Hobart, Noah a Congregational minister, was born at Hingham Jan. 12, 1706. He graduated at Harvard College in 1724, and was ordained pastor of the First Congregational Church at Fairfield, Connecticut, Feb. 7, 1733. About this time a controversy arose in the Eastern States respecting the Episcopalians, in which Hobart enlisted, and wrote in behalf of the validity of Presbyterian ordination a pamphlet entitled Serious Address to the Episcopal Separation (1748; 2nd address, 1751; 3rd address, 1761). His opponents were Dr. Johnson and other ministers who had swerved from Congregationalism. Of Mr. Hobart's ability and learning, Dr. Dwight, who was one of the men of his time, says: "He possessed high intellectual and moral distinction. He had a mind of great acuteness and discernment; was a laborious student; was extensively learned, especially in history and theology; adorned the doctrine which he professed by an exemplary life, and was holden in high veneration for his wisdom and virtue. Among the American writers of the last century, not one has, I believe, handled the subject of Presbyterian ordination with more ability or success." He died Dec. 6, 1773. Besides several sermons, he published Principles of the Congreg. Church, etc. (1754). — Contrib. to Eccl. History of Connecticut, p. 385; Smith's Hagenbach, Hist. of Doctrines, 2. 448; Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, 1, 375.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More