liant campaign ever sketched or executed by military genius, bids fair to subserve, in an eminent degree, this great object. We hail with unqualified satisfaction and delight the prospect of that magnificent display of the industry of all nations, which is to adorn this metropolis next year. We shall have occasion, probably, to revert to it again and again as a most valuable auxiliary to us in our pacific mission. We introduce the subject now only for the purpose of strongly expressing our hope that the friends of peace, everywhere, will do all in their power to promote a project so congenial with their own. No better proof that it is so can be desired than is afforded by the character of the speeches everywhere delivered at the meetings called for its support. Many of them are such decidedly peace-speeches that they might have been delivered at the annual meeting of the Peace Society, bating an occasional sarcasm which the orators think it decorous and genteel to drop in passing upon the principles and labours of that institution. No such sneering allusions, however, fell from the lips of prince Albert in the beautiful speech which he delivered at the Mansion House, at the dinner recently given by the first magistrate of the city of London to the mayors of the principal towns in the united kingdom, and which we re-produce for the gratification of our readers. His royal highness prince Albert then rose, and spoke as follows: "My lord mayor, I am sincerely grateful for the kindness with which you have proposed my health, and to you, gentlemen, for the cordiality with which you have received this proposal. It must, indeed, be most gratifying to me to find that a suggestion which I had thrown out as appearing to me of importance at this time, should have met with such universal concurrence and approbation; for this has proved to me that the view I took of the peculiar character and requirements of our age was in accordance with the feelings and opinions of the country. Gentlemen, I conceive it to be the duty of every educated person closely to watch and study the time in which he lives, and, as far as in him lies, to add his humble mite of individual exertion to further the accomplishment of what he believes Providence to have ordained. Nobody, however, who has paid any attention to the particular features of our present era, will doubt for a moment that we are living at a period of most wonderful transition, which tends rapidly to accomplish that great end to which indeed all history points the realization of the unity of mankind; not a unity which breaks down the limits and levels the peculiar characteristics of the different nations of the earth, but rather a unity the result and product of those very national varieties and antagonistic qualities. The VOL. XIII.-FOURTH SERIES. distances which separated the different nations and parts of the globe are gradually vanishing before the achievements of modern invention, and we can traverse them with incredible ease: the languages of all nations are known, and their acquirements placed within the reach of everybody: thought is communicated with the rapidity, and even by the power of lightning. On the other, hand, the great principle of division of labour, which may be called the moving power of civilization, is being extended to all branches of science, industry, and art. Whilst formerly the greatest mental energies strove at universal knowledge, and that knowledge was confined to the few, now they are directed to specialities, and in these, again, even to the minutest points,-but the knowledge acquired becomes at once the property of the community at large. Whilst formerly discovery was wrapt in secrecy, the publicity of the present day causes that no sooner is a discovery or invention made, than it is already improved upon and surpassed by competing efforts. The products of all quarters of the globe are placed at our disposal, and we have only to choose which is the best and cheapest for our purposes, and the powers of production are entrusted to the stimulus of competition and capital. So man is approaching a more complete fulfilment of that great and sacred mission which he has to perform in this world: his reason being created after the image of God, he has to use it to discover the laws by which the Almighty governs his creation, and by making these laws his standard of action to conquer nature to his use- himself a divine instrument. Science discovers these laws of power, motion, and transformationindustry applies them to the raw matter, which the earth yields us in abundance, but which becomes valuable only by knowledge -art teaches us the immutable laws of beauty and symmetry, and gives to our productions forms in accordance with them. Gentlemen, the exhibition of 1851 is to give us a true test and a living picture of the point of development at which the whole of mankind has arrived in this great task, and a new starting-point from which all nations will be able to direct their further exertions. I confidently hope that the first impression which the view of this vast collection will produce upon the spectator will be that of deep thankfulness to the Almighty for the blessings which he has bestowed upon us already here below; and the