To the Library Association a Hearty W Elcome to Dublin , and in Particular to Trinity College , Which Gladly Receives Within Its Walls a Body Pursuin G Ends

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

To the Library Association a Hearty W Elcome to Dublin , and in Particular to Trinity College , Which Gladly Receives Within Its Walls a Body Pursuin G Ends TO THE L I B R A R Y A S S O C I AT I O N , BY THE P ESIDENT OH M IN RA LL D. J N ' . R , G , . ET me begin by offerin g to the Library Association a hearty w elcome to Dublin , and in particular to Trinity College , which gladly receives within its walls a Body pursuin g ends n a kindred to its own , and doi g good work for the further nce of u research and the promotion of general c lture . a o u When Mr . Bradsh w addressed y at Cambridge , he asked a nd n answered the question , What the Association could gai by visiting that place If the same question were proposed to me I in relation to Dublin , could not in reply hold out to the Members who come from the sister island the hope o f finding much that is avel or suggestive in our local sys PM g G. toms of Library and management . Here in if at fbur a e Trinity College , t methods r , for the most part, , ' traditional ; they : have come down to u s from our pred e cessors . , and have been fixed by lapse of time We find them practically adequate to our needs ; and they could not be in n altered any considerable degree , even whe the change would be in some respects desirable , without producing an amount of confusion far outweighing the good that could be attained . ' f t What , then , can we o fer that will interes our visitors ; what can they gain by coming to us beyond the interchange are of ideas and discussion of principles , which in a great degree independent of the place of meetin g ' B 2 D' I s n an wer that one important fu ction of the Association , ” w a u hich its migr tory habits enable it to f lfil , is to take stock of the book treasures of the United Kingdom . Now , not to u speak at present of other val able collections in Dublin , we have in Trinity College a Library Which is well worthy of their i examination . It is well stored w th ancient and modern litera n n of ture , containi g more tha volumes printed books and 2 0 00 . about MSS There are in it , too , certain peculiar and pre cious o f t c n things , some hem deserving to be alled ational heir looms , which give to it a special character and a dignity of its own . n o w s ee fo r I A certain number of those who it the first time will , f hope , look care ullyinto it , allowing themselves the necessary time m . for aking some real acquaintance with it We shall , of course , g ive them such help and guidance as we can . By way o f pre a ra tion p for such a closer view, as well as for the benefit of those w ho I will be satisfied with a more general survey , have thought that I should best occupy your time this morning in giving y o u t . I a brief, but olerably comprehensive account of it shall first h i explain the way in w ich it has grown to its present dimens ons , and then notice the most interesting rarities which heighten its o f d reputation and attract strangers to it for purposes stu y . And , lastly, since it is a profitable thing for us all to render I S at times a public account of our stewardship , hall describe w hat has been done, and what we are now doing , both in adding n e w s n elements to our tores , and in maki g what we possess as f a s . I accessible and use ul possible In filling up this outline , shall o f course mention much that is familiar to some of my I to n hearers , but will ask them bear with the repetitio of facts already known to them for the sake of the many to whom they will probably be new . 1 . 159 1 wa s Trinity College , having been founded in , opened 594 9th 1 . for the admission of Students on the of January , A f College cannot do without books , and the ormation of a Library would naturally be amongst the first cares of the heads of the . u institution But f nds were not immediately available , and the way in which they were supplied is curious enough . Those 5 w ho have visited our Library w ill have observed that in the gallery outside the door of what is called the Lon g Room is s n su pe ded an old plan of the Battle of Kinsale , fought in 1 60 1 m a h d l December, , and y possibly ave aske why this p an should appear in s uch a seemingly incongruous place . But there h o f fo r is excellent reason , at least from the istorical point view , : m . its being there it com emorates , in fact , the origin of the Library r r n s s th e For the English a my , afte havi g uppres ed revolt of the n a n d e d ative Irish , taken Kinsale from th ir allies the Spaniar s , ‘ 8 0 a k l subscribed £1 0 out of their p y to buy boo s for the Col ege . n 16 5 6 Dr . Nicholas Bernard , writi g in , after mentioning the f d t he m n for act , a ds parenthetic com e t , Then souldiers were ” the advancement of learning . The sum thus contributed was d h . u e a n entrusted to Dr L ke Chalon r the celebrated James Uss er , w d after ar s Archbishop