itters ejected (1728); Hoefer, N'ouv. Bioyraph. Generale, xxvi, 049.
Jennings, David, D.D., an eminent Independent minister, was born at Kibworth, Leicestershire, iu 1091. In 1718 he became pastor of a congregation in Old (iravel Lane, Wajjping, where lie remained for forty- four years. In 1744 he went as divinity tutor to Cow- ard's Academy, and died Sept. 10, 1702. His principal works are, Jewish Antiquities, with a Dissertation on the Hebrew Language (London, 1700; 10th edition, 1839, 8vo) ; a work which "has long held a distinguish- ed character for its accuracy and learning," and certain- ly one of the best works of the kind in tlie English lan- guage:— The Beauty and Benefit of early Piety (Lond. 1731, ]8mo): — .1 Vindication of the Scripture Doctrine of Oriyinul Sin [Anonym.] (London, 1740, 8vo) -.—An Appeal to Reason and Common Sense (1755, rimo) : — Sermons to the Youny (1743, 12mo), etc. Sec Orton, Life of Doddridye, p. 10, 243 ; Prof est aid Dissent. May. vol. V ; Hoefer, Nouv. Bioyr. Generalcy xxvi, 000 ; Alli- bone, Dictionary of Authors, i, 904.
Jennings, John, an English dissenting minister, brother of David Jennings (see above), became, after preaching for some time, a theological tutor at Kib- worth. He was also tutor to Dr. Doddridge. He died in 1723. He wrote Two Discourses on Prcavhiny (Lon- don, 1754, r2mo; also in E. Williams's /'rradnr's As- sistant), etc. See Wilson, IJist. vj' /t/ssi ii/i js : llocrcr, Nouv. Bioy. Generale, xxvi, 000; Allili(uic, Dirttonitry of A uthors, i,^JGi.
Jennings, Samuel Kennedy, a Protestant Methodist lay minister of great ability and distinction, was born in lissex County, N.J,, June 0, 1771. He was educated at Rutgers (then Queens) College. After the completion of his collegiate course he studied medicine, and for a time even practiced as a physician. In hiu youth he Avas a tlecided infidel, although he sprang from a family of ministers and zealous Christian workers. Ill 1794 he was converted, and two j'ears after he enter- ed the lay ministry, and served his Church very abh'o In 1805 bishop Asbury ortlained him a deacon, and in 1814 bishop JPIvendree made him an elder. In 1817 he took up his residence at Baltimore, after having fill- ed in various places the position of physican and minis- ter, and in this city also he made many friends by his (Ihristian kindness and liberality. He was one of the prime movers for the introduction of lay representation in the Conferences of the Jlethodist Episcopal Church, and was one of those who were expelled from the ^Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and finally organized the "Meth- odist Protestant ('liurch." See Lay DKi.EGArrox. He died Oct. 19, 1854. See Sprague, Anwds of the Amei: Pulpit, vii, 279 ; Stevens, IJist. Mcth. Episc. Church. (J. H.W.)
Jenyns, Soa.me, an English politician, and a nTiter on theological subjects, born at London in 1704, was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge. He was in his early years a well-known infidel, but extended Bib- lical studies caused his conversion, and he at once en- tered the lists in active defence of the Gospel truths. His ablest work, and one which has given rise to the supposition on the part of some that Jenyns published it only with intent to injure the Christian cause, now gen- erally refuted on good grounds, is, View of the Internal Evidence of the Christian Reliyion (1776, 12mo; lOlh ed. 1798, 8vo, and often since). Baxter {Ch. History, ji. 059) says that the work " brought out the internal evi- dence to the truth of Christianity arising from its pecul- iar and exalted morality," and points to it as one of the efforts by which " infidelity, if not convinced, was si- lenced." (See, for the pamphlets on the controversy which this work elicited, Chalmers, Bioy. Diet, xviii, 520, note 8). He also Avro'te A free Inquiry into the Nature and Oriyin of Evil (1750, 8vo, and often), which was rather a failure as a theological treatise, and was very severely criticiseil by Dr. Johnson (see Boswell's
JEPHTHAE
811
Johnson, year 1756). The entire writings of Jenj'ns are coUectecrin 4 vols. 8vo (Lond. 1790-93), together with his biography by Charles Nelson Cole. Jenyns died Dec. 18, 1787. See AUibone, Diet, of A uthors, i, 9G5 ; Enylish C'ljclopctdia, s. v. (J. H.W.)
Jeph'thae (Heb. xi, 3-2). See Jkphtiiah.
Jeph'thah (Heb. Yiphtach', HPlS';', opened or open- er), the name of a man and also of a place. See also
JlPHTHAH-EL.
1. (Sept. 'li^^a V. r. 'U^Sra's and 'iKpSras, Josephus 'It<pitlC, Viilg. Jephte, N. T. 'licpSrde, " Jephthae"), the ninth judge of the Israelites for a period of six years, B.C. 1256-1-250. He belonged to the tribe of Manasseh east, and was the son of a person named Gilead by a concubine, or perhaps harlot. After the death of his father lie was expelled from his home by the envy of his brothers, who, taunting him with illegitimacy, re- fused him any share of the heritage, and he withdrew to the land of Tob, beyond the frontier of the Hebrew territories. It is clear that he had before this distin- guished himself by his daring character and skill in arms; for no sooner was his withdrawal known than a great number of men of desperate fortunes repaired to him, and he became their chief. His position was now very similar to that of David when he withdrew from the" court of Saul. To maintain the people who had thus linked their fortunes with his, there Avas no other resource than that sort of brigandage which is account- ed honorable in the East, so long as it is exercised against public or private enemies, and is not marked by needless cruelty or outrage. So Jejihtliah conlined his aggressions to the borders of the small neighboring na- tions, who were in some sort regarded as the natural enemies of Israel, even when there was no actual war between them (Judg. xi, 1-3).