Jones, Charles Colcock, Dd

Jones, Charles Colcock, D.D., a Presbyterian divine, was born at Liberty Hall, Ga., Dec. 20, 1804. While yet a youth he entered a large counting house in Savannah, Ga., but when converted, in his 18th year, he decided to quit mercantile life and enter the ministry. He prepared for college at Phillips Academy, then entered Andover Seminary, and later the theological seminary at Princeton. He was licensed in 1830 by the New Brunswick Presbytery at Allentown, New Jersey, and returned to Georgia in the autumn, and shortly afterwards became missionary to the negroes of Liberty County, Ga. He soon became interested in the colored race, and during the remainder of his life sought by extensive correspondence, by his annual reports as a missionary, and by all other means in his power, to engage the attention of the Christian public to the moral condition of this class of our population. In 1835 he was elected professor of Church history and polity in the seminary at Columbia, and after having been earnestly urged to accept the chair, on the plea that he might even there continue to work for the colored people, by inciting the students to engage with him in the work, he accepted the position in 1836. But he felt restless in his new place, and in 1838 returned again to his former work. In 1847 he was reelected to the professorship, and again prevailed upon to accept the proffered honor; he now continued in the seminary until its close in 1850. At the same time he filled the position of secretary to the Board of Missions for the South and Southwest. In 1850 he removed to Philadelphia, to assume the duties of secretary of the Assembly's Board of Domestic Missions, and this position he filled until Oct. 1853, when failing health necessitated his return to Georgia. During the Rebellion he attached himself to the Southern cause. But his health was too feeble to permit much exertion, for he suffered from consumption. He died March 16, 1863. "Dr. Jones filled a large place in the esteem and affections of the Church of God. As a man there was decision and energy of character, united with great friendliness of heart, cheerfulness of disposition, activity of mind, and ease and polish of manners. Few equaled him in all that makes up the ease and polish of the Christian gentleman. As a preacher there was much that was attractive in his appearance and manner. A delightful simplicity, ease, and unction pervaded his happiest efforts." Dr. Jones published a Catechism of Scripture Doctr. and Practice: — Catechism on the Creed: — Hist. Catechism of the O.T. and N.T.; besides several pamphlets on the Religious Instr. of the Negro. His Catechism of Script. Doctrine and Practice was extensively used, and was found so serviceable to missionaries generally that it was translated into several languages, and was made a manual for the instruction of the heathen. He also began a History of the Church of God, which he did not live to complete (it was published by Scribner). See Wilson, Presb. Hist. Almanac, 1867, p. 438. (J.H.W.)