John Henry Hobart
Encyclopedia
John Henry Hobart was the third Episcopal bishop
of New York (1816–1830).
He vigorously promoted the extension of the Episcopal Church in Central and Western New York. He founded the General Theological Seminary
in New York City
and Geneva College
, later renamed after him, in Geneva
, in the Finger Lakes
area of upstate New York.
, being fifth in direct descent from Edmund Hobart, a founder of Hingham, Massachusetts
. He was educated at the Philadelphia Latin School, the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania
), and Princeton
, where he graduated in 1793.
After studying theology
under Bishop William White
at Philadelphia
, he was ordained deacon in 1798, and priest two years later. Hobart was called as assistant minister to Trinity Church, New York, in 1803. He was elected assistant bishop of New York, with the right of succession, in 1811, and was acting diocesan from that date because of the ill-health of Bishop Benjamin Moore, whom he formally succeeded on the latter's death in February 1816.
He was one of the founders of the General Theological Seminary
, became its professor of Pastoral Theology in 1821, and as bishop was,its governor. In his zeal for the historic episcopacy he published An Apology for Apostolic Order and its Advocates in 1807, a series of letters to Rev. John M. Mason, who, in The Christians Magazine, of which he was editor, had attacked the Episcopacy in general and in particular Hobarts Collection of Essays on the Subject of Episcopacy (1806).
Hobart's zeal
for the General Seminary
and the General Convention
led him to oppose the plan of Philander Chase
, Bishop of Ohio
, for an Episcopal seminary in that diocese; but the Ohio
seminary was made directly responsible to the House of Bishops
, and Hobart approved the plan. His strong opposition to dissenting churches was nowhere so clearly shown as in a pamphlet published in 1816 to dissuade all Episcopalians from joining the American Bible Society
, which he thought the Protestant Episcopal Church had not the numerical or the financial strength to control.
In 1818, to counterbalance the influence of the Bible Society
and especially of Scott's Commentaries, he began to edit with selected notes the Family Bible of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. He delivered episcopal charges to the clergy of Connecticut
and New York entitled The Churchman (1819) and The High Churchman Vindicated (1826), in which he accepted the name high churchman, and stated and explained his principles in distinction from the corruptions of the Church of Rome and from the Errors of Certain Protestant Sects. He exerted himself greatly in building up his diocese, attempting to make an annual visit to every parish.
By 1818, he had also become convinced that an institution of higher education was needed in the western reaches of the state of New York. Though he had visited many areas as a bishop, he selected the small village of Geneva on Seneca Lake for his new outpost of learning. The site for the new Geneva College was selected in 1820, and the first building erected in 1822. Geneva College became Hobart Free College, later renamed Hobart College in 1852 in honor of its founder, and which became Hobart and William Smith Colleges
.
His failing health led him to visit Europe
from 1823-1825. Upon his return he preached a characteristic sermon entitled The United States of America compared with some European Countries, particularly England (published 1826), In which, although there was some praise for the English church, he so boldly criticized the establishment, state patronage, cabinet appointment of bishops, low discipline, and the low requirements of theological education, as to rouse much hostility in England, where he had been highly praised for two volumes of Sermons on the Principal Events and Truths of Redemption (1824). He died at Auburn, New York
, on September 12, 1830. Bishop Hobart is remembered in the calendar of The Episcopal Church on the anniversary of his death.
He was able, impetuous, frank, perfectly fearless in controversy, a speaker and preacher of much eloquence
, and a supporter of missions to the Oneida Indians
. He helped relocate many of the Oneida from New York State to Wisconsin, having the Episcopal mission
there named for him. Hobart
, a village in Brown County, Wisconsin, was named for him in 1908.
. The High Church movement, like the Anglo-Catholic tradition, stressed continuity with the pre-reformation church, but strongly opposed certain Roman Catholic doctrines. Most importantly, the movement placed heavy emphasis on Apostolic Succession and Anglican Covenantal Theology. In contrast to the Anglo-Catholic movement, Hobart's High Churchmanship did not have a significant liturgical character. More important was an emphasis on baptism and apostolic succession, and how that emphasis on apostolic succession affected ecumenical relationships and ministry with "non-apostolic" churches. Bishop Hobart was influential in the founding of General Seminary
and served as its first dean. The seminary became a center first for the High Church Movement and then later for the Oxford Movement in America. It was through this seminary that he was able to influence two men who later became bishops: Benjamin Onderdonk and Jackson Kemper
.
on September 12.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of New York (1816–1830).
