Baptists in Early North America-First Baptist Church, Boston, Massachusetts, Volume IV

For the first time in more than three and a half centuries, the carefully preserved records of the First Baptist Church of Boston, Massachusetts, have been transcribed and are now published. They reveal the extraordinary faith of the original founders, the suffering they endured, and the commitment of the nine original members and their successors to persevere through the storm and finally to be recognized as one of the leading churches in Boston and ultimately the nation. The records span the time from the founding in 1665 until the death of Samuel Stillman in 1807. They reflect the extraordinary times in which the church grew and flourished, including a vivid description of the day in March, 1679, when the little congregation discovered that the Puritan authorities had sent a marshal to nail shut the doors of their place of worship. With a historical introduction by editor Thomas R. McKibbens, the volume includes an appendix with "A Brief Narrative" by First Baptist pastor John Russell, a pamphlet first published in London in 1680.