Smith, Stephen, a minister of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, South, was born in Hampshire Coimty, Va., Nov. 1, 1802, and united with the Church in 181.5. He was received into the Baltimore Conference in 1830, In 1844 he lost his voice while preaching in a new, damp church, and took a superannuated, and afterwards a su|iernumerary, relation. In 18G7 he again became effective, so continuing until his death, Oct. 9, 1871. See Minutes of A nnuul Conftrences of the M. E. Church, <So«//(, 1872, p'. 648,
Smith, Sydney, an English clergyman and cel- ebrated humorist, was born in Woodford, Essex, in 1771, and was educated at Winchester School and New College, ( >xford, where, in 1790, he obtained a fellowship of one hundred pounds a year. Having entered the Church, he became, in 1794, curate of Amesbury, Wilt- shire, but three years later went to Edinburgh as a pri- vate tutor to the son of the squire of his parish. Dur- ing this time, he officiated in the Episcopal chapel there. In 1802, in coiniection with JeflTrey, Horner, lirougham. Dr. Thomas Brown, T'layfair, and others, Smith started the Kdinhun/h Ririeir, to the first num- ber of which, as editor, he contributed seven articles. In 1803 he went to London, and was soon popular as a preacher, as a lecturer on moral philosophy (1804-6), and as a brilliant conversationalist. In 1806, during the short reign of the Whigs, he was presented by lord Erskine to the rectory of Eoston-le- Clay, Yorkshire, worth alioiit five hundred pounds a year. Eailiiig to exchange this for some more desirable living, he built a new rectory, and in 1814 moved into it with his fam- ily. Some eighteen years afterwards the duke of Dev- onshire gave him the living of Londesborough (seven hundred pounds a year) to hold luitil ^Ir. Howard, son of the earl of Carlisle, came of age. In 1828 lord chan- cellor Lyndhurst i)resented him to a prebemlal stall in Bristol, and enabled him to exchange Foston for Combe Florey, Somersetshire. In 1831 earl (irey appointed him one of the canons residentiary of .St. Paul's. Hav- ing iidierited considerable pro|)erty from his brother Courtenay, he invested largely in the public stock of Pennsylvania; and the neglect of that state to pay the interest on her bonds called out bis Petition to Coni/ress ami Letters on American l)elits. He died in London, Feb. 22, 184.5. Sydney Smith was not only the witti- est, but one of the wisest, men of his age. His life was devoted to the removal of great abuses, and to the ex- posure of public vices and crimes at a time when vice
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was enthroned in high [jlaces, and when so many perils environed the path of a reformer as to re(iuire, in even tlie mildest innovator, a large stock of luimanity antl an equal share of courage, ^^'itll(lllt the p(j\ver and prestige which in England usually follow high birth or wealth, he exercised a greater influence over the pub- lic mind of his day than any man except, perhaps, lord Brougham. He erred at times in treating sacred sub- ject5 with levity and seeming irreverence; but this fault was one of natural temperament and had no root in infidelity. Although his Cliristianity partook of the temper of the time and circle in which he moved, and had, therefore, far less of the evangelical element than could be desired, it is yet clear that his life was main- ly regulated by a strong sense of duty and that he found peace and comfort in his abiding faith in the great truths of religion. His writings are, Six Sej-mons (Edinb. 1800, small 8vo): — contributions to the Eclin- hurrjh Review (published 1839) : — Peter Plymlei/'s Let- ters (1807), to promote Catholic emancipation: — Ser- mons (1809,2 vols.) : — Speeches on Catholic Claims and Reform Bill (1825-31): — Three Letters to Archdeacon Sini/leton on the Ecclesiastical Commhssion (1837-39) : — The Ballot (1837) -.—Letter to Lord John Russell on the Church Bills (1838):— Letters on Rnilicai/s (1842):— Letters on American Debts (1843). After his death ap- peared. Fragments on the Irish Roman Catholic Church (Lond. 1845, 8vo) -.—Sermons (ibid. 1846, 8vo):—Ele- mentari/ Sketches of Moral Philosophy (1850, 8vo). See Memoir of Rev. Sydney Smith, bv his daughter, lady Holland (N. Y. 1855, 2 vols. 12mo) ; Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and A iner, A uthors, s. v.
Smith, Thomas (1), a learned English divine and writer, was born in the parish <»f Allhallows, Barking, Essex, .June 8, 1638, and was educated at (Queen's Col- lege, Oxford, being elected fellow in 16(56. In June, 1668, he, as chaplain, accompanied Sir Daniel Harvey, ambassador to Constantinople, and returned in 1671. In 1676 he travelled in France, and returning shortly he became chaplain to Sir .Joseph Williamson, secretary of state. In 1683 he took the degree of D.D., and the year following was presented by his college to the rec- tory of Stanlake, diocese of Oxford, but resigned it in a month. In 1687 he was collated to a prebend in the Church of Heytesbury, Wilts. In August, 1688, he was deprived of his fellowship by Dr. (iiffard because he refused to live among the new popish fellows of that college. He was, however, restored in October follow- ing; but afterwards, refusing to take the oaths to Will- iam and Mary, his fellowship was pronounced void, Jidy 25, 1692', He died at London, ]\Iay 11, 1710. Among his learned works are the following : Diatriba de Chaldaicis Paraphrastis (Oxon. 1662, 8vo) : — Synta;/- m.a de Druidum Morihus ac Limtitutvs (Loud. 1664, 8vo) : — Epistolas Du(E, etc. (Oxon. 1672, 8vo) : — De Grwcai Ec- clesice Hodierno Statu Epistola (ibid. 1676. 8vo) : — Mis- cellanea (2 vols. 12mo ; vol. i, 1686 : vol. ii, 1690) : — Epis- tolce et Annales Camdeni ub A.D. 1603 ad 1623, etc. (1691, 4to). See Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and A me?: A uthors, s. V. ; Darling, Cyclop. Bibliog. s. v. ; Chalmers, Bioff. Diet. s. V.