Bishop of St. Asaph

“ The Choir consists of a Bishop, Dean, six Canons, seven Prebends, and four Vicars. There are no monuments in the church-yard, and few of any importance within its venerable walls.
St. Asaph receives its derivation from its patron, who established a Bishop’s see here, in the year 590: but in British it is named Llan-Elwy, on account of the conflux of the Elwy with the Clywd. It is singular, that the Bishop’s jurisdiction extends over no entire county, but part of Flintshire, Denbighshire, Montgomeryshire, Merionethshire, and Shropshire. ”

“ Dr. Allen, the President.” Here at Rheims the venerable Bishop of St. Asaph fell ill of a fever. He was never again to cross the Channel. By the time he had fairly recovered, rumours of his movements had naturally got abroad, and the Pope was unwilling to imperil so important and precious a person. While still a convalescent at Rheims, Goldwell wrote to his Holiness in person, begging him to listen to no objections, but to anoint at once three or four new Bishops to shepherd their own needy Church ”

“ Asaph hath shewn his Skill in Antiquities, by more Instances than one; yet do I not find, that even in the Opinion of this Gentleman, it hath spoil’d his Stile. I shall add to these the late and present Bishops of Worcester, the former, xxxiii F Dr. Stillingfleet, is allow’d by all to have been one of the most learned Men and greatest Antiquaries of his Age; and for the present Bishop, who is also a learned Antiquary, take the Character which is given of his Skill and Exactness in the English Tongue from FBishop Wilkins ”

“ On his return to Strath Clyde about 570, Kentigern, who 'bore ever a special affection' for Asaph, appointed him his successor. It is surmised that it was in Asaph's time that the monastery was elevated into a cathedral foundation, and that, though Kentigern was the founder of the monastery, Asaph was in fact the first bishop of the see. The name of Kentigern does not seem to have ever been associated with the nomenclature of either cathedral or diocese, which, though originally known by the Welsh name of Llanelwy, has since about 1100 also borne the English name St. ”

“ William Lloyd (1679-1685) was translated from Llandaff, and was further translated to Norwich in 1685. He was deprived of his see as a Nonjuror in 1691. He lived at Hammersmith till his death in 1710. He was the last survivor of the seven deprived bishops. It is singular that his namesake, William Lloyd, bishop of S. Asaph, should have been one of the seven bishops committed to the Tower by King James II. in 1688; but he had no scruples about taking the oaths to the new sovereigns, and became afterwards Bishop of Lichfield, and ultimately of Worcester. ”

“ Of most of the rest we know nothing, but of some of them we know something. We know of Bishop Hughes, of St. Asaph, that he held sixteen rich livings in commendam, and left his diocese in the disgraceful condition already described in the early part of this article. We know that under Bishop Meyrick, of Bangor, there were, by his own acknowledgment, only two preachers in his diocese; and that according to the testimony of Strype, the grossest scandals were openly practised by the clergy. ”

“ His life was written by S. Asaph, his disciple in the monastery of Llan-Elwyn, in Wales, founded by Kentigern when exiled. This life has not come down to us in its original form. We have, however, his life compiled in 1125 by Jocelyn, monk of Furness, from ancient authorities, by order of Bishop Jocelyn of Glasgow. Undoubtedly the life of S. Asaph formed the basis of this compilation. S. Kentigern is also spoken of by many ancient Scottish historians, John Major de Gest. ”

“ At this time, too, he became closely associated in literary friendship with Dr. Henry Maurice, afterwards Margaret professor at Oxford; Bishop William Lloyd, then of Asaph; Dr. John Battely, archdeacon of Canterbury; and Dr. Matthew Hutton, rector of Aynho (cf. Stubbs, Registrum Sacrum Anglicanum, ed. 1897, p. vi) .
He now began his ‘Anglia Sacra,’ a collection of the lives, partly by early writers, partly compiled by himself, of the English archbishops and bishops down to 1540. This, ‘a work of incredible pains,’ was published in two folio volumes, London, 1691. ”

