Fifty Notable Years: Views of the Ministry of Christian Universalism During the Last Half-Century; with Biographical SketchesAdams, John G. (John Greenleaf)
Religion
Fifty Notable Years: Views of the Ministry of Christian Universalism During the Last Half-Century; with Biographical Sketches
Adams, John G. (John Greenleaf)
Universalism; Universalist Church -- Biography; Universalists -- Biography; Universalists -- United States -- History
May 26, 1861, in the thirty-sixth year of his age. He was a man of
deep consecration, of most attractive social qualities, whose memory
will be sacredly cherished by those who best knew him. His only son,
Rev. Charles H. Eaton, is the successor of Rev. Dr. Chapin in the
ministry of the Fourth Universalist Church in New York city.
Rev. W. A. P. DILLINGHAM was a son of Maine, and a graduate of the
Harvard Divinity School. He had pastoral settlements in Augusta,
Waterville, Dover, and Norridgewock, Me., and Portsmouth, N. H. For a
time he became interested in the Swedenborgian Church, and entered its
ministry, but without changing his views as to the final destiny of
men. While in this connection, he writes: "I never preached the
eternity of the hells, nor any doctrine inconsistent with the divine
benevolence, and I never heard Universalism or Universalists attacked
or spoken of in derogatory terms as to their moral influence by some
church people, without putting in a square defence of those whom I
knew only to respect, and who had treated me with a consideration
beyond my deserts." In due time he returned to his own church, with
the honest confession that he had found no better, more conscientious,
spiritual, intellectual, or tolerant people than those he had left.
While in Waterville, he represented the town for two years, and was
chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives the second year. Other
positions of public trust were held by him, all of which he honored.
He was active in business, "fervent in spirit," and devoutly
religious. Few men had better qualities for a public speaker. With a
tall, dignified, imposing presence, and a voice of extraordinary
compass, richness, and power, his speech was impressive and effective.
He was suddenly stricken down with acute pneumonia, and died in 1871,
aged forty-six.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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