Sawyer, John, Dd

Sawyer, John, D.D.

an eminent Congregational minister, was born at Hebron, Conn., Oct. 9, 1755. In 1777 he entered the Revolutionary army, and, after serving for some years, entered Dartmouth College in 1781. He graduated in 1786, then devoted himself to theology, and commenced preaching within one year after leaving college. In October, 1787, he accepted a call to become pastor of the Church at Oxford, Coos County, N.H., on the condition of that Church relinquishing the practice of baptizing children on what was termed the halfway covenant (q.v.). He afterwards became successively pastor of a Church in Boothbay, Me., in 1796; of New Castle in 1806, in which latter place he commenced traveling in all directions as a home missionary; of Bangor in 1812, where he acted both as preacher and as schoolmaster; and finally of Garland, where he remained until his death, Oct. 14, 1858. Religion was the supreme governing principle of his life, and for nearly eighty years he labored faithfully in bringing souls to God. See Amer. Cong. Yearbook, 1859, p. 131.