T. WALLIS. Tract Society for the more extensive circu-January. Four of them have belonged to lation of scriptural knowledge in the religion the Independents for more than twenty years, of Christ as opposed to the lying abomina- and the Lord has at last brought them to tions of Popery, call for the sincere gratitude see the ordinance of believers' baptism to be of the brethren at large. But it must not an ordinance of the New Testament church. be forgotten that the Baptist Tract Society Yours truly, has a special mission at the present crisis. None but Baptists can successfully contend On Lord's-day, Nov. 24, at Mount Zion with Papists, because there is just as much Chapel, Hill-street, Dorset-square, Mr. authority in Scripture for any of the mum- Foreman baptized seven females, who before meries of the Romish Church, as for the the assembled church had professed repentsprinkling of infants; and does not this folly lie at the very root of Popish errors? Let then the axe be laid at the root of the tree, and, among other means, let the Baptist Tract Society be put into a position to meet the common foe of pure and undefiled religion. Many applications for grants of Tracts are being made, but want of adequate funds compels the Committee to be much more sparing with the good seed than they desire ance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He took the text on this occasion from John xv. 14, proving in the course of his sermon, that baptism is a com mand of the King of Zion, and was so understood and practised by the apostles; observing also three remarkable cases recorded in the Acts of the Apostles,-The Spirit sent Peter to baptize the household of CornePhilip to baptize the eunuch; a vision sent Will Baptists assist in establishing lius, and the Holy Ghost sent Ananias to a Special Fund, that their principles, which baptize Paul; adding, "as they did, so do they believe to be Bible principles, may be we; we follow their example, and by the help more extensively circulated in the villages of God, will continue so to do, asking for his and hamlets of this country, where Popery, continued presence, and ascribing to our either undisguised or in its Puseyite form, triune Jehovah of hosts, all the glory." holds almost undisputed sway. Contributions | to the Special Fund will be gratefully received by J. Oliver, Newington Causeway, London, or by to be. R. W. OVERBURY, Secs. W. H. ROMNEY-STREET CHAPEL, WEstminster. -On Thursday evening, Nov. 28, 1850, six professed disciples of Jesus were solemnly baptized by Mr. H. J. Betts, the pastor of the church. PASTORAL RESIGNATION. Tewkesbury.—The Rev. John Berg has relinquished his charge of the Baptist church, and will take his final leave about March, BAPTISMS. W. K. MARRIED. ON Thursday, Dec. 5, 1850, at Sion chapel, Cloughfold, by license, and by the bride's father, Mr. George Douthwaite, grocer, Bedale, Yorkshire, to Elizabeth, only daughter of the Rev. Abraham Nichols, Baptist minister, Sunnyside, near Rawtenstall, Lancashire. DEATHS. ELIZA SUMNER, a member of the Strict Baptist church, Victoria-street, Ratcliffe, teacher of an infant school in Hampshire. had a few months ago been appointed a On Dec. 21, 1850, she left her school and UNION CHAPEL, CUMBERLAND STREET, SHOREDITCH. Our pastor gave the right hand of fellowship to a brother, received by letter from a sister church, on the first Lord's-day in October, 1850. Also a brother and sister by letter from a sister church on the first Lord's-day in November. On Lord's-day, Dec. 29, four believers were immersed on a profession of their faith in came to London to spend a week with her friends; Christ, after a suitable discourse from, "But heard her pastor preach two discourses from the next day being Lord's-day, she that passage, "The Lord is my portion, saith we have the mind of Christ." On Lord'sday, Jan. 5, 1851, the four believers who were baptized Lord's-day, Dec. 29, were re-my soul, therefore will I hope in him." At the ceived into the church, with two others who had been previously baptized, (all brethren.) J. C. BEXLEY HEATH.-We received into our communion five on the first Lord's day in the subject of which was the anticipation of close of the evening service, a hymn was sung, heaven. The minister requested the last verse to be repeated, which was done. When Eliza came out, she told her friends it was almost too much for her; her enjoyment seemed to be great. A friend remarked to her at supper, I think, Eliza, you will soon clap your triumphant wings, and fly away and leave us. "O no," she replied, "I have got a great deal of strength to be brought down yet." The next morning she felt pains in her legs; but after rubbing them by the fire, she was relieved. At dinner she was unable to eat, went up stairs, and laid down. Her friends went up shortly, and found her rolled off the bed in a fit. She never spoke more. She died the next morning at eight o'clock, in her twenty-sixth year. She was highly respected by all who knew her; and though young in years, had been called to pass through much affliction and persecution, yet she was enabled to rejoice in the Lord as her portion, and could say with Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. J. C. DIED, at midnight, Nov. 28, 1850, Ann, the beloved wife of Mr. William Robson, sen., of Aylsham, Norfolk, and mother of the wife of Mr. James Smith, jun., Baptist | minister, Loughborough, Leicestershire, aged sixty years. For nearly thirty years a member of the Baptist church at Aylsham, she was generally respected for her exemplary consistency, unobtrusive piety, and generous attachment to the cause with which she stood connected. The mother of ten surviving children, (of whom five are members of Baptist churches,) and wife of one of the staunchest supporters of the Baptist interest at Aylsham: her quiet but excellent influence and example cannot but have done much both for religion at home and in general. Her last illness was short, but severely trying, the pain she suffered being very great, yet borne with remarkable patience. She longed to die, and at last departed without a struggle, to be with Christ. On Dec. 23, in Christian peace, Mr. Rice, formerly a member of the Baptist church, St. Mary's, Norwich. The late Mr. Mark Wilks used to say that he "was a Christian indeed, in whom there was no guile." When free communion was introduced into the church in St. Mary's, he felt it a duty to adhere to the ancient apostolic practice, and was excluded; but the present pastor of the church and one of the deacons visited him before his death. A more peaceful, humble, excellent Christian is seldom to be found. The happy state of his mind before his departure was expressed to a friend by the words, "My beloved is mine, (and