David
Benedict D.D., Baptist historian, was born in Norwalk, Conn., Oct. 10, 1779.
His love for historical reading and investigation developed in itself in early
life. At twenty he made a profession of his faith in Christ. Religion did for
him what is has done for so many thousands of others, --quickened his
intellectual nature, and made him aspire after something elevating. He entered
Brown University, where he graduated in 1806. Soon after he was ordained as
pastor of the Baptist church in Pawtucket, R. I., where he remained twenty-five
years. During all this time he had been busy in gathering, from every part of
the country, the materials out of which to form a comprehensive history of the
Baptist denomination, and had sent to press several volumes relating to the
subject of his investigations. After retiring from his pastorate, he gave
himself with great diligence to the work of completing the task he had
undertaken. He felt it to be his special vocation to do this work, and he made
everything bend to its accomplishment. Among his published writing are the
following: "History of the Baptist," 1813; "Abridgment of
Robinsons' History of Baptism," 1817; "Abridgment of History of the
Baptists," 1820; "History of all Religions," 1824; "History
of the Baptist Continued," 1848. "Fifty Years among the Baptist,"
1860. He wrote also a history of the Donatists, which was completed just before
he was ninety-five years of age, and which, since his death, has been printed.
All through his life he was in the habit of writing much for the public press.
He took a leading part in the founding of various religious organizations in his
denominations, in promoting the cause of education, in the formation of new
churches, etc. He carried the habits of hard work, which he had formed in the
maturity of his years, down to the close of life. He was remarkably favored with
good eyesight, and his vision was unimpaired to the last. At the time of his
death he had been the senior member of the board of trustees of Brown University
for sixteen years, and had been in the corporation for fifty-six years. Dr.
Benedict died at Pawtucket, Dec. 5, 1874, having reached the great age of
ninety-five years one month and twenty-five days.
David spent his life collecting voluminous works on Baptist history, among which are:
"History of the Baptists,"
in 1813
"Abridgement of Robinson's History of Baptism," in 1817
"Abridgement of History of the Baptists," in 1820
"History of All Religions," in 1824
"History of the Baptists continued," in 1848
"Fifty years Among the Baptists," in 1860.
He then wrote "History of the
Donatists" which he completed at age 94 and was printed shortly after his death.
