When the Warren Association met, in September 1, 1772, Mr. Backus was chosen agent, in place of Mr. Davis. This office he continued to fill, at the desire of his brethren, for ten successive years. It was no sinecure. A Committee of Grievances, consisting of eight members besides the agent, was likewise appointed. On the 5th of May, 1773, six members1 of this committee met in Boston, and agreed to send the following circular to the churches, -- a paper revealing the conclusions which Mr. Backus had reached, after long reflection, on a matter of great practical importance: - Alvah Hovey
Also included is a letter sent to Rev. Stennett of London, to explain the situation and ask for advice concerning their religious oppression. - Jim Duvall
Circular Letter
Warren Baptist Association (New England)
1773
"BELOVED FRIENDS: -- These lines are to acquaint you that five of our committee, appointed to care for and consult the general good of the Baptist churches in this country, especially as to their union and liberties, met
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with me at Boston, on May 5, 1773, when we received accounts that several of our friends at Mendon have lately had their goods forcibly taken from them, for ministerial rates, and that three more of them at Chelmsford, (two of whom were members of the Baptist church there,) were seized for the same cause, last winter, and carried prisoners to Concord jail; so that liberty of conscience, the greatest and most important article of all liberty, is evidently not allowed, as it ought to be in this country, not even by the very men who are now making loud complaints of encroachments upon their own liberties. And as it appears to us clear that the root of all these difficulties, and that which has done amazing mischief in our land, is civil rulers assuming a power to make any laws to govern ecclesiastical affairs, or to use any force to support ministers; therefore, these are to desire you to consider whether it is not our duty to strike so directly at this root, as to refuse any conformity to their laws about snch affairs, even so much as giving any certificates to their assessors. We are fully persuaded that if we were all united in bearing what others of our friends might, for a little while, suffer on this account, a less sum than has already been expended with lawyers and courts, on such accounts, would carry us through the trial, and, if we should be enabled to treat our oppressors with a Christian temper, would make straining upon others, under pretence of supporting religion, appear so odious that they could not get along with it. We desire you would consider of these matters, and send in your mind to the assembly of our churches, which is to meet at Medfield, on the seventh of September next, when it will be proposed to have these matters, both as to principle and facts, as clearly stated as we can, and to see if all our churches cannot agree upon publishing our joint
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testimony for true liberty, and against the oppressions of the present day.
From yours, in gospel bonds,
ISAAC BACKUS, Agent.
By advice of the Committee."
____________ 1 Messengers: Backus, Stillman, Alden, Plimpton, and the two Freemans.
Note
"P. S. Our charter gives other denominations no more power to tax the Baptists, than it does the Baptists to tax others; and in the town of Boston, they have all along had this equality, so that there has not been any occasion for one society to give certificates to another; and why may not the country enjoy the same liberty?"
The following letter to the Rev. Dr. Stennett, of London, describes the immediate results of the circular just given:
"MIDDLEBORO', OCT. 9, 1773.
"REV. AND DEAR SIR: As our Association have chosen me to be their agent here, in the room of our beloved friend, Mr. John Davis, deceased, I am set down to write you some answer to yours of Aug. 6, 1772, addressed to him. The ill state of his health had induced him to return to Pennsylvania before it arrived at Boston; it was sent after him, but I suppose never reached him. For, with Mr. David Jones, he set out on a visit to the western Indians, but was taken sick near the Ohio, and after an illness of three weeks, died there, the 13th of last December, in the thirty-sixth year of his age. A very just character was given him from Philadelphia, in which are these words: 'He was an entertaining companion, possessed of uncommon calmness of temper. In preaching, he endeavored to reach the understanding of his audience.
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Educated in the genuine principles of liberty, born under one of the happiest of civil constitutions, he felt with the keenest sensibility for the oppressed, and when his duty called, with a manly and virtuous boldness he defended them.' This is a true sketch of the character of that valuable friend we mourn the loss of.
