# Charles Bulkley

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{{Short description|English Baptist minister (1719–1797)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
'''Charles Bulkley''' (1719–1797) was an English [Baptist minister](/source/Baptist_minister).

==Life==
The fourth son of Thomas Bulkley, silk mercer in [Ludgate Street](/source/Ludgate_Street), and Esther, fourth daughter of [Matthew Henry](/source/Matthew_Henry), he was born in London 18 October 1719. His early education was under the Rev. Lancaster, a clergyman at Chester. He was trained for the ministry under [Philip Doddridge](/source/Philip_Doddridge), whose [Northampton Academy](/source/Daventry_Academy) he entered in 1736.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Bulkley, Charles|volume=7}}</ref>

Bulkley's first settlement was with the Presbyterian congregation at [Welford, Northamptonshire](/source/Welford%2C_Northamptonshire). He shortly moved on to [Colchester](/source/Colchester) for a while. Under the influence of John Ashworth, brother of [Caleb Ashworth](/source/Caleb_Ashworth), he adopted the views of the [General Baptists](/source/General_Baptists), went to London, and was immersed. Ashworth had been minister of the Baptist congregation at White's Alley, [Little Moorfields](/source/Little_Moorfields); in 1743 Bulkley was the successful candidate (in competition with [Richard Baron](/source/Richard_Baron_(dissenting_minister))) for that post, but he again moved on to a more prominent position.<ref name="DNB"/>

Bulkley, in 1745, succeeded [James Foster](/source/James_Foster_(Baptist_minister)) at the [Barbican](/source/Barbican), carrying with him his congregation from White's Alley. Some years later, when Foster retired (January 1752) from the Sunday evening lectureship at the [Old Jewry Meeting-house](/source/Old_Jewry_Meeting-house), Bulkley again succeeded him. He came round, after Foster's death, to "[mixed communion](/source/mixed_communion)", and was taken to task for it by [Grantham Killingworth](/source/Grantham_Killingworth), a General Baptist layman of [Norwich](/source/Norwich). He is reported to have had a crowded audience at the Old Jewry for some few years.<ref name="DNB"/>

In 1779 the General Baptist numbers in London were dropping. Bulkley's congregation associated with three others in building a small meeting-house in Worship Street, [Finsbury](/source/Finsbury) (they moved in 1878; the congregation was at [Bethnal Green](/source/Bethnal_Green) at the end of the 19th century). Bulkley continued his ministry, though paralysis in 1795 broke his health and affected his speech.<ref name="DNB"/>

Bulkley died on 15 April 1797, and was buried on 25 April in the graveyard behind the meeting-house in Worship Street.<ref name="DNB"/>

==Works==
Bulkley published:<ref name="DNB"/>

* ''A Vindication of my Lord Shaftesbury, on the subject of Ridicule'', 1751 (in reply to [John Brown](/source/John_Brown_(essayist))) 
* ''A Vindication of my Lord Shaftesbury, on the subjects of Morality and Religion'', 1752, (continuation of the preceding).
* ''Discourses'', 1752 (fifteen in number; reissued 1760). 
* ''Notes on the Philosophical Writings of Lord Bolingbroke. In Three Parts'', 1755.
* ''On the Earthquake at Lisbon'', 1756.
* ''The Nature and Necessity of National Repentance'', 1756.
* ''Observations upon Natural Religion and Christianity'' 1757 (in reply to [Thomas Sherlock](/source/Thomas_Sherlock)'s ' Discourses'). 
* ''The Christian Minister'', 1758 (sermons). 
* ''Sermons on Public Occasions'', 1761.
* ''The Oeconomy of the Gospel, in Four Books'', 1764 (intended as a complete body of divinity). 
* ''Discourses on the Parables ... and the Miracles'', 1770–1, 4 vols. 
* ''Catechetical Exercises'', 1774.
* ''Preface to Notes on the Bible'', 1791,

and some sermons. Posthumously published were:<ref name="DNB"/>

* ''An Apology for Human Nature'', n. d. (prefatory address to [William Wilberforce](/source/William_Wilberforce), by [John Evans](/source/John_Evans_(Baptist)), dated 2 October 1797). 
* ''Notes on the Bible'', 1802, 3 vols. (edited, with ''Memoir'' prefixed to vol. iii., by [Joshua Toulmin](/source/Joshua_Toulmin). The ''Notes'' are illustrative passages selected from classical, rabbinical, patristic, and later authors.

==Family==
Bulkley married in 1749 Ann Fiske, of [Colchester](/source/Colchester) (died August 1783), but had no issue.<ref name="DNB"/>

==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

;Attribution
{{DNB|wstitle=Bulkley, Charles|volume=7}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulkley, Charles}}
Category:1719 births
Category:1797 deaths
Category:18th-century English Baptist ministers
Category:Arminian theological writers
Category:Arminian ministers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Charles Bulkley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bulkley) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bulkley?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.