hand, and, scarce acquainting my wife, to ship myself alone, in a poor canoe, and to cut through a stormy wind, with great seas every minute, in hazard of life, to the sachem's house. Three days and nights my business forced me to lodge and mix with the bloody Pequod ambassadors, whose hands and arms, methought, reeked with the blood of my countrymen, murdered and massacred by them. on Connecticut river, and from whom I could not but nightly look for their bloody knives at my own throat also. God wonderfully preserved and helped me to break in pieces the Pequods' negotiations and design, and to make a finish, by many travels and charges, the English league with the Narragansetts and Mohegans against the Pequods."

Thus by the influence of this "martyr spirit," this young divine, whose spiritual and political attainments seemed two centuries in advance of the world, were the colonies of New England, which had so recently exiled him, saved from falling a prey to the savage knife.

Williams was founder and first President of Rhode Island colony; he continued in that office many years; was several times ambassador at the court of England. He obtained a charter from the king, and stood high in the estimation of the civilized world and savage nations. None finally did him more honour than his persecutors, whom he requited kindly the cruelties he had received.

Though responsible for all the doings of justice in his colony, yet Williams ceased not to teach and preach unto the people whom he governed, and the natives near, the unsearchable riches of Christ. He made tedious journeys to other settlements as an herald of salvation to lost men. Having taken the Bible for his rule of doctrine and practice, he soon discovered that it taught no infant baptism, but required repentance and faith in all, and especially such as professed Christ, which must be done by being "buried with Christ in baptism."

Hubbard says, "Many of his people entertained the same views." There being no minister in New England who had been baptized by immersion on a profession of faith: in March, 1639, Ezekiel Holliman baptized Roger Williams, who then administered the rite to Holliman and ten others.

The course pursued was the best and only way, by which they, and persons shut out from access to all organized Baptist churches, could afford. Williams had been ordained by an English Episcopal Church Bishop, a professed successor of the Apostles; none, and certainly not our Episcopal brethren, will deny his "divine right" to administer the ordinance; and his Prayer Book required that he "dip the candidate

in the water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost."

Thus was founded, under Roger Williams, as Governor of Rhode Island, and minister of the Lord Jesus, and by Ezekiel Holliman, deputy governor, with ten others, the first Baptist church on the continent of America. To these members twelve others were soon added, and from that day to the present that church has been a burning and a shining light; by its instrumentality thousands have been born to live eternally. Among its membership and bishops it has enrolled some of the most eminent scholars, statesmen, jurists, and divines, that ever consecrated talents, time, property, and acquirements, to the glory of God and the good of mankind.

In 1638, Rev. Hanserd Knollys, an Episcopalian, fled English persecution for his Baptist views, and came to Boston; here he was opposed, so he left and settled in Dover, New Hampshire, where he preached for four years. He returned to London in 1641, and founded a Baptist church in that city, where he had crowds of hearers, whose pastor he continued until 1691, when he died in peace, at the good old age of ninety-three years. Dr. Mather, says, "He had a respectful character in the churches of this wilderness."

Baptist sentiments prevailed much in Boston vicinity about 1646. Records show that the popularity of sentiment against infant baptism was the chief means of calling a Synod of Congregationists, to compose a platform for the government of their churches. Hooker, the founder of Hartford, Connecticut, died too soon to attend; but he had published a book teaching, that "children as children had no right to baptism, so that it belongs not to any predecessor either nearer or farther off removed from the next parents, to give right of this privilege to their children."

In 1639 attempts to form a Baptist church in Boston were legally frustrated, and the society was broken up by the court. Five years later, a legislative act was passed, for the "suppression of the obnoxious sect;" but says Hubbard, "With what success it is hard to say, all men being inclined to pity them that suffer."

The "bloody tenet" was framed and executed upon the Baptists. Sir Henry Vane and Sir Richard Saltonstall in vain remonstrated, being then in England; and the people who had fled persecution in the old world, rebuilt its prisons, recast its bolts and bars, and rekindled its fires in the new world, and sought thereby to break down the consciences of their brethren for whom Christ died.

Dunster, President of Cambridge College, embraced Baptist senti

ments, and lost his high office as a consequence. But his preaching against infant baptism enlightened the Rev. Thomas Gould, in Boston, who with others, in 1665, founded the first Baptist church in that city.

Rev. Thomas Dungan, in 1684, with others, formed a church in Cold Spring, near Bristol, Pa., but the same was dissolved in 1702. The ancestors and parents of Dr. Rush, of Philadelphia, were exemplary members of this church.

Penepack Church, ten miles north of Philadelphia, is the oldest in this State, and second on the continent, it having been formed in 1686. This church has continued flourishing and useful from its origin up to the present time. It dismissed members to form the first church in Philadelphia, which was the second in the State. These two churches jointly, for many years enjoyed the pastoral labours of the Rev. G. Eaton, Elias Keach, and others.