of Armagh , who were sent to London in 1 6 03 n m for the purpose of purchasi g b ooks . They there e t Sir b n Thomas Bodley , who was also uyi g books for his Library at B “ Oxford , and between them , say s ernard , there was a com “ merce in supplying each other with rarities . There is gi ven in our Register a l ist o f the printed books in the possession of ' in 1 60 0 : 40 Trinity College the y ear they amount to volumes . d 16 04 We have also a Catalogue of the ate of , the work of o f . Ambrose Ussher , brother the future Primate From an ex I l amination of this , estimate rough y the number of volumes then o n 49 0 0 the shelves at . This large increase must have been the fruit of the purchases of Chaloner and his colleague . James Ussher collected not merely on this occasion and in l ater b ut . y ears for the College, throughout his life for himself He had , says his biographer Parr, a kind of laudable cove tousn ess t for books, and never thought a good book , ei her to o d . manuscript or print , ear Sir William Brereton, of the county of Chester , the well known Parliamentarian general , visited Ireland , and travelled 6 5 1 3 . through a considerable part of the island , in the year in He visited Trinity College , and found it to be seated ' “ oo f o . a g d air, out the city and near the sea They m glory uch , he says , in their Library , whereof I took a n d a full view , there were showed unto me many manuscripts ; t ’ one they highly esteem , and which hey call Friar Bacon s work . The library is not large , well contrived , nor well fur n ish ed with books . They say it is to be disposed of to some c ” other uses , and a new Library and schools to be ere ted . Sir A Ussher William afterwards dined with rchbishop , whom he describes as a most holy and heavenly man , and as pregnant w ithal as any I have heard ; and Ussher showed him some of his books , of which he says there were not many in his closet , but those that were were much used and employed . Amongst “ W them were the whole books of the aldenses , which are very him £22 rare ; they cost sterling , about ten or twelve volumes , ’ in a miscellaneous language twixt French and Spanish ; these ” w ere sent him from a Counsellor in France . ’ D Ussher s Library was in rogheda , under the custody of Dr . in Bernard , when the town was besieged for four months 1641 by the Irish insurgents ; and , when the siege was raised it a n d was transferred (both books manuscripts) to Chester , and a in co n s e afterwards to Chelse College , where it was when , ’ quen ce of Ussher s having preached against the Assembly of D n . e xer ivines , it was co fiscated by the Parliament By the f tions of a riend of the Archbishop , aided by the cel ebrated John Selden , it was either obtained by grant or purchased for a a small sum , and restored to the owner, not,however , it is s id , without a part of its contents having been lost durin g the z sei ure . 1645 In September , ,when travelling in Wales , Ussher was “ ” n : roughly ha dled by some soldiers they broke open , says “ k Bernard , two of his trun s full of books , and took all away , amon gst which he lost two manuscripts of the History Of the o s Waldenses , which he never got again most of the other b ok w ere returned by the preachers exhorting of all sorts in their the sermons to that end ; but those two manuscripts , though m ” o .
Recommended publications
  • Darwin and Doubt and the Response of the Victorian Churches Churchman 100/4 1986
    Darwin and Doubt and the Response of the Victorian Churches Churchman 100/4 1986 Nigel Scotland The Bible and Nineteenth Century Christians Although the Victorian Era was seen as one of the high points in the practice of English Christianity, and although outwardly speaking Church attendance remained at a relatively high level, below the surface many people were beginning to express a variety of doubts about the inspiration of the Bible and about points of Christian doctrine which had been cherished for centuries. These doubts stemmed in the main from two sources: discoveries in Science and the development of Biblical Criticism. The former caused men to question the traditional explanation of world origins and the latter brought doubts regarding the traditional doctrine of the inspiration of scripture. The main root of the problem lay in the Churches’ view of the scriptures. The Church in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century held a view of the scriptures which had been taken over from Greek thought in the early Christian centuries and been further reinforced by the Reformation. They thought of God literally breathing the Scripture into the writers of the Biblical documents. The result of this was that the Bible was held to speak authoritatively on all matters whether they related to man’s relationship to God or to the scientific origins of the Universe. The ordinary Christian man and woman in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries regarded the Judaeo-Christian religion as an Historical religion. It concerned the story of God’s historical acts in relation to his people.
