Correspondence-Bartholomew's Day in 1862. 7.-Others avoiding this Scylla fall into Charybdis. They will be serious, and so begin to preach. And you soon perceive they are not preaching anything fresh, but a bit of an old sermon. This is quite enough to put one out of breath. 8.-Nay sir, I have known some to talk on, though they had nothing better to tell us than that they would far rather not speak; but they were determined to act like a child who has to take some bitter medicine, and therefore bravely took it at once, and had done with it. Oh sir, let us learn with serious thankfulness to appreciate and improve our platform opportunities. Whether we are to be speakers or hearers, let us apply to the fountain of all grace to refresh us, and make us channels of refreshment to others. I am, dear Mr. Editor, or would be, Your humble co-adjutor, 457 petual remembrance, but demands, on certain occasions, all the impression with which we can enforce it on the grateful admiration and dutiful imitation of their descendants. I hope, therefore, dear Sir, that every minister in our Denomination will preach once or twice that day, (giving due and emphatic notice beforehand,) on the affecting and instructive events which transpired two centuries ago. That he will have his mind previously well re plenished with facts connected with Black Bartholomew's Day,' 1662. Nay, he may go further back if he will, to the same day ninety years before, and let his heart be stirred afresh with the scenes of the massacre of Protestants in France, in 1572. I would also recommend that two or three ministers, or more, in a locality, unite to hold a tea meeting, or public meeting, next day, at which the principles of religious liberty should be enforced, and illustrated by some historical details. One speaker might take, for instance, John Bunyan; BARTHOLOMEW'S DAY IN 1862. another, Hanserd Knollys; a third, To the Editor of the General Baptist Magazine. I AM delighted, dear Sir, to find that you have begun to arouse our Body respecting the bicentenary of Bartholomew's day, 1662. For I fear many of our young, and not a few even of our older people, are ignorant of those rugged scenes through which the waters of life have had to flow, that we might drink and live. Preachers do not like to be often recalling the dreadful deeds done by some so-called Christians against others; but they should remember that it is to the honour of human nature, or rather of Christian principle, that, even in these later ages, thousands have been willing to undergo all imaginable hardships rather than act a faithless part toward Jesus Christ; and that to their firmness and patience we instrumentally owe our religious liberty, our civil privileges, and our evangelical hopes. Their conduct is not only worthy of per Richard Baxter: a fourth, Oliver Cromwell; a fifth, the Huguenots; the non- jurors; Philip Henry; Thomas Grantham; the Act of Uniformity; the Test Act; king William III.; Lord Sidmouth, &c., &c., &c. The Independents, you see, intend to make a grand good use of the occasion; £100,000 at least! They don't mind the sneers of the Record. Let us show that we have as good a right to commemorate the time as they, or any other party. For there were a good many of the ejected of our way of thinking: Henry Jessy, Jenkin Jones, Richard Adams, Daniel Dyke, John Gosnold, &c., &c. Will you, dear Mr. Editor, from your more extensive knowledge of books, add to the following list, to some of which our ministers and other friends may have access, which will furnish useful information, and thus extend and deepen the impression to be made, I trust, by the celebration of Bartholomew's day, 1862: Neale's History of the Puritans; Buck's Theological Dictionary, Art. I am, Always yours, Persecution; Mosheim's Ecclesiasti- | induce the Association to apcal History, cent. 17, 2-2; Palmer's propriate the sum, from year to Nonconformist Memorial; Words- year, in favour of such a provision; worth's Ecclesiastical Biography, and, in case of success, let the Asvi. 227; Philip Henry; Dr. sociation place the money in the Chandler's History of Persecution; hands of a small committee, which Isaac Mann's Lectures on Eccle- committee shall be appointed for the siastical History, lecture x.; Ency- purpose of receiving applications clopædia Brittannica, Art. France, from ministers who may wish for aid anno 1572; Rees's Cyclopædia, Art. in making a provision for themselves Uniformity; Hume's History of and their families through the England, chap. lxiii. 