trance is a great improvement on the former one. Instead of entering into the compound through the school-room, we now enter by an arched doorway in the boundary wall, and pass through the compound into the school. The view from the Pooree road of the Mission premises is now exceedingly good; the chapel, the bungalow, and the schools are all in striking prominence, and if we had the opportunity, several good photos. might be taken, which would, I have no doubt, be interesting to friends at home. In reviewing the time that we have been labouring here, we have cause for much thankfulness for the measure of the Divine blessing that has attended us, and I trust that the same kind Providence will guide us in the future. The schools, though reduced in numbers, still Occupy a great part of our time and the girls, more especially, reattention; quiring much thoughtful and careful management. As a rule, they conduct themselves well, and we thus reap the reward of our toil. We have been called to mourn over the deaths of several. One of these was formerly a fine healthy girl, and was to have been married this spring, but fell a victim to consumption. We had the best medical advice available, and also tried change of air; but her days, alas! were numbered, and God took her. She had been a member of the church several years. Another had been in a weak state of health for many years, and latterly had been a great sufferer from abscesses. She was a good girl, and bore her sufferings with remarkable fortitude. She often longed to go to the new chapel, but was never able to get so far. She was not a member of the church on earth; but I fully believe that she is now, and was for some time before she died, a member of the "one family in heaven and earth." She has gone where suffering and sin are for ever excluded. Dookhee's was a very remarkable and interesting case. She had formerly given a great deal of trouble, and there seemed no hope of improvement; she had fits of uncontrollable rage, in which she would beat her head on the floor and otherwise injure herself; but at last her strange conduct was explained by her having a violent attack of insanity. At one time she got possession of a firebrand during the night, and flourished it about to the great alarm of her companions, who were obliged to keep watch in turns to protect themselves and the buildings from harm. At another time she climbed to the top of one of the outhouses and defied any one to approach her. It was at length found necessary to apply for her admission into the lunatic asylum at Cuttack; but whilst correspondence on the subject was going on, she became quieter, and in time so much better that it was determined not to send her. What we thought very strange was, that she was during all this time constant and persistent in wishing to be received into the church; but under the circumstances we felt obliged to refuse her request. As from time to time her companions were received and baptized, it was a source of great sorrow to her that she was not of the number. I have seen her shed many quiet tears about it, and often talked with her on the subject, reminding her that the Lord knew the thoughts of her heart, while we could only judge from outward appearances; that if she were in truth His child, He would receive her just as she was. At length, as the improvement appeared to be permanent, it was considered that she might be received as a candidate; but while the case was under consideration she was taken suddenly ill, and in a few days was with us no more. At the last her sufferings were very great; but her death was a most happy one, almost triumphant. She repeatedly expressed her assurance of salvation through the blessed precious blood of Christ, and gloried in death as the entrance to a brighter and better world. Shall we grieve for her? Nay, rather let us rejoice that her wanderings and sufferings are over, that she is now safe in the heavenly land, clothed in garments of righteousness, and for ever "in her right mind." One of the younger ones, having leprosy, has had to be sent away, for it was not considered safe to allow her to remain with the others. A married sister is now taking charge of her, and she is attending the hospital daily. We trust it may prove one of the milder and hence a curable form of that dread disease; if so, we shall be able in time to receive her again. We have had several marriages, and to each and all the couples we wish much happiness. Some of these have settled at Piplee; the others have gone to the different out-stations, but we hear of them from time to time, and are glad to know that they are happy in their new homes, and diligent in their attendance at the house of God. These reductions have brought down our number to seventy-three. The spinning, crotchet, and other work continues to be done; our chief difficulty in this department is the selling of the materials, as there are none at Piplee wealthy enough to purchase, and we are thus dependent for the most part on casual passers by. MISSIONARY SERVICES.—CONTRIBUTIONS. Preparing the rice, cleaning the school premises, cooking, and various other matters, have found employment for some; and those of the girls who are getting too old to learn lessons have been formed into a sewing class, for we do not forget that here, as in more favoured lands, Satan finds some mischief still, for idle hands to do. Our people are suffering considerably from the high price of rice consequent on the exportations to the famine districts. Many of the poorest cannot get enough to eat, and we fear there is more suffering 445 in store. And as the rains have been scanty, there are still some anxious thoughts about the future harvest. During the last few days there have been occasional showers, and we hope that there will yet be sufficient to secure the crops. At any rate, we will trust this, as all other matters, to a higher wisdom than ours; for we know that in time of famine and distress, as surely as in times of plenty and happiness—in the din and misery of war, as well as in time of peace,—at all times, and over all events, "the Lord reigneth." Missionary Services. SINCE the Association Mission Services have been held as follows: : NOTE.-Friends will greatly oblige and assist the Secretary if they will kindly let him know as early as possible when they wish their services to be held, and what assistance they require as regards deputation. It is particularly requested that, when practicable, the services be held at the usual time, and that, where several places have held their services together, this arrangement be continued. Owing to some churches "breaking away" from the old arrangements, not only have great trouble and inconvenience been occasioned, but, the ground having to be travelled twice over, additional expense has had to be incurred. In the interests of the cause, therefore, will the friends be good enough to bear in mind these suggestions? Contributions Received on account of the General Baptist Missionary Society from September 16th Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by W. B. BEMBRIDGE, Esq., Ripley, Derby, Treasurer; and by the Rev. W. HILL, Secretary, Crompton Street, Derby, from whom also Missionary Boxes, Collecting Books and Cards may be obtained. 