Thomas Bell (minister)

Thomas Bell (1733–1802) was a Scottish minister, known as a theologian and translator.

Life

Bell was born at Moffat on 24 December 1733, and attended the parish school there. He was sent to the University of Edinburgh while still young, completed the course and continued theological studies at the university.[1]

Instead of seeking license from the Church of Scotland, Bell applied to the Presbytery of Relief, founded by Thomas Gillespie in 1761. He was licensed in 1767, and the same year was settled as minister of the Relief congregation at Jedburgh, as successor to Thomas Boston the younger; he remained there for ten years. In 1777 he was translated to a large congregation of the Relief church in Glasgow.[1] This move was without the consent of the Relief Synod, and three years passed before a rupture was resolved.[2]

Bell was an opponent of hymn-singing in his church. Ill for about five years at the end of his life, his ministry was carried out by a substitute.[2] He died in Glasgow on 15 October 1802.[1]

Works

In 1780 Bell published The Standard of the Spirit lifted up against the Enemy coming in like a Flood, and in 1785 appeared A Proof of the True and Eternal Godhead of the Lord Jesus Christ.[1] From the Dutch original of Peter Allinga he translated The Satisfaction of Christ (1790). This was a work opposed to Socinians, and Bell was responding in it to the controversy over the Unitarian views of William McGill of Ayr; he also wrote a work of his own, The Articles of Ayr Contrasted with the Oracles of Truth.[2] He translated from the Latin of Herman Witsius The Controversies stated in Great Britain under the Unhappy Names of Antinomians and Neonomians (posthumously published), as well as A View of the Covenants of Works and Grace, and Sermons on various Important Subjects (1814).[1]

Family

Bell was father of James Bell the geographical writer.[1]

Notes

Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1885). "Bell, Thomas (1733-1802)" . Dictionary of National Biography. 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
Roxburgh, Kenneth B. E. "Bell, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2027. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1885). "Bell, Thomas (1733-1802)". Dictionary of National Biography. 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

gollark: No.

gollark: *How* does it actually do that?

gollark: It serves as a subsidy for whoever happens to rent the thing first, and does not fix any underlying problem or provide people with choices.

gollark: No, my issue is that it isn't very good charity.

gollark: I am fine with people using land for community things. I just don't think it makes much sense to randomly rent out land cheaply if you have an issue with local land pricing.

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[DNB-1] Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1885). "Bell, Thomas (1733-1802)" . Dictionary of National Biography. 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

[ODNB-2] Roxburgh, Kenneth B. E. "Bell, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2027. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)