second, the conviction that they can only be realized in proportion to the help which we are prepared to render to each other; therefore, only by peace, love, and ready assistance, not only between individuals, but between the nations of the earth. This being my conviction, I must be highly gratified to see here assembled the magistrates of all the important towns of the realm, sinking all their local and, possibly, 3 0 political differences-the representatives of the different political opinions of the country -and the representatives of the different foreign nations-to-day representing only one interest. Gentlemen, my original plan had been to carry out this undertaking with the help of the Society of Arts of London, which had long and usefully laboured in this direction, and by the means of private capital and enterprise. You have wished it otherwise, and declared that it was a work which the British people, as a whole, ought to undertake. I at once yielded to your wish, feeling that it proceeded from a patriotic, noble, and generous spirit. On your courage, perseverance, and liberality, the undertaking now entirely depends. I feel the strongest confidence in these qualities of the British people, and am sure that they will repose confidence in themselves confidence that they will honourably sustain the contest of emulation, and will nobly carry out their proffered hospitality to their foreign competitors. We, her majesty's commissioners, are quite alive to the innumerable difficulties which we shall have to overcome in carrying out the scheme; but having confidence in you, and in our own zeal and perseverance at least, we require only your confidence in us to make us contemplate the result without any apprehension."-The Herald of Peace. BAPTIST LITERATURE. It would appear from many indications, that our brethren of other denominations are apt to regard the baptists not only as quite deficient in general learning, but as really unworthy of a name in the literary world. Is this the fact? If it were so, some palliation might be found in the persecutions which they have suffered from national establishments beyond any other people. These have often crippled their pecuniary resources, and prevented the growth of literary institutions among them, until of late years, and now chiefly in our own free land. Still God has not left himself without a witness. Under all these disadvantages we have a literature which, even in comparison with others, is not to be despised. To say nothing of the fact that we may safely claim all the Christian literature of the first two centuries, and a large share of that belonging to the third and fourth--to go back no farther than the last two centuries, glorious fruits have blossomed and ripened on the tree of our baptist Christianity. Was not Milton a baptist? Was not Bunyan a baptist? Was not Roger Williams, the first great champion of religious liberty, a baptist? Is there a more learned commentary, or a more complete body of divinity, than that of Dr. Gill? Is there a better practical or polemic divine than Andrew Fuller? Is there a finer biblical critic or masterly Is reasoner than Dr. Carson? Is there an oriental scholar superior to Dr. Carey? there in the English language an essayist profounder than John Foster? or a writer of more classical purity and elegance than Robert Hall? The North American Review for 1836, gives a decided preference to Dr. Godwin's work on Natural Theology to that of lord Brougham, and of Dr. Wayland's work on ethics to that of Dr. Wardlaw. In Christian biography where is there one superior to the memoir of Mrs. Judson by professor Knowles? In pulpit literature what is there nobler than the recent volume of miscellanies by Rev. William R. Williams?-Philadelphia Baptist Record. HORTON COLLEGE. It affords us great pleasure to hear of a most interesting meeting which took place in the vestry of Sion Chapel on Tuesday evening. The object of the meeting was to present to the Rev. F. Clowes, Classical tutor of Horton ministers who have left the College, but while College, a testimonial of gratitude from those consisted of a handsome timepiece of very there were under his care. The testimonial chaste and beautiful design, bearing upon a silver plate immediately under the face of the dial, this inscription : "Presented to the Rev. Francis Clowes, Classical Tutor of Horton College, by those ministers who have enjoyed the benefit of his able and indefatigable labours while resident in that institution, as a small token of their esteem and gratitude.—April 2nd, 1850.”