WILSON, Matthew, clergyman, born in East Nottingham, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 15 January, 1731; died in Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware, 30 March, 1790. He was licensed to preach in 1754, and in 1.756 was installed pastor of the congregations at Lewes and Cool Spring, Delaware By consent of his two congregations, he began, in 1767, to preach every third Sabbath at the neighboring town of Indian River. For this extensive parish he continued to minister until his death. As he had received a medical as well as 8 theological training, Dr. Wilson divided his time between the two professions, and few physicians of his day displayed more learning, skill, or achieved greater success. In the " Old Side" and "New Side " controversy that preceded the "Plan of Union," that restored peace to the Presbyterian: church in 1758, he took part with the former, although his piety and amiable character made him esteemed by both parties. In the Revolutionary struggle he held decided views in favor of the independence of the colonies. He received the degree of D. D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1786.--His son, James Patriot, clergyman, born in Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware, 21 February, 1769; died in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, 9 December, 1830, was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1788, and was at once offered the chair of assistant professor of mathematics in that institution, but declined on account of feeble health. Subsequently, and after teaching in his native town, he studied law and was admitted to the bar of Sussex county, Delaware, in 1790. He also acted for some time as surveyor-general of the state. Although he rose to eminence in his profession, the sudden death of his wife and the murder of his brother combined to turn his attention to the subject of religion, and he abandoned his profession for the pulpit. He was licensed to preach in 1804, and the same year was installed as pastor of the three congregations over which his father had so long presided. In May, 1806, he was called to the charge of the 1st Presbyterian church in Philadelphia. Here he remained until May, 1828, when he retired to his farm, about twenty miles from that city, on account of failing health. He preached occasionally until 1830, when his resignation was accepted. Dr. Wilson was noted for eccentricities of character, but they were overlooked in view of his sterling worth. As a preacher he was deliberate and unimpassioned, and spoke without notes, he was probably the only clergyman of his country and time who had not only read all the volumes extant of Patristic theology, but literally lived among them. On a blank leaf of his copy of Henry Ware's tract on "Extemporaneous Preaching" he wrote" " I have preached twenty years, and have never written a full sermon in my life, and never read one word of a sermon from the pulpit, nor opened a note, nor committed 8 sentence, and have rarely wandered five minutes at a time from my mental arrangement previously made." " I heard him preach one sermon," says a writer, who knew Dr. Wilson, "and it was throughout as consecutive and condensed as the demonstration of a problem of Euclid." He received the degree of D. D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1807. His publications include "Lectures upon Some of the Parables and Historical Passages of the New Testament" (Philadelphia, 1810);" An Easy Introduction to the Knowledge of the Hebrew Language" (1812); " Ridgely's 'Body of Divinity, ' with Notes, Original and Selected" (1814); "An Essay on Grammar " (1817): " An Essay on the Probation of Fallen Men " (1827) ; "Common Objections to Christianity " and the " Hope of Immortality " (1829) ; and " A Free Conversation on the Unpardonable Sin" (1830).