John McClintock (Appleton’s)

McCLINTOCK, John, educator, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 27 Oct., 1814; d. in Madison. Morris co., N. J., 4 March, 1870. He was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1835. Before his graduation he had begun to preach in the New Jersey conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1836 he was appointed professor of mathematics in Dickinson college, Carlisle, Pa., where he remained twelve years, exchanging the mathematical chair in 1848 for that of Greek and Latin. In 1846 he began, in connection with George R, Crooks, a series of text-books of those languages, in which the method of “imitation and repetition,” now generally used, was first introduced. In 1848 he was elected by the general conference editor of the “Methodist Quarterly Review,” and this place he filled for eight years, during which time he gave that periodical a high literary and scholarly character. While in his hands the “Review” rendered especial service by its examination of the positive philosophy of Comte, and the detection of its errors. These essays attracted the attention of the French philosopher, and led to correspondence between him and their author. In 1856 Dr. McClintock was appointed, with Bishop Simpson, a delegate to the Wesleyan Methodist conference of England, and was also present in a similar capacity at the Berlin meeting of the Evangelical alliance the same year. Returning to the United States, he became pastor of St. Paul's church, New York city, in 1857, where he soon became known as one of the eloquent preachers of the metropolis. His charge of the church expiring by limitation in 1860, he sailed for Europe in June to become pastor of the American chapel in Paris, under the auspices of the American and foreign Christian union. Here he remained during the civil war, and did good service in diffusing information regarding the merits of the struggle. In these efforts he secured the aid of the Comte de Gasparin in France and the Rev. William Arthur in England. He also kept his countrymen informed of the fluctuations of European opinion by letters to the New York “Methodist.” After his return in 1864 he was again assigned to the pastorate of St. Paul's church, but, owing to failing health, he was compelled to resign at the end of a year. In 1866 he was made chairman of the central centenary committee having in charge the centennial commemoration of the origin and history of American Methodism. Daniel Drew, of New York, signified his intention of founding, in connection with that event, a biblical and theological school, and Dr. McClintock was chosen its first president. This institution, at Madison, N. J., known as Drew theological seminary, was opened in 1867. Dr. McClintock's style as a writer was characterized by clearness, directness, and precision. He received the degree of D. D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1848, and that of LL. D. from Rutgers in 1866. His chief literary work, to which a great part of the last twenty years of his life was devoted, is the “Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature” (12 vols., New York). It was begun by him in 1853, in conjunction with James Strong, but the first volume did not appear until 1867, and the fourth was only partially prepared at the time of his death. He also published a translation of Neander's “Life of Christ,” in connection with Prof. Carolus E. Blumenthal (New York, 1847); “An Analysis of ‘Watson's Theological Institutes’”(1850); “Sketches of Eminent Methodist Ministers” (1852); “The Temporal Power of the Pope” (1853); and a translation of Bungener's “History of the Council of Trent” (1855). Since his death have been issued “Living Words,” a volume of his sermons (1870), and “Lectures on Theological Encyclopaedia and Methodology” (1873). See his “Life and Letters” by Rev. George R. Crooks, D. D. (New York, 1876).