"him alone! He has at once changed the "ground and the subject of controversy, and "also enlarged the number of his antagonists. "Let him alone, he will do our work for us "much better than we can do it for ourselves." "The thought makes us sad, reminding us,

Ah, when will dissenting pædobaptist writers succeed in relieving their devout contemporaries from undue anxiety for correctness of sentiment and practice in reference to this institution! Paul himself, with what degree of consistency it is not for me to say, tells of his having baptized several persons at Corinth, and indeed admits that he had baptized so many at one place or other, that he could not be sure that he had baptized no more in that city, though he was certain that if he had done so he had not baptized them in his own name but in the name of Him who had sent him thither. But can those worthy men who think of seceding from the church contemplate without shuddering the consequences that will ensue, should they indeed become not almost but altogether such as Mr. Noel is? Let them think of the sorry figure which as baptists they must cut should they ever be called to vindicate dissent against churchmen. How can they contend that babes are not regenerated by baptism, while they maintain that no one ought to be baptized who is evidently unregenerate? Let them reflect on the disappointment and sadness which they will cause among congregational editors, compelling them to moralize on the vanity of human hopes and the admixture of folly with wisdom in the best specimens of our species. But no language of mine will be so impressive as that of the editor of the British Banner. Thus he proceeds: "How churchmen chuckled with "delight, the moment they heard of these "baptismal discussions! And even Charles "James himself relaxed the habitual gravity "of his pontifical countenance, softly sighing "forth, in the bosom of his chiefs, All "danger is now over; Noel has plunged "chin deep into the baptismal controversy! "We have now no more to fear from him. "The next step in his course will furnish a "sufficient antidote to the last, and we shall 66 'soon have a book on baptism, which will extinguish his book on the church. Let

66

*British Banner, December 19, 1849.

every rose a thorn; no good without a "mixture of evil; no wisdom without folly; no expectation without disappointment." But he that would avoid a melancholy end, should avoid those courses which naturally lead to it. When an intelligent man begins to think for himself; to study the Scriptures carefully; to determine to make the New Testament his rule; to resolve to sacrifice prejudice to truth and interest to duty, who can tell how far he may go? Who will guarantee that he shall not become a baptist? I am sure that I would not. The Record, which assumes to be the organ of evangelical churchmen, represents the termination of his "movements, enquiries, and wanderings" which Mr. Noel has reached, as that "which most persons of discrimination have regarded from the first, as the most natural and probable one." It tells us, "that this is the ultimate settlement of clergymen who quit the church; that the baptist community rather than the independent or presbyterian, generally, receives such seceders, must have been often remarked by "its "readers." The fact is thus attested by The Record; but for an explanation of the philosophy of the fact we are indebted again to the British Banner, "When Mr. Noel left the establishment," it tells us, "and published his great manifesto, he formed and avowed a design of retiring for twelve months to solitude for consideration and prayer." There is, I think, a slight mistake here; the time for which Mr. Noel determined to give himself to consideration and prayer before he committed himself to the course which he finally adopted was, I believe, not twelve months but six; but the principle is the same in either case: why give himself to consideration and prayer at all? Prayer, as we shall see, is good, if the word prayer be interpreted so as to include the idea of action; but consideration! How necessary it is in these days to beware of consideration! Consideration would transform some men strangely in less than six months. Who can guess what effect one month's consideration in retirement might have on the editor of the British Banner himself? Is it certain that were he to venture upon it, he would not himself become a baptist? But he knows better, it may be hoped, than to make so dangerous an experiment. There were persons who saw no evil in the adoption of this course by Mr. Noel; but they were not the sagacious. Men who knew the world, and were acquainted with

• Record, September 17, 1849.

the history of others who had become baptists, would naturally be startled by the announcement; whereas it is not easy to find words to describe the sensations which it would excite among the far-seeing few. Hear the British Banner once again: "When Mr. Noel left "the establishment, and published his great "Manifesto, he formed and avowed a design of ""retiring for twelve months to solitude, for "consideration and prayer.' The first authorised intimation of this resolve, fell upon us "like a sun-stroke or a thunderbolt. We well "remember, we instantly, and with anguish of "heart, pronounced that a spirit of infatuation "had descended upon him, that he had com"pletely misunderstood his mission, and that "his work as a reformer was done. There "were not wanting, however, men-excellent "men, but men more spiritual than wise-who "professed their admiration of this step as "exceedingly proper and praiseworthy. Such "men may be saints, but assuredly they are "not born to be reformers. Prayer is good, "but no prayer is equal to that which is "embodied in wise and well directed labours "to accomplish the thing for which the prayer "is made. While Moses prayed, the tribes "fought; and thus, too, it was with the "apostles. The triumphs of Christianity only "abated when men ceased to labour, and "retired into what was called religious houses, "that they might give their lives to idle "prayers."

