Biographies of the Baptized Believers
Old Paths Bible Ministries
Baptist History
Biographies of the Baptized Believers copied by permission from Pastor James Beller's 21 TNT.Com Most of the following biographies are taken from the Baptist Encyclopedia, written by William Cathcart and published in 1881
Edited by Pastor James Beller
BIOGRAPHIES:
Broaddus, Andrew
Brown, Chad
Bunyan, John
Burns, Jabez
Carey, William
Carroll, B.H
Clark, John
Colgate, Samuel
Colgate, William
Craig, Elijah
Craig, Lewis
Dunster, Henry
Furman, Richard
Harriss, Samuel
Holmes, Obadiah
Hubmaier, Balthasar
Ireland, James
Lane, Dutton
Leland, John
Manning, James
Mercer, Jessie
Sattler, Michael
Simons, Menno
Smyth, John
Stearns, Shubal
Wightman, Valentine
ANDREW BROADDUS
Andrew Broaddus was born in Caroline Co., Va., Nov. 4, 1770. His love of letters and his studiousness were such that he became one of the most thorough Biblical scholars of his times. About the age of eighteen he experienced a change of heart, and although strenuously opposed by his father, who was a rigid adherent of the Episcopal Church, he was baptized May 28, 1789, and became a member of the Baptist church of Upper King and Queen, then under the care of the Rev. Theodoric Noel. The duty of preparing himself to preach the gospel at once pressed itself upon his attention, and having been convinced that it was his duty to do so, he preached his first sermon at the house of Mrs. Lowrie, where, upon this, the first occasion, Rev. R. R. Semple also preached. From the very beginning Mr. Broaddus was popular as a preacher. He was ordained Oct. 16, 1791, in the church in which he was baptized. Among the first churches he served were Burrus and Bethel, in the county of Caroline, and also the church in Fredericksburg. While supplying these churches he also taught a school, and applied himself closely to study.Subsequently he became pastor of Upper Zion, Beulah, Mangohie, Salem, and Upper King and Queen, with the last two of which he continued to labor until the close of his life. Although Mr. Broaddus was known but to few personally beyond the limits of his own State, yet, when in the prime of life, he received invitations to become the pastor of numerous churches in distant cities: from the First church in Boston, in 1811; from the First church in Philadelphia, in 1811; from the First church in Baltimore, in 1819; from the New Market Street church, Philadelphia, in 1819; from the Sansom Street, Philadelphia, in 1824; and from the First church, New York, in 1832. An ineradicable constitutional timidity, which sometimes made him almost powerless in speech when in the presence of strangers, and a deeply-rooted attachment to old friends and old scenes, prevented his acceptance of all such tempting offers. He made the trial once in removing to Richmond to take charge of the First Baptist church in that city, but his stay there was short, and he soon returned to labor again with his country congregations.
As a preacher, Mr. Broaddus was the foremost man of his generation. "In clearness of conception, beauty of imagery, aptness of illustration, and tenderness of soul he was pre-eminent. With a well-proportioned form, graceful manner, natural gesticulation, benignant countenance, and musical voice, he held as by a pleasing spell, his enraptured hearers. All hung upon his lips, unwilling to lose a word, while with softly insinuating power he found access to the innermost depths of the soul, causing all its fountains of emotions to gush forth." His chief excellence consisted in the exposition of the Scriptures, and especially those passages suited to edify and comfort the people of God. Contrary to what many suppose to have been the case, his most effective sermons were not preached on great occasions. His love of quiet, and inveterate dislike of large and promiscuous assemblies, generally kept him away from Associations and conventions; and when present and persuaded to preach, there was no certainty that he would be able to fulfill his appointment. It is recorded of him that having been appointed to preach at a meeting of the Dover Association in Matthews Co., Va., he went through the preliminary services in his usual felicitous manner, and when the large audience had settled themselves to enjoy a spiritual feast, he came to a sudden pause and said, "The circumstances of the case-I mean my case-make it necessary to excuse myself from proceeding with the discussion."
