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successor of Dr. Doddridge, has cumstances which, whether corbeen dead upwards of fifty years; rect or erroneous, have as little consequently, your "Daventry to do with the statement in the Pupil," though now a hoary ve- Memoir, as with the battle of Sateran in the service, when he lamanca. Granting, however, heard Mr. Gilbert preach, could for argument sake, that he has have been nothing more than an guessed right, what is there in the evangelical stripling, and possibly particulars which he has detailed, his own tone of orthodoxy might which, in the slightest degree, at that time be a few degrees affects the correctness of the narhigher than it is at present. At any ration in the memoir? rate the "Daventry Pupil" can- But in truth the Memoir says not be supposed to have been at not one word either of Northampthat age a very competent judge ton or of Mr. Hextal. Your corof the comparative orthodoxy of respondent therefore had no right Dr. Doddridge and Mr. Gilbert. as though he were filing an official He will therefore pardon the au information, to charge his own thor of the Memoir, if to a pupil's inuendoes upon the author. juvenile impressions, he prefers the And it might perhaps have been grave testimony of elderly men, expected that as he is now past his personally acquainted with the pupilage, he would have thought parties, and perfectly competent it prudent to decline the intro. to judge in the case. Upon their authority the narrative rests.

In the second case, your worthy correspondent, like many a laborious commentator before him first makes a large, unauthorised addition to the text; secondly, he charges (as expositors often do) his own mistakes upon the author; and lastly, he kindly undertakes to rectify the error which he has himself committed.

duction of names, which might have a tendency to revive personal feelings which are better extinguished and forgotten.

Having thus I hope proved that the mistakes in the Memoir are not so numerous or so considerable as has been supposed, I will only add a request that when any of your worthy correspondents do me the honour of animadverting upon my works, they will have the goodness not to make the author reponsible for any errors but his own.

I am, Sir,

The Memoir states, that the author "recollects an instance in which a venerable minister of ir. reproachable manners and unim peached orthodoxy, was dismissed Your obedient servant, from his office by the church, unT. BELSHAM. der some trifling pretence, in op. P.S. I will avail myself of this position to the sense of by far the opportunity, to assure your cormost respectable part of the con- respondent" Semper Eadem," in gregation." Upon this your cager the preceding Repository, that correspondent instantly cries out, there was no particular allusion in Ευρηκα. "The person referred the Memoir of Mr. Lindsey, to to doubtless was Mr. Hextal, of any remarks in the Repository Northampton." And immedi- under that signature, to whomso ately runs out into a detail of cir- ever it may belong, of which I

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On the term "Anabaptists."

MR. EDITOR, Hackney. The article in your number for September, under the head Anabaptists, excited a degree of sur prise accompanied with regret. It is not, indeed, surprising, that an advertisement in the "Times," should have caught the eye of your correspondent, but it is somewhat remarkable, and to be regretted, that the subsequent advertisements, in which the misnomer was corrected, did not also catch his eye. The deductions which N. N. makes, may appear to him legitimate, but whether the inquiry he instituted was calculated to produce a conviction that “this sect do not object to being called Ana. baptists," the reader may determine. Your correspondent tells us that he finds on enquiry that it is “a meeting-house for the Particular

am totally ignorant. I must, however, express the concern which I have felt at seeing in some instances in your truly liberal pub. lication, that a zeal for principle has degenerated into personal accusation. In fact, I see nothing worse in any system than a disposition harshly to censure others for conduct which is perfectly consistent with their own views and principles, because they act diffe. rently from what we with different views and principles believe to be right, and what would in fact be right in us under similar circum. stauces. They who have been so unreasonably severe upon the cha. racter of a late virtuous and ex. emplary nobleman, would do well to recollect that Mr. Lindsey himself continued his station in the church, repeatedly subscribed its articles, read its declarations, and officiated in its worship, for ten or Calvinistic Baptists," and im. years after he became a decided mediately draws the inference just Unitarian, before he discovered noticed. Now, Sir, what appears it to be his duty to resign his pre. rather strange, is, that the result ferment. Not," says he, (in of his enquiry which one should the humble, modest language of naturally have expected to be, that his Apology, p. 225, and let the meeting-house was for Anathose who are inclined to be cen. baptists, is just the reverse. It is sorious mark his words and im- true that the Particular or Calvin. bibe his spirit) "Not that I now istic Baptists, as is generally known, justify myself therein: yea, ra- consider the epithet as applied to ther I condemn myself. But as I themselves, "reproachful and not have humble hope of the divine descriptive." Their writers uniforgiveness, let not men be too formly establish this statement, rigid in their censures. Let those A short extract from one of them only blame and condemn who and which contains the sentiments know what it is to doubt; to be on this subject, of the denomina. in perplexity about things of tion, will only be adduced: “The highest importance; to be in fear people called Anabaptists, scarceof causelessly abandoning a station ly in any thing agree with us, neiassigned by Providence, and being ther in their civil nor religious found idle and unprofitable when principles, nor even in baptism the great Master came to call for itself: for if we can depend on the account of the talent received." those that wrote the history of them, and against them, they were

