Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 8
1839-08-18
Clearing off. Exercises as usual. Evening at the Mansion.
I went through the ordinary routine of exercises for this morning with my little girl and read also some of Tucker, but with slackened interest.
Attended divine service and heard Mr. Russel1 a gentleman now officiating at Hingham in the room of Charles Brooks preach in the morning from 1 John 4. 20, “For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” and in the afternoon from John 15. 4 “Without me ye can do nothing.” A good sensible preacher without making himself very interesting.
Read a discourse in the English Preacher from Titus 2. 10. “That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” A very excellent one by the Revd. Dr. Rogers upon the use of good practical morals as a support to the Christian profession. There is plain, downright sense and acute reasoning combined.
281Le Comte, his Account of the curse of proselytism in China as practised by the Catholic missionaries is curious. A little of Grimm and evening at the house below. Can I let this day pass without remembering that I am thirty two.
CFA has here mistaken the name of the day’s preacher, Rev. Oliver Stearns, who is properly named by JQA in his entry for the day. Charles Brooks had resigned his pastorate in the New North Meeting-House in Hingham early in 1839 to become a professor of natural history in the University of the City of New York. He was succeeded in Hingham by Mr. Stearns, Harvard 1826, who would remain until 1856. He was afterwards president of the Meadville (Penna.) Theological School and professor in the Harvard Divinity School ([Thomas T. Bouvé and others], History of the Town of Hingham, 3 vols. in 4, Cambridge, 1893, vol. 1, pt. 2, p. 50–54).