In process of time emigrants from the old country who were Baptists, and members of these first formed churches, planted themselves in Virginia, and in most of the principal towns of the colonies, so that quite a number of Baptist churches were founded in the seventeenth century. The first Baptist church in New York was founded in 1762; but from 1669 Baptist worship and an irregular church arrangement had been maintained in that city.

All of the first formed churches in the different States were fruitful vines, whose branches hung over the wall; they sent out members and ministers who planted much of the seed that has produced so abundant an harvest in the former and latter years.

Very early attention was given to learning by our churches. A Literary and Theological School was opened at Hopewell, New Jersey, in 1756; Rev. Isaac Eaton, A. M. was the president. Another by his pupil, Samuel Jones, D. D., at Penepack, in 1766.

Brown University, Rhode Island, was founded 1762. From these early nurseries of learning and theological knowledge came forth scholars, who mingling in with their less cultivated but strong-minded and self-educated brethren, the pastors in those times, laid a foundation for the prosperity and success which has attended our denomination's progress, under a similar and harmonious union of ministerial graces and gifts ever since. God grant that while the world stands, we may be as humble and prosperous, as uncorrupt in doctrine, and as holy in practice, as were the fathers of the Baptist churches in North America.

During the revolutionary war many of our churches were scattered by the male members being engaged with the army in defending the

rights of their country and religion. Many of the pastors acted as chaplains to the various regiments composing that brave band, who so successfully opposed tyranny, and resolving to die freemen, rather than to live slaves, established liberty throughout the land.

Of the Baptists, Washington says, "While I recollect with satisfaction that the religious society of which you are members, have been, throughout America, uniformly and almost unanimously, the firm friends to civil liberty, and the persevering promoters of our glorious revolution: I cannot hesitate to believe that they will be the faithful supporters of a free, yet efficient general government."

Under the new government, though in many of the States our rights were not equal to those of other denominations, we began rapidly to increase; and the prejudices which education and an exclusive preeminence, which some of the other churches enjoyed over us, was calculated to nourish, wore gradually away. Attention was soon turned to a vigorous use of means, calculated to increase converts to holiness and Bible sentiments. Institutions of benevolence were founded, adapted to facilitate the spread of a true faith and scriptural practice through the length and breadth of our land, and as far as possible to give the Gospel to a perishing world.

When we recollect that the force of education, habits and practices of all other denominations, are opposed to our peculiar views, and that a people are slow to cast off the influence of early prepossessions, and that we came in upon the community with our views, not until after other denominations had preoccupied their mind, by preaching and practising in a different way: we are led to believe that God is for us, and we adoringly ask, “What hath God wrought? He hath not dealt so with any people; and as for his judgments, we have not known them. Praise ye the Lord."

As organizations for the speedy fulfilment of our Lord's last command, we have an American Baptist Home Mission Society, which sends out ministers at its charges to preach the Gospel in destitute towns and settlements in various parts of the great Union, and has done much good, especially in the new western and southern States and Territories; one General Convention, for the prosecution of the same cause in foreign lands and among the American Indians; and no society has greater cause for gratitude than this has for the missionaries God has given it, and the success that has attended their consecrated and self-denying labour.

We have about seven colleges, and as many theological seminaries; numerous academies, high and select schools, under our

exclusive influence. Many of our educated members are engaged as professors and teachers in our general literary institutions. Others are bearing a part in the responsibility and usefulness which their various talents impose upon them, in the estimation of their fellow-citizens, and the different offices of trust and honour which they are called upon to fill in our state or national government.

In most of the States we have conventions for the purpose of promoting education, Sunday-schools, and missionary labour-contemplating the supply of those who are destitute of the means of grace, and aiding small and pecuniarily weak churches in supporting competent and acceptable pastors, and other means of usefulness to the people in their immediate or remote vicinity.

Associations of churches in a single county or district of a State are voluntarily formed for social and benevolent action, as the circumstances of their vicinity or the ardour of their piety may demand. Every church being independent, associations have no control over the doctrine or practice of the churches composing the body. Councils can only give advice, and recommend the continuance or withdrawal of fellowship from churches, as they may be worthy or unworthy.

We publish about twenty-five religious periodicals; one quarterly review. We have one National Bible Society, which contemplates mainly, as its field of labour, the supply of the heathen with such translations of the Scriptures as our missionaries shall in faithfulness prepare for them.

Through these benevolent channels about five hundred thousand dollars annually flow from our communicants, who in addition to these contributions support their own pastors, poor members, Sabbathschools and other efforts of usefulness in the individual congregations.

We suppose about four millions of American citizens are dependent on the Baptists for the religious discipline and teaching which they receive, and with the rapid increase of population our responsibilities will also be increased. To meet and supply these solemn wants, we have about nine thousand churches, six thousand ministers; and with nearly one hundred thousand increase since our last statistical information, we have about one million of members-all of whom profess to be followers of the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.

We have one General Publication Society, for the purpose of circulating books and tracts adapted to the wants of our members, and to become the means of salvation to the perishing, among whom we are commanded to shine as lights in the world.