John Butterworth (minister)

John Butterworth (1727–1803) was an English Baptist minister.

Life

He was one of five sons of Henry Butterworth, a religiously-inclined blacksmith of Goodshaw, a village in Rossendale, Lancashire; three of his brothers also became ministers of Baptist congregations: Henry was at Bridgnorth; James was at Bromsgrove; and Lawrence, who wrote two pamphlets against Unitarian views, was at Evesham. The other brother, Thomas, was also involved as a supply preacher.[1] John was born 13 December 1727, and went to the school of David Crosley, a Calvinistic minister.[2]

About 1753 Butterworth was appointed pastor of Cow Lane Chapel, Coventry. With this congregation he remained half a century, and died 24 April 1803, aged 75.[2]

Works

Butterworth published, in 1767, A New Concordance and Dictionary to the Holy Scriptures, reprinted in 1785, 1792, and 1809. The last edition was edited by Adam Clarke.[2] The Encyclopædia Metropolitana considered it "for the most part, a judicious abridgment" of Cruden's Concordance.[3]

He also wrote A Serious Address to the Rev. Dr. Priestley, 1790.[2] This was published under the pseudonym "Christophilus", and attacked the Unitarian views of Joseph Priestley.[4]

Family

His son Joseph Butterworth is known as a publisher.[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ B. A. Ramsbottom (2003). William Gadsby. Gospel Standard Publications. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-897837-31-3.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5  Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1886). "Butterworth, John". Dictionary of National Biography. 8. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  3. ↑ Encyclopaedia (1845). Encyclopædia metropolitana; or, Universal dictionary of knowledge. p. 109. edited by Edward Smedley, Hugh James Rose and Henry John Rose
  4. ↑ Timothy D. Whelan (2009). Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845. Mercer University Press. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-88146-144-2.
Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1886). "Butterworth, John". Dictionary of National Biography. 8. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 

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