Thomas Boston

Thomas Boston (17 March 1676 – 20 May 1732) was a Scottish church leader, theologian and philosopher.

Life

He was born at Duns. His father, John Boston, and his mother, Alison Trotter, were both Covenanters. He was educated at Edinburgh, and licensed in 1697 by the presbytery of Chirnside. In 1699 he became minister of the small parish of Simprin, where there were only 90 examinable persons; previously, he was a schoolmaster in Glencairn. In 1704 he found, while visiting a member of his flock, a book brought into Scotland by a commonwealth soldier, the Marrow of Modern Divinity, by Edward Fisher, a compendium of the opinions of leading Reformation divines on the doctrine of grace and the offer of the Gospel, which set off the Marrow Controversy.

Its object was to demonstrate the unconditional freeness of the Gospel. It cleared away such conditions as repentance, or some degree of outward or inward reformation, and argued that where Christ is heartily received, full repentance and a new life follow. On Boston's recommendation, James Hog of Carnock reprinted The Marrow in 1718; and Boston also published an edition with notes of his own. The book, attacked from the standpoint of high Calvinism, became the standard of a far-reaching movement in Scottish Presbyterianism.

Thomas Boston the younger

Thomas Boston, the younger (1713–1767) was a Scottish minister of the Relief Church.

Early life

The youngest son of Thomas Boston (1677–1732), he was born at Ettrick on 3 April 1713, After some home instruction, he went to the grammar school at Hawick, and then to Edinburgh University.

Boston was licensed on 1 August 1732 by the Selkirk presbytery, presented to Ettrick in place of his father in November 1732, and ordained there on 4 April 1733. On 25 October 1748 he was released from the charge, having a call to Oxnam, Roxburghshire; and was admitted there on 10 August 1749.

The "relief" presbytery

Popular as the heir to his father's theology of the Marrow Controversy, Boston was the immediate cause of a rift in the parish church of the neighbouring town of Jedburgh. When a vacancy there was filled over the wishes of the congregation, the elders of the church and most of the parishioners, including the town council, withdrew from the church and built a meeting-house for Boston.

Boston (horse)

Boston (1833–1850), was an outstanding chestnut Thoroughbred racehorse and a Leading sire in North America three times from 1851 to 1853. He started in about 45 races, winning 40 of these, including 15 in succession. Boston was later one of the initial inductees into the Hall of Fame.

Breeding

He was a chestnut stallion with a white blaze on his nose and he was foaled in Richmond, Virginia. Boston was bred by the Virginia attorney John Wickham (who had been Aaron Burr's counsel in his trial for treason). He was by the very good racehorse, Timoleon (by the great Sir Archy), his dam was Sister to Tuckahoe by Ball’s Florizel. Boston was inbred to Diomed in the third generation (3m x 3f). He was a half-brother to the Shylock mare who founded a successful family. They were from the number 40 family which traced back to the imported mare, Kitty Fisher.

As a two-year-old, Boston was lost by his breeder in a card game and was given to Wickham's friend Nathaniel Rives, of Richmond to repay his debt of $800. He was named after a popular card game and later given the nickname of "Old Whitenose". Boston had a wilful temperament and was difficult to train. Sent to the stable of John Belcher, and then to the trainer L. White, and then back to Belcher, White said, "The horse should either be castrated or shot—preferably the latter."

Boston (cocktail)

A Boston is a cocktail made with London dry gin, apricot brandy, grenadine, and the juice of a lemon.

See also

References

Boston (dance)

The Boston refers to a series of various step dances, considered a slow Americanized version of the waltz presumably named after where it originated. It is completed in one measure with the weight kept on the same foot through two successive beats. The "original" Boston is also known as the New York Boston or Boston Point.

Variations of the Boston include:

References