Harris, Samuel, Dd

Harris, Samuel, D.D.

was born in the county of Middlesex about the year 1683. He was educated in Merchant Taylor's school, of which he was head boy in 1697, and was admitted a pensioner of Peter House, Cambridge, May 15, 1700. Upon the foundation of the chair of Modern History in the University of Cambridge by George I in 1724, Harris was appointed the first professor. He died Dec. 21,1733. He was the author of,

1. Scripture knowledge promoted by catechizing (London, 1712, 8vo): —

2. A Commentary on the Fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, with an appendix of Queries concerning Divers Ancient Religious Traditions and Practices, and the sense of many texts of Scripture which seem to allude to or express them (Lond. 1735 [not' 1739, as frequently stated], 4to). In some copies this work has a different titlepage, namely, Observations, Critical and Miscellaneous on several remarkable Texts of the Old Testament, to which is added a Commentary, etc. Prefixed are three dissertations, 1. On a Gnozer or Advocate; 2. On a Dour or Generation; and, 3. On the ancient method of propounding important points by way of question. This work was published shortly after the death of the author by his widow. It exhibits much curious learning, and is several times referred to by Doddridge in his lectures."-Kitto, Cyclopedia, 2, 236.