Burroughs, Joseph

Burroughs, Joseph an English Baptist minister, was born in London, Jan. 1,1685. His father was a respectable weaver in Spitalfields, who by his prudence and industry acquired considerable property, and was a layman of prominence in his denomination. Being in possession of ample means, he gave his son a liberal education, which was completed at the university of Leyden. In May, 1713, he was invited to become assistant minister in the Baptist Church in Paul's Alley, London; and on the death of his colleague, Rev. Richard Allen, was chosen his successor, being ordained May 1, 1717. Before the general prevalence of open-communion sentiments, now so largely held in England, Mr. Burroughs took the ground that " as no particular terms of Church communion are prescribed in the New Test., every Church must be at liberty to fix those terms which it may judge conducive to the main end and design of the Gospel, provided no attempt be made to impose them upon others." When he had served his Church forty years, he expressed a wish to be freed from ministerial and pastoral care; but his congregation preferred to secure for him a colleague, and his relation continued until his death, which occurred Nov. 23, 1761. Mr. Burroughs gave to the Christian world many productions from his pen, in the form of sermons, etc. Among these were, Thanksgiving for Victory (1713): -Against Popery (1735):-two Discourses on private institutions:- Concerning Baptism, etc. (1742):-a volume of Sermons, fourteen id number, on various subjects: -Day Thoughts, a poem in blank verse, written by way of animadversion upon some gloomy passages in Dr. Young's Night Thoughts. Mr. Burroughs belonged to that division of the English Baptists known as " General Baptists," because they hold to general in distinction from particular redemption. See Wilson, History of Dissenting Churches, iii, 249, 250. (J. C. S.)