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NEW.ENGLAND

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.

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ABBOT HULL, minister of the church in Charlestown, was a native of Massachusetts; graduated at Harvard College in 1720. He was among the first students that were put upon Mr. Hollis's foundation, and recommended by Mr. Hollis himself, as a youth meriting the benefit of the fund for indigent and good scholars. In 1723 he was ordained, colleague pastor with the famous Mr. Bradstreet, and continued in the ministry till his death, 1774.

He left a few printed discourses, chiefly occasional, and his character was respectable as a gentleman and divine. *

ADAMS MATTHEW, is worthy of notice in an account of ingenious and literary men of Boston. In the life of Franklin it is said, that he kindled the zeal and encouraged the talents of that philosopher, who had free access to his books; and Dr. Franklin speaks of him with respect and acknowledged his attentions. Mr. Adams was only a mechanick, but with the advantages of a college education would have made considerable progress in scientifick researches, and been very useful at that period. He was one of the` writers in the New-England Journal. The essays

His printed discourses are, Artillery Election Sermon, 8vo. Boston, 1735. A Sermon upon the rebellion in Scotland, 8vo. 1746. A Sermon against profane swearing and cursing, 8vo.

1747.

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he contributed were received with marks of publick esteem, and reprinted in periodical miscellanies of later date. Like many other ingenious men, Mr. Adams lived in depressed circumstances, and died with a name and character rather than any worldly estate. He left several children, who inherited his genius, one of whom was

JOHN ADAMs, minister of the church in Durham, New-Hampshire. His father laboured to give him a liberal education, and he was graduated at Harvard College in 1745, and in a few years after ordained at Durham, where he continued pastor of the church more than twenty years. No town in New England was ever more disturbed by fanaticks than Durham. A spirit of opposition to the order of the churches raged there. Every man who received a liberal education, who wore a band or black coat, and held a regular service on the Lord's day, was called hireling, thief, wolf, and any thing that would make him odious. They after this manner insulted this pious minister, who had not patience to bear it, and was often inveloped in gloom, or ready to sink into despondency. This might, in some measure, be owing to the constitution of the man. For he was in his best days, and when he was not exposed to peculiar trials of his ministry, very much the sport of his feelings. Sometimes he was so depressed as to seem like a being mingling with the dust, and suddenly would mount up to heaven with a bolder wing than any of his contemporaries. This would happen frequently in the pulpit, so that when he had been all the week preparing a sermon which was, according to his own expression as dull as his feelings, he would feel an exertion that would give him health, cheerfulness, and new life. It was his method to take a new text, and give a flow to his sentiments and expressions, which were much better than he was ever able to utter, with previous consideration. His delivery then was as lively as his fancy. In these

happy moments he was also a cheerful, instructive and entertaining companion. He could write as well as speak, like one who had cultivated a philological taste. A specimen of his abilities was exhibited in a letter written to a committee of the town of Boston, 1774, when the Port Bill had annihilated their commerce.*

Mr. Adams was obliged to leave Durham in the year 1778, in consequence of other disturbances than religious. He had been thought the most proper minister to live with people so enthusiastick as the inhabitants of Durham; for he was himself, from his animal frame and pious sentiments, inclined to enthusiasm ; had rather favoured than opposed the New Lights in his youth, and preached the gospel according to the strictest sect of our forefathers; but as one extreme succeeds another, the most cold indifference to every thing of a religious nature was visible in the inhabitants of Durham during the latter part of Mr. Adams's pastoral relation; and they grew weary of maintaining a minister, in addition to the demands of money, to carry on the war; a contention arose upon the most frivolous pretences, and a council advised to a removal. He was soon invited to settle at Washington, in the county of York, Massachusetts. With this flock he lived in more easy circumstances. He died 1793, aged about 60 years.

ADAMS JOHN Rev. a divine, a poet, a writer of essays, &c. He was the son of the Hon. John Adams, of Nova-Scotia, and was graduated at Harvard College, 1701. He died at Cambridge, 1740. The fellows of the College were his pall-holders, and the first characters in the state attended the funeral. His character was very respectable, though doubtless the eulogy in the Boston newspapers, was from the pen of one strongly prejudiced in his favour-" It deserves to

There was a committee appointed to receive donations. The letter was accompanied with a present from the inhabitants of Durham.

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be written in letters of gold on monuments of marble, or rather to appear and shine forth from some genius of uncommon sublimity and equal to his own. But sufficient are his immortal writings to perpetuate his memory." His literary friends issued proposals for publishing a volume of his sermons, but the subscription failed. They published a volume of poems which discover a good imagination and pure taste. They are equal to any New-England poetry of this date, though not meriting in the encomium passed upon his writings. A second edition was never called for. The book is very scarce, and ought to be preserved among the rare works of American authors.

He published during his life, a poem on the love of moncy, which is ingenious and satirical. It is not contained in the volume.

ADAMS AMOS, minister of the first church in Roxbury, was a very popular preacher, having a voice uncommonly sonorous and plaintive. The energy of his manner in the pulpit is often mentioned by those who sat under his ministry. He was praised in other churches, as a very accomplished preacher, but many were disgusted with his plainness of speech, the length of his discourses, and his very desultory observations. All allowed him to discover some knowledge of human nature, in the addresses he made to his hearers. His preaching was calculated to prick the consciences of sinners, though they wanted correct discrimination and smoothness of period. His memory was tenacious, and his reading very extensive. His publications never appeared to satisfy the expectations of those who heard thm from the pulpit. They want his animated delivery.*

*He printed several ordination sermons. A funeral sermon upon the death of Madam Dudley. A Thanksgiving discourse,

1759.

The discourses which give him the most reputation were two upon r ligious liberty; and two upon the sufferings of our fathers, which were re-printed in England, not as sermons, but with the title of a Concise History of New-England, The evangelical sen

Mr. Adams was graduated at Cambridge, 1752, and died at Roxbury, October, 1778, to the inexpressible grief of his family and flock. At this time a putrid dysentery prevailed in the camp at Roxbury and Cambridge, which spread more than twenty miles in the environs of Boston. The people of the first church in Roxbury were very much scattered, but Mr. Adams was assiduous in his labours, and not only visited his own flock, but the soldiers who were stationed among the people of his parochial charge. He himself soon fell a victim to the disease.

ADAMS SAMUEL, a man celebrated in the annals of America, was as remarkable for his piety and puritanism, in younger life, as for his political influence, during the contests of the American revolution. He was born September, 1722, in Boston. His ancestors were respectable, among the early planters of New-England, but not sufficiently distinguished to be inserted in a genealogical list; and every kind of genealogy he affected to despise, as a thing which gives birth to family pride. His education was liberal, having commenced his studies at the South Grammar School, under the care of Mr. Lovell. He entered Harvard College A. D. 1736. The honours of that seminary he received in the years 1740 and 1743. He made a very con

siderable progress in classical learning, the art of logic, as it was then taught, as well as the elements of natural philosophy. But his main object was the study of divinity, as he was designed for the ministry.

He was always fond of systematic divinity, and was a Calvinist, of the straitest sect of that denomination. It was the belief of our fathers, and he never spake of them but with the greatest reverence.

timents are curtailed. We see little more then the dry bones of a skeleton, not well hung together. All his printed discourses are bound in two volumes, 8vo. which he presented to the College Library.