author
Augustus Toplady
1740–1778
Best remembered for writing the enduring hymn "Rock of Ages," this 18th-century Anglican clergyman was also a fierce religious controversialist whose short life left a lasting mark on English hymnody. His writing combines strong feeling, sharp argument, and a gift for memorable lines.
1 Audiobook
Rock of Ages
by Augustus Toplady
About the author
Born in Farnham, Surrey, on November 4, 1740, Augustus Montague Toplady became an English Anglican cleric, hymn writer, and defender of Calvinist theology. He studied at Westminster School and later at Trinity College Dublin, and was ordained in the Church of England while still a young man.
Toplady is remembered above all for "Rock of Ages," a hymn that has remained widely loved for generations. Alongside his hymn writing, he published religious works and became well known for his strong opposition to John Wesley in the theological disputes of his day.
He served as vicar of Broadhembury in Devon and continued writing and preaching despite fragile health. Toplady died in London on August 11, 1778, at just 37 years old, but his most famous hymn secured him a lasting place in Christian devotional literature.