Birt, John

Birt, John an English Baptist minister, eldest son of the foregoing, was born at Devonport, Jan. 7, 1787. He united with the Church at the age of seventeen, and commenced village preaching near Coleford. For two years he studied theology with a minister in London. His first pastoral settlement was in Hull in 1812, where he remained ten years. In 1822 he became pastor of the York-street Church in Manchester, and continued in that relation twenty years. His last settlement was in Oldham. At the end of fourteen years he had a paralytic stroke, which nearly disabled him. He died Oct. 30, 1863. Among his published writings are, The Conversations of Erastus and Trophimus, a vindication of the views held by the moderate Calvinists: — A Summary of the Principles and History of Popery: — and Patristic Evenings, a work which is said to bear witness to the extent and variety of his theological reading. Besides the foregoing, a considerable number of smaller productions issued from his pen. See (Lond.) Baptist Hand-book, 1864, p. 117, 118. (J. C. S.)