“ In 1769 he was consecrated successively bishop of Llandaff and of St Asaph. He was much concerned with politics, and joined the Whig party in strong opposition to the policy of George III. towards the American colonies. In 1779 he was the only bishop to advocate the abolition of all laws against Protestant dissenters. He died on the 6th of December 1788. His brother, William Shipley (1714–1803) , originated the Society of Arts; and his son, William Davies Shipley (1745–1826) , became dean of St Asaph. ”

“ Asaph Cathedral (bur. 26 Dec. 1759; cf. Nichols, Lit. Anecdotes, viii. 402–3) , and was much enlarged, partly from the bishop's collections, but mainly by the editor. A third edition, with many additions, was edited by James Nasmith [q. v.] in 1787, and a copy of it at the British Museum contains many notes by Sir Henry Ellis, mostly taken from Hearne's annotated copy of the first edition at the Bodleian Library. ”

“ Iolo MSS. 102, 106) into Benuchel ('of the high head') , thus confounding Asaph's father with a Glamorgan chieftain of the name of Sawyl Benuchel, who is described in the Welsh triads as one of 'the three overbearing ones of Britain' (see remarks of Mr. Egerton Phillimore in Bye-Gones, 2nd ser. i. 482-5) . The genealogies also represent Asaph as nephew of Dunawd, founder of Bangor Iscoed, and cousin of Deiniol, first bishop of Bangor in Carnarvonshire (cf. Baring-Gould, Lives of Saints, App. vol. 136) . ”

“ We have been therefore sufficiently admonished to receive even this Psalm of this understanding of Asaph, [14] to receive, I say, with inclined ear, that is, with humble piety. And it hath not been spoken of as being of Asaph himself, but to Asaph himself. Which thing is evident by the Greek article, and is found in certain Latin copies. These words therefore are of understanding, that is, of intelligence, which hath been given to Asaph himself: which we had better understand not as to one man, but as to the congregation of the people of God; whence we ought by no means to alienate ourselves. ”

“ Asaph's in his long white surplice holding a white-robed infant, worth half a million dollars, looking as beautifully innocent as the child itself, and drawing from every matron of the congregation with unmarried daughters the despairing cry, "What a pity that he has no children of his own!"
Equally sound was his theology. No man was known to preach shorter sermons or to explain away the book of Genesis more agreeably than the rector of St. Asaph's ”

“ Asaph, sensibly and in a more manly style, urged that the Bishops could not have opposed the Bill without indulging a spirit of persecution, abhorrent from the spirit of the Gospel. Lord Temple, with his accustomed warmth, opposed the repeal, grew zealous for the honour of a Ministry which he wanted to censure, and protested against the Legislature listening to clamour, which was less intended to serve the Protestant Religion, than to wound the Protestant Succession. ”

“ They shall not glory as if they have not received: “Thou hast made them.”
18. “Mindful be Thou of this Thy creature” (ver. 18) . Of what creature of Thine? “The enemy hath reviled the Lord.” O Asaph, grieve over thine old blindness in understanding: “the enemy hath reviled the Lord.” It was said to Christ in His own nation, “a sinner is this Man: we know not whence He is:” we know Moses, to him spake God; this Man is a Samaritan. [66] “And the unwise people hath provoked Thy name.” The unwise people Asaph was at that time, but not the understanding of Asaph at that time. ”

“ Asaph (elected 19 Oct., consecrated 30 Dec.) , retaining also, in accordance with what had now become the custom at St. Asaph, the archdeaconry in his own hands. He continued to hold the vicarage of Gresford (resigned in 1609) ”

“ Asaph's stands is worth seven dollars and a half a foot. The mortgagees, as they kneel in prayer in their long frock-coats, feel that they have built upon a rock. It is a beautifully appointed church. There are windows with priceless stained glass that were imported from Normandy, the rector himself swearing out the invoices to save the congregation the grievous burden of the customs duty. There is a pipe organ in the transept that cost ten thousand dollars to install. ”

“ Asaph the seer beholds how God, reproving, correcting, and threatening, appears against the chiefs of the congregation of His people, who have perverted the splendour of majesty which He has put upon them into tyranny. ”

