Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-03-17
4istOritaI Skettbfs.
For the Monmouth Weekly Herald.
LIVES OF
Distinguished Jerseymen.
New Series.
BY HENRY WARD,
Member Of the Litehfeld Co. Historical Socict!
Rev. samuel Davies, L. .. d.

L
which appeareth for little time, and
vansheth away" And yet, how many
of the truly great and excellent of the
earth, have achieved greater amount of
good, during their comparatively brief
Hives, than they whose years have been
prolonged to a century. When we have
loutliyed our usefulness, it may justly be
Isaid of us, thatw are dead to ourselves
and to our fellow beings. But this last
observation can never be applied to the
estimable and erudite subject of the fol-
lowing sketch:
Samuel Davies was born, in the year
l1724, Of very respectable parents, who
gave him every advantage that lay in
their power, for early instruction. Such
was his ardent love of learning and his
Ieagerness to excel in scholastic pursuits,
that his health was greatly impaired by
overtasking his mind. BY proper care
and judicious treatment, however, he soon
recovered from his depression and de-
voted almost the whole of his attention to
| the study of theology. He had already
made himself familiar with the classics,
and all the higher branches Of education
that we're taught in his day. He was
strongly attached to the Calvanistic faith.
After submitting to several rigid trials
and examinations, be was pronounced
duly qualified to preach the Gospel and
accordingly received license for the
same. AT this time, he was only twenty
two years of age. In order that he might
be thoroughly fitted to perform all the
duties incumbent upon faithful pastor,
he was ordained, soon after he became a
licenciate. This period was remarkable
for some of the most able and distinguish.
ed Divines that ever existed. Who does
not cherish, with feelings of the deepest
generation, the memory of those bright
and shining lights, Rev. Jonathan Ed
wards, Rev. Joseph Bethany, and host
Of others, whose admirable theological
works, even at this day. are read with
great profit and delight, by thousands in
this country and in Europe Well, we
cannot perceive that Mr.. Davies was In
ferior to them, in any respect. AS a
preacher he was very eloquent and infu-
entail and as writer, none the less so.
At this time, too, the sainted Brainard
was inthe Missionary field, ardently, and
zealously, and successfully laboring to
promote the spiritual welfare Of the poor
and benighted Indians.
In April, 1747, Mr.. Davies was sent by
the Presbytery of Newcastle into Vir
ginia, in order that he might settle the
| difficulties, and heal the schsms, which
then prevailed to a considerable extent,
among the Presbyterians in that State
He proceeded to Hanover, and there,
without much opposition, succeeded in
obtaining license from the General
Court, to take upon him the supervision
Of four societies, and to preach in four
different houses of public worship. So
powerful an impression did this eloquent
preacher make upon the minds of the peo-
| pie, that Committee from Hanover
waited upon him, and urgently requested
him to become their settled pastor. In
consequence Of i'll health, he was at first
obliged to decline this friendly proposal.
But, carly in the spring of 1748, having
freely recovered his health, and being
again earnestly solicited to go to Hano-
yer, and take charge of the congregation
there, he considered it his duty to accept
/ the call. He commenced the duties Of
his sacred Office, with the ardent hope of
being enabled to build up the society,
and Of effecting thorough Church or
ganization. And, in this expectation, he
was not disappointed. His labors were
now incessant and severe and had they
not been attended with beneficial results,
he might we'll have been discouraged
Besides the Church at Hanover, seven
others we're organized, through his iustru-
mentality and he alone was under the
necessity of supplying all their pulpits.
Some of them were not less than forty
miles from each other and yet he SO ia
diciously arranged his time, his affairs.
and his labors, that they were all we'll
and abundantly blest with the preaching
Of the Word Of Life" and the admins
tration of the Sacred Ordinances. His
Circuit included FIVE Counties, viz 81
Hanover, Louisa, Goochland, Henrico
and Caroline.
It should be borne in mind, that DR..
Davies performed all his astonishing la
bors, while the Colonies were subject to
the Grown of Great Britain, George III
being the then reigning sovereign. An
s act of religious federation" had been
passed by Parliament. The Episcopa-
lians of Virginia, glorying in the Estab-
lished Church, strennously maintained
that the Act aforesaid did not include
any Dissenting denomination in that
State. DR.. Davies, on the contrary, main
tanned that it did. This produced long
controversy, in which the two most con-
spicuous and powerful champions were,
the Hon. Peyton Randolph, the Attorney
General, on the part Of the Episcopalians,
and Dir. Davies, on the part of the Dis
senters. The dispute was managed with
the utmost skill and ability on both sides.
On one occasion, DIR. Davies addressed
the Court in such an astounding strain Of
eloquence, and SO grand food of learn.
ing, that he came very near carrying ey.
erything before him. The minds Of the
Court were staggered, and seemed more
than half inclined to decide in his favor.
So obstinate, however, is deep.rooted
prejudice, that it needs power more
than human, to make it yield to the force
Of truth. DR.. Davies was not the man to
give up any undertaking, when he knew
that he was clearly in the right. Though
baff1ed he was not defeated and ha do |