Short Reasons for Communion with the Church of England

Biddulph, Thomas Tregenna, 1763-1838Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.8

Word count: 24K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Short Reasons for Communion with the Church of England by Thomas Tregenna BiddulphAuthor: Biddulph, Thomas Tregenna, 1763-1838,Language: English, Class: BX: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Churches, Church movements, Release Date: Mar 7, 2017

Editor's review

This is a short apologetic tract by an 18th–19th-century Church of England clergyman, setting out in brief numbered points the reasons for joining the Church of England and remaining in communion with it. The original is not long, and its line of argument is clear, making it suitable reading as a primary source for understanding the Church of England's self-definition and early modern English religious controversy. Its value lies not in literary quality but in historical context: readers can observe how clergy of the period organized arguments for ordinary believers and responded to disagreement. The tract's positions are distinctly of its time and party, and today's readers should approach it as a historical document, noting both its argumentative structure and its presuppositions. The electronic edition is easy to search and excerpt, making it suitable for note-taking study or for reading alongside related works of the same period. For those interested in English religious history, ecclesiology, or early modern apologetic literature, this booklet can serve as a lightweight introductory slice.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and enthusiasts studying English religious history and the Anglican tradition
Readers interested in early modern apologetic literature and ecclesiastical controversy
Teachers and students needing a short English historical source for course reading

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic theology textbook or a contemporary introduction to theology
Readers with no interest in religious controversy who want only literary works
Those who struggle with English reading and are unwilling to consult reference works

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and the outline of points to grasp the order of the author's arguments, then read each point closely.
While reading, mark the author's presuppositions and leaps in argument, distinguishing historical statements from party claims.
Read alongside background material on the English religious disputes of the same period to avoid understanding it in isolation.
For the English original, use a dictionary and reference works on church history; look up proper names before reading on.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for ordinary readers without a theology background?

It can be read, but expectations should be adjusted. It is a historical apologetic tract, not an introductory textbook, and its arguments depend on the context and presuppositions of the Church of England at the time. Ordinary readers with basic English reading ability who are willing to look up church history background can grasp its general meaning; those with no relevant background at all are advised to read one or two overviews of the English Reformation and the formation of the Church of England first, then return to the original, which will make understanding much smoother.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

The original is 19th-century English, with sentence patterns and wording bearing the marks of its time, but it is short overall and clearly structured, not a difficult style. Readers with university-level English reading ability who are willing to use a dictionary to check unfamiliar words and theological terms can attempt it. It is advisable to read through once without worrying about full comprehension, then read closely point by point, looking up historical names and party terms in concentrated fashion, which is more efficient.

Is the book's position neutral?

It is not a neutral overview but apologetic writing with a clear party stance, aimed at providing reasons for remaining in communion with the Church of England. It should be read as a controversial text within a specific historical situation, noting which arguments the author chooses and which questions he avoids. For a more comprehensive understanding, it is best read alongside accounts from other positions or later researchers, rather than treating its claims as settled conclusions.

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About the author

Biddulph, Thomas Tregenna, 1763-1838 Author

Thomas Tregenna Biddulph (1763–1838) was an English clergyman and author of the Church of England. Public information about him is limited: details of his life are scarce in standard biographies and bibliographies, and his education, appointments, and activities cannot be reliably established. Only one of his works is held in the collection, Short Reasons for Communion with the Church of England. Judging from its title and subject, it belongs to the genre of religious controversy and doctrinal defence, setting out and defending the grounds for maintaining sacramental communion with the established Church of England, in a reasoned and persuasive tone typical of clerical writing, earnest and orderly. Such texts were usually addressed to parishioners or doubting Christians and circulated within the Church, their influence largely confined to religious readers. Given the limited sources, his style and historical standing await further study.