His biographer adds, "The thought had probably seized him that the expectations of the people could not be met; or he had recognized in the congregation some one whose criticism he dreaded; or the wind and roar of the ocean had disturbed his nervous system; whatever it was, a serious surprise and regret were felt by all." This painful dread of a crowd was, however, in a measure overcome towards the latter part of his life. Mr. Broaddus's literary labors were also of a high order. He wrote a small volume, of some 70 pages, entitled "The Age of Reason and Revelations," which was a reply to Paine's celebrated attack on Christianity. This little work was published in 1795, while he was still quite young, and gives evidence of a well-stored mind and vigorous logical powers. In 1816 he published "A Bible History, with Occasional Notes, to Explain and Illustrate Difficult Passages." These "notes" are, indeed, valuable for the clear and satisfactory views they open up of many of the dark passages of the Word of God. The Dover Association requested him, at one of their sessions, to prepare a commentary upon the Scriptures, which, however, he did not undertake. He prepared an admirable little "Catechism for Children," which was issued by the American Baptist Publication Society. He also prepared a manual of church polity and discipline. He did much for the hymnology of the churches. As early as 1790 he prepared and published a collection of "Sacred Ballads," most of which were in popular use at that time. About 1828 he prepared the "Dover Selection," and afterwards the "Virginia Selection," several of whose hymns were of his own composition, and all of which were of his own composition, and all of which were very extensively used by the churches. Only a few of Mr. Broaddus's sermons have been published, for, although he prepared his sermons with the greatest care, making more or less extended notes, he rarely wrote out his discourses. Mr. Broaddus was also a frequent contributor to the Religious Herald, for which he wrote a valuable series of essays on Campbellism and its errors. The Columbian College conferred the degree of D.D. upon Mr. Broaddus, but he respectfully declined to accept the honor.
"The Baptists of Virginia will long cherish the fond memory of the excellence of his character, the superior mental and oratorical powers with which he was endowed, and the genial, useful influence he exercised on the churches and the world."
CHAD BROWN
Rev. Chad Brown, the ancestors of the distinguished Brown family of Rhode Island, was born in England about 1610. He is said to have been "one of that little company who fled with Roger Williams from the persecution of the then colon of Massachusetts." The lot which was assigned to him in the division of lands which was made in Providence included within it what is now the college grounds of Brown University. He seems to have a man of importance in those early time, having been chosen, with four other citizens, to draw up a plan of agreement for the peace and government of the colony, which for several years constituted the only acknowledged government of the town.Mr. Brown may be regarded as the first "elder", or regular minister of the First Baptist church in Providence, the church founded by Roger Williams. While Mr. Brown was the minister of the First church in Providence there arose a great controversy, which agitated not only the town, but the whole colony. It was with references to the "laying on of hands," alluded to in Heb. vi. 1, 2, and Mr. Brown was earnest in maintaining the obligatoriness of the rite, as being one of divine authority. He died about the year 1665.
"His death," says Dr. Guild, "was regarded by the colonists as a public calamity, for he had been the successful arbitrator of many differences, and had won the not unenviable reputation of being a peace-maker." Roger Williams spoke of him, after his death, "as that wise and godly soul, now with God." He was the worthy head of honored descendants.
*SOURCES CITED ARE CATHCART'S BAPTIST ENCYCLOPEDIA AND BENEDICT'S HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS.
JOHN BUNYAN
John Bunyan was born at Elstow, England, about a mile from Bedford in 1628. His father was a man of more intelligence than those who generally followed his calling, and he had John taught to read and write. When the little boy was ten years of age he first became conscious that he was very sinful. He speedily shook off these fears.He was "drawn out" in 1643, with others, at the siege of Leicester to perform sentinel's duty before the city, when another member of his company expressed a desire to take his place; the request was granted, and that night Bunyan's substitute was shot in the head and died. This deliverance produced a powerful impression upon Bunyan.
Soon after he left the army he married, and his wife and he were so poor that they had neither a "dish nor a spoon."
