Barnes

Barnes, ALBERT, an American theologian and celebrated biblical expositor, was born at Rome, state of New York, on 1st December 1798. He had thoughts at first of devoting himself to the study of law, but eventually prepared for the ministry at Princeton theological seminary. He had charge of a church in New Jersey, and was minister of the first Presbyterian church of Philadelphia, from 1830 to 1867, when he resigned on account of failing eyesight. He was a thoughtful and eloquent preacher. At one time he was tried for heresy, the charge being based mainly on some passages in his notes to Romans, but he was acquitted. He afterwards attached himself to the New School branch of the Presbyterians, and was a strong opponent of slavery. He is best known by his Notes on various parts of the Old and New Testaments, specially adapted for the use of Sunday schools and Bible classes, which have had an extraordinary circulation. These Notes are distinguished less by original critical power, than for their plainness, simplicity, and directness. He died at Philadelphia, 24th December 1870; a short time previously he had completed a new edition of his Notes on the New Testament (6 vols. 1871–72). He issued besides many volumes of sermons, an introduction to Butler's Analogy, Evidences of Christianity, and some Sunday-school manuals.