Men of the Time, eleventh edition/Birks, Thomas Rawson
BIRKS, The Rev. Thomas Rawson, M.A., born Sept., 1810, graduated at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1834, as second wrangler and second Smith's prizeman. In the same year he became fellow of his college, and won the Seatonian prize for the best English poem in 1843–44. In the latter year he became rector of Kelshall, Herts. He is the author of "Memoirs of the Rev. E. Bickersteth, of Watton," whose daughter he married. He was for five years examining chaplain to Bishop Villiers, of Carlisle, and afterwards of Durham; and for 21 years, from 1850 to 1871, he was one of the honorary secretaries of the Evangelical Alliance. He was appointed vicar of Holy Trinity, Cambridge, in 1865, and held that incumbency till 1877. He was an examiner for the Theological Examination in 1867 and 1868, and a member of the Board of Theological Studies. He has been one of the Select Preachers before the University. Mr. Birks was elected Knightbridge Professor of Moral Theology, Casuistical Divinity, and Moral Philosophy at Cambridge, on the death of the Rev. J. T. D. Maurice, in April, 1872. His principal works are:—"First Elements of Prophecy," "The Four Empires," "The Two Later Visions of Daniel," "Outlines of Unfulfilled Prophecy," "The Mystery of Providence," "Treasures of Wisdom," "Modern Rationalism," "The Christian State" (afterwards republished as "Church and State"), "Horæ Apostolicæ, a Supplement to Paley's Horæ Paulinæ"; "Horæ Evangelicæ," on the internal evidence of the Gospels; "The Bible and Modern Thought," "The Exodus of Israel," "The Pentateuch and its Anatomists," "Matter and Ether, or the Secret Laws of Physical Change"; "The Difficulties of Belief," "The Ways of God," "The Victory of Divine Goodness," "The Scripture Doctrine of Creation," "The Sacraments, Science and Prayer"; "Commentary on the Book of Isaiah," "First Principles of Moral Science," "Modern Utilitarianism," "Modern Physical Fatalism," "Supernatural Revelation," an answer to Supernatural Religion; "An Essay on the Right Estimation of Manuscript Evidence in the Text of the New Testament," "Thoughts on Sacred Prophecy," 1880; besides various papers for the Christian Observer, The Victoria Philosophical Institute, and other pamphlets.