He vigorously promoted the extension of the Episcopal Church in Central and Western New York. He founded the General Theological Seminary
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Geneva College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
, later renamed after him, in Geneva
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
, in the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
area of upstate New York.
History
He was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, being fifth in direct descent from Edmund Hobart, a founder of Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
. He was educated at the Philadelphia Latin School, the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
), and Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he graduated in 1793.
After studying theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
under Bishop William White
William White (Bishop of Pennsylvania)
The Most Reverend William White was the first and fourth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA , the first Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania , and the second United States Senate Chaplain...
at Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, he was ordained deacon in 1798, and priest two years later. Hobart was called as assistant minister to Trinity Church, New York, in 1803. He was elected assistant bishop of New York, with the right of succession, in 1811, and was acting diocesan from that date because of the ill-health of Bishop Benjamin Moore, whom he formally succeeded on the latter's death in February 1816.
He was one of the founders of the General Theological Seminary
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
, became its professor of Pastoral Theology in 1821, and as bishop was,its governor. In his zeal for the historic episcopacy he published An Apology for Apostolic Order and its Advocates in 1807, a series of letters to Rev. John M. Mason, who, in The Christians Magazine, of which he was editor, had attacked the Episcopacy in general and in particular Hobarts Collection of Essays on the Subject of Episcopacy (1806).
Hobart's zeal
Zeal
Zeal may refer to:* Zeal, Zeal * Diligence, the theological virtue opposite to acedia.* Zealotry, excessive ideological zeal* Zeal , an internet directory* Kingdom of Zeal, a kingdom in the Chrono Trigger video game...
for the General Seminary
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
and the General Convention
General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. With the exception of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate authority in the Episcopal Church. General Convention...
led him to oppose the plan of Philander Chase
Philander Chase
Philander Chase was an Episcopal Church bishop, educator, and pioneer of the United States western frontier in Ohio and Illinois.-Life:...
, Bishop of Ohio
Episcopal Diocese of Ohio
The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the northern half of the state of Ohio.The see city is Cleveland, home of Trinity Cathedral, the cathedral of the diocese. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr...
, for an Episcopal seminary in that diocese; but the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
seminary was made directly responsible to the House of Bishops
General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. With the exception of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate authority in the Episcopal Church. General Convention...
, and Hobart approved the plan. His strong opposition to dissenting churches was nowhere so clearly shown as in a pamphlet published in 1816 to dissuade all Episcopalians from joining the American Bible Society
American Bible Society
The American Bible Society is an interconfessional, non-denominational, nonprofit organization, founded in 1816 in New York City, which publishes, distributes and translates the Bible and provides study aids and other tools to help people engage with the Bible.It is probably best known for its...
, which he thought the Protestant Episcopal Church had not the numerical or the financial strength to control.
In 1818, to counterbalance the influence of the Bible Society
Bible society
A Bible society is a non-profit organization devoted to translating, publishing, distributing the Bible at affordable costs and advocating its credibility and trustworthiness in contemporary cultural life...
and especially of Scott's Commentaries, he began to edit with selected notes the Family Bible of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. He delivered episcopal charges to the clergy of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and New York entitled The Churchman (1819) and The High Churchman Vindicated (1826), in which he accepted the name high churchman, and stated and explained his principles in distinction from the corruptions of the Church of Rome and from the Errors of Certain Protestant Sects. He exerted himself greatly in building up his diocese, attempting to make an annual visit to every parish.
By 1818, he had also become convinced that an institution of higher education was needed in the western reaches of the state of New York. Though he had visited many areas as a bishop, he selected the small village of Geneva on Seneca Lake for his new outpost of learning. The site for the new Geneva College was selected in 1820, and the first building erected in 1822. Geneva College became Hobart Free College, later renamed Hobart College in 1852 in honor of its founder, and which became Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
.
His failing health led him to visit Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
from 1823-1825. Upon his return he preached a characteristic sermon entitled The United States of America compared with some European Countries, particularly England (published 1826), In which, although there was some praise for the English church, he so boldly criticized the establishment, state patronage, cabinet appointment of bishops, low discipline, and the low requirements of theological education, as to rouse much hostility in England, where he had been highly praised for two volumes of Sermons on the Principal Events and Truths of Redemption (1824). He died at Auburn, New York
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
, on September 12, 1830. Bishop Hobart is remembered in the calendar of The Episcopal Church on the anniversary of his death.
He was able, impetuous, frank, perfectly fearless in controversy, a speaker and preacher of much eloquence
Eloquence
Eloquence is fluent, forcible, elegant or persuasive speaking. It is primarily the power of expressing strong emotions in striking and appropriate language, thereby producing conviction or persuasion...