— The Bradford Observer. THE ECLECTIC REVIEW,-DR. PRICE, AND contemporary "The Church," we quote the From our small but respectable baptist following passage, because it relates to a subject on which many of our readers will which our personal knowledge is incomplete. wish for some information, and respecting We were much disappointed with the quality of the first numbers of "The Banner," and we suppose most of our readers were so too, and that it circulates but little amongst them. It is, indeed, stated that from a circulation at first of 17,000, it has sunk to not more than 4,000. Still we have always wished to treat the Congregational Union's Editor General with respect and friendship, and "The Banner" has also treated us kindly and handsomely. Lest, however, any of our readers should be also readers of "The Banner," we must enter our protest against the editor's whole proceedings in respect to "The Eclectic" and Dr. Price, as disgraceful beyond parallel in religious journalism, and worthy only of "The Times" or "The Weekly Dispatch." Of the personal qualities of the editor we know nothing, but we certainly never saw more painful exhibitions of self-importance, arrogance indeed, and of bigotry, in writing. Dr. Price was compelled, by the state of his health, to seek another editor for "The Eclectic." The gentleman to whom he sold the property in it, had been a rationalist, but had avowed an entire change of sentiment on the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. Dr. Price conceived, naturally, that one who had been led astray into the popular errors of the day and renounced them, would be a person peculiarly suitable to meet and oppose them. Dr. Campbell thinks that there is reason to suspect that the new editor's conversion was too recent and questionable to warrant confidence. Instead of kindly pointing this out to the parties most concerned, he endeavours to the utmost of his power to ruin "The Eclectic," by pouncing upon a single passage, the meaning of which we affirm, after reiterated examination, he grossly, we should like to hope undesignedly, perverts, and raises the canting cry of infidelity, for a sentiment identical, as we understood it, with the apostle's in 1 Cor. xv. 19. Well, Dr. Price owns that he had not been aware that Mr. Linwood's change to orthodoxy was so recent, and thinking, after all that had passed, that Mr. Linwood could not carry on the Review successfully, resumes the editorship himself. This, however, is not sufficient. Dr. Price is a baptist (though pledged to unsectarianism in "The Eclectic,") and "The Eclectic" is of the most advanced section in politics and ecclesiastical matters. Dr. Vaughan is a pædobaptist, and his Review, "The British Quarterly," is the organ of dissenting moderatism; hence-as we can but fear from the way in which both are brought forward-a vote of no confidence in "The Eclectic" is given by "The Banner," and "The British Quarterly" is announced as being, since its rise, the chief organ of evangelical nonconformity ! We have been informed that the said "British Quarterly is supported much more by the subscriptions of wealthy "no progress men, than by its circulation; and Dr. Campbell, we suppose, hopes now to overthrow the organ of " progress," by raising the old cry of infidelity and anarchy. Well, Dr. Price is a baptist. Baptists have long been used to such vituperation, and we hope he will not be easily frightened. CORRESPONDENCE. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE MISSIONARY To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. SIR, It is time the constitution of our missionary society were settled, and placed beyond annual discussions, by which our attention is distracted from the true objects of the society's existence. As the matter is now before the committee, there is ground to believe that such will be the case. May I be allowed a few sentences on the subject? 1. To me it appears that it is not a mechanical change in the constitution, but a dynamical change in themselves, that our churches need for the revival and extension of the missionary spirit. Were we to reflect on the facts detailed by our honoured brethren in the field till we felt more deeply, and prayed more earnestly, we should have but few thoughts left for constitutional defects or reforms. Still, if there be any mode by which the society may be presented more satisfactorily to the brethren at large, it is clearly of the last importance that it should be adopted. remuneration. For their guidance and encouragement the prayers of the churches should be ever presented. A 3. All that is really desired, so far as I understand the feeling abroad, is, such a change in the mode of electing the committee as would ensure a tolerably fair representation of the various sections of the country, without confining it to the same individuals. At present the committee is elected by the brethren who happen to attend the annual members' meeting. number of names are promiscuously nominated, without any reference to their localities; and from these the electors choose thirty-six, as their knowledge or their partiality may dictate. As the members of the committee are well acquainted with one another, and comparative strangers to the new nominations, they naturally vote for each other; and as thirty-six votes will secure a return, the new committee becomes almost a stereotyped copy of the old. Then we brethren in the country most legitimately grumble, that if there be any honour in belonging to the committee, or any delight in going to town every quarter, or any opportunity to serve the mission in these periodical visits, these pleasant things should not be more generally distributed. 