    [Show full text]
  • Luke Challoner, D
    Irish Church Quarterly Luke Challoner, D. D. Author(s): N. J. D. White Reviewed work(s): Source: The Irish Church Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 7 (Jul., 1909), pp. 207-223 Published by: Irish Church Quarterly Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30066936 . Accessed: 07/03/2012 20:23 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Irish Church Quarterly is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Irish Church Quarterly. http://www.jstor.org LUKE CHALLONER. 207 LUKE CHALLONER, D.D.1 IN the noble panegyric by the son of Sirach which begins, " Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us," the name of Zerubbabel has an honourable place. All that we know about him is that he was a prince of David's line who, in response to the decree of Cyrus, " went up " as leader of those who returned from captivity in Babylon; and, in spite of many discouragements, carried through the rebuilding of God's temple in Jerusalem; an ordinary man, pro- bably, who succeeded where a genius might have failed; who rose to the demand made upon his patriotism by the circumstances of his time; who was great only because he did not shirk an unattractive duty; one who did not make history, but brought an epoch to the birth; felix opportunitate nativitatis ejus.
    [Show full text]
  • Cotton Mather's Relationship to Science
    Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University English Theses Department of English 4-16-2008 Cotton Mather's Relationship to Science James Daniel Hudson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_theses Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Hudson, James Daniel, "Cotton Mather's Relationship to Science." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2008. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_theses/33 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of English at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COTTON MATHER’S RELATIONSHIP TO SCIENCE by JAMES DANIEL HUDSON Under the Direction of Dr. Reiner Smolinski ABSTRACT The subject of this project is Cotton Mather’s relationship to science. As a minister, Mather’s desire to harmonize science with religion is an excellent medium for understanding the effects of the early Enlightenment upon traditional views of Scripture. Through “Biblia Americana” and The Christian Philosopher, I evaluate Mather’s effort to relate Newtonian science to the six creative days as recorded in Genesis 1. Chapter One evaluates Mather’s support for the scientific theories of Isaac Newton and his reception to natural philosophers who advocate Newton’s theories. Chapter Two highlights Mather’s treatment of the dominant cosmogonies preceding Isaac Newton. The Conclusion returns the reader to Mather’s principal occupation as a minister and the limits of science as informed by his theological mind. Through an exploration of Cotton Mather’s views on science, a more comprehensive understanding of this significant early American and the ideological assumptions shaping his place in American history is realized.
    [Show full text]
  • EB WARD Diary
    THE DIARY OF SAMUEL WARD, A TRANSLATOR OF THE 1611 KING JAMES BIBLE Transcribed and prepared by Dr. M.M. Knappen, Professor of English History, University of Chicago. Edited by John W. Cowart Bluefish Books Cowart Communications Jacksonville, Florida www.bluefishbooks.info THE DIARY OF SAMUEL WARD, A TRANSLATOR OF THE 1611 KING JAMES BIBLE. Copyright © 2007 by John W. Cowart. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America by Lulu Press. Apart from reasonable fair use practices, no part of this book’s text may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Bluefish Books, 2805 Ernest St., Jacksonville, Florida, 32205. Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication Data has been applied for. Lulu Press # 1009823. Bluefish Books Cowart Communications Jacksonville, Florida www.bluefishbooks.info SAMUEL WARD 1572 — 1643 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION …………………………………..…. 1 THE TWO SAMUEL WARDS……………………. …... 13 SAMUEL WARD’S LISTIING IN THE DICTIONARY OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY…. …. 17 DR. M.M. KNAPPEN’S PREFACE ………. …………. 21 THE PURITAN CHARACTER IN THE DIARY. ….. 27 DR. KNAPPEN’S LIFE OF SAMUEL WARD …. …... 43 THE DIARY TEXT …………………………….……… 59 THE 1611 TRANSLATORS’ DEDICATION TO THE KING……………………………………….… 97 THE 1611 TRANSLATORS’ PREFACE TO BIBLE READERS ………………………………………….….. 101 BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………….…….. 129 INTRODUCTION by John W. Cowart amuel Ward, a moderate Puritan minister, lived from 1572 to S1643. His life spanned from the reign of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, through that of King James. and into the days of Charles I. Surviving pages of Ward’s dated diary entries run from May 11, 1595, to July 1, 1632.
