CHURCH HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND, FROM 1620 TO 1804. CONTAINING A VIEW OF THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE, DECLENSIONS AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION AND S. S. 3OCIETY, No. 21 SOUTH FOURTH STREET. 1844 . 286 B1280 1844 THE annexed Memoir has been carefully compiled for this volume, from the American Baptist Magazine-the second volume of Benedict's Historythe writings of Backus, and such verbal recollections of him, as the writer has been able to secure. It is hoped that it may give increased interest to the perusal of his history; while it will by no means supersede the necessity and the desire for a more complete and elaborate "Life of Backus," which one of his distinguished friends, who can have ready access to his extensive diary, and the scenes of his protracted labours, has promised to prepare, for our "Biographical Series." NSYLVANIA THE STATE Library King and Baird, Printers, No. 9, George street, Philadelphia. COLLEGE MEMOIR. ISAAC BACKUS was born in Norwich, Connecticut, January 9th, 1724. His parents were pious and respectable members of the Pedobaptist church in that town. His father was a descendant of one of the first families in the settlement of Norwich; and his mother's pedigree is traced back to the family of Winslows, who came to Plymouth with the first European emigrants to this country, in 1620. At the time when the celebrated Whitefield preached with such signal success in that vicinity, some of Mr. Backus's connexions united with the Separates,a name given to several independent churches formed about this period, of a more zealous and spiritual character than the Associate Pedobaptist churches, which then and long after claimed to be the standing order, or churches established by law. For uniting with these, they were harrassed and persecuted by the ruling party. The mother of young Backus, when a widow, with some other of his relations were cast into prison, by these persecuting zealots, solely for exercising their conscientious convictions, in uniting with those churches which were not established by law. It was in the midst of this excitement, that the subject of this memoir was brought to the knowledge of the truth, in the 18th year of his age. He furnishes the following simple and striking account of his conversion. 66 My being born of religious parents, and having a religious (though not what is called a liberal) education, I have ever esteemed an unspeakable favour. Yet I neglected the great salvation for more than seventeen years, because of the secret imagination that it would abridge my present liberty and comfort; and also, that when I should in good earnest set about the work, God would be moved to help, pardon, and save me. But in 3 384612 |