625 



WARDLAW, RALPH, D.D. 



WARE, SIR JAMES. 



526 



of God ; on the Immortality of the Soul,' &c., 8vo, Oxford, 1652 ; and 

 a volume of Sermons, which was published in London in 1674 ; but 

 he is chiefly distinguished by his works on astronomy. The first of 

 these is entitled ' Prcelectio de Cometis ; ubi de Cometarum naturil 

 disseritur, nova Cometarum Theoria,' &e., with a tract designated 

 ' Inquisitio in Ismaelis Bulialdi Astronomiso Philolaicse fundamenta,' 

 4to, Oxonio;, 1653. In this work Ward criticises the hypothesis of 

 Bulialdus, that the elliptical movement of a planet results from the 

 path of the latter being on an epicycle whose centre is in motion, in a 

 contrary direction, on an excentric deferent. In the following year 

 were published also at Oxford, ' Idea Trigonometric Demonstrate in 

 usum Juventutis;' and a reply to John Webster, under the title 

 ' Vindiciaa Academiarum,' 4to. In 1656 were published his ' Exerci- 

 tatio Epistolica in Thomas Hobbesii Philosophiam ad D. J. Wilkins,' 

 and also his work entitled ' Astroiiomia Geometrica, ubi Methodus 

 proponitur qua Primariorum Planetaruin Astronomia, sive Elliptica, 

 sive circularis, possit Geometrice absolvi,' 8vo, Londini. In the latter 

 the author assumes the truth of an hypothesis which had also been 

 proposed by Bulialdus, that each planet moves about the sun in an 

 elliptical orbit, and that the revolving radii describe angles with a 

 uniform motion, not about the focus which is occupied by the sun, 

 but about that which was called the upper focus, being that through 

 which was supposed to pass the axis of the cone, of which the ellipse 

 is the section ; and he founds on the hypothesis methods of calcula- 

 tion which he conceives to be more precise and simple than those of 

 Bulialdus. The hypothesis just mentioned was the last of those in 

 which it was attempted to retain a uniform motion in some part of 

 the system of a planet ; and being capable of affording facilities in the 

 determination of the true from the mean anomaly, it was adopted by 

 other astronomers in that century ; it has however no foundation in 

 fact, and has been long since abandoned by astronomers. 



WARDLAW, RALPH, D.D., was born at Dalkeith, in the county 

 of Mid- Lothian, Scotland, on the 22nd of December 1779. His father, 

 William Wardlaw, was in business as a merchant, his mother, Anne 

 Fisher, was daughter of James Fisher, and granddaughter of Ebenezer 

 Erskine, two of the founders of the Scotch Secession Church. Ralph 

 received his early education at the public schools of Glasgow, to 

 which city his parents removed shortly after his birth. He entered 

 the University of Glasgow in October 1791, and at the close of the 

 first session, before he was thirteen years of age, carried off the Muir- 

 head prize in the Humanity class. He was distinguished as a diligent 

 and careful student, and gained several other prizes in his university 

 course. He was at first inclined to adopt the medical profession, but 

 finally decided in favour of the Christian ministry. With this view he 

 attended from 1795 till 1800 the divinity hall of the Secession Church, 

 then conducted at Selkirk by the Rev. George Lawson. Mr. Wardlaw 

 decided to join the Scottish Independent denomination, which was 

 then being organised by Messrs. Haldane, Aikrnan, and Ewing, and 

 from the first he took a respectable, and very soon a leading position 

 among the ministers of that body. A building having been erected 

 by a number of his friends in Glasgow, with the view of obtaining 

 him as their minister, a church was formed, and Mr. Wardlaw com- 

 menced his services on February 16, 1803. This position he maintained 

 with much credit to himself and usefulness to the Independent body 

 and to the dissenting community at large, till his death, a period of 

 more than fifty years. On August 23rd 1803, he married his cousin, 

 Miss Jane Smith, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Smith, of Dunfermline, by 

