Rutherforth, Thomas, an English philosopher and divine, was born in Cambridgeshire, Oct. 13, 1712. He was educated at St. John's, Cambridge, taking his de- gree of A.B. in 1729 and A.M. in 1733. He was chosen f How and made B.D. in 1740. Two years after, he was chosen fallow of the Royal Society, and in 1745 was ap-
pointed professor of divinity, took liis degree of D.D., and was appointed chaplain to the Prince of Wales. He was afterwards rector of Barrow, in Suffolk ; Shen- stone, in Essex ; Barley, in Hertfordshire ; and in 1752 archdeacon of Essex. He died Oct. 5, 1771, and was buried in the church at Barley. He was the author of Ordo Institutiunum Physicarum, etc. (Camb. 1743, 4to) : — Essay on the Nature and Obligations of Virtue (Lond. 1744, 8vo) : — System of Natuixil Philosophy (Camb. 1748, 2 vols. 4to) : — Credibility of Miracles De- fended (1751, 8vo): — Institutes of Natural Law (Lond. 1754-56, 2 vols. 8vo; 2d American ed. Baltimore, 1832), lectures read in St. John's College, Cambridge: — also Letters, Sermons, etc. See Hutton, Diet.; Nichol, Lit. Anecdotes ; Watt, Bibl. Brit.
Rutherglen Declaration, the name given to a protesting declaration of an armed body of Covenant- ers who, in 1679, assembled in this old burgh, burned some obnoxious acts of Parliament, and affixed a copy of their protest to the market-cross. Claverhouse was sent. May 31, from Glasgow in search of the party; the battle of Drumclog was fought, and the royalist forces were routed. At the battle of Bothwell Bridge, Sun- day, June 22, the Covenanters were defeated and twelve hundred prisoners taken. — Eadie, Eccles. Cyclop, s. v.
RuthraufF, John F., a Lutheran minister, was born in Northampton County, Pa., Jan. 14, 1764, and be- gan his theological studies with Rev. Jacob Goering in York, 1790. He began to preach in 1793, and had charge of several churches in York Count)' and in Car- lisle until June, 1795, when he accepted a call from the Green Castle congregation and several others, in some of which he labored upwards of fortj' years. His charge embraced M'Connelsburg, London, Mercersburg, Waynesboro', Quincy, Smoketown, Jacob's Church, and several in Washington County, Md. He continued his labors until the year before his death, which occurred Dec. 18, 1837. He was a man of strong mental quali- ties; a huent, animated, and instructive preacher; and the possessor of substantial Christian excellence. See Sprague, Annals of the A me?: Pulpit, ix, 104.
Ruthraufl, Jonathan, a Lutheran minister, was born in Greencastle, Franklin Co., Pa., Aug. 16, 1801, and was son of the preceding. He entered Wash- ington College, Pa., and in 1822 commenced his theo- logical studies under the direction of Rev. Benjamin Kurtz, Hagerstown, Md., and continued them under Rev. Dr. Loch man. He was licensed to preach at Read- ing, Pa., in 1825, and served as itinerant missionary un- til Feb. 25, 1827, when he accepted a call from the united churches of Lewistown and vicinity. In 1829 he accepted a call from Hanover, where he labored for eight years. In December, 1837, he assumed charge of the Church at Lebanon, Pa., which he served with great fidelity until 1849, when he was prostrated by disease, which terminated his life, July 23, 1850. Mr. Ruthrauff was of a kind and genial nature ; his preach- ing, which was in both German and English, was emi- nently practical and pungent. See Sprague, Annals of the A mer. Pulpit, ix, 175.
Ruthven, James, a noted ruling elder in the Pres- byterian Church, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, Dec. 15, 1783. His father removed to the United States and settled in the city of New York, and attended the min- istry of the Rev. John IMason, D.D., of the Scotch Church. In the sixth year of his age James witness- ed the inauguration of Washington with indescribable emotions. In 1812 he was ordained a deacon and sub- sequently an elder in Dr. IMason's church, which was then in Murray Street. He removed in 1842 to Bridge- port, Conn., where his influence was of great value, and returned to New York after an absence of eight years. With him religion was an all-pervading spirit, giving warmth and glow and purity and hope in every expe- rience. A distinguished minister of another Church said of him : "Few persons whom I have ever known
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liave more deeply impressed me with their absolute ex- cellence, their entire, thorough, and beautifiill_v consist- ent character." And this character he mainlained un- blemished for more than half a century. The ripeness and richness of his Biblical piety shone conspicuously in the social meetings, in the community, at the bed of sickness, everywhere. He loved the Church, honored the ministry, consecrated all his wealth to God, and as an almoner of the divine bounty scattered blessings far and wide. For him, "to live was Christ," and for him, '• to die was eternal gain." The last words he uttered were, " Dving, and, behold, we live !" He died Nov. 25, 1855. (Vv. P. S.)
Rutledge, George, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was born in Augusta County, Va., Nov. 11, 1811. He professed conversion and joined the Church wlien twenty years of age. In 1835 he was ad- mitted on trial into the Baltimore Conference, and was immediately transferred to the Illinois Conference. He served as presiding elder on six ditt'erent districts, and was three times delegate to the General Conference. His death occurred Sept. 7, 1871. See Minutes of An- nual Conferences, 1871, p. 212.