MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 11 been molested and restrained in their persons, liberties, and estates, on religious accounts.* These things we have thought proper to insert in Mr. Backus's biography. He was undoubtedly the draughtsman of some of the memorials of his brethren, and he was certainly the able and undaunted expositor of them all. His whole soul was engaged in the prosecution of his agency; insomuch that he became the champion of non-conformity in New England, and was, on that account, much vilified and abused by the established party. When he waited on the Congress at Philadelphia, he was accused of going there on purpose to attempt to break the union of the colonies. The newspapers abounded with pieces against him, some of which he answered, and others he treated as beneath his notice. In one, he was threatened with a halter and the gallows; but he had been too long inured to the war, to be terrified by such impotent threats. Bad as were the laws of Massachusetts at this period, their interpretation and execution by bigoted and interested courts was frequently much more exceptionable. Against all such perversions Mr. Backus failed not to lift up the voice of solemn remonstrance. The undaunted intrepidity with which he withstood corrupt or partyblinded judges, even to the face, is still remembered by some of that waning remnant who were contemporaneous with his later years. The other sphere of service in which the subject of this memoir acted so distinguished and useful a part, was entered in obedience to the pressing and reiterated solicitations of his brethren. With characteristic humility he thus adverts, in the preface to vol. i. of his history, to his feelings and circumstances when first solicited, about the year 1771, to write a history of the churches of New England. "When I was requested by several gentlemen of note and others, to undertake this work, two great objections presented themselves to my mind; namely, my great unfit * This remained true till within a few years since, when the constitution of Massachusetts was finally purified of this obnoxious feature, and all sects were placed on equality. ness for it, and the difficulty of obtaining the necessary materials. But their importunity prevailed against the first, and Divine providence has removed the other, by conveying into my hands a variety of authentic materials, much beyond what I conceived could have now been obtained in the world." In the same preface he thus indicates the necessity of re-writing the early history of the Puritan churches and governments. "It may well be supposed, that men who are striving for more power over others than belongs to them, will not set their own or their opponent's disposition and character in a just light. And if it should be found, that near all the histories of this country which are much known, have been written by persons who thought themselves invested with power to act as lawgivers and judges for their neighbours, under the name either of orthodoxy, or of immediate power from heaven, the inference will be strong, that our affairs have never been set in so clear a light as they ought to be; and if this is not indeed the case, I am greatly mistaken." Under these circumstances, Mr. Backus set himself to the diligent search of all the original records within his reach, and in 1777, in the midst of the confusion and suffering occasioned by the war of the Revolution, he published his first volume, a large 8vo., and brought down the history of the colonies, and particularly of their ecclesiastical affairs to 1690. A single sheet was added as an "Appendix, containing a brief summary of the Ecclesiastical Affairs of this country down to the present time." This volume is now very scarce, and though containing ample and valuable materials for the historian, they will scarcely require to be republished in their present shape. His second volume contained the Church History of New England, from 1690 to 1784. It included "A concise view of the American War, and of the conduct of the Baptists therein, with the present state of their churches." In 1796 a third volume appeared, gleaning up a portion of materials which had been omitted in the others, and continuing the history down to that time. He says, "Through the whole, I have compared actions and events MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 13 with the word of God, according to the best light I could gain from every quarter." The first and third of the above volumes were printed in Boston, the second in Providence. They contain in the aggregate more than 1300 pages octavo; and though from the circumstances in which they were successively produced, it could not be expected that they would be free from repetitions, and some transposition of the order of events, yet the student of our early ecclesiastical history will in vain look elsewhere for much of the interesting and important matter here contained. The style is uniformly lucid and nervous, without any attempt at polish or ornament. The sentiments and reflections freely interspersed, are such as arise naturally from the events narrated, and are fully imbued with the desire of civil and religious liberty. A delightful spirit of candour is evinced, in giving just commendation to whatever was truly excellent in the character and deportment of the Puritans; and if their now indefensible intolerance and bigotry receive a somewhat severer denunciation than we have been accustomed to hear awarded to them, let us remember the exasperating circumstances under which the author wrote. Let it also be borne in mind that he clearly discriminates between the early