An accidental blog

"If God is sovereign, then his lordship must extend over all of life, and it cannot be restricted to the walls of the church or within the Christian orbit." Abraham Kuyper Common Grace 1.1.

British Calvinists



The history of British Calvinism is a complicated one. Perhaps for that reason it has largely been neglected. It's partly true what Strikwerda in John Bratt (ed.) The Rise and Development of Calvinism writes “The beginning of English Calvinism and its churches are very complicated and obscure. It is the story of a minority church which had to live” (p.107)

Christopher Dawson (1934) had this to say about it: 
"Calvinism, today, is almost completely terra incognita to the ordinary educated Englishman.  We see the mark that it has left on history, but we no longer understand its spirit.  It is like the bed of a dry torrent whose cliffs and boulders bear witness to the gigantic force of which it was, once, the channel." 
Spirit of the Oxford Movement. London: Sheed & Ward, p. 28

in a series of occasional posts I intend to provide a few pen portraits of some key British Calvinists. The list is not intended to be exhaustive.  But may well include some or all (and others) of the list following this post. The list below is chronologically (by birth) and then alphabetical (by surname)

The term 'Calvinist' is not without problems. It is modified by a number of different prefixes (including hyper-, high-, low-, neo-, new-, classic-, moderate-) and has become associated worth the 5 points of TULIP. The points were  first formulated at the Synod of Dordt - though the acronym TULIP dates back only to the early twentieth century. Those included in the list may well have modified their Calvinism with one of the prefixes, I have been inclusive rather than exclusive in including them.

For each one I hope to include why they are important, their key works, some quotes and what others may have said about them. This may well be adapted as the series progresses.  