I hope I can say,) I am his." DIED, December 16, 1850, Henry Kewel, pastor of the Baptist church, Hanover Chapel, Tunbridge Wells. His illness was short. His end peace. His last words were, "Built upon the rock,-a sure foundation." Yours truly, W. GARWOOD. Editorial Postscript. ORDINATION TO OFFICE. Ir is usual, after the choice of a pastor by the members of a Christian church, to hold (what is generally called) an ordination service. The question has arisen among the friends of truth, "Is it intended, in connection with this service, to secure a necessary confirmation of the church's choice by ministerial brethren in the neighbourhood, or simply to make a public declaration of the church's call, and the pastor's acceptation thereof?" We hold that the pastor is fully ordained to office by the voluntary election of the people among whom he desires to labour, and that no man, or body of men, apart from the church, can invalidate or confirm its decision. We can see no reason, from brother Lister's remarks in our December number, why we should withdraw the statement made in our address before the London Strict Baptist Association, that the terms "elect," and "ordain," may be used synonymously. In the following passages, for instance, the different parts of the verb, elect, or choose, might, with propriety, be substituted for those of the verb ordain: "As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed,"— "God will judge the world by that man Again, we denounce this doctrine, because under its working, an unscriptural and unmeaning ceremony is substituted for the regenerating influence of the Holy Ghost. The legally ordained priest claims it as his sole prerogative to christen children, by which he teaches them to believe they are made "members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven."+ That they are "hereby made the children of grace." So that it is clearly seen the popish delusion of baptismal regeneration, order to the attainment of everlasting life, if it does not arise out of the idea of " apostolical succession," is wrapped up in it, and perpetuated by it. Let the one be destroyed, and the other dies with it. Again, we look at the distinctions which bishop has ordained him. Then, although the doctrine maintains among the professed he should be a wicked man, we are told, his servants of the Redeemer (as archdeacons, services will be acceptable. "Neither is the bishops, and archbishops) together with the effect of Christ's ordinance taken away by lordly and domineering spirit which it en- their wickedness, nor the grace of God's gifts genders, and compare it with the mind of diminished from such, although they be the "meek and lowly" Jesus, as we find it ministered by evil men."* recorded in Matt. xxiii. 8-12. Also Mark x. 42-45; "Be ye not called Rabbi; for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren. He that is greatest among you, shall be your servant," &c.; and we find it so directly opposed to both the letter of the word, and the spirit of Christ, that we again denounce it as anti-scriptural, and unworthy the countenance of any good man. Again, we denounce it, from the unholy influence it has produced, wherever it has been received and retained. Just look for a moment at the condition of Catholic coun- so opposed to a personal change of heart, in tries; see their moral degradation,-fine resources, yet deplorable poverty; their national bondage; and what is worse than all, their spiritual ignorance; all may be traced to the influence of the crafty priest, which influence he derives from the belief the people have that he is a successor of the apostles. To say nothing of Ireland, poor groaning and bleeding Ireland, let us come to our own country, and look at the condition of hundreds and thousands, not only in the rural districts, but in towns. Multitudes go to the building called the parish church all their lives, yet never hear the gospel of salvation; and if by chance there happens to come a servant of the Lord to preach the gospel within their reach, they are taught to despise both him and his message, and if not to persecute, yet to pity those whose hearts are opened to receive the truth as it is in Jesus. Now what is the cause of this? The reception of the baneful doctrine of apostolical succession. But for the belief of this doctrine, numbers who now occupy the pulpits of our churches, would never have taken upon themselves the clerical office, and if they had, they would have been rejected with scorn by the people; but under the influence of this popish doctrine, the people believe them to be legally authorized to the cure of their souls. We denounce this notion, because it substitutes what are called holy orders for spiritual qualifications, in making ministers. According to this, it is not that a man has "tasted that the Lord is gracious;" not that the love of Christ constrains him to preach the gospel; not that he even believes the inspired testimony concerning Jesus; not that his conduct is moral; but because the * See the 26th Article of the church. Again, —we denounce the doctrine, because it has always fostered a spirit of persecution towards those holy men whom God has raised up and sent forth to preach the word, without submitting to the hand of the bishop. To justify this remark, we need only refer to the oppressions and sufferings inflicted upon the Nonconformists, from the accession of James I., in 1603, to the passing of the glorious act of toleration in 1688. Their possessions, to an enormous amount, were confiscated, themselves imprisoned, their persons maimed, and in at least two instances, their lives were taken away, by burning at the stake;§ the whole of which may without difficulty be traced to the influence of the anti-christian doctrine of "apostolical succession." Seeing, then, brethren, the unscripturalness of the doctrine, its lordly character, its domineering influence, and its baneful effects, let us come out from it with disgust, and retire from its precincts as far as possible, lest we be contaminated with its hateful breath. I regret we are not wholly free from it. The Rev. often prefixed to our names, indicates a reluctance to get wholly clear from the scarlet strumpet. That sacred word occurs but once in the inspired volume. We well know it comes from the same root which is usually translated fear; and what does this seem to say, but that it was adopted to create a fear and an awe in the minds of the common people, towards those to whom it was applied? And such an effect has been produced by it to a See the second answer in the Catechism. See Catechism. § Bartholomew Legate was burnt in Smithfield, March, 1611, and Edmund Wightman was burnt at Coventry, April, 1612. Many also died in prison. |