"Pennsylvania, his native colony, enjoys that religious liberty which he soon found the want of here. Upon search, he found that our charter gives equal religious liberty as well as theirs, and that what is called the religious establishment in this Province stands only upon some laws made by the Congregationalists to support their way, which [laws] happened not to be timely discovered by the powers at home, but [which] are really in their nature contrary to our charter. And when they tried to call a Provincial Synod in 1725, an express was sent from the British court against it, in which it was declared that their way was not established here. Therefore Mr. Davis judged it to be our duty to strike more directly at the root of our oppressions than we had before done.
"And though he is taken from us, yet the cause remains the same; and last May our committee were called together at Boston, when we had late accounts of the sufferings of our brethren in sundry places and in violation of the Pedobaptists' own laws; upon which we wrote to all our churches to consider and to give their mind upon the affair. Accordingly, they sent in their thoughts to our association at Medfield, Tuesday, September 7th; and though we were agreed that our Legislature had no right to impose religious taxes upon us, yet some doubted the expediency of our now refusing any compliance with their laws in that respect; and since we were not all of a judgment in this case, they stood against our coming to any vote
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upon it, lest our want of union therein should give an advantage to our adversaries. Thus matters labored all day Wednesday, until many of the brethren became very uneasy about being thus held back. But on Thursday morning, Mr. Stillman, who had been against our coming to a vote, brought in the following paper, which was unanimously adopted:1. That the mind of the association respecting giving or not giving certificates, be taken by written vote, in order to confine the difference which subsists among us on this matter, in the association.
2. That those churches that agree to neglect the law for the future, shall, in a spirit of meekness, plead as the reason, that they cannot, in conscience, countenance any human laws that interfere in the management of the kingdom of Christ, which is not of this world.
3. That the churches which think it expedient to give certificates for the present, be advised by letter how many are of a contrary mind, and be desired to consider the matter against the next association, and to unite with their brethren if possible.
4. That the churches allow each other entire liberty, without any hard thoughts one of another.
5. That all the churches which shall be called to suffer through the year, shall transmit an account of such sufferings to their agent, to be made use of by him as may be thought best to subserve the common cause.
6. That our true state, with what we have transacted at this association, be sent to our agents in England, and their opinion be requested by the next meeting of the churches.
7. That if any are called to suffer, their sister churches be applied to, to assist them in their trouble.
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"When we came to act upon the first of these articles, there appeared thirty-four elders and brethren against giving any more certificates, six for it, and three at a loss how to act. Then it was voted by all that an appeal to the public, which I had read in part to them, should be examined by our committee and then published. And our association was dismissed in a very comfortable and happy manner, and all seemed well pleased with what was done. The following week our committee met at Boston and deliberately examined and approved of our appeal, a copy of which I now send you. We were privately encouraged in this attempt for religious liberty by several members of both houses of our great General Court; and the state of people's minds of various ranks through New England is such that I cannot but hope to obtain our freedom without a necessity of appealing to his Majesty. The use of force in religious affairs is become odious to great numbers besides our own denomination, and that is increasing very fast.
"Thus, dear sir, I have given you as concise and just an account of our state as I can; and we request the best advice from yourself, Dr. Slewalen and Mr. Wallin, that you can give us. We are greatly obliged to you all for the friendship and favors you have already shown us, especially concerning the case of Ashfield, for which we hope and pray that God may abundantly reward you.
"By the printed minutes I send you, it appears that we have one thousand one hundred and sixty-one church members in our association, and I suppose there are full as many more within the Provinces of Massachusetts and New Hampshire only; which are but two of the four governments of New England; and full two-thirds of all those have been baptized within these seventeen years; and the abundant evidence I have that the pure doctrines
[p. 194]of grace set home by the power of the divine Spilit, have been the cause of it, affords me unspeakable satisfaction. Brother Hinds, who lives nine miles south of me, has been favored with a glorious visitation this year, and he has baptized four more since the meeting of the association. In such a new state and rapid increase of churches, you, sir, must be sensible that we stand in great need of the best assistance that can be had. I therefore hope for some from yourself and brethren to be communicated to.Your unworthy brother in gospel bonds, ISAAC BACKUS." ===================== [From Alvah Hovey, The Life and Times of Isaac Backus, 1858; reprint, 1991, pp. 188-194. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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