    [Show full text]
  • The Historic Episcopate
    THE HISTORIC EPISCOPATE By ROBERT ELLIS THOMPSON, M.A., S.T. D., LL.D. of THE PRESBYTERY of PHILADELPHIA PHILADELPHIA tEfce Wtstminmx pre** 1910 "3^70 Copyright, 1910, by The Trustees of The Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath School Work Published May, 1910 <§;G!.A265282 IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACADEMIC USAGE THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE PRESIDENT, FACULTY AND TRUSTEES OF MUHLENBERG COLLEGE IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF HONORS CONFERRED PREFACE The subject of this book has engaged its author's attention at intervals for nearly half a century. The present time seems propitious for publishing it, in the hope of an irenic rather than a polemic effect. Our Lord seems to be pressing on the minds of his people the duty of reconciliation with each other as brethren, and to be bringing about a harmony of feeling and of action, which is beyond our hopes. He is beating down high pretensions and sectarian prejudices, which have stood in the way of Christian reunion. It is in the belief that the claims made for what is called "the Historic Episcopate" have been, as Dr. Liddon admits, a chief obstacle to Christian unity, that I have undertaken to present the results of a long study of its history, in the hope that this will promote, not dissension, but harmony. If in any place I have spoken in what seems a polemic tone, let this be set down to the stress of discussion, and not to any lack of charity or respect for what was for centuries the church of my fathers, as it still is that of most of my kindred.
    [Show full text]
  • Theology of the Westminster Confession, the Larger Catechism, and The
    or centuries, countless Christians have turned to the Westminster Standards for insights into the Christian faith. These renowned documents—first published in the middle of the 17th century—are widely regarded as some of the most beautifully written summaries of the F STANDARDS WESTMINSTER Bible’s teaching ever produced. Church historian John Fesko walks readers through the background and T he theology of the Westminster Confession, the Larger Catechism, and the THEOLOGY The Shorter Catechism, helpfully situating them within their original context. HISTORICAL Organized according to the major categories of systematic theology, this book utilizes quotations from other key works from the same time period CONTEXT to shed light on the history and significance of these influential documents. THEOLOGY & THEOLOGICAL of the INSIGHTS “I picked up this book expecting to find a resource to be consulted, but of the found myself reading the whole work through with rapt attention. There is gold in these hills!” MICHAEL HORTON, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California; author, Calvin on the Christian Life WESTMINSTER “This book is a sourcebook par excellence. Fesko helps us understand the Westminster Confession and catechisms not only in their theological context, but also in their relevance for today.” HERMAN SELDERHUIS, Professor of Church History, Theological University of Apeldoorn; FESKO STANDARDS Director, Refo500, The Netherlands “This is an essential volume. It will be a standard work for decades to come.” JAMES M. RENIHAN, Dean and Professor of Historical Theology, Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies J. V. FESKO (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is academic dean and professor of systematic and historical theology at Westminster Seminary California.
