Newman, Jonathan, a noted pioneer minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, flourished near the opening of this centur^y. Of his early personal history we know scarcely anything. In 1791 we find him la- boring in the Wyoming valley, which unites Pennsyl- vania and New York, and later in Otsego County, N. Y., where he was instrumental in forming the district. This county was at that time wild and sparsely settled, with scarcely any roads and many destitute people. New- man by indefatigable industry succeeded in rallying many to the Christian work, and when the district was formed eighty members were reported as belonging to it. He next extended his labors over the iMohawk valley, and when Garrettson (q. v.) came into that re- gion Newman's preparatory work proved more service- able than had been expected. He was "a mighty preacher, and usually in the advance line of attack," and wherever he went he made friends and converts. Newman died and was buried on the Otsego Circuit about the opening of the present century. See Peck, Early Methodism, p. 174 sq.; Stevens, [list. M. E. Ch. ii, 329, 330. (J. II. W.)
Newman, Samuel, a minister of colonial days in this country, was born at Banbury, England, in 1(J02, and Avas educated at Oxford University, where he grad- uated in 1C20, and immediately took holy orders in the state establishment. In 1(536 he emigrated to America, and, after staying a short time at Dorchester, now Bos- ton, Mass., was chosen minister of the Church at V/ey- mouth. In 1644 he removed to Eehoboth, and there preached until his death, which occurred July 5, 1663. Newman compiled a concordance of the Scriptures which passed through several editions, under the title of the Cambridge Concordance (5th ed. Lond. 1720, fob).
Newm.an, Samuel P., an American educator and rhetorician, was liorn at Andovcr, Mass., in 1796, and was educated at Bowdoin College, where he graduated in 1816. In 1824 he was made a professor of rhetoric and oratory in his alma mater, and he held that position until 1839. He then became i)rincipal of the State Nor- mal School in Mississi|iin, and died while in tlie dis- charge of the duties of that office at Barre, Mo., Feb. 10, 1842. He pulilished a Rhetoric, a treatise on Political Economy, and a scries of Southern Eclectic Readers.
New^man, Selig, a noted Jewish scholar, emi- nent as an Hebraist, was Ijorn in the city of Posen, Prussian Poland, in 1790, and received the best educa- tion that could be procured in various Jewish colleges
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in Prussia. He decided to devote himself to Biblical studies, and even at an early age his renown was so great that he was given an office in the chief synagogue of Berlin. He went to London when about twenty- eight years of age, and was soon afterwards appointed minister to the congregation at Plymouth by the late chief rabbi, Dr. Solomon Herschell. Afterwards, for many years, he taught Hebrew in the University of Oxford", and would have had the title and salary of the professorship had not his religion debarred him from ac- cepting, there being an old law in that university which precludes all other than Protestants from holding that office. Yet for many years the heads of that universitj', by their own example, encouraged all requiring instruc- tion in Hebrew to study under him. When at length sev- eral converted Jews came to the university, he was com- pelled to leave, and to seek a home in America at an advanced age. Among the eminent men who were his pupils in England was Dr. Tait, the present archbishop of Canterbury, who no doubt, had Newman been in Eng- land, would have placed him upon the mixed learned commission of Christians and Jews now engaged in re- vising the authorized translation of the Bible. Com- petent authorities pronounce him to have been the best Hebrew scholar of the present day, and learned rabbis did not think it derogatory to their position to take in- struction of him in the higher branches of Hebrew lit- erature. The late Rev. Dr. Kaphall, Prof. Marks, of London, and other eminent Israelites, were among his pupils. In the United States Newman found no official employment. He had many pupils in the Hebrew, but busied himself mainly with his own writings, on which he was engaged until the hour of his death, Feb. 20, 1871, at Brooklyn, N. Y. His works consisted of a Hebrew and EnrjUsh Lexicon, an Enc/lish and Hehreio Lexicon, a Hehreio Grammar, a popular work, entitled The Challenge Accepted, being in the form of a dialogue between a Jew and a Christian, and Emendations of the Authorized Version of the Old Testament. His last work, which he had but just completed, is still in man- uscript, and is an abridged translation of the Bible, with copious notes, intended for the use of Jewish schools and private families. There is every reason to believe that, at his advanced age, the close application he gave to this work hastened his end. His intellect was clear and vigorous to the last. Selig Newman was an en- lightened man, opposed to bigotry, but at the same time a staunch Jew, firmly wedded to the orthodox principles of his faith, and alwaj's read}' to battle for Judaism. At one time, when the conversionists were most active in England, they selected their most com- petent advocate to challenge the Jews to a public dis- cussion. Selig Newman was selected by such Israel- ites in London as felt an interest in this discussion to meet the Christian advocate, and he did so, the discus- sion being carried on for many nights in public at the Freemasons' Hall Tavern. He afterwards delivered sermons to the Jews for many Sabbaths at the Jews' Free School, the building being always crowded by anxious listeners, but his duties at Oxford compelled him to relinquish this, to him, pleasurable task. His views on Christianity are embodied in his The Chal- lenge Accepted, a book worthy the study of Christian Apologists. (J. H.W.)