Josiah Smith
Josiah Smith was an influential American clergyman known for his role as a prominent defender of the Great Awakening in the southern United States. Born on December 25, 1704, in Charleston, South Carolina, he spent part of his childhood in Bermuda and became the first native South Carolinian to graduate from Harvard University in 1725. After his ordination in 1726, he returned to Bermuda but moved back to South Carolina due to hurricanes, eventually becoming the pastor of the Independent Presbyterian Church in Cainhoy.
Smith married Elizabeth Darrrell in 1731 and had seven children. His ministry was notable for its passionate sermons and writings that advocated for individual interpretation of scripture, emphasizing moral living and private judgment in faith matters. Despite facing challenges, including a debilitating illness in 1749 that affected his speech, he continued to preach monthly. During the Revolutionary War, he was forced to leave Charleston for Philadelphia, where he passed away in October 1781. Smith's contributions to religious discourse and his advocacy for individual rights made a lasting impact, particularly in South Carolina, during an era of significant religious revival.
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Josiah Smith
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: December 25, 1704
- Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina
- Died: October 19, 1781
- Place of death: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Biography
American clergyman Josiah Smith was one of the most eloquent defenders of the Great Awakening in the South. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on December 25, 1704. He spent much of his childhood on the island of Bermuda. In 1725, he received his degree from Harvard University, the first native South Carolinian to do so, and he was ordained in Boston in 1726. Smith later received his master’s degree (in absentia) from Harvard in 1728.
Following his ordination, Smith returned to Bermuda, where he established a church settlement, but was forced to return to the United States in 1728 because of hurricane devastation. He settled in Cainhoy, South Carolina, where he became the pastor at the Independent Presbyterian church. In 1731, he married Elizabeth Darrrell, with whom he had seven children.
Three years later, Smith was appointed as assistant pastor at the influential Independent Church in Charleston, and he became the church’s only minister in 1742. In 1749, Smith was stricken with palsy, which rendered him unable to speak clearly. Although his speech was largely unintelligible, Smith’s congregation allowed him to preach once a month. After the capture of Charleston during the Revolutionary War, Smith, an ardent Whig, was forced to leave the city. He and his family moved to Philadelphia, where he died in October, 1781.
Smith is best known for his sermons and polemic writings on the state of the church. Many of his sermons are written in plain, simple language, a style reminiscent of New England preachers of the era. Having been educated at Harvard, Smith felt a great affinity for New England both spiritually and intellectually. Smith believed that Christianity should promote the living of a moral life, and he especially praised the citizens of Boston for the example that they set for others.
His sermons composed around the time of the great revivals of the 1730’s and 1740’s are quite spirited, and they blend religious enthusiasm with practicality. Smith was a great defender of the individual’s right and ability to interpret the scripture according to their own conscience. He defended individual rights in his essay Humane Impositions Proved Unscriptural: Or, The Divine Right of Private Judgment, published in 1729.
Smith’s opinion was attacked by church leaders, in particular Hugh Fisher. For a time, Smith and Fisher engaged in a verbal battle. Smith answered Fisher’s criticisms in a second essay, The Divine Right of Private Judgment Vindicated, whereupon he withdrew from the argument. Although Smith is most often spoken of in connection with well-known preacher George Whitefield, the effects of the Great Awakening were more strongly felt in South Carolina than in any other state because of Smith’s efforts.