    [Show full text]
  • Chronology of Old Testament a Return to Basics
    Chronology of the Old Testament: A Return to the Basics By FLOYD NOLEN JONES, Th.D., Ph.D. 2002 15th Edition Revised and Enlarged with Extended Appendix (First Edition 1993) KingsWord Press P. O. Box 130220 The Woodlands, Texas 77393-0220 Chronology of the Old Testament: A Return to the Basics Ó Copyright 1993 – 2002 · Floyd Nolen Jones. Floyd Jones Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This book may be freely reproduced in any form as long as it is not distributed for any material gain or profit; however, this book may not be published without written permission. ISBN 0-9700328-3-8 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ... I am gratefully indebted to Dr. Alfred Cawston (d. 3/21/91), founder of two Bible Colleges in India and former Dean and past President of Continental Bible College in Brussels, Belgium, and Jack Park, former President and teacher at Sterling Bible Institute in Kansas, now serving as a minister of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and President of Jesus' Missions Society in Huntsville, Texas. These Bible scholars painstakingly reviewed every Scripture reference and decision in the preparation of the Biblical time charts herewith submitted. My thanks also to: Mark Handley who entered the material into a CAD program giving us computer storage and retrieval capabilities, Paul Raybern and Barry Adkins for placing their vast computer skills at my every beckoning, my daughter Jennifer for her exhausting efforts – especially on the index, Julie Gates who tirelessly assisted and proofed most of the data, words fail – the Lord Himself shall bless and reward her for her kindness, competence and patience, and especially to my wife Shirley who for two years prior to the purchase of a drafting table put up with a dining room table constantly covered with charts and who lovingly understood my preoccupation with this project.
    [Show full text]
  • The Politics of Catholic Versus Protestant and Understandings of Personal Affairs in Restoration Ireland
    Studi irlandesi. A Journal of Irish Studies, n. 5 (2015), pp. 171-181 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13128/SIJIS-2239-3978-16344 The Politics of Catholic versus Protestant and Understandings of Personal Affairs in Restoration Ireland Danielle McCormack Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań (<[email protected]>) Abstract: Between 1641 and 1652, Ireland was ravaged by war and monarchy was replaced by the Cromwellian Commonwealth and Protector- ate regimes. The armies of Oliver Cromwell conquered Ireland and Catholic landowners were dispossessed and transplanted. The res- toration of the Stuarts in 1660 opened up the prospect that these changes might be undone. Catholics set the tone for debate in the 1660s, challenging Protestant dominance. Catholic assertiveness led to panic throughout the Protestant colonies, and the interpretation of domestic strife and personal tragedy in the context of competition between Catholic and Protestant. This article will recreate the climate of mistrust which obtained within the community before moving to a unique analysis of the impact which this could have on the family. Keywords: Early modern Ireland, marriage, political history, sectari- anism, Stuart restoration On 29 May 1660, the Stuart monarchy was officially restored in Ireland, Scotland and England, following eleven years of Interregnum. Throughout the Interregnum, the monarch, Charles II, who had been crowned king of the three kingdoms by the Scots in 1649, had been in exile on the European con- tinent. Officially, the Stuart restoration marked a return to the status quo ante and the obliteration of the constitutional changes that had been wrought dur- ing the 1650s by the Cromwellian Commonwealth and Protectorate regimes.
    [Show full text]
  • The 1641 Lords' Subcommittee on Religious Innovation
    A “Theological Junto”: the 1641 Lords’ subcommittee on religious innovation Introduction During the spring of 1641, a series of meetings took place at Westminster, between a handful of prominent Puritan ministers and several of their Conformist counterparts. Officially, these men were merely acting as theological advisers to a House of Lords committee: but both the significance, and the missed potential, of their meetings was recognised by contemporary commentators and has been underlined in recent scholarship. Writing in 1655, Thomas Fuller suggested that “the moderation and mutual compliance of these divines might have produced much good if not interrupted.” Their suggestions for reform “might, under God, have been a means, not only to have checked, but choked our civil war in the infancy thereof.”1 A Conformist member of the sub-committee agreed with him. In his biography of John Williams, completed in 1658, but only published in 1693, John Hacket claimed that, during these meetings, “peace came... near to the birth.”2 Peter Heylyn was more critical of the sub-committee, in his biography of William Laud, published in 1671; but even he was quite clear about it importance. He wrote: Some hoped for a great Reformation to be prepared by them, and settled by the grand committee both in doctrine and discipline, and others as much feared (the affections of the men considered) that doctrinal Calvinism being once settled, more alterations would be made in the public liturgy... till it was brought more near the form of Gallic churches, after the platform of Geneva.3 A number of Non-conformists also looked back on the sub-committee as a missed opportunity.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fathers in the English Reformation
    Durham E-Theses The study of the fathers in the Anglican tradition 16th-19th centuries Middleton, Thomas Arthur How to cite: Middleton, Thomas Arthur (1995) The study of the fathers in the Anglican tradition 16th-19th centuries, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/5328/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk ir-ji.r,;;s.;','is THE STUDY OF THE FATHERS IN THE ANGLICAN TRADITION iiiilli 16TH-19TH CENTURIES iliii ii^wiiiiiBiiiiiii! lililiiiiliiiiiln mom ARTHUR MIDDLETON The Study of the Fathers in The Anglican Tradition 16th-19th Centuries The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be pubhshed without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. By The Revd. Thomas Arthur Middleton Rector of Boldon 1995 M.Litt., Thesis Presented to UieFaculty of Arts 1MAY 1996 University of Durham Department of Theology Acknowledgements The author expresses his thanks to the Diocese of Durham for the giving of a grant to enable this research to be done and submitted.
