Jehoiada Brewer (1752?–1817) was a Welsh dissenting minister. Refused ordination to the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

, he was known as a preacher, and hymn writer.

Life

Brewer was born at Newport in

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

about 1752. Influenced by a minister of the

Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion is a small society of evangelical churches, founded in 1783 by Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, as a result of the Evangelical Revival. For many years it was strongly associated with the Calvinist M ...

, he took to preaching in the villages around

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, and afterwards preached with popularity throughout Monmouthshire. Intending to enter the

national church A national church is a Christian church associated with a specific ethnic group or nation state. The idea was notably discussed during the 19th century, during the emergence of modern nationalism. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in a draft discussing ...

, he applied for ordination, but was refused by the bishop. Brewer persisted in preaching, whether ordained or not, and for some years he settled at

Rodborough Rodborough is a large village and civil parish in the district of Stroud, Gloucestershire, in South West England. It is directly south of the town of Stroud, north of the town of Nailsworth and north-west of the town of Minchinhampton. The pari ...

in Gloucestershire. He later attracted a large congregation at

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, where he spent thirteen years, and ultimately settled at

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, where his ministry at Livery Street was numerously attended until his death. Brewer died 24 August 1817. A spacious chapel was being built for him at the time he died, and he was buried in the grounds adjoining it. A specimen of Brewer's preaching is printed as part of the service at the ordination of Jonathan Evans at

Foleshill Foleshill is a suburb in the north of Coventry in the West Midlands of England. Longford, Courthouse Green and Rowley Green are to its north and Keresley is to its west. The population of the Ward at the 2011 census was 19,943. History Folesh ...

in 1797, and Brewer's oration at the burial of

Samuel Pearce Samuel Pearce (1766– 10 October 1799) was an English Baptist minister, known as a hymn-writer. Life The son of a silversmith, Pearce was born at Plymouth, Devon, on 20 July 1766. He studied at the Baptist College, Bristol, and in 1790 was app ...

at Birmingham was printed with the sermon of

John Ryland John Ryland (1753–1825) was an English Baptist minister and religious writer. He was a founder and for ten years the secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society. Life The son of John Collett Ryland, he was born at Warwick on 29 January 175 ...

on the same occasion in 1799. Brewer is now remembered only by a single hymn, printed with the signature of "Sylvestris" in the ''Gospel Magazine'', 1776. "Hail, Sovereign Love" is quite well known. Two or three of his hymns were probably included in the hymnbook of John Stevens (1776–1847). A portrait of him was inserted in the ''Christian's Magazine'', 1791. A different portrait of him appeared in the ''

Evangelical Magazine The ''Evangelical Magazine'' was a monthly magazine published in London from 1793 to 1904, and aimed at Calvinist Christians. It was supported by evangelical members of the Church of England, and by nonconformists with similar beliefs. Its editori ...

'' in 1799.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brewer, Jehoiada 1752 births 1817 deaths Welsh Protestant ministers and clergy 18th-century Welsh clergy 19th-century Welsh clergy People from Newport, Wales Clergy from Birmingham, West Midlands