axe. The ground was cleared, tents were pitched, live stock was landed, stores were deposited, and the little colony was established. Botany Bay was selected as a place for a penal settlement. Paramatta was the seat of the governor, and the free emigrants were first located there, soon to be outnumbered by the discharged convicts. The Rev. Richard Johnson, on the recommendation of Wilberforce, was appointed first colonial chaplain, and was followed by the Rev. Samuel Marsden in 1794; these excellent clergymen of the Church of England rendered the most valuable service to the London Missionary Society; and Mr. Marsden, who for twenty-five years acted as agent to the Society, lent the most efficient support to every association formed in the colony for the religious instruction of children and the extension of the gospel. The fugitive missionaries from the South Sea Islands received on their landing at Port Jackson, the greatest kindness from Mr Johnson. Three of their number, "James Fleet Coote, William Henry, and Rowland H. Hassell," report from Paramatta, New South Wales, August 25, 1799, that the depravity of the people was of the most awful character. Joint "We commenced preaching," they add, "in different parts of the district situated in the northern boundary, and opened an evening lecture in Paramatta; the latter, in the month of December, we were under the necessity of discontinuing, as the person who favoured us with the use of his house removed to his farm, and no other place could be procured. We, however, continued to preach in the northern boundary; but our hearers beginning to decline in their attendance, add to this the distance and excessive heat of the summer, filled us with discourage ments and the enemy took occasion from these circumstances, to suggest the improbability of success; but in perseverance the prospect brightened, their numbers increased, and our preaching has produced the following effect, which we are induced to look upon as the harbinger of good-viz., twenty-two of the settlers in the district called Kissing Point, voluntarily offered to build a place for public worship, requesting us to continue among them, and use our interest with the governor to appoint them a schoolmaster to instruct their children. This request was made, in consequence of a rumour that we were about to leave the colony. We accordingly applied to Governor Hunter, who immediately appointed them a schoolmaster of our recommendation (a person whom we believe to be a sincere convert). His Excellency also gave them some materials towards erecting the building, which we expect will be finished in the month of November, when the Rev. Messrs. Johnson and Marsden promised to open it. We have also recommenced the Sunday evening lecture in Paramatta, which is well attended, and likewise opened a place for preaching at Toon Tabbe, where we have about an hundred hearers. . These favourable appearances, we hope, will not be 'like the morning of carly dew,' but prove the dawn of a bright and glorious day to these poor bewildered souls, who are lying as outcasts in a forlorn condition; but at present we cannot communicate any further information respecting them, that would prove satisfactory, but shall seize the earliest (and every) opportunity of transmitting such accounts as relate to the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom in this colony of Corinthian degeneracy. We are sorry to add, that on the 2nd July last, brother Samuel Clode was inhumanely murdered in the dwelling-house of one Thomas Jones, at the brick-kiln, near Sydney, a little before sunset. The said Jones was a soldier, and being a townsman of brother Clode's, he had given him some pecuniary assistance, and was desired to call that evening for payment, when the said Jones, instead of paying him, beat out his brains with an axe, and afterwards concealed the body in a sawpit. "The conduct of brother Clode, since his arrival in this colony, has been such as may be said to adorn his profession (the writers wish they could say the same of all the other brethren who came into the colony with him); his death is regretted by all who knew him. The governor and several officers followed his corpse to the grave, as a testimony of their respect. A tomb is about to be erected over him." Mr. Johnson reports favourably of Mr. Henry, Mr. Hassell, and Mr. Coote, and Mr. Clode, in a letter to Mr. Hardcastle, dated Sydney, New South Wales, October 18, 1799, but adds: Report of Mr. Johnson, the Chaplain of the "If I may be allowed to give my sentiments, I may say that I believe that some of those first sent to Otaheite, and who have left it since are much better away, and hope their secession will turn out for the furtherance of the pious wishes and endeavours of the Society. My friend, Henry, has repeatedly expressed the same opinion; and I hope, upon his return, he will find his friends left behind, living in love, and unite hand and heart with them in the work in which they are engaged." Colony. in WILLIAM SHELLEY, a "faithful brother" Sydney, waiting for the signal to move, writes from Paramatta, October 24th, 1801: "I hope we shall soon see a reinforcement at Otaheite, composed of such men as will willingly sacrifice their all to be made useful to their fellow-creatures. Such as bring forth the fruit of the Spirit-love, joy, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; such as provoke not envy and vainglory, but to love and good works." The position of the Directors of the London Missionary Society was extremely trying, but they were well sustained by the confidence, prayers, sympathy, and enlarged contributions of their friends. throughout the country. CHAPTER IV. CONGREGATIONAL principles in Scotland had been obscured by eccentricities in the opinions and practice of some of their advocates, but a The " "King of Martyrs." work of John Glas, entitled the "King of Martyrs," was read with avidity in small societies scattered throughout the country, and led to further inquiry. Some who had been scandalized with the conduct and teaching of the kirk, desired a simpler form of Church polity and greater spirituality in Christian professions, and asked for more light. A striking example of this Berean spirit we have in JOHN MORISON (father of Dr. Morison, of Chelsea). Letter of John In reply to inquiries addressed to some Morison, 1798. Christian friend at Aberdeen, he received the following communication: "To John Morison,* and all others who love our Lord Jesus in sincerity. "ABERDEEN, April, 1798. "DEAR BRETHREN,-We have lately been favoured with the perusal of your letter to our excellent brother, and cannot help expressing our joy to find that there are several around you who love the Saviour, and wish to see vital godliness and Primitive Christianity freed from the fetters and ordinances of men everywhere prevailing and everywhere influential. As your letter intimates a desire to learn something about us-a little society, forming ourselves upon the Congregational plan-we shall very briefly * Memoir of Mr. John Morison, Millseat. By John Morison, D.D., p. 116, et seq. mention the outline of those principles which we hold and practise. "Some of us have long been Independents or Congregationalists in principle, although we saw no probability of succeeding in any attempt publicly to avow our principles till the present moment. Others of us have only of late begun to investigate the matter, and were first led to do so by observing that party spirit and the traditions of man swallowed up the zeal and attention of too many professors, and that debates about some speculative subjects prevented weak and uninformed minds from attending to the weightier matters of the law, and instead of being a help was a real hindrance to the success of the Gospel. "We belonged to different communions, in all which we found a rigid strictness in demanding submission to human standards of orthodoxy; but a lamentable neglect in seeking sound experimental knowledge of Jesus Christ, and a life becoming His holy gospel. In short, we saw much zeal about many things indifferent, and much coldness about the "one thing needful." By conversing together occasionally, although belonging to different communions, we found that we agree, in all the leading doctrines of the gospel, and that the Lord had fashioned our hearts alike, and were led to conclude that the love of God shed abroad in the heart is a far more scriptural and steady principle of union than a constrained belief in human creeds and confessions when genuine love is wanting. And when we consider the lukewarmness and bigotry of many parties, we regard this as a suitable time for making a humble attempt to unite ourselves upon their principles of love and mutual concord. Accordingly, in the month of October, 1797, we formed ourselves into a society for this purpose, and wrote letters to several Independent ministers and tutors requesting their advice and influence. Without going into a full detail of particulars, suffice it to say, that they all advised us to preserve our fellowship, and promised to befriend the design; but none seemed more anxious for our success than the Rev. David Bogue, an Independent minister and tutor at Gosport. Being himself a Scotsman, he seemed to retain a regard for our countrymen. "Our next step was to look out for some place in which to observe the ordinances of Christ, but no one could be found; |