Charles Simeon of Cambridge: Silhouettes and Skeletons

By Julia Cameron, Michael Rees and John Benton

A seminal book.

Charles Simeon (1759-1836) is one of the most important figures in modern church history. Here we have an overview of his life, and of the indelible mark he has left on the Church of England.

Simeon, a contemporary and friend of the abolitionist William Wilberforce, was vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge for 52 years. At first hated and derided, he would at his death be mourned by town and gown alike. Nearly two centuries later, through his work to help found the Bible Society and Church Mission Society, and through his influence on the later establishing of evangelical student ministry, we can track his legacy into some 200 nations.

This charming book includes biographical information about Charles Simeon, a map of the centre of Cambridge, and careful notes about the pattern Simeon set for the future. We find the original charge to his Patronage Trust, still used today.

There are line drawings of Holy Trinity Church, a photograph of Simeon and of his dear Henry Martyn, and a line-drawing of the queue of dons waiting to get into his funeral (drawn by the youngest chorister, seventy years later, in 1906), which had been buried in Cambridge University Library archives.

There are 43 endnotes which track Simeon's influence down to the present day. This is a seminal work in 52pp.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dictum
• Release date: Feb 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9781838097288

Book preview

PRINCE OF EVANGELICALS

While Simeon held senior academic roles in the university, he was never given preferment in the church, and remained throughout 54 years at Holy Trinity as a curate-in-charge. His church wardens created much difficulty for him in his early years, locking the pews, and even locking him out of the church itself. They were angered by the forthright evangelical stance of this young preacher, and sent a formal complaint to the Bishop of Ely.

His death, however, left no uncertainty of the esteem, indeed the widespread affection, in which he came to be held. His funeral was attended by the University Vice-Provost, senior academics, and hundreds of students and graduates. College chapel bells tolled, and shops were closed, as town and gown were united in honour of this ‘prince of evangelicals’. It is said that his funeral procession ‘was greater than that of the Duke of Wellington’. ⁵, ⁶

HIS FUNERAL ‘WAS GREATER THAN THAT OF WELLINGTON’

Charles Simeon’s favourite verse, which appears on his memorial plaque (p38), came from the Apostle Paul: I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. (I Corinthians 2:2).

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

‘When Simeon started preaching in 1782, there was only a handful of evangelical ministers in the Church of England, probably a few dozen. When he finished, 54 years later, one third of C of E pulpits were said to be occupied by evangelicals, and the vast majority of those were men who had been influenced directly by Simeon in Cambridge. His influence on the evangelical cause in the Church of England was absolutely staggering.’

Oliver Barclay: 1986 Annual Lecture of The Evangelical Library (see Further Reading).

TIMELINE OF MAJOR DATES

1759 Born 24 September in Reading, Berkshire, the son of a lawyer

1767-1778 Pupil at Eton College

1779 Entered King’s College, Cambridge (January) Converted to Christ, Easter Day

1782 Appointed as a Fellow of King’s College; brief curacy at St Edward, King & Martyr; appointed to Holy Trinity Church

1784 First meeting with John Wesley

1786 Preached first of many University Sermons in Great St Mary’s Church

1789 Appointed Dean of Divinity

1790 Made Vice-Provost of Cambridge University⁷ Founding by Henry Venn of what would later be referred to as the Clapham Sect, including William Wilberforce, Thomas Buxton. Simeon was closely allied with them

1792 Read Essay on the Composition of a Sermon by Jean Claude Began sermon classes

1796 Published Claude’s essay and first 100 ‘skeletons’

1799 Became a founder-member of Africa and the East Mission (now Church Mission Society) of which he was made an Honorary Governor for Life

1803 Appointed Henry Martyn as curate (sailed for India 1805; died 1812)

1804 Simeon formed Cambridge branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society (now The Bible Society), gaining a thundering attack from the pulpit in St Paul’s Cathedral

1809 Founded with others the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews (now the Church’s Ministry among Jewish People, CMJ)

1812 Began conversation parties in his rooms

1817 Began to purchase advowsons, ie the right to appoint clergy⁸

1819 First seventeen volumes of Horae Homileticae published⁹

1827 Jesus Lane Sunday School begun

1828 Edouart silhouettes created

1833 Full 21 volumes of Horae Homileticae published ‘Simeon’s Trustees’ formally created; now with a stake in 180 livings (incl. 40 parishes of the Hyndman Trustees, see 1990)

1836 Died 13 November in Cambridge Buried 19 November in King’s College Chapel

1877 Founding of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, to train Anglican clergy

1881 Founding of Ridley Hall, Cambridge¹⁰

1881 Henry Martyn Trust established

1885 ‘Cambridge Seven’ sailed for China¹¹

1885 Site purchased for Henry Martyn Hall

1887 Henry Martyn Hall opened

1898 Henry Martyn Library opened

1984 Evangelical Ministry Assembly founded by Dick Lucas. Followed by Proclamation Trust (1986) and Cornhill Training Course (1991)

1990 Trustees of the