"BEDFORD, Mill Street.-On the morning of Lord's-day, May 28, our pastor, Mr. Killen, preached from, "The baptism of John; was it from heaven or of men? answer me," to a large congregation; after which he baptized two disciples. One of whom was an old man upwards of seventy years of age; the other a young woman. Our aged brother had attended the Established Church for years without any effect being produced on his mind. Two years ago his steps were directed to our place of worship, and he was not long with us before the Holy Spirit applied the word with Divine power to his heart and conscience. He was awakened to a sense of his guilt and danger, and laboured under great distress of mind for several weeks. An awful thunder storm deepened his impressions, and he fled to Christ as a hiding-place. He soon obtained peace, and was constrained to give himself to the Lord, and then to his people, according to the will of God. At the church meeting he gave us one of the most pleasing testimonies we ever heard. On the day of his baptism he was filled with hope. At the water-side he spoke of the goodness of God to him with a countenance beaming with peace and hope. He blessed God, before the whole congregation, for his wondrous goodness and mercy to one so unworthy of his favour.

SMARDEN, Kent-Zion Chapel. On the last sabbath in May, four femalesteachers in our sabbath school-were added to this church by baptism. We have had a long season of depression and discouragement arising from various sources, such as death, emigration, removals, apathy of members, and want of union. Love of gain appears, too, to destroy spiritual desires in some; and, perhaps, none of us have been sufficiently watchful over our feelings and conduct under trials and disappointments. May we now grow in grace, have more concern for the conversion of sinners, and be more devoted to the cause of Christ!

BRYNMAWR, Calvary.-Mr. Roberts baptized a friend who had many years been a hearer with us, May 14th. In January we baptized a young man, a preacher among the Primitives, who joined our fellowship. G. W.

SOHAM. On the evening of Lord'sday, May 28th, Mr. Smith baptized a mother and her eldest daughter before a crowded congregation.

RAMSBOTTOM, Lancashire.-A few weeks since, Holyoake, the secularist lecturer, obtained the Odd Fellow's Hall, in which the baptists worship, and delivered two lectures. At the close of each, Mr. Prout, our minister, opposed the lecturer, to the satisfaction of a majority of the auditors, and thereby checked and diminished the influence of sceptical opinions in the place. Since then Mr. Prout has preached, to increased congregations of earnest listeners, those great truths that meet the wants and feelings of human nature. We have also been encouraged by several additions to our little church. On April 16, Mr. P. baptized one female. On May 7, four females, and on the 4th June one male and three females, all of whom have been added to the church. Others are on the way. W. E.

BIRMINGHAM, Lombard Street.—Mr. Cheatle delivered an impressive discourse on the subject of baptism, and afterwards immersed fourteen candidates, June 4; three of whom were from the Sunday schools. H. T. H.

Zion Chapel.-On the last sabbath evenbaptized by Mr. O'Neill: and on the last ing in April, two young disciples were sabbath in May, ten more followed their Lord through the baptismal streamthree males and seven females, including a mother and two daughters, also a brother and sister, all sabbath school June 4. Ten more are waiting the next teachers. They were added to the church, moving of the baptismal waters; and we know that several were seriously impressed at the last baptizing.

W. H.

PRESTON, Lancashire, Cannon Street.— A second baptist church was organized here on Tuesday, May 16, Mr. A. Bernie pastor. Messrs. Dawson of Liverpool, and Mitchell of Bacup, addressed the pastor and people ; after which the Lord's supper was administered. This church numbers seventy-seven members, and has hope of prosperity. On June 14, Mr. Bernie baptized two believers. Several others are expected soon to follow.

G. C.

BIDEFORD.-On Lord's-day morning, April 2nd, four believers were baptized by our pastor, upon a profession of their faith in Jesus Christ. Two of them were, from the sabbath-school. The occasion was solemn and interesting, much of the Divine presence being realized.

tists-for that was their proper namewere numerous, especially in some parts of Lincolnshire. Mr. John Smyth, a clergyman of the established church at Gainsborough, published a work to confute some of the positions maintained by them. Controversy led him to investigate more closely the points in debate, and he began to disapprove of several things in the doctrine and discipline of the episcopal church: a further examination confirmed his former doubts, and in compliance with the dictates of conscience, he resigned his benefice, and was soon called to be the pastor of a church of separatists. But being harassed by the High Commission Court, he and his church passed over to Holland in 1606, and joined a society formed by those who were driven from their country by the harsh measures of Elizabeth. In reviewing the subject of separation from the church of England, Mr. Smyth discovered that he and his friends acted inconsistently in rejecting the ordination of that church because they esteemed it an unscriptural church, and yet retaining its baptism as true baptism. He examined the nature and ground of baptism, and perceived that neither infant baptism nor sprinkling had any foundation in scripture. He was no sooner convinced of this important truth than he openly professed and defended it; urging on his friends the inconsistency of their practice. This he did so clearly and forcibly, that bishop Hall told Mr. Robinson (one of the leading members of the society) "there is no remedy; you must either go forward to anabaptism or come back to us: all your rabbins cannot answer the charge of your rebaptized brother, Mr. Smyth." This alarmed those with whom Mr. Smyth held communion, and he was expelled from the church. Mr. Smyth wrote several treatises in defence of his opinions, and boldly preached what he thought to be the doctrines of inspiration. In a short time several were couverted to his sentiments, and their numbers rapidly increasing, he formed them into a distinct church in 1607 or 1608. This appears to have been the first baptist church composed of Englishmen, that was formed in this century. Mr. Smyth laboured with diligence and success: a contemporary writer affirms that "Mr. Smyth and his party do at once as it were swallow up all the separation besides."