2. The chief conduct of the society must rest with our London brethren. The providence of God has determined this. To them the grateful thanks of the whole denomination are due, for their devoted attention to a work involving great anxiety, making large de- 4. Now it seems to me the brethren have mands upon their time, and producing no the remedy very much in their own hands. The only mode of general representation is by delegation. The only meeting to which delegates can or ought to be sent is the annual members' meeting. To send them to the quarterly meetings would not only be an enormous expense, but would convert the committee into a house of Commons, where it is all talk and no work. But to the annual meeting every association, every auxiliary committee, every church, may now send its representatives, provided only they pay the expenses, which none of our brethren could desire to come out of the mission funds. And were every association to embrace the privilege, it would be attended with the best results. The associations meeting immediately after the public anniversaries in London, their delegates would on their return spread amongst their brethren the enthusiasm awakened in themselves. For such delegation there needs no alteration of any existing law. 5. The members' meeting being thus, or in any other manner, constituted, care should be taken that in the election of the committee, the centres of influence, the large cities and towns-Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich, Leeds, Birmingham, Leicester, Bristol, &c. should be represented. The great object of having quarterly meetings is, I apprehend, to secure the consent of the country to the decisions of the London directors. Can this be otherwise effected than by electing brethren whose position enables them to exercise an amount of influence in their own localities? But this, again, requires no new law. It is only necessary for the object to be kept in view in the nomination, and in the balloting. 6. To prevent monopoly, some law might be introduced prohibiting the election of any brother for more than three years in succession. This would give the opportunity for large numbers in their turn to be initiated into mission business, and so secured to the mission interests. It may be objected that such a rule would shut out some London brethren, whose intimate acquaintance with our missionary operations renders their presence almost indispensable. But this inconvenience might be met by electing such brethren honorary members. This, then, seems to be the only alteration that is required -if this. And if the adoption of such a rule would terminate dissatisfaction, and leave all free to devote their energies to the cultivation of the mission spirit, I doubt not the committee will have but little hesitancy in its recommendation and adoption. the mover, though in the hurry of forming the resolution it was not expressed. I beg to offer, in conclusion, my thanks to the secretaries for their publication of the proceedings of the quarterly meeting. The more information imparted of what the committee determines, and the grounds on which it proceeds, the more confidence will be established. May the spirit of our fathers rest upon us, that we may hand down the mission to our children strengthened and increased a thousand-fold! Yours in our Lord Jesus, GEORGE HENRY DAVIS. Bristol, May 7, 1850. EDITORIAL POSTSCRIPT. We regret to say, that as yet no progress has been made in reference to the contemplated deputation to India. The brethren who had been selected have not seen their way clear to undertake the service. The fullest account of the baptist annual meetings in London that we have seen this year has been given in The Christian Times. This is a comparatively new paper, and it is probable that many of our readers are unacquainted with its merits. Its principles are good, and the talent with which they are advocated is highly respectable. It is alive to the evils which result from the connexion of ecclesiastical bodies with the state, and appears to be at the same time exempt from denominational partialities. We do not trace in it the influence of what are called "men of mark," or of any clique; we know not who the editors are, but they seem to us to pursue an independent course. Respecting the religious state of Continental Europe, it gives more information than any other journal with which we are acquainted. It is published every Friday afternoon. We are informed that at the annual meeting of the society for the relief of aged or infirm baptist ministers, commonly known as the Bath Society, which is to be held in King Street chapel, Bristol, on Wednesday the 26th inst., at half-past nine o'clock, a question believed to be of great importance to beneficiary members will be decided. The following regulation, which was proposed for One word more. The terms of the reso- adoption last year, will be brought forward lution by which this matter is entrusted to in accordance with rule 19:-"That an the committee only bind it to the considera-alteration be made in the third rule of the tion of Mr. Pryce's plan. But I hope our brethren will feel themselves at liberty to discuss the whole subject, and recommend any plan which may approve itself to their wisdom. This, at least, was the design of society, as follows: That every beneficiary member be requested to make [instead of shall make '] a public or private collection annually in aid of the funds of this institution."" |