15 and 19; medium of the National Society for Crosby's History of the Baptists, the Relief of Aged and Infirm Life of Owen, Baxter, Bunyan, &c., Baptist Ministers, their Widows and &c., &c. Orphans; or through any other Society which may be preferred, but which must have the approbation of the committee. Some ministers and their families are provided for, and there are others who are able to provide for themselves; but the condition of many is such as to render some aid absolutely necessary, and I think that, in the way suggested, it might be afforded. Should it be objected that the fund at the disposal of the committee would be inadequate, the reply is, that it would admit of increase, and that we shall do ourselves no credit by emulating the practical wisdom of those who habitually decline taking one step in the right direction. The subscription to the National Society referred to is three guineas per annum, and I am persuaded that our wealthy friends would have more pleasure in supplementing a fund which would enable ministers to join such a Society than in replying to special appeals. MINISTERS' WIDOWS AND To the Editor of the General Baptist DEAR SIR,-The letter from J. W. B. I am, dear Sir, J. C. H. WAS THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR Magazine. What is wanted, is not only a provision for the Widows and Families of Ministers, but for Ministers themselves, when incapacitated by in- To the Editor of the General Baptist firmity or age. And with all deference to others, I would suggest the following plan. The next Association, or the next but one, will be in the receipt of a considerable sum as profits from the sale of the Hymn Book. Let steps be taken to DEAR SIR,-Very recently I was much pleased by reading Dr. Neander's account of Paul's second missionary journey, and especially with that part relating to the conversion of Correspondence-Dedication of Infants. the Philippian jailor. I was therefore very glad on taking up the last number of your Magazine to find the interesting subject brought before your readers. I read the first article with considerable pleasure, but there was one sentence at which I paused and hesitated. It was this, Then follows a baptism by torchlight in the prison, at which he and all his put on the Lord Jesus.' It has often been taken for granted that the baptism took place in prison, but after reading over the New Testament narrative, I very much question whether such a view of the case be in accordance with the truth. On the supposition that baptism was administered in the prison, those who differ from us in reference to the mode of baptism, urge, and with some degree of plausibility, that there would not be a possibility of baptizing by immersion since the foundations of the prison had been terribly shaken by the earthquake, so much so, that every prisoner was loosed from his bonds, and the massive doors harshly grating on their hinges had been made to give way. Under such circumstances it is highly probable that the element necessary for baptism would be wanting in such a place. Of course, if the word of God contained a positive statement that they were baptized in prison, it would be sufficient for us, and we might safely leave our opponents to find water according to their ability. But we are not bound, I think, to occupy that position; for in addition to the fact, that probably water was wanting there, we may also infer from the account in the Acts, that the jailor's household would not be in the prison at the time in question. It is evident from Acts xvi. 30, that the prisoners were brought out, after which, the Apostles spake unto him (the jailor,) the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house. Then they were baptized, he and all his straightway, most probably in the river Strymon, where perhaps, but a short time before, Lydia had been baptized; it may be near the proseuchoe where she was 459 converted by the preaching of Paul. After attending to baptism, not in prison, nor yet at home, but in the place and according to the method by which it had before been administered, he brought them into his house; set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.' If the view I take of this subject be wrong, Mr. Editor, I shall be very willing and happy to be set right. I am, dear Sir, Very truly yours, DEDICATION OF J. M. INFANTS. To the Editor of the General Baptist DEAR SIR, -The following letter, DEDICATION OF INFANTS. To the Editors of the Freeman. Dear Sirs, -Will you allow me a short space in your columns, simply to moot the question as to the desirableness of services in connection with Baptist Churches for the solemn dedication of our infants to the Lord. In our churches, at present, our precious babes seem all but lost sight of, and very many parents feel deeply the want of some religious service on the occasion of the birth of a child. To meet