“ Asaph hath understood, because on the Title of the Psalm there is, “understanding of Asaph.” And what saith he? “But God, our King before the worlds, hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth” (ver. 12) . On the one hand we cry, “No longer is there prophet, and us He will not know as yet:” [44] but on the other hand, “our God, our King, who is before the worlds” (for He is Himself in the beginning of the Word [45] by whom were made the worlds) , “hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth.” ”

“ The unhappy mother met him at the door. “Oh, Joshua!” she cried, the foolish affectation of the Greek name being forgotten in the hour of trouble. “Can you help us? My dear Asaph is dying, and he is terribly distressed about his sins. You are high-priest. Have you not some power to do him good?”
“Take me to him,” said Jason, “I will do all that I can for him.” ”

“ Chapter 25 1 And David and the army commanders separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and Jeduthun, leading prophetic liturgy with lyres, and harps, and cymbals. And the count of those assigned to the service were as follows. 2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zakkur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, sons of Asaph in the office of Asaph, who gave the prophetic liturgy under the direction of the king. ”

“ And, worse than all, they give promotion to the clergy who besmear them with flattery. To take the other view, if the Apostle’s meaning be that marriage is necessary in a bishop, the Apostle himself ought not to have been a bishop, for he said, [242] “Yet I would that all men were even as I myself.” And John will be thought unworthy of this rank, and all the virgins, and the continent, the fairest gems that give grace and ornament to the Church. Bishop, priest, and deacon, are not honourable distinctions, but names of offices. ”

“ Asaph, is a remarkable instance of a man with many substantial claims to remembrance being principally remembered through a trivial accident. He was the eldest son of the Rev. W. Cleaver, master of a private school at Twyford in Buckinghamshire, and was the elder brother of Archbishop Cleaver [q. v.] He was at Magdalen College, Oxford, and after taking his B.A. degree, 1761, was a fellow of Brasenose College ”

“ A bishop when called in by another bishop, if he that called him is unskilled, must not be too assiduous in preaching, for this would be indecorous to the unlearned bishop, and an attack upon his bishopric. And both improper. Without grave necessity it is undesirable for a bishop to be absent from his church. ”

“ Asaph include: "St. Asaph" in The Army and Navy Hymnal, 1920, used with "At Thy Feet, Our God and Father" "St. Asaph" in The Army and Navy Hymnal, 1920, used with "Through the Night of Doubt and Sorrow" "St. ”

“ The soul of a Bishop is for all the world like a vessel in a storm: lashed from every side, by friends, by foes, by one’s own people, by strangers. Does not the Emperor rule the whole world, the Bishop a single city? Yet a Bishop’s anxieties are as much beyond those of the emperor, as the waters of a river simply moved, by the wind are surpassed in agitation by the swelling and raging sea. ”

“ And where is this forbidden? there is nothing honorable in being unclean.
These are not the things we find blamed or applauded at all. For the qualities which a Bishop is required to possess are different, as to be blameless, sober, orderly, hospitable, apt to teach. These the Apostle requires, and these we ought to look for in a ruler of the Church, but nothing further. Thou art not more strict than Paul, or rather more strict than the Spirit. If he be a striker, or violent, or cruel, and unmerciful, accuse him. ”

“ If any bishop tries out of pride to do away with what has been decreed admirably, and in a manner pleasing to God, he shall lose his episcopate. A bishop who shall see a bishop on his way to the camp, if he shall know that he goes there for any of the before-mentioned causes, let him not trouble him, but if otherwise let him pronounce excommunication against him. ”

“ But if so much consideration is needed in other churches for the ordination of a bishop, how much care is required in the Church of Vercellæ, where two things seem to be equally required of the bishop, monastic rule and church discipline? For Eusebius of holy memory was the first in Western lands to bring together these differing matters, both while living in the city observing the rules of the monks, and ruling the Church with fasting and temperance. For the grace of the priesthood is much increased if the bishop constrain young men to the practice of abstinence, and to the rule of purity ”