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Charles Wesley
1707 - 1788 Author of "Soldiers of Christ, Arise" in Psalter Hymnal (Gray) Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepened, and he became one of the first band of "Oxford Methodists."
In 1735 he went with his brother John to Georgia, as secretary to General Oglethorpe, having before he set out received Deacon's and Priest's Orders on two successive Sundays. His stay in Georgia was very short; he returned to England in 1736, and in 1737 came under the influence of Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians, especially of that remarkable man who had so large a share in moulding John Wesley's career, Peter Bonier, and also of a Mr. Bray, a brazier in Little Britain. On Whitsunday, 1737, [sic. 1738] he "found rest to his soul," and in 1738 he became curate to his friend, Mr. Stonehouse, Vicar of Islington, but the opposition of the churchwardens was so great that the Vicar consented that he "should preach in his church no more." Henceforth his work was identified with that of his brother John, and he became an indefatigable itinerant and field preacher. On April 8, 1749, he married Miss Sarah Gwynne. His marriage, unlike that of his brother John, was a most happy one; his wife was accustomed to accompany him on his evangelistic journeys, which were as frequent as ever until the year 1756," when he ceased to itinerate, and mainly devoted himself to the care of the Societies in London and Bristol. Bristol was his headquarters until 1771, when he removed with his family to London, and, besides attending to the Societies, devoted himself much, as he had done in his youth, to the spiritual care of prisoners in Newgate. He had long been troubled about the relations of Methodism to the Church of England, and strongly disapproved of his brother John's "ordinations." Wesley-like, he expressed his disapproval in the most outspoken fashion, but, as in the case of Samuel at an earlier period, the differences between the brothers never led to a breach of friendship. He died in London, March 29, 1788, and was buried in Marylebone churchyard. His brother John was deeply grieved because he would not consent to be interred in the burial-ground of the City Road Chapel, where he had prepared a grave for himself, but Charles said, "I have lived, and I die, in the Communion of the Church of England, and I will be buried in the yard of my parish church." Eight clergymen of the Church of England bore his pall. He had a large family, four of whom survived him; three sons, who all became distinguished in the musical world, and one daughter, who inherited some of her father's poetical genius. The widow and orphans were treated with the greatest kindness and generosity by John Wesley.
As a hymn-writer Charles Wesley was unique. He is said to have written no less than 6500 hymns, and though, of course, in so vast a number some are of unequal merit, it is perfectly marvellous how many there are which rise to the highest degree of excellence. His feelings on every occasion of importance, whether private or public, found their best expression in a hymn. His own conversion, his own marriage, the earthquake panic, the rumours of an invasion from France, the defeat of Prince Charles Edward at Culloden, the Gordon riots, every Festival of the Christian Church, every doctrine of the Christian Faith, striking scenes in Scripture history, striking scenes which came within his own view, the deaths of friends as they passed away, one by one, before him, all furnished occasions for the exercise of his divine gift. Nor must we forget his hymns for little children, a branch of sacred poetry in which the mantle of Dr. Watts seems to have fallen upon him. It would be simply impossible within our space to enumerate even those of the hymns which have become really classical. The saying that a really good hymn is as rare an appearance as that of a comet is falsified by the work of Charles Wesley; for hymns, which are really good in every respect, flowed from his pen in quick succession, and death alone stopped the course of the perennial stream.
It has been the common practice, however for a hundred years or more to ascribe all translations from the German to John Wesley, as he only of the two brothers knew that language; and to assign to Charles Wesley all the original hymns except such as are traceable to John Wesley through his Journals and other works.
The list of 482 original hymns by John and Charles Wesley listed in this Dictionary of Hymnology have formed an important part of Methodist hymnody and show the enormous influence of the Wesleys on the English hymnody of the nineteenth century.
-- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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Charles Wesley, the son of Samuel Wesley, was born at Epworth, Dec. 18, 1707. He was educated at Westminster School and afterwards at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated M.A. In 1735, he took Orders and immediately proceeded with his brother John to Georgia, both being employed as missionaries of the S.P.G. He returned to England in 1736. For many years he engaged with his brother in preaching the Gospel. He died March 29, 1788. To Charles Wesley has been justly assigned the appellation of the "Bard of Methodism." His prominence in hymn writing may be judged from the fact that in the "Wesleyan Hymn Book," 623 of the 770 hymns were written by him; and he published more than thirty poetical works, written either by himself alone, or in conjunction with his brother. The number of his separate hymns is at least five thousand.
--Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872.
Charles Wesley
Anonymous
Person Name: Anon. Author of "Youth of the world, arise" in The Book of Common Praise In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries.
Anonymous
Christopher M. Idle
b. 1938 Person Name: Christopher Idle (born 1938) Author of "Freedom and life are ours" in Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) Christopher Martin Idle (b. Bromley, Kent, England, 1938) was educated at Elthan College, St. Peter's College, Oxford, and Clifton Theological College in Bristol, and was ordained in the Church of England. He served churches in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria; London; and Oakley, Suffolk; and recently returned to London, where he is involved in various hymnal projects. A prolific author of articles on the Christian's public responsibilities, Idle has also published The Lion Book of Favorite Hymns (1980) and at least one hundred of his own hymns and biblical paraphrases. Some of his texts first appeared in hymnals published by the Jubilate Group, with which he is associated. He was also editor of Anglican Praise (1987). In 1998 Hope Publishing released Light Upon the River, a collection of 279 of his psalm and hymn texts, along with suggested tunes, scripture references, and commentary.
Bert Polman
Christopher M. Idle
Edward W. Naylor
1867 - 1934 Composer of "FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH" in Psalter Hymnal (Gray) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Naylor
Edward W. Naylor
Walter John Mathams
1853 - 1931 Person Name: Walter J. Mathams Author of "Now In the Days of Youth" in Hymns for Creative Living Mathams, Walter John, was born in London, Oct. 30, 1853. Early in life he went to sea; but on returning through Palestine to England he began to study for the Ministry. In 1874 he entered the Regent's Park Baptist College as a Student, and subsequently had a pastoral charge at Preston, Lancashire. In 1879, his health failing, he went for a time to Australia and other places. Returning to England, he became, in 1883, minister at Falkirk, Scotland, and in 1888, at Birmingham. Whilst a student, he published a small volume of hymns and poems as At Jesus' Feet, (1876). He is also the author of several religious books of a popular character, as: Fireside Parables, 1879; Sunday Parables, 1883, &c. His principal hymns are:—
1. Bright falls the morning light. Morning.
2. Gentle Jesus, full of grace. Learning of Christ.
3. Go, work for God, and do not say. Christian Work.
4. God loves the little sparrows. Divine Providence.
5. Jesus, Friend of little children. Child's Prayer to Christ.
6. My heart, 0 God, be wholly Thine. Consecration.
7. No room for Thee, Lord Jesus. No room for
Christ.
8. Reign in my heart, Great God. Consecration.
9. Sailing on the ocean. Life a Voyage.
Nos. 1 and 6 of these hymns first appeared in his At Jesus’ Feet, 1876. Mr. Mathams has written several other hymns which have appeared in magazines and elsewhere. One of these, "Good has come from Nazareth," has been set to music by Dr. E. J. Hopkins. The 9 hymns named above are mainly in Baptist hymnbooks. [Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A.]
-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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Mathams, W. J. , p. 718, ii. Mr. Mathams entered the ministry of the Established Church of Scotland in 1900, acted for two years as chaplain to the Scottish forces in Egypt, and is now (1906) minister in charge of the parish of Stronsay, Orkney. His recent hymns include:—
1. Captain and Comrade of us all. [For Soldiers and Sailors.] Written and printed for use at a service held at Gourock Parish Church, April 10, 1904, on behalf of the Queen Victoria Memorial School for sons of Scottish sailors and soldiers.
2. From heights where God is reigning. [Boys' Brigade.] Written, 1905, for the S. S. Hymnary, 1905.
3. God is with us, God is with us. [Christian Warfare.] Written by request of the Nat. Council of Evang. Free Churches, first sung at their Congress at Nottingham, 1896, and published in the Christian Endeavour Hymnal, 1896.
4. Lord Jesus Christ! for love of Thee. [Christian Warfare.] Written in 1899, in connection with the Centenary Fund of the Congreg. Union. In the Sunday School Hymnary, 1905.
5. 0 Christ, sweet Rose of Sharon. [The Rose of Sharon.] Contributed to the Christian Endeavour Hymnal, 1896.
We may add that of the hymns noted at p. 718, ii., Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 were contributed to the Baptist Psalms and Hymns for School and Home, 1882, and that No. 7, first printed as a leaflet in 1878, is in the Suppl. of 1880 to the Baptist Psalms and Hymns. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
Walter John Mathams