this want I have known some who were members of Baptist Churches having recourse to the Popish practice of infant sprinkling; and perhaps nothing so much tends to keep up this unmeaning ceremony (and one which has wrought such an untold amount of evil in the church of Christ) as this pious feeling in the parent's heart, to dedicate his child to the Lord.' The feeling in itself, we know, is perfectly right, and cannot be too much encouraged. Now, in order to meet this felt need, would it not be well, in the case of every new-born babe, to appoint a time (say before or after the usual service) for its solemn dedication by prayer to the Lord? There would be nothing superstitious or unscriptural in this; but on the contrary, I be BAPTISMS. lieve it would be honouring to God and profitable to all concerned; while at the same time it would be a means of removing from many pious minds a serious difficulty to the reception of the truth in reference to the ordinance of Christian baptism. I am, dear Sirs, Sutelligence. LONDON, Praed-street.-We have baptized the following since our last report: ten persons on March 31st; eight on April 24th; nine on June 29th; eleven on August 24th; twelve on September 25th. ROCHDALE. On the last Lord'sday in September four friends were baptized, and the last in October three others. On each occasion they were welcomed to the table of the Lord. J. N. TODMORDEN.-On Lord's-day morning, October 20th, seven persons put on Christ by baptism, in the presence of many witnesses. W. M. SHEFFIELD. On Wednesday evening, October 30th, five friends were baptized, and on the following Sabbath four of them, with six others, were received into the fellowship of the church. Yours respectfully, J. G. Notes of the Month-Ecclesiastical. Baptist church assembling in Commercial-road, London. Our brother, we understand, commences his labours in London early in the present month. At a very interesting social tea meeting held after the acceptance of Mr. Goadby's resignation, the friends in connection with the church and congregation at Coventry, presented him with a generous 'testimonial' as a mark of their affection and esteem toward him personally, and of their sincere appreciation of his services as a faithful minister of Christ. MISCELLANEOUS. 461 HUGGLESCOTE.-On September 15, the Rev. J. Stevenson, M.A., of Derby, preached two sermons, after which collections were made on behalf of the chapel fund. REV. J. CLIFFORD.-We are glad to hear that our persevering and talented brother has just passed his second B.A. examination in the first class. Eighty men went up, of whom forty-three were in the second and twelve in the first division. Mr. Clifford has taken three prizes at University College, the first in metaphysics and logic; the first in moral philosophy, and the second in natural philosophy. Lates of the Month. ECCLESIASTICAL. SAINT GUISQUEL has come to life again, to the utter confusion of the poor prelate of Poitiers. He is not in paradise, as the Romish bishop assured the gaping crowds in the church of Sainte Radegondebut in prison. It turns out, too, that at the very moment when his praises were being sung as one of the martyrs' who offered up their hearts' blood for Pio Nono at the battle of Castelfidardo, Saint Louis Etienne Rene Guisquel was playing the scamp at Laval. Fifteen months imprisonment, fifty francs fine, and five years surveillance of the police may perhaps transmute this Poitiers saint into an honest man. The Pope's temporal power, for which Louis did not die, is more and more discussed by Romish priests in Italy. Hundreds are coming over to Passaglia's views. Passaglia is about to issue a pamphlet on the Index Expurgatorius. The celebrated Heath trial is over. Dr. Lushington declared that, 'If there were bonds which pressed heavily on the clergy, the legislature imposed them, and the legislature alone could loose them.' Mr. Heath had a fortnight allowed him to retract his errors, and, at the end of that time, having no retraction to offer, he was deposed from his office. He has appealed to the Privy Council. The judgment of Dr. Lushington should open the eyes of the clergy to their position. What will the evangelicals and the Broad church say now? The new bishop of Gloucester has refused to lecture for the Young Men's Christian Association because Mr. Spurgeon was announced to lecture in the same course on 'Counterfeits.' Mr. Spurgeon may console himself by the flattering letter he has received from the bishop of London. The New Connexion Methodists are advancing. One of their society has recently left them £5,000 towards endowing a college, and the ministers are now busy canvassing their churches for the additional sum ne |