Born at Marlborough on 20 Ocrober 1707, he was vicar of Battersea 1740-1756 and a prebendary of St Paul's cathedral from 1744. He gave his support to a variety of charitable causes. Among his polemical works against Deism and Methodism were a defence of the Anglican doctrine of regeneration in 1739 and an attack on Whitefield in 1744. In 1745 he published Remarks on the 4th Extract from John Wesley's Journal 'shewing ... the many errors relating both to faith and practice which have already arisen among these deluded people'. Wesley in his Answer distanced himself from the Moravians and dealt with misrepresentations of his teaching onjustification and with charges of enthusiasm. The following year Church returned to the fray with Some farther remarks ... together with a few considerations on his 'Farther Appeal', to which Wesley responded in turn with his Principles of a Methodist Farther Explained. He was awarded an Oxford DD in 1750. Wesley deemed him 'a gentleman, a scholar, and a Christian'. He died at Battersea on 23 December 1756.

Entry written by: JAV
Category: Person
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