293 300 100 1 0 0 0 10 0 056 0 5 6 100 050 059 050 050 10 11 0 WEST VALE. Collections.. 576 Independents and Baptists; and the Bases of Denominationalism. OUR readers are well aware that a slight commotion has recently been produced in the camps of the Independents and Baptists of England by a characteristic letter from the pen of the Rev. Arthur Mursell, addressed to the Editor of the Christian World, on the subject of a closer union, in organization and work, of these two important sections of the Nonconformist World. The correspondence elicited by this appeal is extensive, varied, and interesting; but it cannot be fairly described as helpful to Mr. Mursell's project. It has discovered a state of opinion and of feeling cherished within each denominational enclosure towards those encamped nearest them which, to say the least, does not promise any immediate consolidation of the forces of English Congregationalism for evangelistic or denominational purposes. This subject has a special interest for us. We have dealt with it before, when Mr. W. G. Soper, as Chairman of the Surrey Congregational Union, spoke so frankly and kindly of us, our organization, beliefs, and work; and we recur to it again to-day with pleasure, and not without hope; for we cannot believe that the present state of separation, and of respectful antagonism, enlivened now and again with a little vehement debate, is eternal. So nearly one, as we are, surely we shall some day discover the conditions on which it will be possible to retain all our keen conscientiousness, all our sharpness and definiteness of conviction, and yet work not only shoulder to shoulder, but as with the heart of one-with that concentrated, continuous, and conquering energy which will carry the Free Church of England on to its highest possible plane of purity, power, and fruitfulness. And this hope of ours is due, in a large degree, to the intensity of our denominational feeling, and the high appreciation we have of the unselfish and evangelizing uses of denominationalism. We are a Connexion of Churches, an Association of believers for preaching and teaching and work-and we rejoice in it. Not a shadow of doubt crosses our mind about the divinity of denominationalism. By its fruits it may be judged. It stands the nineteenth-century best of utilitarianism, in a way that unorganized, miscellaneous, incoherent individualism never can. It counterworks the selfishness of Christians, gives them a larger world to love and work for, than the narrow one of their own 66 church;" gets the most service out of them for their fellows; develops and broadens sympathies, and extends the area of the kingdom of heaven. We know some men who are very undenominational men, who are also very useless, except to themselves; and, though it is by no means universal, yet it is the tendency of a severely individual Christian life-of a life wholly separated from the commanding interests of organized Christianity. The larger the demands upon our self-denying devotion, the less our temptation to indulge and practise a selfish type of the religious life; and therefore, so long as your denomination can be increased, without enfeebling its GENERAL BAPTIST MAGAZINE, DECEMBER, 1877.-Vol. LXXIX.-N. S. No. 96. coherence of conviction or destroying its conscious unity of purpose, spirit, and work, the greater the gains of the kingdom of Christ, and thus of the world. That is the reason for, and those the conditions of, the approximation of denominations of Christians towards each other. A mere "show" unity is not worth aiming at. Simply to take off one label and put on another is despicable. To get up monster meetings merely to talk about our essential agreement on matters fundamental, and then to go on our several ways as if we had never seen one another, is as unmanly as it is hollow, and as shallow as it is absurd. If we are to have any union of denominations it must be real, and for real and practical ends. For Independents and Baptists to meet in Conference, and discuss questions common to both parties, might, perhaps, accomplish some good. But this we do now when we have any joint work to do, as in the Liberation Society, the Anti-Slavery Society, School Board work, and the like. We are also ready, as it seems to me, to take steps to prevent a weakening competition in thinly populated areas, and to distribute ourselves with more efficiency over the country. Is this all? Can nothing more be done? Is the barrier of baptism still insurmountable? What are the tendencies; the tendencies of opinion amongst us? We want facts; and the meaning of facts. Lord Bacon says, the best materials for prophecy are the unforced opinions of young men. What are the "unforced" opinions of the young men, the young preachers and teachers of Independent and Baptist churches? BAPTISM AMONGST BAPTISTS. Of Baptists, I feel I may safely say, that the last fifty years have witnessed a change of opinion with regard to the PLACE of baptism; and that the change is proceeding with more thoroughness and energy just now than at any former period within the last half century. I judge there were not more than a dozen General Baptist churches fifty years ago that would allow unbaptized persons to commune with them at the Lord's table. Now we have not half a dozen rigidly enforcing that rule. Fifty years since there was not a church amongst us, so far as I know, whose fellowship was open to unbaptized persons-now there are several; and the tendency of opinion is strongly in favour of treating baptism as an individual duty, incumbent upon the believer, and to be attended to by him even if he be, like the eunuch, in a desert, and has only just accepted Christ as his Saviour, and there is no church within forty miles. The absence of a church does not relieve him from his obligation to be baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amongst other Baptists "open fellowship" obtains much more extensively than amongst us; indeed it is growingly notorious that whilst there is not the slightest abatement of intense conviction that believers' baptism is of perpetual obligation, and a necessary cause, at present, of separation from Independents, yet it is not strenuously insisted upon as a condition of church fellowship. The door of the society is open to all believers in the Lord Jesus, though the ministry is pledged to a definite and emphatic teaching of the obligation of believers' baptism. Of course the Strict Baptists, so-called, "stand to their guns," and there are many others that have not gone so far as open fellowship;" but the most rapidly growing sections of Baptists betray this tendency to treat 66 |