Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1859-12-09
CIR STIR auS Cbronif!r.
MONDAY. DEC. ,. 1879.
"IAnnals of the American Pulpit"

annals OF the American Pulpit"
CuRIsrIiN BIoGRAPur is a most useful and
entertaining study. The child, persons in
mature life, and the aged, all love TO dwell
upon exhibitions Of the laborS, and the men
tai, moral and personal Ponrailures of the
pouS-not only of those, recorded IN the In
splred Volume, through the Tong line Of proph-
els and apostles, but also Of martyrs, mission
aries, and humble shepherds .! Chrlst's flock,
down 10 our own TINES.
For nearly twenty years past, Rev. DR.. WV.
B. SPaAGuE, pastor OF Presbyterian church
in Albany, Ny, has been preparing materials
for a series Of works under the above title.
He has diligently searched for all the records
and incidents, printed and manu>capt-and
also elected from living men and women, Of
all sectS and pursuits, whatever Of interest or
Importance their memories could supply
relative 10 the most prominent or worthy Cos
pei Ministers Of our country, from lis settle
mrnt to the year 1886. From some thousands
of records, and correspondents, he has cuied
his Annals, endeavoring 10 be authentic a
possible in dates and names, and to present
his subjects in an impartial, lIle-like manner
giving every denomination 10 portray, IN It's
own way, those ministers held IN greatest eS.
TEEN by the membership. Each volume is
embelished by fine Likeness Of some prom.
inent character.
Thus far, DR.. Sprague has issued SIX Vol
umes-the tro first, being devoted 10 Coagre-
gationai preachers; the next f'co 10 Prfstyfe-
rians; the next, one, 10 Episc,Paiiq1s; and the
last, ane. to Ran;i>f Annals Each nf these
Volumes is stereo'yped, and contains abou,
500 large pages Of clear but closely printed
matter. They are sold, we believe. al $3.50
each for the two volume works, and 81 for
the one-vulume works. Il. CARTER & BnOs,
$50, Broadway, New York, are the Publishers.
We are indebted TO the author for a copy
of the last issued Volume, and deem it-as IL
Illustrative of the serieS-worlhy OF an extend
ed notice. II contains full sketches Of l11
ministers, and brief notes O! 200 others, from
the pens of I2S distinct correSp Spondents, and
from other printed and manuscript sources Of
information.
The venerated Hansard Knollys, afterwards
so long pastor in London. was the first min
lister Of the denomination who visited AmerI-
ca, and Roger Williams the first one resident.
In the time Of the Revolution, the Baptists had
about 200 preachers and 10000 members;
now, they number 5000 preachers and l,0C0,
600 members. That their ministers were
"abundant' in works, Is evident from the
fact that one, jeremiah Vardeman, baptized
about 5000 believers during his long and en-
ergetic ministry. Their first grammar school
was originated by Isaac Eaton, \. NJ, at
Hopewe.l, n. j., in l756, and their first Col
lege (now Brown University, was projected
by Pennsylvanian>, IN l1Gl. Since then, al
though few Of her ministers have been "a
vored with a liberal education, this branch of
the church has not been without most honor
able representatives. in every department OF
literature and of business, as well as foremost
in home and foreign evaugclization.
Gen. WAsHINGroN (See page 1907 in letter
to Col Samuel Harriss, OF Va, bears testImo-
nv that the BaptSts '.havc been, throughout
Amerca-uniformly and almost unanimous
ly-the firm friends 10 cirH liberty, and the
persevering promoters % our glorious Revo-
lution.' Only one preacher was known TO
oppose the work, aud he was droTred into re-
tirement. Of the handful Of their preachers,
John Gano, David Jones, Hezekiah Smith,
Charles Thompson, Edmund Botslord and
Burgess AliiSon-sx-named in this volume
were Chaplains, and several others were OF
fcers or Soldiers, in that War of Revolution.
David Jones served again as Chaplain in the
war o. 1872.
But the denomination were most distin-
guished for their efforts in behalf Of religious
freedom. Rhode Island, under Roger Will
hams, was the first State TO grant full "Soul
liberty" as divine right, while in many Of
the States there remained lmposItionS and bur
dens upon the sects not o.! the standing or
der" which the people of our day can not aP-
preciate. Quite a number noted in this work,
acted as Members Of State legislatures, and
Conyentions. They were merely representa-
lives of the strenuous private members, who
were foremostin so settling the fundamental
laws as to perlect-in theory at least-both
Civil and Religions freedom.
President Manning, Of Brown University,
was sent TO The Congress Of l7s6, and John
Kerr, of Virginia, in 1872. Both were noted
eloquent men, and as true in the pulpit in
The National Legislature. Burgess Allison,
Wm. Parkinson, VIM. Staushton,O. b. Brown,
and ). II. Cone, here named, were Congress. ,
sional ChaplainS.
The names of Professors Kinnersley and
Rogers Of the State University. Doctors Brani-
ley, Holcombe, Rhees. the three Jones, Nor
Gan Edwards, U,uck, ! ,hion, are recor,ed n
ms volume, win other P,aH>ylyanlans.