Jeremiah Jones (1693–1724) was an independent tutor and biblical critic.

Youth

He was born in Wales in 1693. His father was David Jones of Llangollen, who married Maria, eldest daughter of Samuel Jones (1628–1697) at

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

on 15 August 1687. In 1696 David Jones became pastor of the independent congregation at

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

, where he died in 1718. Jeremiah Jones was educated by his uncle, Samuel Jones (1680–1719), at

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

(where in 1711 he was a fellow-student with

Thomas Secker Thomas Secker (21 September 16933 August 1768) was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England. Early life and studies Secker was born in Sibthorpe, Nottinghamshire. In 1699, he went to Richard Brown's free school in Chesterfield, D ...

) and then at

Tewkesbury Academy The Tewkesbury Academy was an important centre of learning for the Dissenters of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England during the early century. It was run by Samuel Jones and its students included both Dissenters such as Samuel Chandler and thos ...

, to which Samuel Jones had moved the academy early in summer 1713.

Career

His first settlement was as minister of the independent congregations at Market Harborough,

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

, and Cold Ashby,

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

. In 1719 he succeeded George Fownes as minister of the independent congregation at Nailsworth in the parish of

Avening Avening is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, about north of Tetbury. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,094, decreasing to 1,031 at the 2011 census. Nearby is Gatcombe Park ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

, and at the same time took charge of his deceased uncle's students, and removed them from Tewkesbury. However, the academy soon declined in size and reputation:Herbert McLachlan, ''English education under the Test Acts: being the history of the nonconformist academies, 1662–1820'' (1931), 126–31, 191–2, 299 between 1719 and 1722 only four students were sent to him by the presbyterian board. Nevertheless, his popularity as a preacher was shown by the enlargement of his meeting-house, and by the attendance of persons of station. His character as a scholar made him known beyond his own denomination. A hard student, he was of social disposition, and took pleasure in playing bowls. He died prematurely in 1724.

Legacy

Jones is best remembered for his admirable investigation of the grounds for attributing canonicity to the received books of the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

, to the exclusion of others. His treatise on this subject was long unique, and for its time exhaustive. Though now superseded in details, its breadth of treatment and fulness of materials render it still valuable. It was entitled ''A New and Full Method of Settling the Canonical Authority of the New Testament'' and was left ready for the press at his death. A third volume, published in 1727, contains the special application of his method to the Gospels and Acts, with a reprint of an earlier publication. His earlier publication, ''A Vindication of the Former Part of St. Matthew's Gospel'' (1719), dedicated to his uncle, is a criticism of William Whiston's endeavour to reconcile the chronology of the evangelists by a theory of ‘dislocations’ in the existing

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and for ...

. It would appear from the preface that Jones had been in correspondence with Whiston. Jones is said to have projected another volume ‘on the apostolical fathers;’ more probably he meant to apply his method of determining canonicity to the remaining books of the New Testament.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Jeremiah English biblical scholars 1693 births 1724 deaths English Dissenters Dissenting academy tutors