1855. All this work was preparatory to his great quarto " Dictionary of the English Language " (Boston, 1860), in which he had the assistance of many collaborators, especially for the explanations of technical terms. This was the first dictionary that used illustrations. The difference between his system and Webster's, briefly indicated, was this: that Worcester endeavored simply to repre- sent the English language as it was, while Web- ster tried to improve it and set it forth as he thought it ought to be. The successive editions of Webster's work have receded steadily from his radical plan, so that now there is but little essen- tial difference between the two great dictionaries. Dr. Worcester was retiring, modest, benevolent, and deeply religious. He married, in 1841, Amy Elizabeth, daughter of Prof. Joseph McKean, of Harvard. They had no children. He was a mem- ber of numerous learned societies, and received the degree of LL. D. from Brown in 1847 and from Dartmouth in 1856. Ezra Abbott prepared a memoir of him, which was read before the Ameri- can academy of sciences the vear after his death.
WORCESTER, Noah, clergyman, b. in Hollis,
N. H., 25 Nov., 1758; d. in Brighton, Mass., 31
Oct., 1837. He was descended from Rev. William
Worcester, who came from Salisbury, England,
and was the first minister of the church in Salisbury,
Mass., which was organized in 1638. Noah's
father, of the same name, was one of the framers
of the constitution of New Hampshire. The son
was a fifer in the Continental army in 1775, entered
the service again for a short time as fife-major in
1777, and was at the battles of Bunker Hill and
Bennington. In September, 1778, he removed to
Plymouth, N. H., where he taught, and in February,
1782, settled at Thornton, filling several local
offices, and was chosen to the legislature. Having
turned his attention to theology, he published a
“Letter to the Rev. John Murray Concerning the
Origin of Evil” (Newburyport, 1786), was licensed
to preach by a Congregational association in 1786,
and in 1787 was ordained pastor of the church in
Thornton, where he remained till 1802, receiving a
salary of $200. In 1802 he was employed as its
first missionary in the New Hampshire society
then organized, and in that capacity preached and
travelled extensively through the northern part of
the state. He removed to Salisbury, N. H., in
1810, and there supplied the pulpit of his brother
Thomas till 1813, when he settled at Brighton,
Mass. He edited the “Christian Disciple” in
1813-'18, and “The Friend of Peace,” a quarterly
magazine, in 1819-'29, founded the Massachusetts
peace society in 1815, and was its secretary till 1828.
Mr. Worcester received honorary degrees in arts
from Dartmouth in 1791, and that of D. D. from
Harvard in 1818. In addition to his editorial work
he contributed to the “Theological Magazine,” and
published “Familiar Dialogue between Cephas and
Bereas” (Worcester, 1792); “Solemn Reasons for
Declining to adopt the Baptist Theory and Practice”
(Charlestown, 1809); “Bible News, or Sacred
Truths Relating to the Living God, his only Son,
and Holy Spirit,” which was censured by the
Hopkinsian association, of which the author was a
member, as unsound on the doctrine of the Trinity
(Concord, 1810); “Impartial Review of the
Testimonies in Favor of the Divinity of the Son of God”
{1810); “Respectful Address to the Trinitarian
Clergy” (Boston, 1812); “Solemn Review of the
Custom of War, by Philo Pacificus,” which was
republished in Europe in several languages (1814);
“The Atoning Sacrifice: a Display of Love, not of
Wrath” (Cambridge, 1829); “The Causes and
Evils of Contentions among Christians” (Boston,
1831); “Last Thoughts on Important Subjects”
(Cambridge, 1833); and single sermons and tracts.
See “Memoirs of Noah Worcester, D. D.,” by Rev.
Henry Ware, Jr., D. D., with a preface, notes, and
a concluding chapter by Samuel Worcester (Boston,
1844).—His brother, Thomas, clergyman, b. in
Hollis, N. H., 22 Nov., 1768; d. 24 Dec., 1831,
having studied theology under the direction of
Rev. Daniel Emerson, of Hollis, was ordained
pastor of the Congregational church in Salisbury,
N. H., 9 Nov., 1791. He adopted the Unitarian
views of his brother Noah, arid this, together with
his impaired health, led to his dismissal, 24 April,
1823, by a mutual council. He remained afterward
without a pastoral charge. He received the
honorary degree of M. A. from Dartmouth college
in 1806. Mr. Worcester published “A Call for
Scripture Evidence that Christ is the Self-Existent
Eternal God” (Boston, 1811); “New Chain of
Plain Argument Deemed Conclusive against
Trinitarianism” (1817); “The True God but one Person”
(1819); and separate sermons.—Another
brother, Samuel, clergyman, b. in Hollis, N. H.,
1 Nov., 1770; d. in Brainard, Tenn., 7 June, 1821,
was graduated at Dartmouth in 1795, licensed to
preach in 1796, and was pastor of the Congregational
church in Fitchburg, Mass., from 1797 till
1802. He became pastor of the Tabernacle church,
Salem, in 1803, which charge he held till his death.
He declined the professorship of theology in
Dartmouth in 1804, became corresponding secretary
of the American board of commissioners for
foreign missions in 1810, and in 1815 engaged in
the Unitarian controversy, his immediate opponent
being the Rev. William E. Channing. At the
time of his death he was travelling for the benefit
of his health. He published “Discourses on the
Covenant with Abraham” (Salem, 1805); “Three
Letters to the Rev. William E. Channing on
Unitarianism” (Boston, 1815); “Watts's Entire and
Select Hymns” (1818); single sermons and
pamphlets; and reviews and essays in religious periodicals.
After his death a collection of his sermons
was published (1823). See “Life and Labors of
Rev. Samuel Worcester,” by his son, Rev. Samuel
M. Worcester (2 vols., Boston, 1852).—Samuel's
son, Samuel Melancthon, b. in Fitchburg, Mass.,
4 Sept., 1801; d. in Boston, 16 Aug., 1866, was
graduated at Harvard in 1822, studied for a year
at Andover, was a tutor in Amherst in 1823-'5,
and professor of rhetoric and oratory there from
1825 till 1834. He was pastor of the Tabernacle
church, Salem, from 1834 till 1860, when impaired
health caused him to resign. He was a member of
the Massachusetts senate and house of representatives.
Mr. Worcester published “Essays on
Slavery, by Vigorinus” (1826); “The Memorial of the
Old and New Tabernacle,” Salem, Mass. (Boston,
1855); the life of his father that has been
mentioned; single sermons and discourses; and articles
in religious periodicals.—Noah's son, Thomas,
clergyman, b. in Thornton, N. H., 15 April, 1795;
d. in Waltham, Mass., 12 Aug., 1878, was graduated
at Harvard in 1818, and spent two years and a half
at the divinity-school, but embraced Swedenborgian
tenets, and was the first clergyman of that faith
in Massachusetts, serving as pastor of the Boston
society of the New Jerusalem church from 1821
till 1867. He was president of the Massachusetts
association of his denomination, and also of its
general convention from 1839 till 1875. Harvard
gave him the degree of D. D. in 1856, and he was
one of its overseers in 1854-'60. He published
sermons, addresses, and magazine articles.
