Jonathan Edwards 1638/9-1712

Jonathan EDWARDS 1638/9-1712

Biographical Note

Born in Wrexham, Denbighshire. BA Christ Church, Oxford 1659, MA and fellow of Jesus 1662, BD 1670, DD 1686. He remained a fellow of Jesus, teaching and holding various offices there, and was elected Master of Jesus College, Oxford in 1686. Rector of Kidlington, Oxfordshire 1666, of Rector of Hinton Ampner, Hampshire 1681; he also had livings in Wales. Vice-chancellor of Oxford 1689-92.

Edwards was a committed high church Anglican, opposed to nonconformity. He contributed to theological controversy in the 1690s with a series of publications upholding established orthodoxy on the doctrine of the Trinity (A preservative against Socinianism, issued in four parts 1693-1703, Remarks upon … William Sherlock, 1695).

Books

Edwards bequeathed all his printed books to Jesus College, excepting those for which “the same kinds or editions of books” were already held, which were to become part of his residual estate, administered by trustees and divided amongst various legatees. Ca.500 books were received by the College, substantially but not wholly theological, and including elements of history, classics and philosophy. The gift prompted the College to commission a new bookplate of the College arms “to put upon such books as Dr Edwards left by his will”. Examples: in Jesus College.

Sources

• Dixon, Philip. "Edwards, Jonathan (1638/9–1712), college head and religious controversialist." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Morgan, P. Oxford libraries outside the Bodleian. 2nd edition, Oxford, 1980.
• Fordyce C. and T. Knox, The Library of Jesus College, Oxford, 1937.