Nevrconib, Thomas, D.D., an Anglican divine, was born in 1G75. But little is accessible regarding his early personal history. He was a great grandson of Spenser, the poet, and seems to have inherited the an- cestral love for the muse. In 1734 Newcomb became rector of Stopham, Sussex, and this position he held until his death, about 17G6. He was a sound the- ologian, but a better poet than preacher. His poetical publications have received many encomiums. His best- known production is his BibUotheca, published in vol. iii of Nichols's Select Collection of Miscellaneous Poems. See Chalmers's Biog. Diet. s. v. ; Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and A mer. A uthors, s. v.
Ne'wcoine, Richard, an English prelate, flour- ished near the middle of the last century. He was canon of Windsor until, in 1754, he was elevated to the epis- copate and made bishop of Llandaff, was transferred to the see of St. Asaph iu 17G1, and died in 17G9. He published several of his sermons (Lond. 175G, 17G1. 17G4, aU 4to).
Newcome, William, a learned English prelate, counted as one of the most eminent divines of the 18th century, was born in 1729 at Abingdon, Berkshire, where his father, an esteemed Anglican clergyman, was then vicar. William was educated at the grammar-school of his native town, from whence he passed to the Uni- versity of Oxford, where he became in due time a fellow and tutor of Hertford College, and had Charles James Fox for one of his pupils. In 17G5 he was honored with the doctorate in divinity, and in that year accompanied his patron, the earl of Hertford, when he went as lord-lieu- tenant to Ireland. Newcome went as private chaplain; but a bishopric, that of Dromore in that country, falling vacant soon after the earl's settlement in Ireland, New- come was placed in it. Entering the episcopal order thus early in life, it is not extraordinary that he had several translations, which Avere first to Ossory in 1775, then to Waterford in 1779, and finally, in 1795, to Ar- magh. He died in 1800. A writer of some chapters of bishop Newcome's hfe assures us that he " diligentlj' and faithfully discharged the duties of his episcopal oflice, and secured the respect of all parties and of all religious persuasions by the affiibility, prudence, candor, and mod- eration which were the invariable guides of his conduct." But his chief title to remembrance is that he was during the whole of his life a most assiduous Biblical student, and that he did not suffer those studies to end in them- selves, but laid before the world results which ensued
upon them. He did not do this till he had maturely con- sidered them, for he was nearly fifty before he printed any considerable work. His first book was The Har- mony of the Gospels (Dublin, 1778, fol. ; an edition of the Harmony, in the Engl, trans., was published in 1802, 8vo), a work the title of which affords but an inadequate idea of its nature and contents, as, besides the results of hia inquiries on a verj' diflicult and important point of sacred histor}', it contains a great mass of valuable criticism and usefid information. Out of this work arose a con- troversy with Dr. I'riestley on the duration of Christ's ministry ; bishop Newcome contending for three years, and Dr. Priestlej' limiting the time to one year. In 1782 Dr. Newcome published his Observations on our Lord's Conduct as a Divine Instructor, and on the Excellence of his Morcd Character (Lond. 1782, 4to), a work of great beauty ; and in 1785 a new version, with critical remarks, of the Twelve Minor Prophets. This was followed in 1788 by a similar work on the prophet Ezekiel. Of these works. Home says that " as a commentator the learned prelate has shown an intimate acquaintance with the best critics, ancient and modern," and adds that "his own observations are learned and ingenious." Though the notes are very copious, they are pertinent, and untainted by an ostentatious display of criticism, and abound with such illustrations of Eastern manners and customs as are best collected from modern writers. Later Newcome sent out a Revieic of the chief Diffi- culties in the Gospel History relating to om-'Lord's Resur- 1-ection (1791, 4to), and An Historiccd Viae of the Eng- lish Biblical Translations (Dublin, 1792, 8vo). This was his latest publication, except an Episcojxd Charge ; but after his death there was given to the world a very important work, which he had himself caused to be printed four years before his decease, entitled An At- tempt towards Revising our English Translation of the Greek ScrijAures^iJiuhYm, 179G, 2 vols, royal 8vo); this the Unitarians made the basis of such unscholarly changes in the English version as the Greek text with the critical examination of existing manuscripts would hardly authorize. See Engl. Cyclop, s. v. ; Darling, Cycl. Bibliographica, ii, 2172; Home, Bibl. Biblia, p. 304; Pye-Smith, Introd. to Theology, p. 511, 515; London Gentleman's Magazine, vol. Ixx.
NeTWCOmen, Matthe^v, M.A., an English Non- conformist divine, was born near the opening of the 17th century, and was educated at St. John's College, Cam- bridge. He became vicar of Dedham, Essex, from which he was ejected, in 1GG2, for nonconformity. He then retired to Leyden, where he was minister of a con- gregation, and died in 1CG8 or 1669. He was a member of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, and assisted in drawing up their Catechism, and was also present at the Savoy Conference. He was one of the authors of the celebrated answer to bishop Hall on Episcopacy (Lond. 1641, 4to). He wrote also. The Duty of such as would walk worthy of the Gospel to endeavor Union, not Divi- sion nor Toleration (a sermon on Phil, i, 27 [Lond. 1646, 4to]): — Sermon on Rev. ii, 3 : — Fareivell Sermons. See Darling, Cycl. Bibliographica, ii, 2173; and Sermon on his death by J. P. (Lond. 1G79, 4to) ; Stoughton, Eccles. Hist, of Emjland (fJhurch of the Restoration'), i, 156, 165, 170. '(J.N. P.)