John Bacon

John Bacon (born April 9, 1738, Canterbury, Conn., U.S.—died Oct. 25, 1820, Stockbridge, Mass.) was an American clergyman, legislator, and judge who was an early advocate of civil and religious liberty. After graduating from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in 1765, Bacon preached in Delaware. In 1771 he was named minister of Old South Church in Boston, Mass., where, however, his views on certain points of theological doctrine proved unacceptable to the...