Thomas Edwards (1652–1721) was a Welsh

divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...

and orientalist.

Life

Edwards was born at

Llanllechid Llanllechid () is a village and community (Wales), community in Gwynedd, Wales. The village is near Bethesda, Gwynedd, Bethesda, and the community had a population of 889 at the 2011 UK census and an area of . The community also includes Talybo ...

, near Bangor,

Carnarvonshire Caernarfonshire (; , ), previously spelled Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire, was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was located in the north-west of Wales. Geography The county ...

, in 1652. He was educated at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

, where he took the two degrees in arts, the B.A. in 1673, and the M.A. in 1677. In the early part of his life he lived with Dr

Edmund Castell Edmund Castell (1606–1686) was an English orientalist. He was born at Tadlow, in Cambridgeshire. At the age of fifteen he entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, gaining his BA in 1624-5 and his MA in 1628. Appointed Professor of Arabic in 166 ...

, and in 1685 he was engaged by Dr John Fell,

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

of Christ Church and

bishop of Oxford The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The current bishop is Steven Croft (bishop), Steven Croft, following the Confirm ...

, to assist in the impression of the New Testament in Coptic, almost finished by Dr Thomas Marshall. At the same time he became chaplain of Christ Church. He was presented to the rectory of Aldwinckle All Saints, Northamptonshire, in 1707, and died in 1721.

Works

Edwards left a Coptic lexicon ready for the press. He also published: *''A Discourse against Extemporary Prayer'', 8vo, London, 1703. Edmund Calamy referred to this book in support of his charge of apostasy against Theophilus Dorrington (''Defence of Moderate Nonconformity'', 1703, pt. i. p. 257). *''Diocesan Episcopacy proved from Holy Scripture; with a letter to Mr. Edmund Calamy in the room of a dedicatory epistle'', 8vo, London, 1705. (Edwards' reply to Calamy)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Thomas 1652 births 1721 deaths British orientalists People from Bangor, Gwynedd Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Welsh religious writers 17th-century Welsh writers Welsh male non-fiction writers 18th-century Welsh writers 18th-century Welsh male writers 17th-century Welsh Anglican priests 18th-century Welsh Anglican priests