Stearns, Josiah

Stearns, Josiah, a Congregational minister, was born at Billerica, Mass., Jan. 20, 1732, and graduated from Harvard University in 1751. He was ordained pastor of the Church in Epping, N.H., March 8, 1758. He adopted and earnestly advocated the principles of the Revolution, sending his elder sons into the army, and sacrificing most of his worldly interest in support of the American cause. Mr. Stearns was a close and thorough student, and, although his slender means would not allow him to possess much of a library, he was favored with the use of books by friends. He died at Epping, July 25, 1788. Five of his occasional sermons were published. See Sprague, Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, 1, 575.