, and a supporter of missions to the Oneida Indians
Oneida tribe
The Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
. He helped relocate many of the Oneida from New York State to Wisconsin, having the Episcopal mission
Church of the Holy Apostles (Oneida, Wisconsin)
The Church of the Holy Apostles, Oneida, Wisconsin , United States, is a mission congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac and is located on the Oneida Reservation of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.-History:...
there named for him. Hobart
Hobart, Wisconsin
Hobart is a village in Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,090 at the 2000 census. Hobart is a part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. A small portion of the village is part of the unincorporated census-designated place given the name of Oneida, Wisconsin...
, a village in Brown County, Wisconsin, was named for him in 1908.
High Churchmanship
Bishop Hobart was an advocate of the High Church movement within the Episcopal Church that pre-dates the Anglo-Catholic Movement deriving out of the Oxford MovementOxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
. The High Church movement, like the Anglo-Catholic tradition, stressed continuity with the pre-reformation church, but strongly opposed certain Roman Catholic doctrines. Most importantly, the movement placed heavy emphasis on Apostolic Succession and Anglican Covenantal Theology. In contrast to the Anglo-Catholic movement, Hobart's High Churchmanship did not have a significant liturgical character. More important was an emphasis on baptism and apostolic succession, and how that emphasis on apostolic succession affected ecumenical relationships and ministry with "non-apostolic" churches. Bishop Hobart was influential in the founding of General Seminary
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
and served as its first dean. The seminary became a center first for the High Church Movement and then later for the Oxford Movement in America. It was through this seminary that he was able to influence two men who later became bishops: Benjamin Onderdonk and Jackson Kemper
Jackson Kemper
Bishop Jackson Kemper was the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.Baptized David Jackson Kemper by Dr...
.
Consecrators
- The Most Reverend William WhiteWilliam White (Bishop of Pennsylvania)The Most Reverend William White was the first and fourth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA , the first Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania , and the second United States Senate Chaplain...
, 1st and 4th Presiding BishopPresiding BishopThe Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
, 1stEpiscopal Diocese of PennsylvaniaThe Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Delaware in the state of Pennsylvania....
BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of PennsylvaniaEpiscopal Diocese of PennsylvaniaThe Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Delaware in the state of Pennsylvania.... - The Most Reverend Samuel ProvoostSamuel ProvoostSamuel Provoost was the third Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA, as well as the first Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. He was consecrated as bishop of New York in 1787 with Bishop William White. He was born in New York City, of Huguenot descent, in 1742, and educated at...
, 3rd Presiding BishopPresiding BishopThe Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
, 1stEpiscopal Diocese of New YorkThe Episcopal Diocese of New York is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island in New York City, and the New York state counties of Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and...
BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of New YorkEpiscopal Diocese of New YorkThe Episcopal Diocese of New York is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island in New York City, and the New York state counties of Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and... - The Right Reverend Abraham JarvisAbraham JarvisAbraham Jarvis was the second American Episcopal bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut and eighth in succession of bishops in the Episcopal Church. He was a high churchman and a loyalist to the crown....
, 2ndEpiscopal Diocese of ConnecticutThe Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the entire state of Connecticut. It is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church and one of seven New England dioceses that make up Province 1.Its first bishop,...
BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of ConnecticutEpiscopal Diocese of ConnecticutThe Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the entire state of Connecticut. It is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church and one of seven New England dioceses that make up Province 1.Its first bishop,...
Publications
- A Clergyman's Companion (1805)
- A Companion for the Altar (1804)
- A Companion to the Book of Common Prayer (1805)
- Festivals and Fasts (1804)
Veneration
Hobart is honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA)Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church in the United States of America)
The veneration of saints in the Episcopal Church is a continuation of an ancient tradition from the early Church which honors important people of the Christian faith. The usage of the term "saint" is similar to Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Those in the Anglo-Catholic tradition may...
on September 12.
See also
- List of Bishop Succession in the Episcopal ChurchSuccession of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United StatesThis list consists of the bishops in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, an independent province of the Anglican Communion. This shows the historic succession of the episcopate within this denomination.-Key to chart:...
Further reading
- Memorial of Bishop Hobart, containing a Memoir (New York, 1831)
- John McVickar, The Early Life and Professional Years of Bishop Hobart (New York, 1834)
- John McVicar, The Closing Years of Bishop Hobart (New York, 1836).
External links
- from History of the Church of the Ascension, Chicago, Illinois
- Material by and about John Henry Hobart online from Project CanterburyProject CanterburyProject Canterbury is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999, and is hosted by the non-profit Society of Archbishop Justus...