FIRST DECADE

CHAPTER I
Prefatory Remarks.—Five Decades, or Periods of Ten Years Each.—My Travels and Extensive Acquaintance with Baptist Ministers in Early Times.—Summary View of the Baptists about 1800.—No Periodicals.—Old Baptist Magazine.—Mite Societies.—But Few Educated Ministers.—Rise of Benevolent Institutions.

CHAPTER II
A Brief Account of My Early Efforts for the Collection of Materials for a General History of the Baptists in all Ages and Countries.—Baptist Ministers of Distinction in the Different States.

CHAPTER III
Biographical Sketches of a Few of the Ministers Mentioned in the Preceding Chapter.—Stillman, Baldwin, Gano, Sharp, Cornell, Stanford, Parkinson, Williams, Staughton, Rogers, Jones, J. Richards, J. Healey, Furman, Bottaford, Fuller, Marshall, Mercer.

CHAPTER IV
On Extempore Preaching.—The Support and the Neglect of Ministers.—Comments on their Various Habits and Conditions.

CHAPTER V
Missionary and Other Agencies.—Houses of Worship.

CHAPTER VI
On the Changes in Baptist Customs in the Course of Fifty Years.—In Church Affairs.—Associations.

CHAPTER VII
On the Popular Prejudices Against the Baptists in Former Times.—Their Unwise Policy in Some Things.—Baptist Publishers.—No Baptist Press.—Old-Fashioned Pulpits.—Modern Platforms.

SECOND DECADE

ON THE RISE OF THE FOREIGN MISSION CAUSE AMONG THE AMERICAN BAPTISTS

CHAPTER VIII
Judson and Rice Become Baptists.—The Triennial Convention.—The Missionary Union.—Rice Becomes an Agent.—The Columbian College, Difficulties About Missionary Money.—Death of Rice.

CHAPTER IX
The Early Correspondence of Mr. Rice Pertaining to the Foreign Mission Cause, and My First Acquaintance with Him.—Surprising Changes Throughout a Large Part of the Baptist Denomination on the Subject of Missions.—The Anti-Mission Party. Mr. Rice’s Correspondence with Marshman and Judson in India.—Letters and Journals of Mr. Hough.—On the Hindoos, by Mr. Ward.—Languages of the East.

CHAPTER X
New Phases in the Doctrinal Creed of the Baptists.—The Fuller System Comes into Vogue.—On the Changes which Followed.

CHAPTER XI
Unitarianism among the American Baptists.—My Investigation of the System.—My Conferences with Some of our Men who Adopted it.—Also with Dr. Kirkland of Harvard University, Dr. Freeman of Boston and others.—General Remarks on the System.—My Conclusions against it.

CHAPTERXII
On Customs now Generally Abolished, which Prevailed More or Less among the Baptists in Former Times; as Laying On of Hands.—Washing Feet.—Devoting Children.—Ruling Elders.— Decline in the Use of Brother and Sister, and Elder.—Seven Deacons the Gospel Number for a Full-Grown Church.

THIRD DECADE

ON THE AGE OF EXCITEMENTS

CHAPTER XIII
Quiet Condition of the Baptists Generally.—Agitations about Free-masonry and Southern Slavery.—The Troubles which Followed.—The Division of Churches.—The Removals of Ministers.—The Name of Stayshort Applied to Many.

CHAPTER XIV
The Old Triennial Convention.—The Meeting in New York in 1826.—The Board Removed to Boston.—The Columbian College.—The Home Missionary Society Formed.—Dr. Going.—Dr. Peck.—State Conventions.

CHAPTER XV
The Manner of Settling Ministers in Former Times, and of Supporting them.—Imperfect Support of them.—Revivals.—New Measures.

FOURTH DECADE

CHAPTER XVI
A New Baptist Register, by I. M. Allin.—A List of Small Literary Institutions.—Manual Labor Schools.— American and Foreign Bible Society.

CHAPTER XVII
The Southern Baptist Convention Formed.—The Causes which Led to this Measure.—New Methods of Conducting Associations.—Comments on the Agency System.

CHAPTER XVIII
The Old Triennial Convention Assumes the Name of the Baptist Missionary Union.—Diversities Between the Two Bodies.—Some Objectionable Things.—Too Little Freedom for Speakers.—TooLittle Time.—Too Many Young Speakers Take the Floor, Too Often.—Too Long.

CHAPTER XIX
Some Account of My Publications.—Old Baptist History.—By Whom Published.—Difficulties in Circulating it by the War.—Other Works.—All Religions.—Interview with Leading Men of all Parties.—The Shakers of New Lebanon.

CHAPTER XX
Authorship Continued.—Interviews with Catholics in Boston and Elsewhere.—With Scotch Seceders.—The Lutherans and Others in New York.—With the Moravians.—The Result of these Visitations.—My Last Baptist History.—Post Office Matters.

CHAPTER XXI
Authorship Continued.—My Compendium of Ecclesiastical History.—Motives for Undertaking the Work, to Make a Book for the People; To Give the Framework of Church History; To Bring out More Fully and Favorably the History of the Donatists and Other Reputed Heretics.—On the Term Puritan.—Miscellaneous Matters.

FIFTH DECADE

CHAPTER XXII
Changes in Meeting-House Fixings and Comforts.—Changes in Church Music.—Organs.—Titles of Ministers.—My Efforts for Ministerial Education.—With Others.

CHAPTER XXIII
A Review of all Collegiate Institutions among the Baptists in the United States.—A Review of their Theological Seminaries.—Theological Departments in Connection with our Universities and Colleges, to a Needful Extent, Recommended in Preference to Separate Schools.

CHAPTER XIV
On Religious Newspapers in this Country and among the Baptists.—Difficulties at First.—Too Numerous at Times.—Their Secular Character.—First Sunday School.—On the Rise and Management of our Benevolent Institutions.—On the Death of Correspondents and Familiar Friends.