Chronological order (by date of death) of some British Calvinists


George Wishart (1513- 1546)
John Bradford (1510- 1555)
John Hooper (c.1495- 1555)
Hugh Latimer (1487- 1555)
Nicholas Ridley (1500- 1555)
Thomas Cranmer (1489- 1556)
Miles Coverdale (1488- 1569)
John Knox (1514- 1572)
Matthew Parker (1504- 1575)
Edward Dering (c.1540- 1576)
William Whittingham (1524- 1579)
Edmund Grindal (1519- 1583)
John Field (1545- 1588)
Henry Barrowe (c.1550 1593)
John Greenwood (c.1550 1593)
William Perkins (1558- 1602)
Thomas Cartwright (1535- 1603)
John Rainolds (1549- 1607)
Paul Baynes (c.1560- 1617)
Henry Jacob (1563- 1624)
John Preston (1587- 1628)
Arthur Hildersham (1563- 1632)
William Ames (1576- 1633)
Robert Browne (1550- 1633)
John Forbes (1568- 1634)
Richard Sibbes (1577- 1635)
Walter Travers (c.1548 1635)
Joseph Mede (1586- 1638)
John Ball (1585- 1640)
Lawrence Chaderton (1536- 1640)
John Davenant (1576- 1641)
Tobias Crisp (1600- 1643)
John Forbes (1593- 1644)
Jeremiah Burroughes (1599- 1646)
William Twisse (1578- 1646)
Thomas Adams (1612- 1653)
William Gouge (1578- 1653)
Samuel Bolton (1606- 1654)
Thomas Gataker (1574- 1654)
Edward Fisher (1627- 1656)
Joseph Hall (1574- 1656)
James Ussher (1581- 1656)
Samuel Rutherford (1600- 1661)
Isaac Ambrose (1604- 1662)
Edmund Calamy (1600- 1666)
Joseph Alleine (1634- 1668)
John Spilsbury (c.1593- 1668)
John Trapp (1601- 1669)
John Davenport (1597- 1670)
William Bridge (1600- 1671)
Joseph Caryl (1602- 1673)
John Milton (1608- 1674)
John Lightfoot (1602- 1675)
Edward Reynolds (1599- 1676)
Thomas Manton (1620- 1677)
Thomas Watson (c.1620 1677)
William Gurnall (1617- 1679)
Matthew Poole (1624- 1679)
Thomas Brooks (1608- 1680)
Stephen Charnock (1628- 1680)
Thomas Goodwin (1600- 1680)
John Owen (1616- 1683)
David Clarkson (1622- 1686)
John Bunyan (1628- 1688)
Richard Baxter (1615- 1691)
John Flavel (1630- 1691)
Hanserd Knollys (1599- 1691)
William Kiffin (1616- 1701)
Benjamin Keach (1640- 1704)
John Howe (1630- 1705)
Isaac Chauncy (1632- 1712)
Matthew Henry (1662- 1714)
Robert Traill (1642- 1716)
Daniel Williams (1643- 1716)
John Skepp (1675- 1721)
Joseph Hussey (1660- 1726)
John Brine (1703- 1765)
Anne Dutton (1692- 1765)
George Whitefield (1714- 1770)
John Gill (1697- 1771)
Howell Harris (1714- 1773)
Anne Steele (1717- 1778)
Augustus Toplady (1740- 1778)
Daniel Rowland (1713- 1790)
Caleb Evans (1737- 1791)
Robert Hall Sr (1728- 1791)
John Collett Ryland *1793- 1792)
John  Berridge 1716- 1793)
Benjamin Beddome (1717- 1795)