for repeating adult baptism, not dle to the hand of the supposed performed among them; yea, that delinquent: a transaction of such which was administered among an atrocious and tyrannical nature, themselves when they removed that I should hope, for the honour their communion to another so. of our common Christianity, it ciety; may even in the same has either been grossly misrepre community, when an excom- sented, or that it is only the soli municated person was received tary proceeding of an unprincipled again; besides, if what is reported and unfeeling individual. of them is true, as it may be, I cordially agree, Mr. Editor, their baptism was performed by with your correspondent, that it sprinkling, which we cannot al. is a duty incumbent upon that low to be true baptism: it is said, connection, to disavow such a that when a community of them method of conversion; I will even was satisfied with the person's go further, and declare without the faith and conversation, who pro least degree of reserve, that if the ac posed himself for baptism, the pas- count of that gentleman be correct, tor took water into his hand, and it is a duty incumbent upon them sprinkled it on the head of him immediately to disown the perpethat was to be baptized, using trator of so horrid and diabolical these words, I baptize thee in the an act. name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."+ Relying on the exercise of your accus. tomed liberality for the insertion of the above remarks in your Re. pository,

I am, Sir, Yours, &c.

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A BAPTIST.

Burning a Sinner.
Zouch Mills, near Loughboro',
Leicestershire, Nov.7, 1812.
SIR,

In your number for August, (p. 501) you entertained, or ra. ther disgusted, your readers, with an account of a teacher amongst the New Connection of General Baptists, in Lincolnshire, enforcing his arguments respecting the wrath of God, and the punishment due to sin, by the absurd and eruel method of applying a lighted can

Cloppenburg. Gangræna: p. 366. Spanheim Diatrib. Hist. Sect. 27.

+ Budneus apud Method. Hist. Anabapt. 14, p. 96. Gill's Divine Right of Infant Baptism, &c. pp. 15, 16.

Being myself a member of that connection, and detesting from my very soul, the most remote idea of converting the religion of the meek and merciful Redeemer into a system of cruelty; at the same time supposing the views of the whole body to be, upon that head, in unison with my own; I have anxiously expected some one, or more, of our Societies to have in

stituted some kind of enquiry, and to have taken some method of ex

punging so foul a blot. But as no such enquiry has hitherto taken place, I am led to conclude the omission must be attributed to their being in general ignorant of the transaction: very few of them

I

suppose being in the habit of reading your Repository.

As however this ignorance does not extend to me, I conceive it to be my duty to have the affair investigated; and in order to faci litate the business, I request your Correspondent, either by a private letter, or publicly in your Reposi tory, (the latter of which mode

A new scene now opens upon you: and you are called to give a new and useful direction of all the stores of knowledge with which your mind has been enriched, and and to all the amiable and pious dispositions which you have culti vated. It will not be sufficient to attain to the ends of the function which you are about to assume, that you have genius, learning and elocution. The improvement of these must be the object of unre. mitting attention and the application of them must be animated by proper motives.

should prefer) to favour me with full: deserved applause will await the name and residence, both of you; and you will commence his informant, and the accused your ministry prepared and fitted person. And as the annual As for your office. sociation of our connection is usually held about midsummer, I farther request him to communicate the desired information previous to that time; so that if it appear necessary, I may have an opportunity of laying the case before that assembly. And as you, Sir, by publishing the letter of Mr. Brooke, have certainly held us up to the world in, at least an unfavourable light; I not only hope, but expect it as a kind of right, that you will allow us to justify ourselves, by inserting this, and such other communications as you may receive upon the subject. Hoping that however wide a sunder our views may be in this life, we shall be united at the resurrection of the just, I subscribe myself, Sir, with sincere good will, Yours, &c.