The decided and uncompromising testimony of Mr. Smyth and his friends against infant baptism, aroused the animosity of the pædobaptists; and, to justify their practice, the latter accused the baptists of having "proclaimed open war against God's everlasting covenant, and of murdering the souls of babes and sucklings by denying them of the visible seals of salvation." To this Mr. Smyth replied in a work entitled "The Character of the Beast," in which he thus expresses his reasons for separating from the pædohaptists-" Be it known therefore, to all the separation, that we account them, in respect of their constitution, to be as very a harlot as either her mother of England or her grandmother of Rome is, out of whose loins she came. The true constitution of a church is of a new creature baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: the false constitution is of infants baptized," &c. Both these quotations may sound somewhat harshly; but it was the custom of that age to use strong language and to indulge in a satirical strain, which the politeness of modern polemics might perhaps condemn.

Soon after the death of Mr. Smyth, his followers-to vindicate themselves from extravagant charges made against them-thought it necessary to publish a confession of faith; which was supposed to have been chiefly drawn up by Mr. Smyth himself. It was published at Amsterdam in 1611.

The date of Mr. Smyth's death is not known he was succeeded in the charge of the church in Holland by Mr. Helwisse, who had been his associate and fellowlabourer in its formation. About 1614, Mr. Helwisse and his friends left Holland and returned to England: they continued their church-state, and held public assemblies as regularly as the intolerant spirit of the times would permit.

In 1614 was published a treatise entitled "Religious Peace: or a plea for liberty of conscience," by Leonard Busher. It is said that this able pamphlet is the earliest treatise known to be extant on this great theme. The author was a citizen of London, and had been in exile; from some of his remarks he appears to have been a General Baptist, but it is not ascertained whether he was a member of Mr. Smyth's church.

A JESUIT TRACT.

Salvation by Measurement.-At Nassau, the Jesuits are selling a new tract, which may be described as a specimen of popish absurdity. It is printed on a sheet of paper as long as a man, and it professes to be the exact measurement of the body of Christ. It begins thus: "Exact and truthful measurement of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, as he hung on the holy cross; found in Jerusalem, at his grave, in the year 1665, as was declared and confirmed by pope Clement VIII. Blessed be the most high name of Jesus and his measurement for ever. Amen. Whosoever carries about him, or has in his house this measurement of our dear Lord, is secured against all his enemies, whether visible or invisible; and is also protected from robbers, and is safe from enchantment, and neither lies nor slanders shall hurt him; and in the house in which this measurement of Christ is found, no evil can remain; no thunder nor lightning can strike it, neither can fire or water injure it." Then follow a number of prayers, in which is the following passage:-"O Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech thee to protect me always by thy measurement from all misfortune, imprisonment, hurtful wounds, fire, water, and all poison; protect me from all these, me and the fruit of my labour, my cattle, my house, and all that I possess. O Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech thee to guard and protect me, a poor sinner, with thy measurement, from all wizards and witches, hail and thunder. O thou, my faithful God and Lord, protect, guard, and keep me by thy manifold goodness and mercy, and by thy measurement, for eight days and nights to come. Hide me in thy holy secret godhead, as thy godhead enshrined itself in humanity, and as thou hidest thy godhead and humanity in the hands of the priests. I beseech thee to hide me in thy back; I beseech thee to hide me in thy holy five wounds; and to cleanse me from sin by thy holy measurement, and by thy holy blood." It is said that this trash finds

agents of the great adversary are abroad sowing tares in the field of the world. How much more diligently ought we to be employed in sowing the good seed of the kingdom.

TRACTS IN A BATTLE.

He

DURING the contest which took place between the Danes and their revolted provinces, Mr. Oncken says:-"One of the members of our church, serving in the Schleswig-Holstein army, an active tract distributor, was almost miraculously saved at the attack on Friedrichstadt. In storming the place he fell, from a musket-ball received in the chest. was carried from the field, supposed to be dead. When his consciousness returned, he found himself in the hospital, under the hands of the surgeon, who was opening his coat to find where the wound was, when to his joy it was discovered that the wound was but slight, and that the deadly ball had been stayed in its destroying course by the pocket-book of our brother, and especially by its contents-about twenty or twenty-five tracts which he had always ready for distribution, and which he carried in his bosom as more accessible than his pocket. I need not add, that to the whole church this remarkable deliverance has been a cause of holy gratitude to our heavenly Father, who thus preserved our friend in the hour of danger, as he had not forgotten to be mindful of his Master and the souls of his fellow-sinners, in most unfavourable circumstances."

OUR DONATIONS OF TRACTS.

FRIENDS requiring tracts for dispersion at baptismal services, who cannot afford to purchase them, are requested to make application in the form mentioned on page 23 of our January Reporter for this year, under the heading, “Special Notice to Applicants." The applications from Wolverhampton and Gladestry were not in due form, and must be repeated, with the required directions for sending them.

DONATIONS, recently made, in our next.