Dale, Robert William

D.D. (Yale, 1877), LL.D. (Glasgow, 1883), Congregationalist; b. in London, Dec. 1, 1829; educated at Spring Hill College, Birmingham (1847-53), graduated M.A. (with gold medal) at the University of London, 1853; and in June of that year was ordained and installed as co-pastor with John Angell James of the Carr's-lane (Congregational) Church, Birmingham, and since Mr. James's death in 1859 sole pastor. In 1869 he was chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. In 1877 he was lecturer at Yale Seminary on the Lyman Beecher foundation. He is governor of King Edward VI. 's School, Birmingham, on appointment of the Senate of the University of London. He takes an active part in religious, political (radical), and educational matters. As for his theology, he is in "general agreement with evangelical theologians, but claims freedom in relation to inspiration of the Scriptures, and differs widely from the traditional evangelical school in principles of criticism and exegesis." His views are most fully set forth in his Epistle to the Ephesians. He " a igns a fundamental position to the relations of the human race to the Eternal Son of God, in whom the race was created. Only by the free consent of the individual man to God's eternal election of him in Christ can he actually realize union with God and the po e ion of eternal life. The potency of immortality is in the race, and all men survive death and will be judged; but that only those who consent to find the root of their life in Christ will live forever: the rest of the race will sooner or later cease to exist." Besides many articles of importance, addre es separately published, and an edition of Reu 's History of Christian Theology in the Apostolic Age (translated by Annie Harwood, London, 1872-74, 2 vols.), he has i ued Life and Letters of the Rev. J. A. James, Londo 60 n, 1861, 5th ed. 1862; The Jewish Temple and the Christian Church, 1865, 7th ed. 1886; Discourses delivered on Special Occasions, 1866; Week-day Sermons, 1867, 4th ed. 1883; The Ten Commandments, 1871, 5th ed. 1885; Protestant ism: its Ultimate Principle, 1874, 2d ed. 1875; The Atonement (the Congregational Union lecture for 1875), 1875, 9th ed. 1883 (German trans, from 7th ed., Gotha, 1880, also French trans, and New-Y rork reprint) Nine Lectures on Preaching (Lyman Beecher lectures, referred to above), 1877, 5th ed. 1886; The Evangelical Revival, and other Sermons, 1880, 2d ed. 1881; Epistle to the Ephesians: its Doctrine and Ethics, 1882, 3d ed. 1884; The Laws of Christ for Common Life, 1884, 2d ed. 1885; Manual of Congregational Principles, 1884. He edited The English Hymn-book, Birmingham, 1875, containing 1,260 hymns. For a time he was joint editor of The Eclectic Revieiv, and for seven years sole editor of The Congregationalist.