Hill, Rowland

Hill, Rowland brother of Sir Richard Hill, a popular and pious, though eccentric minister, was born at Hawkestone Aug. 13th or 23rd, 1744. His views were early directed towards the ministry in connection with the Church of England, and his religious life was greatly developed during his residence as a student at Eton and St. John's College, Cambridge, where he imbibed the principles of Whitefield and the Calvinistic Methodists, which he strenuously maintained through life. His religious zeal at college was strongly marked, but he did not allow it to interfere with his studies. He experienced the greatest difficulty in obtaining admission into the Church-

six bishops refused in turn to ordain him, and he succeeded at length only through family affluence. After his ordination he resumed itinerancy, much against the wishes of his father. In 1773 he obtained the parish of Kingston, Somerset, and was married in the same year, yet still kept up his itinerant ministry. His vigor of thought, earnestness, eccentricity, and wit drew thousands to listen to him. In 1780 his father's death left him wealth; and, with the aid of his numerous friends, he built Surrey Chapel, London, in 1782. Here he preached to vast congregations for many years. He died April 11, 1833. In the controversy between the Arminian and Calvinistic Methodists Hill took an active part, and wrote several bitter pamphlets against John Wesley, especially Imposture detected (Bristol, 1777): — Full Answer to John Wesley (Bristol, 1777). When the strife ended Hill regretted his severe language, and suppressed one of his bitterest publications. See Sidney, Life of Rowland Hill (Lond. 1835, 8vo); Stevens, History of Methodism, vol. 2, ch. 1 and 2; Wesley, Works, 4, 473; 6:193, 199.