William Romaine (1714- 1795)
Benjamin Francis (1734- 1799)
Samuel Medley (1738- 1799)
Samuel Pearce (1766- 1799)
William Cowper (1731- 1800)
Abraham Booth (1734- 1806)
John Newton (1725- 1807)
William James Brook 1775- 1811)
William Huntingdon (1745- 1813)
John Sutcliff (1752- 1814)
John Sutcliff (1752- 1814)
Andrew Fuller (1782- 1815)
Thomas Haweis (1734- 1820)
William Ward (1769- 1823)
John Rippon (1751- 1825)
Robert Hawker (1753- 1827)
Samuel Eyes Pierce 1746- 1829)
Joseph Kinghorn (1766- 1832)
Daniel Herbert 1751- 1833)
William Carey (1761- 1834)
Joseph Ivimey (1773- 1834)
Charles Simeon (1759- 1836)
Joshua Marshman (1768- 1837)
William Steadman (1764- 1837)
Christmas Evans (1766- 1838)
William Rushton (1796- 1838)
William Nunn (1786- 1840)
Robert Haldane (1764- 1842)
Alexander Carson (1776- 1844)
William Gadsby (1773- 1844)
William Knibb (1803- 1845)
Thomas Chalmers  1780- 1847)
John Stevens (1776- 1847)
John M'Kenzie (c. 1800 1849)
Christopher Anderson (1782- 1852)
Joseph Irons (1785- 1852)
William H.  Krause 1797- 1852)
Isaac Beeman 1766- 1856)
Henry Cole 1792- 1858)
William Cunningham (1805- 1861)
Andrew Reed (1787- 1862)
Fredrick Silver (1781 1864)
William Tiptaft (1803- 1864)
John  Grace (1800- 1865)
George  Abrahams (1800- 1867)
William Parks (1810- 1867)
J.C. Philpot (1802- 1869)
Samuel waldegrave (1817- 1869)
John 'Rabbi' Duncan (1796- 1870)
John Kershaw (1792- 1870)
John  Foreman 1792- 1872)
James Wells (1803- 1872)
James Wells  1803- 1872)
Robert S. Candlish 1806- 1873)
Patrick Fairburn 1805- 1874)
Septimus Sears 1820- 1877)
Alexander Duff 1806- 1878)
William McKerrow (1803- 1878)
Alfred  Hewlett (1804- 1885)
Charles Walters Banks (1806- 1886)
John Hazleton (1822- 1888)
Horatius Bonar (1808- 1889)
Andrew Bonar (1810- 1892)
C. H. Spurgeon (1834- 1892)
David Alfred Doudney (1811- 1893)
John Gadsby (1808- 1893)
George Cowell 1822- 1894)
David Brown 1803- 1897)
James  Battersby 1823- 1899)
J.C. Ryle (1816- 1900)
Fredrick Tyron 1813- 1903)
Charles  Hemington 1830- 1904)
Thomas Bradbury 1831- 1905)
Matthew Welland 1818- 1908)
Alexander Maclaren (1826- 1910)
Henry Wace (1836- 1924)
William Sykes (1861- 1930)
Henry Atherton (1875- 1933)
James Kidwell Popham (1847- 1937)
John R. Mackay (1865- 1939)
Donald Maclean (1869- 1943)
Thomas Houghton (1859- 1951)
Arthur W. Pink (1886- 1952)
E.F Kevan (1903- 1965)
Martyn-Lloyd Jones (1899- 1981)
G.N.M. Collins (1901- 1989)
R.Tudor Jones (1921- 1998)
E.L. Hebden Taylor (1925- 2006)