 whom he had a family of eleven children. In 1811 Mr. Wardlaw was 

 elected Professor of Systematic Theology in the Theological Academy 

 of the Independent body, which was then established in Glasgow. In 

 1818 he received the diploma of D.D. from Yale College, Connecticut, 

 and in December of that year, his congregation removed to a large 

 and handsome chapel in West George-street, the erection of which 

 had been rendered necessary by the increasing attendance on his 

 ministry. In 1848 Dr. Wardlaw's health being somewhat impaired, 

 the Rev. S. T. Porter was chosen as co-pastor, a connection which 

 existed for about two years, when differences arose in consequence of 

 charges made or supported by Mr. Porter against Dr. Wardlaw, the 

 result of which was, the separation of Mr. Porter and a portion of the 

 members from West George-street church, and the formation of a 

 new church under Mr. Porter's pastoral charge. In this case, the 

 deacons and-the great body of the congregation adhered to Dr. Ward- 

 law, and a crowded meeting was held in the City Hall to express sym- 

 pathy for him, and to present to him a piece of plate as a testimonial. 

 In February 1853, the completion of the fiftieth year of his ministry 

 was celebrated by special services and a public meeting, -in connection 

 with which a large sum of money was collected, and expended in 

 erecting ' The Wardlaw Jubilee School and Mission House ' at Dove- 

 hill, a destitute part of the city. He died on December 17th 1853, 

 within a few days of completing his seventy-fourth year. 



Dr. Wardlaw took an active part in various public questions and 

 engaged in several controversies, chiefly theological, which gave rise 

 to some of his most elaborate publications. He was frequently invited 

 to London to preach anniversary sermons, and speak at public meet- 

 ings of the great religious societies. On several occasions he declined 

 invitations to accept professorships at the Independent Theological 

 Academies in England. In April 1833 he delivered in London eight 

 lectures in defence of Congregationalism, forming the first series of 



an annual course called 'The Congregational Lecture.' In April 

 1839, at the request of the Protestant Dissenting Deputies, he 

 delivered eight lectures in Freemasons' Hal!, London, in answer to 

 the lectures on Church Establishments, which had been delivered in 

 London the previous year by Dr. Chalmers. AB a preacher Dr. Ward- 

 law was much esteemed by members of all denominations. His dis- 

 courses, which were very carefully prepared, were generally written out, 

 and read with a clear and silvery voice, and a calm but impressive 

 elocution. The following list contains the titles of his principal pro- 

 ductions. Many single sermons, including several funeral discourses 

 for distinguished ministers, and other friends, were likewise pub- 

 lished by him. In 1803 he edited a Hymn Book for the Congrega- 

 tionalists in Scotland, containing several hymns of his own composition. 

 In 1807 ho published ' Three Lectures on Romans IV., 9-25,' on the 

 question of infant baptism ; in 1810, ' Essay on Mr. Joseph Lancaster's 

 Improvements in Education; ' in 1814, in one volume 8vo, 'Discourses 

 on the Socinian Controversy,' in answer to Mr. Yates, the Unitarian 

 minister in Glasgow; in 1816, in 8vo, ' Unitarianism incapable of 

 Vindication,' in reply to Mr. Yates's ' Vindication of Unitarianism ; ' 

 in 1817, 'Essay on Benevolent Associations for the Poor; ' in 1821, in 

 2 vols. 8vo, ' Expository Lectures on the Book of Ecclesiastes ; ' in 

 1825, 'A Dissertation on the Scriptural Authority, Nature, and Uses 

 of Christian Baptism ; ' ' The Divine Dissuasive to the Young against 

 the Enticements of Sinners ; ' ' Man Responsible for his Belief,' in 

 answer to Lord Brougham's inaugural discourse ; in 1829, ' Introduc- 

 tory Essay to Doddridge's Practical Discourses on Regeneration ; ' a 

 volume of Sermons; in 1830, 'Two Essays: I. On the Assurance of 

 Faith ; II. On the Extent of the Atonement and Universal Pardon ; ' 

 in 1832, 'Discourses on the Sabbath; ' ' Civil Establishments of Chris- 

 tianity tried by the Word of God;' in 1833, 'Christian Ethics; or 

 Moral Philosophy on the Principles of Divine Revelation ; ' in 1835, 

 'Two Lectures on the Voluntary Church Question;' in 1836, 'Friendly 

 Letters to the Society of Friends ; ' in 1839, ' National Church Estab- 

 lishments considered,' being the lectures delivered in London in reply 

 to Dr. Chalmers ; ' Sketch of the Life and Character of the Rev. Dr. 

