dismissed from King’s College
Maurice’s The Kingdom of Christ had evoked virulent criticism. The publication of his Theological Essays in 1853 evoked even more and led to his dismissal from King’s College. At the instigation of Richard William Jelf, the Principal of the College, the Council of the College, asked Maurice to resign. He refused and demanded that he be either “acquitted or dismissed.” He was dismissed. To prevent the controversy from affecting Queen’s College, Maurice “severed his relations” with it.^[12]

The public and his friends were strongly in support of Maurice. His friends “looked up to him with the reverence due to a great spiritual teacher.” They were devoted to him and wanted to protect Maurice against his opponents.^[13]

Working Men's College
Although his relations with King’s College and Queen’s College had been severed, Maurice continued to work for the education of workers. In February 1854, he developed plans for a Working Men's College. Maurice gained enough support for the college by giving lectures that by 30 October 1854 the college opened with over 130 students. “Maurice became principal, and took an active part both in teaching and superintending during the rest of his life in London.”^[14]

Maurice’s teaching led to some “abortive attempts at co-operation among working men” and to the more enduring Christian Socialism movement.^[15]

In July 1860, in spite of controversy, Maurice was appointed to the benefice of the chapel of St. Peter's, Vere Street. He held the position until 1869.^[16]

“On 25 October 1866 Maurice was elected to the Knightbridge professorship of casuistry, moral theology, and moral philosophy at Cambridge.”^[17] This professorship was the “highest perferment” Maurice attained. Among his books he cited in his application, were his Theological Essays and What is Revelation? that had evoked opposition elsewhere. But at Cambridge, Maurice was “almost unanimously elected” to the faculty.^[18] Maurice was “warmly received” at Cambridge, where “there were no doubts of his sufficient orthodoxy.”^[19]

While teaching at Cambridge, Maurice continued as the Working Men's College principal, though he was there less often. At first, he retained the Vere Street, London cure which entailed a weekly rail trip to London to conduct services and preach. When this proved too strenuous, upon medical advice, Maurice resigned this cure in October 1869. In 1870, by accepting the offer of St Edward's, Cambridge,^[20] Maurice had “an opportunity for preaching to an intelligent audience” with few pastoral duties, albeit with no stipend.^[21]

In July 1871 Maurice accepted the Cambridge preachership at Whitehall. “He was a man to whom other men, no matter how much they might differ from him, would listen.”^[22]

Royal Commissioner
In spite of declining health, in 1870 Maurice agreed to serve on the Royal Commission regarding the Contagious Diseases Act of 1871, and traveled to London for the meetings.^[23] “The Commission consisted of twenty-three men, including parliamentarians, clergy, and scientists.”^[24]

Dean Francis Close wrote a monograph about the proceedings of the Royal Commission. The issue was whether earlier Acts legalizing and policing prostitution for the armed forces should be repealed. Close quoted a Commission member’s speech to the House of Commons that praised Maurice as a “model Royal Commissioner.” Close ended his monograph with these words: “Professor Maurice remained firmly and conscientiously opposed to the Acts to the very last.”^[25]

Final years
In spite of terminal illness, Maurice continued giving his professorial lectures, trying to know his students personally, and completing his Metaphysical and Moral Philosophy (2 vols., 1871–2).^[26] He also he continued preaching (at Whitehall from November 1871 to January 1872 and two university sermons in November). His final sermon was 11 February 1872 in St Edward’s. On 30 March he resigned from St. Edward's. Very weak and mentally depressed, on Easter Monday, 1 April 1872, after receiving Holy Communion, with great effort he pronounced a blessing, became unconscious, and died.^[27]