13
July 1769 A.D. Thomas
Kelly Born—Irish Anglican Minister Becomes Dissenter. He becomes an “enthusiast” and his bishop
represses him.
Graves, Dan. “Thomas Kelly’s Fervent Faith.” Christianity.com. Jun 2007. http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/thomas-kellys-fervent-faith-11630280.html.
Accessed 8 May 2014.
When Thomas Kelly began to preach justification by
faith in fervent, evangelical sermons, the leaders of Ireland's established
church, in which he was ordained, wanted nothing to do with it. Dr. Fowler, the
archbishop of Dublin, forbade Thomas Kelly and Rowland Hill (another
evangelical with whom he was associated) from preaching in any church in his
diocese.
Kelly was not about to be silenced. He established
his own "dissenter" chapels at Athy, Blackrock and Portarlington,
Ireland. Those who attended were known as Kellyites.
Born on this day, July 13, 1769, in County Queens, Ireland, Kelly was not always so
fervent in his Christian views. In fact, he was studying to become a lawyer
when he abandoned law for the church. Reading evangelical works changed his
plans. At first he tried to win salvation by ascetic practices (which
nearly undermined his health), but eventually his eyes were opened to the
message of justification by faith and he redirected his zeal along scriptural
lines. Justification is that process by which God in His grace declares a
sinner righteous apart from any work the person has done, on the basis that the
person looks to Christ in faith for salvation.
From this liberating teaching Kelly never departed.
As he was dying, someone remarked, "The Lord is my shepherd." Kelly
responded, "The Lord is my everything."
Although accused of being an enthusiast, Kelly was
a thorough student of God's word, learning Hebrew and other languages so he
could get as near the original meaning of the Bible as possible. It is not for
his scholarship that he is known, however. Those who remember Kelly today
usually do so because of one or another of his 760 hymns--those hymns that make
him the Wesley of Ireland. Perhaps the best-loved is "Praise the Savior,
Ye Who Know Him."
Praise
the Savior, ye who know Him!
Who can tell how much we owe Him?
Gladly let us render to Him
All we are and have.
Who can tell how much we owe Him?
Gladly let us render to Him
All we are and have.
Bibliography:
1. Duffield, Samuel Willoughby.
English Hymns: their authors and history. New York, London, Funk &
Wagnalls, 1886, especially pp. 206ff
2. "Religious Diversity."
Athy Heritage Centre.
http://kildare.ie/hospitality/historyandheritage/AthyHeritage/
ReligiousDiversity.htm
3. "Thomas Kelly."
www.cyberhymnal.org.
4. Wells, Amos R. A Treasure of
Hymns; Brief biographies of 120 leading hymn- writers and Their best hymns.
Boston: W. A. Wilde company, 1945.
5. Various other internet articles.
Last updated June 2007
13
July 1769 A.D. Thomas
Kelly Born—Irish Anglican Minister Becomes Dissenter
Died: May 14, 1855,
Dublin, Ireland.
Buried: Near the Kelly
family home at Kellyville, Ballyadams, Queens County (now known as County
Laois).
Son
of a judge, Kelly attended Trinity College (BA 1789) and planned to be a
lawyer. After converting to Christ, though, his career plans changed to the
ministry. He became an Anglican priest in 1792, but eventually became one of
the famous dissenting ministers. He wrote over 760 hymns. Miller’s Singers
of the Church (1869) says of him:
Mr.
Kelly was a man of great and varied learning, skilled in the Oriental tongues,
and an excellent Bible critic. He was possessed also of musical talent, and
composed and published a work that was received with favour, consisting of
music adapted to every form of metre in his hymn-book. Naturally of an amiable
disposition and thorough in his Christian piety, Mr. Kelly became the friend of
good men, and the advocate of every worthy, benevolent, and religious cause. He
was admired alike for his zeal and his humility; and his liberality found ample
scope in Ireland, especially during the year of famine.
Kelly’s
works include:
- A Collection of Psalms and Hymns Extracted from Various Authors, 1802
- Hymns on Various Passages of Scriptures, 1804, 1806
- Hymns of Thomas Kelly, Not Before Published, 1815
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