Augustus Montague Toplady

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Augustus Montague Toplady

Augustus Montague Toplady (November 4, 1740 – August 11, 1778), Anglican divine, was born at Farnham, Surrey, and educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Dublin. His father, Major Toplady, died in May 1741 of yellow fever at the siege of Cartagena.^[1]

Although originally a follower of Wesley, in 1758 he adopted Calvinist opinions. He was ordained curate at Blagdon in June 1762 and became vicar of Harpford with Fenn-Ottery, Devon, in 1766. In 1768 he exchanged to the living of Broadhembury, Devon.

He is chiefly known as a writer of hymns and poems, including "Rock of Ages", and the collections entitled Poems on Sacred Subjects (Dublin, 1759) and Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Worship (London, 1776). His best prose work is the Historic Proof of the Doctrinal Calvinism of the Church of England (London, 1774).

Some comments by Wesley upon Toplady's presentation of Calvinism led to a controversy which was carried on with much bitterness on both sides. Toplady wrote a venomous Letter to Mr Wesley (1770), and Wesley repeated his comments in The Consequence Proved (1771), whereupon Toplady replied with increased acridity in More Work for Mr Wesley (1772).

From 1775 to 1778, having obtained leave of non-residence at Broadhembury, he lived in London, and ministered at a Calvinist church in Orange Street.

He died on 11th August 1778, aged 38 years, and was buried at Tottenham Court Road Chapel.^[2]

[edit] References

^ Sheltering In The Rock. Banner of Truth. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.
^ Sheltering In The Rock. Banner of Truth. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
Toplady, Augustus, The Complete Works of Augustus Toplady (Harrisonburg: Sprinkle Publications, 1987) ISBN 1-59442-078-5