Alphabetical list of some British Calvinists


George  Abrahams (1800- 1867)
Thomas Adams (1612- 1653)
Joseph Alleine (1634- 1668)
Isaac Ambrose (1604- 1662)
William Ames (1576- 1633)
Christopher Anderson (1782- 1852)
Henry Atherton (1875- 1933)
John Ball (1585- 1640)
Charles Walters Banks (1806- 1886)
Henry Barrowe (c.1550 1593)
James  Battersby 1823- 1899)
Richard Baxter (1615- 1691)
Paul Baynes (c.1560- 1617)
Benjamin Beddome (1717- 1795)
Isaac Beeman 1766- 1856)
John  Berridge 1716- 1793)
Samuel Bolton (1606- 1654)
Horatius Bonar (1808- 1889)
Andrew Bonar (1810- 1892)
Abraham Booth (1734- 1806)
Thomas Bradbury 1831- 1905)
John Bradford (1510- 1555)
William Bridge (1600- 1671)
John Brine (1703- 1765)
William James Brook 1775- 1811)
Thomas Brooks (1608- 1680)
David Brown 1803- 1897)
Robert Browne (1550- 1633)
John Bunyan (1628- 1688)
Jeremiah Burroughes (1599- 1646)
Edmund Calamy (1600- 1666)
Robert S. Candlish 1806- 1873)
William Carey (1761- 1834)
Alexander Carson (1776- 1844)
Thomas Cartwright (1535- 1603)
Joseph Caryl (1602- 1673)
Lawrence Chaderton (1536- 1640)
Thomas Chalmers  1780- 1847)
Stephen Charnock (1628- 1680)
Isaac Chauncy (1632- 1712)
David Clarkson (1622- 1686)
Henry Cole 1792- 1858)
John Collett Ryland *1793- 1792)
G.N.M. Collins (1901- 1989)
Miles Coverdale (1488- 1569)
George Cowell 1822- 1894)
William Cowper (1731- 1800)
Thomas Cranmer (1489- 1556)
Tobias Crisp (1600- 1643)
William Cunningham (1805- 1861)
John Davenant (1576- 1641)
John Davenport (1597- 1670)
Edward Dering (c.1540- 1576)
David Alfred Doudney (1811- 1893)
Alexander Duff 1806- 1878)
John 'Rabbi' Duncan (1796- 1870)
Anne Dutton (1692- 1765)
Caleb Evans (1737- 1791)
Christmas Evans (1766- 1838)
Patrick Fairburn 1805- 1874)
John Field (1545- 1588)
Edward Fisher (1627- 1656)
John Flavel (1630- 1691)
John Forbes (1568- 1634)
John Forbes (1593- 1644)
John  Foreman 1792- 1872)
Benjamin Francis (1734- 1799)
Andrew Fuller (1782- 1815)
William Gadsby (1773- 1844)
John Gadsby (1808- 1893)
Thomas Gataker (1574- 1654)
John Gill (1697- 1771)
Thomas Goodwin (1600- 1680)
William Gouge (1578- 1653)
John  Grace (1800- 1865)
John Greenwood (c.1550 1593)
Edmund Grindal (1519- 1583)
William Gurnall (1617- 1679)
Robert Haldane (1764- 1842)
Joseph Hall (1574- 1656)
Robert Hall Sr (1728- 1791)
Howell Harris (1714- 1773)
Thomas Haweis (1734- 1820)
Robert Hawker (1753- 1827)
John Hazleton (1822- 1888)
E.L. Hebden Taylor (1925- 2006)
Charles  Hemington 1830- 1904)
Matthew Henry (1662- 1714)
Daniel Herbert 1751- 1833)
Alfred  Hewlett (1804- 1885)
Arthur Hildersham (1563- 1632)
John Hooper (c.1495- 1555)
Thomas Houghton (1859- 1951)
John Howe (1630- 1705)
William Huntingdon (1745- 1813)
Joseph Hussey (1660- 1726)
Joseph Irons (1785- 1852)
Joseph Ivimey (1773- 1834)
Henry Jacob (1563- 1624)
Martyn-Lloyd Jones (1899- 1981)
R.Tudor Jones (1921- 1998)
Benjamin Keach (1640- 1704)
John Kershaw (1792- 1870)
E.F Kevan (1903- 1965)
James Kidwell Popham (1847- 1937)
William Kiffin (1616- 1701)
Joseph Kinghorn (1766- 1832)
William Knibb (1803- 1845)
Hanserd Knollys (1599- 1691)
John Knox (1514- 1572)
William H.  Krause 1797- 1852)
Hugh Latimer (1487- 1555)
John Lightfoot (1602- 1675)
John M'Kenzie (c. 1800 1849)
John R. Mackay (1865- 1939)
Alexander Maclaren (1826- 1910)
Donald Maclean (1869- 1943)
Thomas Manton (1620- 1677)
Joshua Marshman (1768- 1837)
William McKerrow (1803- 1878)
Joseph Mede (1586- 1638)
Samuel Medley (1738- 1799)
John Milton (1608- 1674)
John Newton (1725- 1807)
William Nunn (1786- 1840)
John Owen (1616- 1683)
Matthew Parker (1504- 1575)
William Parks (1810- 1867)
Samuel Pearce (1766- 1799)
William Perkins (1558- 1602)
J.C. Philpot (1802- 1869)
Samuel Eyes Pierce 1746- 1829)
Arthur W. Pink (1886- 1952)
Matthew Poole (1624- 1679)
John Preston (1587- 1628)
John Rainolds (1549- 1607)
Andrew Reed (1787- 1862)
Edward Reynolds (1599- 1676)
Nicholas Ridley (1500- 1555)
John Rippon (1751- 1825)
William Romaine (1714- 1795)
Daniel Rowland (1713- 1790)
William Rushton (1796- 1838)
Samuel Rutherford (1600- 1661)
J.C. Ryle (1816- 1900)
Septimus Sears 1820- 1877)
Richard Sibbes (1577- 1635)
Fredrick Silver (1781 1864)
Charles Simeon (1759- 1836)
John Skepp (1675- 1721)
John Spilsbury (c.1593- 1668)
C. H. Spurgeon (1834- 1892)
William Steadman (1764- 1837)
Anne Steele (1717- 1778)
John Stevens (1776- 1847)
John Sutcliff (1752- 1814)
John Sutcliff (1752- 1814)
William Sykes (1861- 1930)
William Tiptaft (1803- 1864)
Augustus Toplady (1740- 1778)
Robert Traill (1642- 1716)
John Trapp (1601- 1669)
Walter Travers (c.1548 1635)
William Twisse (1578- 1646)
Fredrick Tyron 1813- 1903)
James Ussher (1581- 1656)
Henry Wace (1836- 1924)
Samuel waldegrave (1817- 1869)
William Ward (1769- 1823)
Thomas Watson (c.1620 1677)
Matthew Welland 1818- 1908)
James Wells (1803- 1872)
James Wells  1803- 1872)
George Whitefield (1714- 1770)
William Whittingham (1524- 1579)
Daniel Williams (1643- 1716)
George Wishart (1513- 1546)

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