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Brainerd, Thomas, D.D., (2)

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Brainerd, Thomas, D.D.

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a divine of the New School Presbyterian Church, was born June 19. 1804. in Leyden, N. Y., and while a child live( near Rome, Oneida County. After graduating, at Hamilton College, after a short study of law, he devoted his life to the ministry, and studied theology at the Theological Seminary at Andover, Mass. After graduating, he removed to Philadelphia, and at times preached for the Rev. Dr. Patterson in the First Presbyterian church of the Northern Liberties. Subsequently removing to Cincinnati, Dr. Brainerd became an assistant of the Rev. Dr. Lyman Beecher. In addition to these labors, he edited with ability a child's paper, a youths' magazine, the weekly Christian Herald, published at Cincinnati, and the Presbyterian Quarterly Review, in which the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, then a young man, assisted, and thus a mutual friendship was founded on affection and esteem between the two great families of divines.

In 1836, Dr. Brainerd, in response to an earnest call from the congregation of the Pine Street Presbyterian church, as successor to the Rev. Dr. E. S. Ely, became their pastor. During his ministerings, for over thirty years. he endeared himself to the successive generations who worshiped in this time-honored church by his benignant love and devotedness. Dr. Brainerd, while conscientiously fulfilling every demand upon his time, labored industriously and well in contributing to literary monthlies. He published various sermons and tracts. In addition, some months before his death, he issued The Life of John Brainerd, the brother of David Brainerd, and his successor as Missionary to the Indians of New Jersey (Philadelphia, 1865), which was most favorably received. He died suddenly from apoplexy at the house of his son-in-law, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Aug. 21, 1866. Dr. Brainerd was one of the most active and persevering pastors in the Church, and inspired his people with the same spirit. As a platform speaker upon anniversary occasions he was always happy and effective, and as a Christian gentleman he was respected and loved by all with whom he came in contact. He was a member of the committee of conference appointed on the part of the New School Assembly at its meeting in May, 1866, to meet a similar committee from the Old School. American Presbyterian (newspaper).