    [Show full text]
  • The Percival J. Baldwin Puritan Collection
    The Percival J. Baldwin Puritan Collection Accessing the Collection: 1. Anyone wishing to use this collection for research purposes should complete a “Request for Restricted Materials” form which is available at the Circulation desk in the Library. 2. The materials may not be taken from the Library. 3. Only pencils and paper may be used while consulting the collection. 4. Photocopying and tracing of the materials are not permitted. Classification Books are arranged by author, then title. There will usually be four elements in the call number: the name of the collection, a cutter number for the author, a cutter number for the title, and the date. Where there is no author, the cutter will be A0 to indicate this, to keep filing in order. Other irregularities are demonstrated in examples which follow. BldwnA <-- name of collection H683 <-- cutter for author O976 <-- cutter for title 1835 <-- date of publication Example. A book by the author Thomas Boston, 1677-1732, entitled, Human nature in its fourfold state, published in 1812. BldwnA B677 <-- cutter for author H852 <-- cutter for title 1812 <-- date of publication Variations in classification scheme for Baldwin Puritan collection Anonymous works: BldwnA A0 <---- Indicates no author G363 <---- Indicates title 1576 <---- Date Bibles: BldwnA B524 <---- Bible G363 <---- Geneva 1576 <---- Date Biographies: BldwnA H683 <---- cuttered on subject's name Z5 <---- Z5 indicates biography R633Li <---- cuttered on author's name, 1863 then first two letters of title Letters: BldwnA H683 <----- cuttered
    [Show full text]
  • ABSTRACT the Prevenient Piety of Samuel Wesley, Sr. Arthur Alan
    ABSTRACT The Prevenient Piety of Samuel Wesley, Sr. Arthur Alan Torpy Mentor: William H. Brackney, Ph.D. The life and times of Samuel Wesley, Sr. have been addressed since the time of John and Charles Wesley as an absentee father with little positive influence on the Wesley family. However, the literary contributions of Samuel have been overlooked. Having examined his writings, this dissertation offers a fuller portrait of Samuel Wesley. The thesis of this work is that Samuel Wesley was a complex person whose thoughts, actions, and positions were based on his understanding and practice of his traditions, experience, scripture, and reasoning. A key to understanding Wesley’s life and thought can be found in the Pietist strains evident in his writings, published and unpublished, which formed the basis of his decisions and actions. The chapters explore the dynamics of late seventeenth- century England’s cultural milieu where Wesley was raised and educated within post-Uniformity Dissent and provide his rationale for gradually conforming to the Established Church. The origins of Continental Pietism is summarized and its influence on the Established Church through Anthony Horneck. Also discussed is Samuel’s view of scripture within the context of the nascent critical apparatus introduced by Richard Simon and Baruch Spinoza. Samuel’s rejection of this critical approach is a key to understanding his scriptural hermeneutic which formed the basis of his actions. The overarching characteristic of Samuel Wesley’s life and thought was his understanding of Piety which he passed along to his sons, most notably John and Charles, but also Samuel, Jr.
    [Show full text]