Hutton, James

Hutton, James a preacher of the Moravian Brethren was born in London in 1715. He was the son of a clergyman, and served an apprenticeship to a printer and a bookseller; but, coming under the influence of Mr.Wesley's preaching, he was awakened, and was converted under the labors of the distinguished Moravian, Peter Bohler. Soon after his conversion he visited the brethren at Hernhut, and became a devoted disciple and servant of count Zinzendorf, under whose direction he henceforth devoted all his time and energy to the unity of the Moravian brotherhood in England. "His counsel and aid were afforded it in all its complicated plans of government and projects of usefulness; he held, as years rolled on, every lay office in it, and preached and ministered as a deacon; he was the soul of its missionary labors as a 'society for the furtherance of the Gospel;' he defended it in its distresses; helped it by his energy and skill through all its heavy financial embarrassments; traveled for it over Europe; and, towards the close of his life, became, as it were, its representative to the court and people of England." lie died in 1795. Hutton was a man of great piety and indomitable energy. The history of the Moravian Brethren in the second half of the 18th century is eminently the history of his own life. See Memoirs of James Hutton, comprising the annals of his life, and connexion with the United Brethren, by Daniel Benham (Lond. 1856, 8vo); Lond. Qu. Rev. 8, 239 sq.