Charles Edwards (writer) facts for kids

Charles Edwards (born around 1628 – died around 1691) was a Welsh writer and a Puritan cleric. Puritans were a group of Protestants who wanted to make the Church of England simpler. His writings made him a very important person in the history of Welsh Puritan literature.

The Early Life of Charles Edwards

Charles Edwards was born in about 1628 in a place called Llansilin, in north Wales. When he was about 16, in 1644, he got a special job at All Souls College, Oxford called a Bible clerkship. This meant he helped with religious texts.

In 1648, a group called the Puritans took control of the university. They removed Charles from his job. But later that same year, he received a scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford. He earned his first university degree, a Bachelor of Arts, in 1649.

Challenges and Preaching

Charles Edwards later wrote in his book, An Afflicted Man's Testimony Concerning his Troubles, that he was promised a teaching position at the university. However, he said this was denied because of his opinions about Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was a powerful leader during the English Commonwealth, a time when England was a republic without a king.

After leaving Oxford, Charles became a preacher in Wales. In 1653, he was given a church position in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant. This was a "sinecure," meaning he received money for the job but didn't have many duties. By 1657, he was helping officials who were checking on ministers in north Wales.

Life After the King Returned

When King Charles II returned to the throne in 1660 (a time known as the Stuart Restoration), Charles Edwards lost his church position. This happened even though he promised his loyalty to the new king.

In 1666, he moved first to Oxford and then to London. In London, he published the books that made him famous in Welsh Puritan writing. In 1672, he was allowed to preach in Oswestry, Shropshire. But he returned to London in 1675. There, he helped print Welsh religious books. This included new versions of old books and new writings by important authors. He also helped with the 1677–78 edition of the Welsh Bible.

Later, he went back to Wales and started farming. His own life story, called An Afflicted Man's Testimony Concerning his Troubles, was published in 1691. We don't know anything more about him after July 1, 1691, which is the last date mentioned in his book. We also don't know when or where he died or where he was buried.

Charles Edwards's Writings

Charles Edwards wrote several important books. Here are some of them:

• Ffydd ddi-ffuant (meaning "Unfeigned Faith") – The first edition came out in 1667, and a second in 1671. This book was partly a shorter version of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, which tells stories of Christian martyrs. It also included ideas from the Bible and other English writers.
• Y ffydd ddi-ffuant, sef, Hanes y ffydd Gristianogol, a'i rhinwedd (meaning "Unfeigned Faith, that is, The History of the Christian Faith, and its Virtue") – This was a bigger and improved version of his earlier book, published in 1677. It is considered a classic example of Welsh writing.
• Dad-seiniad meibion y daran (meaning "An Echo of the Sons of Thunder") – Published in 1671, this book included a letter by Richard Davies called ir Cembru oll ("to all the Welsh people"). It also had Morris Kyffin's Deffynniad ffydd Eglwys Loegr, which was a Welsh translation of a book by Bishop John Jewel defending the Church of England.
• Hebraismorum Cambro-Britannicorum specimen (meaning "A Sample of Welsh-British Hebraisms") – This book, from 1676, explored the close links between the Hebrew and Welsh languages.
• Fatherly instructions: being select pieces of the writings of the primitive Christian teachers, translated into English, with an appendix, entituled Gildas Minimus – Published in 1686, this book contained English translations of writings by early Christian teachers. It also had an extra section, called Gildas Minimus, which included some of Charles Edwards's own sermons.