principles of the Puritans, and some subsequent inconsistencies of their practice. His last historical work was the volume herewith published. It consists of a condensation of the most important things embraced in his former publications, into one smaller volume, with a concise view of the southern states; the whole being continued to the time of its publication in 1804. This is by far the most useful of his historical labours, for common readers; and will by this cheap republication, be made widely accessible. Besides these literary enterprises, and the ordinary discharge of his pastoral duties, he travelled and preached very extensively in New England, and on one occasion, in 1789, in consequence of a request from the southern brethren for some one of the ministers of the Warren Association to come and assist them in the great field of labour which was then opened before them, he spent six months chiefly in Virginia and North Carolina, in which tour he travelled over three thousand miles, and preached one hundred and twenty-six sermons. His pen was rarely idle for any considerable length of time, and besides the list of about forty publications which he sent to the press, within the last half century of his useful life, he wrote a number of circular letters, and other communications for various periodicals. His newspaper articles were not on the ordinary political topics, but were designed to expose ecclesiastical oppression, and to defend the noble principles of religious freedom.* This distinguished man finished his earthly course with great composure, November 20, 1806, in the 83d year of his age, and the 60th of his ministry. For a few months A The following is a complete list of the books and pamphlets which he published, in regular order. A Discourse on the Internal Call to preach the Gospel, 1754. A Sermon on Gal. iv. 31., 1756. A Sermon on Acts xiii. 27, 1763. A Letter to Mr. Lord, 1764. Sermon on Prayer, 1766. A Discourse on Faith, 1767. An Answer to Mr. Fish, 1768. A Sermon on his Mother's Death, 1769. A Second Edition of his Sermon on Gal. iv. 31., with an Answer to Mr. Frothingham, 1770. A Plea for Liberty of Conscience, 1770. Sovereign Grace vindicated, 1771. A Letter concerning Taxes to support Religious Worship, 1771. A Sermon at the Ordination of Mr. Hunt, 1772. A reply to Mr. Holly, 1772. A Reply to Mr. Fish, 1773. An Appeal to the Public in Defence of Religious Liberty, 1773. A Letter on the Decrees, 1773. A History of the Baptists, vol. i. 1777. Government and Liberty described, 1778. A Piece upon Baptism, 1779. True Policy requires Equal Religious Liberty, 1779. An Appeal to the People of Massachusetts against Arbitrary Power, 1780. Truth is Great and will Prevail, 1781. The Doctrine of Universal Salvation examined and refuted, 1782. A Door opened for Christian Liberty, 1783. A History of the Baptists, vol. ii., 1784. Godliness excludes Slavery, in Answer to John Cleaveland, 1785. The Testimony of the Two Witnesses, 1786. An Address to New England, 1787. An Answer to Remmele on the Atonement, 1787. A Piece on Discipline, 1787. An Answer to Wesley on Election and Perseverance, 1789. On the Support of Gospel Ministers, 1790. An Essay on the Kingdom of God, 1792. A History of the Baptists, vol. iii., 1796. A second edition of his Sermon on the death of his Mother; to which was added a Short Account of his Wife, who died in 1800. Published 1803. An Abridgment of the Church History of New England, 1804. A Great Faith described, 1805. MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 15 previous to his death he had been laid by from his public labours by a paralysis, which deprived him of the power of speech and the use of his limbs. But his reason continued unclouded to the last, and in his expiring moments, he manifested entire resignation to the will of Heaven. Few of his favoured brethren of this generation, are adequately impressed with a sense of their indebtedness to the labours of this departed champion of their cause. He was unquestionably one of the most useful ministers that has ever appeared among the American Baptists. For fifty years, he was a laborious servant of their churches; and for more than half this period, he diligently devoted what time he could spare from professional duties, to historical researches. The vast fund of materials which he thus accumulated, must have sunk into entire oblivion, had it not been for his unwearied care. preacher he was entirely evangelical: pungency, pathos and power, characterized many of his discourses, which though unornamented with rhetorical language, were richly stored with scriptural truth. As a His unaffected piety, sincerity, and unwavering integrity, were proverbial among all that knew him. The following interesting reminiscence has been communicated by the worthy pastor of the church to which father Backus so long ministered. All "The following anecdote is sometimes related by the aged Christians in this region:-An unpleasant rupture took place between Rev. Mr. Alden, late of Bellingham, and a certain Mr. Mann, a member of his church. attempts for a reconciliation were in vain. At length a number of ministers were called together for consultation and advice; among whom were Stillman, of Boston: Manning, of Providence: and Backus, of Middleborough. The conference was held at the house of Rev. W. Williams, in Wrentham, and they spent the afternoon and almost all the following night in their pious efforts; but the parties were unyielding, and there was not the least prospect of a settlement. For a long time Mr. Backus had sat with his head bowed down, and appeared to be sleeping. A little before break of day, (which is |