Adoniram Byfield
Encyclopedia
Adoniram Byfield or Bifield (d. 1660) was an English clergyman, one of the scribes to the Westminster Assembly
. The surviving minutes of the Assembly, which according to a project to have them published "arguably constitute the most important unpublished religious text of seventeenth-century Britain", run to over half a million words and are almost all in Byfield's writing.
, probably born before 1615. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
where he matriculated in 1620, and graduated B.A. in 1624. He was ordained in 1625 and became perpetual curate
of the London church All Hallows Staining
in 1629.
In 1642 he was chaplain to Sir Henry Cholmondeley's regiment. On 6 July 1643 he was appointed one of the two scribes to the Westminster Assembly, the other being Henry Roborough. Their assistant was John Wallis. The scribes were not members of the assembly of which they kept the record, nor were they at first allowed, like the members, to wear their hats; but in common with the other divines the scribes were entitled to the allowance (irregularly paid) of four shillings a day. For their trouble they received the copyright of the Directory of Public Worship
(ordered to be published 13 March 1645), which they sold for £400.
It was during the sitting of the assembly that Byfield obtained first the sinecure rectory, and then the vicarage of Fulham
. Isaac Knight succeeded him in the rectory in 1645, and in the vicarage in 1657. At some unknown date between 1649 and 1654 Byfield received an appointment to the rectory of Collingbourn Ducis, Wiltshire
, from which Christopher Prior
, D.D., had been removed. Byfield was not disturbed at the Restoration
.
In 1654 he was nominated one of the assistant commissioners for Wiltshire, under the ordinance of 29 June for ejecting scandalous ministers, and was active among them, for example against Walter Bushnell, vicar of Box
, (ejected in 1656). Byfield's assembly practice had made him sharp as an examiner. He died intestate in London, in the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, at the end of 1660 or very beginning of 1661. His wife, Katharine, survived him, and administered to his effects on 12 February 1661. Samuel Butler
in Hudibras
made him iconic of those zealots for presbytery whose tactics opened the way to independency
.
and John Struthers in 1874. According to Mitchell, Byfield had published a catechism
some years before the assembly met. In 1626 he edited his father's Rule of Faith, a work on the Apostles' Creed
. To Byfield is ascribed A Brief View of Mr. Coleman his new modell of Church Government, 1645. He also assisted Chambers in his Apology for the Ministers of the County of Wiltshire of 1654.
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...
. The surviving minutes of the Assembly, which according to a project to have them published "arguably constitute the most important unpublished religious text of seventeenth-century Britain", run to over half a million words and are almost all in Byfield's writing.
Life
He was the third son of Nicholas ByfieldNicholas Byfield
Nicholas Byfield was an English clergyman, a leading preacher of the reign of James I.-Life:He was a native of Warwickshire, son by his first wife of Richard Byfield, who became vicar of Stratford-on-Avon in January 1597...
, probably born before 1615. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
where he matriculated in 1620, and graduated B.A. in 1624. He was ordained in 1625 and became perpetual curate
Perpetual curate
A Perpetual Curate was a clergyman of the Church of England officiating as parish priest in a small or sparsely peopled parish or districtAs noted below the term perpetual was not to be understood literally but was used to indicate he was not a curate but the parish priest and of higher...
of the London church All Hallows Staining
All Hallows Staining
All Hallows Staining was a Church of England church located at the junction of Fenchurch Avenue and Billiter Street in the north-eastern corner of Langbourn ward in the City of London, close to Fenchurch Street railway station. All that remains of the church is the tower, built around 1320 AD as...
in 1629.
In 1642 he was chaplain to Sir Henry Cholmondeley's regiment. On 6 July 1643 he was appointed one of the two scribes to the Westminster Assembly, the other being Henry Roborough. Their assistant was John Wallis. The scribes were not members of the assembly of which they kept the record, nor were they at first allowed, like the members, to wear their hats; but in common with the other divines the scribes were entitled to the allowance (irregularly paid) of four shillings a day. For their trouble they received the copyright of the Directory of Public Worship
Directory of Public Worship
The Directory for Public Worship was a manual of directions for worship approved by an ordinance of Parliament early in 1645 to replace the Book of Common Prayer .-Origins:The movement against the Book of Common...
(ordered to be published 13 March 1645), which they sold for £400.
It was during the sitting of the assembly that Byfield obtained first the sinecure rectory, and then the vicarage of Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
. Isaac Knight succeeded him in the rectory in 1645, and in the vicarage in 1657. At some unknown date between 1649 and 1654 Byfield received an appointment to the rectory of Collingbourn Ducis, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, from which Christopher Prior
Christopher Prior
Christopher Prior , CB was an eminent Anglican priest: Chaplain of the Fleet from 1966 to 1969 and Archdeacon of Portsmouth from then to 1977....
, D.D., had been removed. Byfield was not disturbed at the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
.
In 1654 he was nominated one of the assistant commissioners for Wiltshire, under the ordinance of 29 June for ejecting scandalous ministers, and was active among them, for example against Walter Bushnell, vicar of Box
Box, Wiltshire
Box is a village located in Wiltshire, England, about east of Bath and west of Chippenham. It is quite a large parish with several settlements, apart from the village of Box, within its boundaries....
, (ejected in 1656). Byfield's assembly practice had made him sharp as an examiner. He died intestate in London, in the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, at the end of 1660 or very beginning of 1661. His wife, Katharine, survived him, and administered to his effects on 12 February 1661. Samuel Butler
Samuel Butler (poet)
Samuel Butler was a poet and satirist. Born in Strensham, Worcestershire and baptised 14 February 1613, he is remembered now chiefly for a long satirical burlesque poem on Puritanism entitled Hudibras.-Biography:...
in Hudibras
Hudibras
Hudibras is an English mock heroic narrative poem from the 17th century written by Samuel Butler.-Purpose:The work is a satirical polemic upon Roundheads, Puritans, Presbyterians and many of the other factions involved in the English Civil War...
made him iconic of those zealots for presbytery whose tactics opened the way to independency
Independent (religion)
In English church history, Independents advocated local congregational control of religious and church matters, without any wider geographical hierarchy, either ecclesiastical or political...
.
Works
Byfield's most important work consists of the manuscript minutes, or rough notes, of the debates in the assembly, which are almost entirely in his very difficult handwriting. They are preserved in Dr. Williams's Library, and were first edited by Alexander Ferrier MitchellAlexander Ferrier Mitchell
Alexander Ferrier Mitchell was a Scottish ecclesiastical historian and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.-Life:...
and John Struthers in 1874. According to Mitchell, Byfield had published a catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
some years before the assembly met. In 1626 he edited his father's Rule of Faith, a work on the Apostles' Creed
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed , sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol"...
. To Byfield is ascribed A Brief View of Mr. Coleman his new modell of Church Government, 1645. He also assisted Chambers in his Apology for the Ministers of the County of Wiltshire of 1654.