 McAll of Manchester,' prefixed to Dr. He All's Sermons, edited by 

 Dr. Wardlaw; in 1841, 'Letters to the Rev. Hugh M'Neile, M.A., on 

 some portions of his Lectures on the Church of England;' in 1842, 

 'Lectures on Female Prostitution;' in 1845, 'Memoir of the Rev. 

 John Reid,' Missionary at Bellary in the East Indies, and Dr. Ward- 

 law's son-in-law; 'The Life of Joseph and the Last Days of Jacob : 

 a book for Youth and for Age;' ' Strictures on Dr. Halley's Congre- 

 gational Lecture on the Sacraments,' in reference to Infant Baptism, 

 &c. ; in 1848, 'Congregational Independency, in contradistinction to 

 Episcopacy and Presbyteriauism, the Church Polity of the New Testa- 

 ment ; ' in 1852 (his last work), a ' Treatise on Miracles.' Dr. Ward- 

 law was likewise a contributor to various religious periodicals. Of 

 Dr. Wardlaw's sons, one is a missionary in India, another a mer- 

 chant in Glasgow. 



(W. L. Alexander, D.D., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Ralph 

 Wardlaw, D.D.) 



WARE, SIR JAMES, an Irish antiquary. His father, Sir James 

 Ware, a native of Yorkshire, went to Ireland in the time of Elizabeth 

 as secretary to Sir William Fitz- William, lord deputy in 1588, was 

 subsequently appointed auditor-general for the kingdom, and purchased 

 considerable property in and near Dublin. James, his eldest son, was 

 born in Dublin on the 2Gth of November 1594. In his sixteenth year 

 he was entered at Trinity College, Dublin, and prosecuted his studies 

 there for six years. Immediately after leaving college he married 

 Mary, daughter of John Newman, Esq., of Dublin. By the adviefe of 

 Usher he devoted himself to the study of Irish antiquities. During a 

 residence of some years in England (1626-29), he contracted an inti- 

 macy with Selden and Sir Robert Cotton, by whose assistance he con- 

 siderably increased his collection of manuscripts. 



On his return to Ireland in 1629, he was knighted by the lords 

 justices; and in 1632, his father dying suddenly, he succeeded both 

 to his estate and the office of auditor-general. He applied himself 

 assiduously to public business ; obtained, in 1633, the confidence of 

 Lord Wentworth (afterwards Earl of Stratford), and was by his advice 

 created a member of the Irish Privy-Council. In 1639 Sir James 

 Ware was elected a member of the Irish House of Commons. When 

 the rebellion broke out in 1641, he assisted the government not only 

 by his personal services, but also by becoming surety for sums of 

 money advanced to it. His character for superiority to the partisan 

 prejudices either of the Popish or Protestant party, occasioned his 

 being sent, in December 1644, to inform the king, then at Oxford, of 

 the real state of affairs in Ireland. He employed his leisure hours at 

 Oxford in the prosecution of his antiquarian researches, and had the 

 honorary degree of Doctor of Laws conferred upon him by the 

 University. 



The vessel in which Sir James Ware returned to Ireland was taken 

 by one of the Parliament's ships. He underwent an imprisonment of 

 ten months in the Tower of London, and was released by an exchange 

 of prisoners. In 1647 he was one of the hostages for the performance 

 of the treaty by which the Earl of Ormond surrendered Dublin to the 

 Parliament. He was deprived of his office of auditor-general, but 

 allowed to reside in Ireland, till Michael Jones, governor of Dublin, 

 taking umbrage at him, ordered him to transport himself beyond seas 



