350 History of Hingham. 



In 1811 he was appointed tutor in mathematics in Harvard 

 College and remained in this position for a year. In 1812 he es- 

 tablished the publication, " The General Repository and Review," 

 which continued for two years. It was very earnest in defence of 

 Uuitarianism, and was conducted with great ability. In 1813 he 

 was appointed librarian of Harvard College Library and held the 

 office for eight years. In the same year, 1813, he was also ap- 

 pointed lecturer on the Criticism and Interpretation of the Scrip- 

 tures in the college. In 1819 he was elected Dexter Professor of 

 Sacred Literature in the Harvard Divinity School. In 1830 he 

 resigned his professorship, but still continued to devote himself to 

 literary and theological pursuits. 



In 1849 he suffered from a severe illness, from which he never 

 fully recovered. He passed the summer of 1850 in Newport, by 

 the advice of his physician, and his sojourn there was attended 

 with such beneficial results that he made it his subsequent resi- 

 dence. In the summer of 1853 it was apparent that his strength 

 was declining, and he died Sept. 18, 1853. Professor Norton 

 was a learned writer on theological questions. He was a fre- 

 quent contributor to periodicals, and many of his essays and 

 discourses were published. Of his more elaborate works, that on 

 ■" The Evidences of the Genuineness of the Gospels " is regarded 

 as " one of the most important contributions which this country 

 has made to theological literature." " To him, also, with Mr. 

 Buckminster, Professor Stuart, and a few others, we are indebted 

 for that impulse given to Biblical study in New England early 

 in the present century, which has been of incalculable benefit to 

 all denominations." 



David Sprague [III. 166], son of David Sprague, was born in 

 Hingham, April 12, 1707. The following is taken from a " His- 

 tory of the Exeter (R. I.) Baptist Church," by T. A. Hall. 



" Elder David Sprague, who was the founder and first pastor of the 

 Exeter Baptist Church, was a native of Hingham, Mass., from whence he 

 removed to Scituate, R. I., where he was converted and received as a mem- 

 ber of the Six Principle Baptist Church in that town, then under the min- 

 istry of Rev. Samuel Fiske. Here he commenced preaching with great 

 acceptance, but, not holding Arminian views, was soon a little unpopular. 

 He next removed to North Kingstown, united with the church in that town, 

 and was ordained in 1737 as colleague to Rev. Richard Sweet, but 

 finally left that church on account of its free-will notions, as he was Calvin- 

 istic in his views, and went to South Kingstown and preached to the 

 church in that place, but soon left them, and for the same reason, and re- 

 moved to Exeter, where in the autumn of 1750 he founded the church 

 made up largely of what were then termed New Lights. 



" There were two large gatherings of the New Light Churches of New 

 England with the Exeter Church. The first, representing twenty-five 

 churches, was on the 23d of May, 1753; the second, representing twelve 

 churches, was on the second Tuesday in September, 1754, to settle terms 

 of fellowship and communion at the Lord's table. 



