Thomas Emlyn - Ireland - 18th Century

[TJ]

Here's a great article giving some basic facts about Emlyn: Thomas Emlyn—Blasphemer or Advocate of Truth?

See his tract, An Humble Inquiry into the Scripture-Account of Jesus Christ.

[TJ]

In pursuance hereof [Emlyn] went over to Dublin, where he arrived May 1691, and became a settled Pastor along with Mr. Boyse to the congregation at Wood-Street there. Here he soon came into great vogue, and was a popular and much admired preacher, for he not only had a portly presence, a strong clear voice, and a graceful delivery, but his discourses were for the most part very rational and persuasive, always concluding with somewhat serious and pathetical; this he thought the right way of teaching and instructing, and has often lamented that of late days the affectionate part has been so much neglected by those who enter most into the argumentative way; for tho he always thought meanly of moving the passions by little low arts of address, without any solid arguments to convince the mind, yet still he judged mere dry reasoning not very likely to produce the intended effect in the generality of hearers; for since we are constituted of body as well as soul, and endued with affections and passions (which have their use) as well as intellectual faculties, he thought that after laying a foundation in reason the affections were then properly made subservient to the understanding, and ought in important matters to be rouzed and excited to influence men to the practice of what their reason was before convinced of, and that it was not enough merely to demonstrate the great truths of religion.

Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Mr. Thomas Emlyn (Vol. 1; 1746. p. xviii)