His first permanent conviction of sin was produced by a sermon denouncing the violation of the Lord's day by labor, sports, or otherwise. This came home to Bunyan with peculiar force, for his greatest enjoyment came from sports on the Lord's day.
A long while after this, Bunyan, in passing through the streets of Bedford, heard "three or four poor women," sitting at a door, "talking about the new birth, the work of God in their hearts, and the way by which they were convinced of their miserable state by nature. They told how God had visited their souls with his love in Christ Jesus, and with what words and promises they had been refreshed, comforted, and supported against the temptations of the devil; moreover, they reasoned of the suggestions and temptations of Satan in particular." From these women Bunyan learned to loathe sin and to hunger for the Saviour. He sought their company again and again, and he was strengthened to go to Jesus. One day, as he was passing into the field, he says, "This sentence fell upon my soul 'Thy righteousness is in heaven.' I also saw that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse, for my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." Then, as he says, "his chains fell off," and he went home rejoicing. In 1655, Mr. Bunyan was immersed by the Rev. John Gifford, of Bedford. The same year he was called to preach the gospel.
Bunyan was arrested Nov. 12, 1660., and he was in jail more than twelve years. His imprisonment was peculiarly trying. "the parting with my wife and poor children," says Bunyan, "hath often been to me, in this place (the prison), like pulling the flesh from my bones." And of his blind daughter he adds, "Poor child, what sorrow thou art like to have for thy portion in this world! Thou must be beaten, must beg, suffer hunger, cold, nakedness, and a thousand calamities, though I cannot now endure the wind should blow upon thee." "The Pilgrim's Progress" was written in Bedford jail.
During Bunyan's lifetime there were 100,000 copies of that book circulated in the British islands, besides which there were several editions in North America. And in the ten years which Bunyan lived, after his wonderful book was first issued, it was translated into French, Flemish, Dutch, Welsh, Gaelic, and Irish. Since Bunyan's death it has been translated into Hebrew for Christian Jews in Jerusalem, and into Spanish, Portuguese Italian, Danish, German, Armenian, Burmese, Singhalese, Orissa, Hindostanee, Bengalee, Tamil, Maratthi, Canarese, Gujaratti, Malay, Arabic, Samoan, Tahitian, Pihuana, Bechuana, Malagasy, New Zealand, and Latin. This list of translations ends with 1847. Since that time it has been rendered into several additional tongues of our race. Nor will "The Pilgrim's Progress" stop in its travels until it visits very land occupied by human beings, and tells its blessed story in the language of all nations.
There is a French Roman Catholic version of "The Pilgrim's Progress," greatly abridged, with the head of the Virgin on the title-page. It leaves our giant Pope and the statement that Peter was afraid of a sorry girl. An English ritualistic clergyman has tried to adapt it to the sacramental jugglery of his system. Of Bunyan's "Holy War" Lord McCaulay says, "If 'The Pilgrim's Progress' did not exist it would be the best allegory that ever was written;" and he proclaims "John Bunyan the most popular religious writer in the English language."
The pardon which secured Bunyan's release from prison was ordered by the Privy Council, presided over by the king, May 17, 1672. After his liberation he became the most popular preacher in England; 3000 persons gathered to hear him in London before breakfast. Men of all ranks and of all grades of intelligence listened to his burning words, and heralded the fame of his eloquence to the kind. The learned Dr. John Owen told Charles II that he would relinquish all his learning for the tinker's preaching abilities.
While Bunyan was journeying upon an errand of mercy he was exposed to a heavy rain, which brought on a violent fever, from the effect of which he died in ten days, in London, Aug. 12, 1688. His last hours were full of peace. He was buried in Bunhill Fields Cemetery, where his monument is still seen.
Bunyan's church, now of the Congregational denomination, is still in Bedford. His chair is in the meeting-house, and some other relics of the immortal dreamer. A few years since the Duke of Bedford erected a handsome monument to Bunyan in Bedford, on which a statue of the great dreamer stands.
source: Cathcart's Baptist Encyclopedia