Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Monday, January 26, 2015

25 January 1825 A.D. Edward Henry Bickersteth—Trinity College (Cambridge), Church of England Minister, Dean of Gloucester & Bishop (Exeter)


25 January 1825 A.D.  Edward Henry Bickersteth—Trinity College (Cambridge), Church of England Minister, Dean of Gloucester & Bishop (Exeter)

 

Miles, Alfred H., ed.  “Critical and Biographical Essay: Edward Henry Bickersteth (1825-1906).  Bartleby.com. N.d. http://www.bartleby.com/294/322.html.  Accessed 26 Jan 2015.

 

EDWARD HENRY BICKERSTETH, D.D., Bishop of Exeter, was the son of the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, sometime Secretary of the Church Missionary Society, and Rector of Walton, Herts, whose “Christian Psalmody,” published in 1833, had great influence upon the progress of Christian song. Edward Henry Bickersteth was born at Islington in the month of January 1825, and was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. with honours 1847, M.A. 1850. Taking Holy Orders, he became successively Curate of Banningham, Norfolk, and Christ Church, Tunbridge Wells; Rector of Hinton-Martell, 1852; Vicar of Christ Church, Hampstead, 1855; Dean of Gloucester, and Bishop of Exeter, 1885.
  Bishop Bickersteth published “Poems” (1849); “Water from the Well-Spring” (1852); “The Rock of Ages” (1858); “Commentary on the New Testament” (1864); “Yesterday, To-day, and For Ever” (1867); “The Spirit of Life” (1868); “The Two Brothers and other Poems” (1871); “The Master’s Home Call” (1872); “The Reef and other Parables” (1873); “The Shadowed House, and the Light Beyond” (1874); “Songs of the House of Pilgrimage” (undated); and “From Year to Year” (1883). He also edited several hymnals, the most important of which was “The Hymnal Companion to the Book of Common Prayer” (1870).
  Of his original poems Bishop Bickersteth’s “Yesterday, To-day, and For Ever” is the principal, though his choicest verses will be found in the volume “From Year to Year.” The former work is a blank-verse poem of twelve books, describing the death of a Christian and his visions and experiences in the other world. The poem contains many fine descriptions, and has been very popular, more than fifteen editions having been called for. Of his shorter poems some have been widely used as hymns. Julian says: “His thoughts are usually with the individual, and not with the mass: with the single soul and his God, and not with the vast multitude bowed in adoration before the Almighty. Hence, although many of his hymns are eminently suited to congregational purposes, and have attained to a wide popularity, yet his finest productions are those best suited for private use.” The following selections from the volume “From Year to Year” will amply bear out this criticism, and justify their place in this volume.

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