Nevin, Thomas, an Irish Presbyterian divine, flour- ished after the opening of the IStli century as pastor of a church in Downpatrick. This church belonged at that time to the synod of Ulster, which was tlien greatly agitated by the question whether any Presby- terian ministers could refuse to sign a confession on the ground that by such an act they gave np the right of private judgment. Mr. Nevin belonged to the party who at the synod of 1721 refused to subscribe to the Westminster Confession, and were therefore named
NEVINS
991
NEVIS
Kon-Suhsaihej-s. They were open to much suspicion ; and after the synod of 1723, when the controversy re- garding the propriety of intercommunion among the subscribers and non-subscribers liad become general, Mr. Nevin, having carelessly expressed himself on the Trin- itarian doctrine, was forthwith accused of heresy, and brought to trial in the s\'nod of 1724 ; and though " sat- isfactory proofs were laid before the synod of Mr, Nev- in's orthodoxy in this cardinal point of the Saviour's Deity, ... the synod, disregarding these testimonies, and fully aware of Mr. Nevin's determination not to clear himself, under existing circumstances, by any dec- laration or subscription, resolved not to inquire further into the truth or relevancy of this accusation, but sim- ply to require of him an immediate declaration of his belief in the Supreme Deity of Christ, With this de- mand, as was to be expected, he refused to comply, as the principle so frequently avowed by the non-sub- scribers that to clear himself by any such method was directly sinful; but he added that his refusal did not proceed from any disbelief of the doctrine of the Su- preme Deity of Christ. Nothing, therefore, coiUd be held to be proved against him, beyond the fact of his being a non-subscriber, like the rest of his party. Yet it was moved that, as Mr, Nevin had refused to make the declaration required of him, the synod should hold no I'urther ministerial communion with him, nor proceed anj' further in his trial. This motion was carried," By the peculiar nature of the sentence passed on him, Mr, Nevin, though deprived of ministerial communion with the synod, was 3'et suffered to enjoy his ministerial character, and he therefore remained pastor of Down- patrick. He died about 1730. See Killen's Reid, His- iorij of the Preshyterian Church in Ireland, iii, 206 sq., 219 sq. (J.H.W.)
Nevins, Williaji, D,D,, a noted Presbyterian min- ister, was born in Norwich, Conn,, Oct, 13, 1797, After a mercantile education, he entered Yale College in 1812, and graduated in 181G, He then became a member of the Princeton Theological Seminary, and was licensed to preach at Lisbon, Conn,, in September, 1819, On Oct. 19, 1820, he was ordained and installed pastor of the First Presbvteriau Church in Baltimore. His health
having become impaired, he wer.t for some time to St. Croix to try the effects of a milder climate. Not de- riving any benefit from it, however, he returned to Bal- timore, and there died, Sept. 14, 1835. Dr. Nevins pub- lished two sermons in the National Preacher, and five tracts through the American Tract Society. Shortly after his death there was published a selection of his manuscripts, entitled Select Remains, with a memoir by j Rev. William S. Plumer, D.D. His contributions to the N.Y. Observer were published about the same time in I two small volumes, entitled Thoiifjhts on Popery and I Practical Thourjhts. A volume of Sermons, selected by himself, was printed in 1837. All of his publications j were most acceptable at the time of their appearance, and have contuiued to exert an influence for good to this time. As a pastor and preacher Dr. Nevins was deservedly popular. See, besides the memoir already I referred to, Sprague, Annals, iv, 629.
Nevis, a small but beautiful and fertile island of the West Indies, belonging to Great Britain, forms one of the group of the Lesser Antilles, and lies immediately ! south-east of St. Christopher, from which it is sepa- I rated by a strait called the Narrows, two miles wide. It is circular in form, rises in a central peak to the I height of about 2500 feet, and has an area of 45 square I miles. Population (1871), 11,735, of whom only a small I proportion, not more than one fifth, is Avhite, "Charles- I town, a seaport, with a tolerable roadstead, situated on the south-west shore of the island, is the seat of gov- ernment, consisting of a government councU and gen- eral assembly. The principal products are sugar, mo- lasses, and rum, Nevis was colonized by English em- igrants from St, Christopher in 1028, was taken by the French in 1706, and restored by the peace of Utrecht; it was taken again by the French in 1782, but restored by the peace of 1783. The Romanists have many ad- j herents in Nevis. The 'W'esleyans, who were the first ; Protestant missionaries to preach in the West Indies, j established a station at Gingerland, and are laboring I there with some appearance of ultimate success. At : Charlestown the United Presbyterian IMission is push- j ing the work of evangelization, especially among the I blacks.
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Mead, Matthew Page
Mead, Richard
Mead, Stith
Mead, Zachariah . . . Meade
[Meier, Gerhard 1 Page 4S 1 Meier, JohannChris 1| tian 4S