COLENSO (John William, 1814-1883, Bishop of Natal from 1853)

Autograph Letter Signed 'J.W. Natal' to the Society of Arts saying that he will "endeavour to attend the meeting of the Society of Arts to which you invite me tomorrow evening and shall be glad if opportunity offers, to tke part in any discussion which may arise upon it. I am so situated, however, that I cannot at this moment promise to be present but I am unwilling to delay longer my reply to your letter, Should I not be able to attend I shall be prevented by a pressure of work falling upon me which I cannot put off ...", 1½ sides 8vo., 23 Sussex Place, Kensington, W., 5th May

Colenso's 'trial', in November 1863 during his absence in England, by Archbishop Gray of Capetown, was a cause célèbre. Colenso, a devoted pastor of the Zulus, was also a mathematician and biblical scholar of the modern German school. He had published a Commentary on Romans, and in 1862 set out for England to oversee the publication of the Pentateuch in 5 volumes. Gray sought to depose him in his absence, and when Colenso appealed to the Privy Council, controversy raged not unlike the great debate over evolution of 1859-1860. Colenso's defence fund bore subscriptions from scientists such as Babbage and Darwin, broad churchmen or younger dons such as Farrer and Jowett, well wishers and friends such as Joseph Chamberlain and Rajah Brooke, and not a few of the clergy. He became by invitation a member of the Athenaeum. In April 1865 the Privy Council found in Colenso's favour, and on 15th August he set off back to Africa.
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. Charles Dickens, Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin, Karl Marx, William Hogarth, John Diefenbaker, Stephen Hawking, Benson Taylor and Tim Berners-Lee are some of the notable past and present Fellows, and today it has Fellows elected from 80 countries worldwide.

Item Date:  1863

Stock No:  39183      £125

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