ABERNETHY, JOHN, an eminent dissenting minister, was the son of Mr John Abernethy, a dissenting minister in Coleraine, where he was born on the 19th of October 1680. When about nine years of age he was separated from his parents, his father being obliged to attend some public affairs in London; and his mother, to shelter herself from the fury of the Irish rebels, retiring to Derry, a relation who had him under his care, having had no opportunity of conveying him to her, carried him to Scotland; and thus he escaped the hardships and dangers of the siege of Derry, in which Mrs Abernethy lost all her other children. He afterwards studied at the University of Glasgow, where he remained till he took the degree of master of arts; and, in 1708, he was chosen minister of a dissenting congregation at Antrim, in which situation he continued above 20 years. About the time of the Bangorian controversy (for which see HOADLY), a dissension arose among his brethren in the ministry at Belfast, on the subject of subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith. In this controversy he became a leader on the negative side, and incurred the censure of a general synod. The agitation of parties on this occasion induced him to accept of an invitation to settle in Dublin, where his preaching was much admired. Here he continued for ten years, respected and esteemed; and died in December 1740, in the 61st year of his age. His writings, like his character, are distinguished for candour, liberality, and manly sentiment. He published a volume of sermons on the Divine Attributes; after his death a second volume was published by his friends; and these were succeeded by four other volumes on different subjects.