Now, sir, I know what baptists will say to all this, for I was brought up among baptists myself, and I have often listened to their common-place arguments. They will say, that Christ's laws were made to be obeyed; that His will ought to be the rule of a Christian's conduct; that we are not at liberty to trifle with any one of His commands; that he who breaks the least of them, and teaches men so, whatever he may think of himself, is to be reckoned a small man, a very small man, (λaxrog) in the kingdom of heaven. Well, sir, let them say all this, and as much more of the same kind as they please; it is their vocation to say such things; it accords with their system, and if they do not say such things I know not who should; but I would caution clergymen who think of seceding from the establishment that if they give heed to notions of this sort, they may reduce themselves to the level of such men as Mr. Noel; that they must be content in that case to be reckoned among the men that are "more spiritual than wise;" that "they may be saints," but that it is impossible that any one of them should ever rise to the dignity of DirectorGeneral of Congregational Magnates.

I am, Mr. Editor, your's respectfully,
A DISSENTER.

* British Banner, December 19, 1849.

EDITORIAL POSTSCRIPT.

The demand for our January number was so much greater than our publishers had anticipated, that at the end of a week it was found that the whole impression was exhausted. Much of the type having been unfortunately distributed, no more copies could be printed till a considerable portion had been re-composed. In the interim many orders had been received which could not be fulfilled, and much disappointment must have been experienced. If any of our friends have not been supplied, however, we beg to inform them that the second edition, in every respect the same as the first, including the very satisfactory portrait of Mr. Noel, may now be readily obtained.

The early part of this number contains an article longer than is generally desirable, but one that will be highly valued by many of our readers who take a lively interest in the spread of the gospel in India, and are anxious to understand the practical working of our operations in that immense region. The author, one of our missionary brethren who has had ample opportunities for acquiring a knowledge of the subject on which he treats, wrote it for the Calcutta Christian Observer, a periodical supported by missionaries of different denominations. It was therefore designed in the first instance for local perusal, and certain to be tested by men of local knowledge; but Mr. Wenger rightly judged that its republication in this country might be useful, and hence we have the pleasure of laying it before our friends. We do so the more readily because the importance of carrying on our missionary operations in India with increased vigour is becoming more and more evident. India is the special field of labour which God in his providence assigned to us at first; and we should regard it as a delightful omen if the British public, calling to remembrance the vast amount of preparatory work which has been done during the last fifty years, were to determine to enter anew with becoming energy into its own labours, and with a wisdom acquired by experience, to turn to that account to which they might be turned the existing translations of the scriptures into the languages and dialects of the Asiatic millions. We have reason to believe that all Hindosthan is now ready for the sickle.

A few years ago, a banker who was reputed to be very rich and very penurious, taking his early walk one morning, found an inscription chalked on all the walls in his neighbourhood, announcing that he had given a man a shilling. That he had in reality performed this charitable action was doubted by those who knew him, and we never heard that it was satisfactorily ascertained; but

assuredly the publication of the statement, whether it were truth or fiction, was not adapted to create a high estimate of his habitual generosity. We are sometimes reminded of this fact by accounts which we are requested to lay before our readers of presents to ministers. It seems as though some of our correspondents thought that to show any kindness at all to a minister is so extraordinary a procedure that it ought to be chronicled. A letter now before us affirms that an individual has presented to the religious teacher whose instructions he enjoys, a volume which, if he gave the full price for it, must have cost him seven shillings and sixpence; and this we are requested to publish! It was probably very kind on the part of the donor, and very acceptable to the receiver; but such a friendly token of regard cannot be announced to the world without implying that such things are rare in the circle in which the incident has occurred. We are informed also that a pastor has received from an assembled company, as a token of their esteem, a handsomely bound bible for the pulpit. Now if a better pulpitbible was required it was right that one should be furnished; but it was no more an act of special kindness to the pastor, than it would have been to have had the pulpit windows mended, had they been broken. Occasional presents to ministers ought to be encouraged; they cheer, and animate, and cement affection; and the publication of such transactions is desirable, when they are really testimonies of attachment after long continued connexion, or when they are examples worthy to be held up to the imitation of others; but the wish that the most trivial act of kindness should be made known, indicates so low an estimate of what faithful and affectionate pastors deserve from their people, that we should think it anything but respectful towards the parties to comply with such requests.

On the 12th of January, one of the days when the roads and streets of the Metropolis were in an extremely slippery state, the Rev. J. H. Hinton fell and broke his right arm about two inches above the wrist. Of course he is unable to write, and many of his usual occupations must be necessarily suspended for some weeks. He has endured much severe pain, but he is progressing favourably.

The Rev. C. A. M. Shepherd, who had assisted the late Rev. J. H. Evans, at John Street for some time past, has accepted an invitation to become pastor of the neighbouring church in Henrietta Street, whither it is understood that he will be followed by some attached friends.

The statistics of the London Association, the annual meeting of which was held on the

19th ultimo, are not in a sufficiently complete state yet to be published. Though the letters exhibited an entire absence of any indications of discord, and some of the churches had received considerable accessions of numbers, there were several others in which a positive diminution had taken place. This was attributable, however, not to any great deficiency in the number of baptisms, but partly to the unusual number of deaths which occurred while the pestilence raged last summer, partly to the great number of dismissions which have taken place from some of the older churches to churches which have not yet been united to the association, but which may probably join it speedily, and partly to a revision of church books which has removed many names of merely nominal members. After the letters had been read, Mr. Aldis and Mr. Baptist Noel delivered very impressive addresses.