Richard Byfield
Encyclopedia
Richard Byfield was an English clergyman, Sabbatarian controversialist, member of the Westminster Assembly
, and ejected minister.
was his elder half-brother. In Michaelmas term 1615 he was entered either as servitor or batler at The Queen's College, Oxford
. He graduated B.A. 19 October 1619, and M.A. 29 October 1622.
He was curate or lecturer at Isleworth
, probably during his brother's incumbency (i.e. before 8 September 1622), and had some other minor employments before being presented (prior to 1630) by Sir John Evelyn to the rectory of Long Ditton
, Surrey
. He sat in the Westminster Assembly, but was not one of the divines nominated in the original ordinance of 12 June 1643, being appointed, perhaps through the influence of his nephew Adoniram Byfield
, to fill the vacancy caused by the 1645 death of Daniel Featley
. In 1654 he was appointed one of the assistant commissioners for Surrey, under the ordinance of 29 June for the ejection of scandalous, &c. ministers and schoolmasters. He held his rectory until the passing of the Uniformity Act 1662; he retired to Mortlake
, where he was in the habit of preaching twice every Sunday in his own family, and did so the Sunday before his death. He died suddenly in December 1664, and was buried in Mortlake church.
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...
, and ejected minister.
Life
He was 16 years of age in 1615 and 67 at his death in December 1664; he was probably born in 1598. He was a son of Richard Byfield by his second wife, and 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...
was his elder half-brother. In Michaelmas term 1615 he was entered either as servitor or batler at The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
. He graduated B.A. 19 October 1619, and M.A. 29 October 1622.
He was curate or lecturer at Isleworth
Isleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
, probably during his brother's incumbency (i.e. before 8 September 1622), and had some other minor employments before being presented (prior to 1630) by Sir John Evelyn to the rectory of Long Ditton
Long Ditton
Long Ditton is a village in Surrey, England lying on the boundary with Greater London. Neighbouring settlements include Thames Ditton, Surbiton, Tolworth and Chessington.-History:...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He sat in the Westminster Assembly, but was not one of the divines nominated in the original ordinance of 12 June 1643, being appointed, perhaps through the influence of his nephew Adoniram Byfield
Adoniram Byfield
Adoniram Byfield or Bifield 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 fill the vacancy caused by the 1645 death of Daniel Featley
Daniel Featley
Daniel Featley, also called Fairclough and sometimes called Richard Fairclough/Featley , was an English theologian and controversialist...
. In 1654 he was appointed one of the assistant commissioners for Surrey, under the ordinance of 29 June for the ejection of scandalous, &c. ministers and schoolmasters. He held his rectory until the passing of the Uniformity Act 1662; he retired to Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
, where he was in the habit of preaching twice every Sunday in his own family, and did so the Sunday before his death. He died suddenly in December 1664, and was buried in Mortlake church.
Works
Some of the works of his brother Nicholas have been assigned to Richard; he edited a few of them. His own works are:- 'The Light of Faith and Way of Holiness,' 1630.
- 'The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated, in Confutation of a Treatise of the Sabbath written by Mr. Edward Brerewood against Mr. Nicholas Byfield,' 1631. Byfield attacks the spelling 'Sabaoth' adopted by Edward BrerewoodEdward BrerewoodEdward Brerewood was an English scholar and antiquary. He was a mathematician and logician, and wrote an influential book on the origin of languages.-Life:...
. - 'A Brief Answer to a lae Treatise of the Sabbath Day,' 1636? (given to Byfield by Peter HeylinPeter HeylinPeter Heylin or Heylyn was an English ecclesiastic and author of many polemical, historical, political and theological tracts. He incorporated his political concepts into his geographical books Microcosmus in 1621 and Cosmographie .-Life:He was born in Burford, Oxfordshire, the son of Henry Heylyn...
, in The History of the Sabbath,' 2nd edit. 1636; it was in reply to A Treatise of the Sabbath Day &c., 1635, by Francis White, who rejoined in An Examination and Confutation, &c. 1637). - 'The Power of the Christ of God,' &c. 1641.
- 'Zion's Answer to the Nation's Ambassadors,' &c. 1645 (fast sermon before the House of Commons on 25 June, from Is. xiv. 32).
- 'Temple Defilers defiled,' 1645 (two sermons at Kingston-on-Thames from 1 Cor. iii. 17; reissued with new title-page 'A short Treatise describing the true Church of Christ,' &c., 1653, directed against schism, anabaptism and libertinism).
- 'A message sent from . . . Scotland to ... the Prince of Wales,' 1648 (letter from Byfield).
- 'The Gospel's Glory without prejudice to the Law,' &c., 1659 (an exposition of Rom. viii. 3, 4).
- 'The real Way to good Works: a Treatise of Charity.'