The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1835-12-02
REV. JAMES FREEMAN, ID. ID.

The Rev Dr. FREEMAN, whose death was an
nounced early this week, an indivual placed in
front rank beyond the common file oil men, and mar
ked for the fearessness and uncompromising inde-
pendence of his opinions. Placed ~ situation oi
peculiar difficulty the Pastor of Kings Chapel,
which had been the most orthodox Episcopalian
Church in Boston, and in the midst of community, /
among whom the peculiar tcnets Of Unitarlanlsm
wfre hardly understood, only regarded as little
bcuer than iniidelity-he boldly asserted the truth
of those doclrinal dscourses delivered in the year
1885 Mr.. Freeman SO far established the belief OF
their truth among his hearers, that the earliest
Eniscopalian Church in New England soon became
The earliest Unitarian Church in America. The
oninions of Mr. Freeman, from the time when he
was fist settled as Pastor at the Chapel ~ the pc
riod of the alterations of the Liturgy of the Church,
had undergone progressive changes. The writings
of Doct Prestly aud the Rev. Mr.. Lindsay oi Lon
don who was Pastor of an Unitarian Church IN that
metropolis-lhe principles of the celebrated Doct.
M,vo of the West Congre CATION in Boston and of
the Rev. Mr.. Clarke, Pastor of the First Church
had contributed to produce this result. But the
fcarlessness with which Re asserted, and the ability
with which he maintained his doctrines, when sur
rounded by opposition and denounced as hereto,
rendered him Rs conspicuous IA religious champion
as hath appeared among us for the last half cen
TRY.
I As public speaker Doct. Freeman was not a
biliiy and musical ntonation, his reading was con-
strained and abrupt. lie had an artificial manner
extremely unpleasant to those who were not accus-
toned to his peculiar mode of utterance. HIS SER
mons however, (Which did not suffer from the OBJ
ections advanced against his ordinary rcading) were
rendered interesting from their sterling merit, ana
, the pure English in which they were written; and
the rcvered speaker had natural manner III then
/ delivery that rendered them impressive. On the
whole, however, DIR. Freeman was deficient IN the
> powers and graces of just eocution.
Doct. Freeman, in private life, was one OF the
most nmiabe of men ;-shrewd, sensible ana Prac-
> lica IN his ideas, he had none of the cant OF the
puIpit in his intercourse with society. wen III
formed, especially in the early history aud first set
Element of his country, he was full OF interesting
anccdotc aud fruitful of historical recolecuons
He was a man Of extensive and varied iniormatiot
full of sound lcarnng-an excellent classica
scholar-and of the most pure and even iastioio"
taste.-Abovc all, he was extremely accurate AK
nrccise in his statements of facts--which pcrhap
arose from the precision of his mathematical caicui
q ations, for practical purposes. When tue Con'eh
: tion of Delegates for amending the 'ons'Iu''o' 10,
assembled IN the State House IN the year l>@o-%i
i il was soon discovered that the Clergy who beonge
IN that body were so little versed in the affairs oil III
- world that they rather impeded than promoted III
9 progress ofbusiness. Doct. Freeman, however, wa
e distinguished exception to this rcmark-and II wa
id said of him by of the bcs, statesmen IN the Con
> ycnton, that he had more practical common sens
'e Than all the rest of his class combined Indeed n
= scale of arrangement for reducing Members oil I'll
House of Representatives. was very near being adol
: ted ny u,c Con'e".'o".
Up Doct. Freeman was originally very reluctant
C. publish any of his writings-arising perhaps tro
'e the critical severity with which he Judged OF the
10 merits. He ultimately however, printed two va
Or umes, containing twenty six sensible proioun
lc proc,iccd and extremely well-wr''en d'scourscs'
and whoever is desrous of rcadirg an Amenc'
work where he may discover the wells OF pure l..
r!sh undcfed, will do well to peruse with a''eh'l'
- the sermons of James Freeman.
Eccning Gazette.