An Enemy to Torture,
JOHN AYRE.

Letters to a Student.

LETTER VII. Permit me, Eugenius, once more to address you, and to do it under the pleasing anticipation, that you have finished your course of studies with improvement and credit: and that you are about to appear in public life, and to enter upon the character which has been the object of your destina tion and pursuit. If you follow your studies with diligence, the review of your academical course will be pleasing to your own mind if to that you have added the character of the virtuous youth, and of the pious and amiable Christian, your honour will be complete and your satisfaction

The office of a minister is truly honourable and highly useful. But then it derives its honour from moral and spiritual considerations, and not from those worldly distinc tions which cast a glory round the departments of civil life. To feel the importance and dignity of your character, you must abstract it from the emoluments of wealth and the pre-eminence of rank. The honour before us is of the intellectual and spiritual kind: such as a pious mind only can relish, and immortality only can fully confer and display. The useful. ness of your character is of a congenial nature; its effects may not be immediate and conspicuous, like those secured by the barrister, in our courts of law; or which in the first instance affect the property, liberty and fortune of men, as those produced by the eloquence of the senate, and the industry of the merchant. The fruits of your labours are to be discovered, if they appear at all, only in the il. luminations of the mind, or the improvement of the moral and reli

into any office with just sentiments of its nature; of the extent of its obligations, and of the importance of its leading design, it may be expected, that its duties will be fulfilled with alacrity and zeal: and that the office will be supported with propriety and dignity.

gious character, in the slow progress of truth, and the future harvest of knowledge, piety and eternal life. Here, again, you will have need, if you would feel a stimulus to the duties of your cha. racter, to abstract your mind, in a great degree, from present sensible things, and to bestow a close at tention on moral and spiritual reflections. You must cherish the love of truth: your heart should glow with the ardour of benevolence and devotion: you must entertain a deep sense of the worth of the human mind, of the impor. tance of divine truth, and of the momentous interests of another you to sustain and adorn. It is life or your ministrations and very desirable that you should preaching will be lifeless and jejune, unite with it the learning of the destitute of the true unction, the scholar, and the politeness of the mere efforts of learning and genius, gentleman. But let it appear, by the amusement or occupation of your whole deportment, and by an hour; uninteresting, unedifying, the manner in which your time useless.

Let it, then, be submitted to your consideration, whether it be not proper and necessary to enter upon your office with much previous reflection: to enquire calmly and seriously, by what motives you are influenced in the choice of it: and to commence it with fervent prayer? It is affecting and edify ing to observe what were the work. ings of mind which some of our pious predecessors felt and cherish ed, and to what exercises of de. yotion they gave themselves up, before they appeared in the ministerial character, or formed a settlement in it.* When we enter

* Dr. JOHN EVANS, the author of the "Discourses on the Christian Temper," when he first took the whole pastoral charge of the congregation, with which he spent the principal part of his life and labours, spent a whole week in solemn retirement, and in extraordinary exercises

Another advice, which, in this connection I would offer to you is, that you would principally study to be, and to show yourself the minister. This is the character for which you have been educated: this is the character which you explicitly avow and this is the character which the world expects

is filled up, that it is your prevailing bent to be the minister. Your good sense will easily see, that it is far from my meaning to discou. rage a cheerfulness of spirits and the graces of a courteous address or to recommend an austerity and stiffness of manners, an affected gravity andapriestly hauteur. No character can be pleasing which is not natu

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of devotion Dr. WILLIAM HARRIS,
of Crutched Friars, upon his settlement,
got the keys of the place of worship,
going alone, he spent a whole day, in
where he was statedly to labour, and
fasting and prayer to God, for direction
and blessings in his future work as a
minister. Dr. Harris's "Funeral Dis-
courses, p. 288.
Dr. Grosvenor's
"Funeral Sermon for Dr. Harris," p. 27.
Seç also a long paper of pious exercises,
on a similar occasion, pursued by Mr.
MATTHEW HENRY. "Lite," p. 47-57.
12mo. Edition: and the rules laid down
for the regulation of his conduct in the
ministry, by Dr. COTTON MATHER.
Life," by Jennings, p. 29-46.

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