VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT “ALL WHO LOVE OUR BLESSED REDEEMER” The Catholicity of John Ryland Jr ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor of Philosophy aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. V. Subramaniam, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit Religie en Theologie op dinsdag 19 januari 2021 om 13.45 uur in de online bijeenkomst van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Lon Alton Graham geboren te Longview, Texas, Verenigde Staten promotoren: prof.dr. H.A. Bakker copromotoren: dr. A.R. Cross TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... iii CHAPTER 1: METHODOLOGY AND HISTORY OF RYLAND STUDIES ...... 1 CHAPTER 2: BIOGRAPHY OF RYLAND .......................................................... 39 CHAPTER 3: EARLIER CATHOLICITIES ........................................................ 59 CHAPTER 4: CATHOLICITY IN ACTION ........................................................ 97 CHAPTER 5: THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................................ 157 CHAPTER 6: PERSONAL FOUNDATIONS .................................................... 185 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION ............................................................................. 215 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 233 TABLE OF CONTENTS - DETAILED SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... iii CHAPTER 1: METHODOLOGY AND HISTORY OF RYLAND STUDIES ...... 1 DEFINING RYLAND’S CATHOLICITY ............................................................................. 1 WHY THIS STUDY ........................................................................................................... 8 SOURCES FOR THE PRESENT WORK ............................................................................ 11 Ryland’s Public Works .................................................................................................. 11 Ryland’s Private Works ................................................................................................ 14 Deeds of Ryland ........................................................................................................... 16 Secondary Literature: Early Memories of Ryland .......................................................... 17 Problems in the Literature: Ryland’s Name Used to Further Particular Agendas ............ 22 FADING HISTORICAL MEMORY................................................................................... 28 THE ONGOING RECOVERING OF RYLAND ................................................................. 32 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 37 CHAPTER 2: BIOGRAPHY OF RYLAND .......................................................... 39 EARLY YEARS ................................................................................................................ 40 CONVERSION AND CALL TO MINISTRY ...................................................................... 42 MINISTRY AT COLLEGE LANE ..................................................................................... 44 MINISTRY AT BROADMEAD ......................................................................................... 49 BRISTOL BAPTIST ACADEMY ....................................................................................... 55 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 58 CHAPTER 3: EARLIER CATHOLICITIES ........................................................ 59 HENRY JESSEY ............................................................................................................... 61 JOHN BUNYAN ............................................................................................................... 71 BROADMEAD ................................................................................................................. 78 CONFESSIONS................................................................................................................ 87 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 95 CHAPTER 4: CATHOLICITY IN ACTION ........................................................ 97 CATHOLIC FRIENDSHIPS .............................................................................................. 98 JONATHAN EDWARDS AND EDWARDSEANISM ......................................................... 101 AMERICAN DIVINITY .................................................................................................. 104 Jonathan Edwards Jr ................................................................................................. 106 Jonathan Walter Edwards .......................................................................................... 109 Edward Dorr Griffin ................................................................................................. 112 Levi Hart .................................................................................................................. 115 Samuel Hopkins ......................................................................................................... 119 Stephen West .............................................................................................................. 122 SAMUEL MILLER ........................................................................................................ 124 THOMAS SCOTT ......................................................................................................... 127 WILLIAM WILBERFORCE ........................................................................................... 128 ROMAN CATHOLICISM............................................................................................... 131 EMPEROR ALEXANDER I OF RUSSIA .......................................................................... 134 JOHN FOSTER .............................................................................................................. 136 CORRESPONDENCE WITH WOMEN ........................................................................... 140 MINISTERIAL COOPERATION .................................................................................... 142 MISSIONARY WORK AND CATHOLICITY:THE UNIFYING NATURE OF WORKING TOGETHER .................................................................................................................. 151 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 154 CHAPTER 5: THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................................ 157 UNION WITH CHRIST AND CATHOLICITY ................................................................ 158 THE SPIRIT,SALVATION, AND CATHOLICITY .......................................................... 163 EPISTEMOLOGY OF CATHOLICITY ............................................................................ 174 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 183 CHAPTER 6: PERSONAL FOUNDATIONS .................................................... 185 JOHN COLLETT RYLAND ............................................................................................ 185 JOHN NEWTON ........................................................................................................... 201 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 213 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION ............................................................................. 215 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ............................................................................................. 215 THE ENCLOSED GARDEN OPENED:RYLAND’S INFLUENCE ON PARTICULAR BAPTIST LIFE .............................................................................................................. 220 BAPTIST CATHOLICITY .............................................................................................. 225 IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL NARRATIVE IN THEOLOGICAL FORMATION AND EXPRESSION ................................................................................................................ 227 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 233 SUMMARY John Ryland Jr (1753-1825) was a prominent and influential leader among the Particular Baptists. He served as the pastor of two significant Baptist churches, College Lane in Northampton and Broadmead in Bristol, as well as the President of the Bristol Baptist Academy. This dissertation examines the context, theology, and sources of Ryland’s catholicity, which is defined in the work as visible unity in Christ and in intimate fellowship, expressed in life and service together for Christ. The necessity of the present work is shown through an overview of the last two centuries of Ryland studies, and short biography is offered in order to explain the importance of Ryland and situate him in his context. In order to show that Ryland’s catholicity is unusual but not unprecedented in Particular Baptist life, the dissertation explores four examples of a similar catholic spirit among in the seventeenth century, Henry Jessey, John Bunyan, Broadmead, and the 1677 London Baptist Confession. Because Ryland’s catholicity is defined as visible unity that finds its expression in life and service together, the varieties of catholic practice in Ryland’s life are shown in his broad correspondence and ministerial partnerships with those who differed from him. The limitations of Ryland’s catholicity are also acknowledged. The dissertation also shows the theological and personal foundations of Ryland’s catholicity. Ryland’s theology of catholicity is shown to be christocentric, pneumatological, and experiential. Finally, the profound influence of Ryland’s father, John Collett Newton, and mentor, John Newton, are explored, showing the impact of personal narrative on theological formation. i