The Biographical Dictionary of America/Adams, William (clergyman)

ADAMS, William, clergyman, was born at Colchester, Conn., Jan. 25, 1807, son of John and Elizabeth (Ripley) Adams. His father was for twenty-three years principal of Phillips academy, Andover, Mass. In 1827 the son was graduated from Yale college; in 1830 from Andover theological seminary. In 1831 he was ordained as pastor of the Congregational church at Brighton, Mass., which congregation he served for three years, and in 1834 became pastor of the Central Presbyterian church of New York, where he remained twenty years. In 1852 he was chosen moderator of the new-school general assembly of the Presbyterian church which met at Washington, D.C. In 1853, having outgrown their church building, the congregation founded the Madison square Presbyterian church, afterwards one of the largest church edifices in New York. Here he ministered to the congregation for twenty years, resigning in October, 1873, to take the chair of sacred rhetoric and pastoral theology in connection with the presidency of the Union theological seminary of New York city. As a man, Mr. Adams enjoyed an enviable reputation for charity and usefulness, and as a pulpit orator he ranked very high. He wrote several religious books and edited the works of Robert Hall (1830). His published works include: "The Three Gardens: Eden, Gethsemane, and Paradise" (1859); "The Spirit of Hebrew Poetry" (1861); "Thanksgiving: Memories of the Day and Helps to the Habit" (1865); and "Conversations of Jesus Christ with Representative Men" (1868). The University of the city of New York gave him the degree of D. D. in 1842, and Princeton college that of LL.D. in 1869. In 1871 Dr. Adams was sent by the evangelical alliance to intercede with the emperor of Russia in behalf of dissenters from the Greek church in the Baltic provinces, who claimed religious liberty, his mission being entirely successful, and the same year served as delegate from the general assembly of the Presbyterian church in America to the general assembly in Scotland, and to the Free church assembly. At the general council of the Presbyterian church, held at Edinburgh in 1877, he responded to the address of welcome by the lord provost of that city. He was a leader of the new-school board of the Presbyterian church, and in its efforts to reunite the two bodies, was a chief advocate. At the great gathering of representatives of the various Protestant churches of the world, at an evangelical alliance in New York city Oct. 3, 1873, Dr. Adams delivered the address of welcome, in which he announced his creed as follows: "We meet to express and manifest our Christian unity. Divers are the names we bear, both as to countries and churches — German, French, Swiss, Dutch, English, Scotch, Irish, Lutheran, Reformed Anglican, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Independent, but we desire and intend to show that amid all this variety of form and circumstances, there is a real unity of faith and life, believing, according to the familiar expression of our common Christian creed. He was president of the New York institution for the deaf and dumb. He died in New York city, Aug. 31, 1880.