Allen, James

Allen, James a Puritan minister, was born in England in 1632. He was a fellow of New College, Oxford, but was ejected for non-conformity in 1662, came to America, and was ordained teacher of the First Church, Boston, December 9, 1668, as colleague with Mr. Davenport, who was at the same time ordained pastor. He served this church for forty years with dignity and industry, but without remarkable success. Several of his occasional sermons were printed. He died September 22, 1710. — Sprague, Annals, 1, 163. Allen, John, one of the early ministers of Massachusetts, was born in England in 1596, and was driven from his native land during the persecution of the Puritans. Removing to New England, he was settled pastor of the church at Dedham, April 24, 1639, where he continued till his death, August 26, 1671. He was a man of considerable distinction in his day. He published a defense of the nine positions, in which, with Mr. Shepard of Cambridge, he discusses the points of Church discipline, and a defense of the synod of 1662, against Mr. Chauncy, under the title of Animadversions upon the Antisynodalia (4to, 1664). — Allen, Biographical Dict. s.v.; Allibone, Dict. of Authors, 1, 53.