The Earl of Rocksavage, Rev. J. W. Cunningham; Major-General Orde, Major Phipps, 13th Bengal Infantry. Captain Bazalgette, Royal Navy. Rev. Hugh M'Neille, Captain Franklin, R.N.;-Rev. Henry Binney, Chaplain from Cape Breton, Rev. John Leifchild; Captain Bell, Royal Artil lery, Rev. R. C. Dillon;-Rev. Joseph Parsons, Chaplain, H. E. I. Company, Lieut. J. E. Gordon, R. N. Bibles and Testaments issued during the year, upwards of 4,200 copies. Receipts, year ending 10th May, 1824.... Expenditure.... £2277 7 9 £2324 7 1 But there is a claim upon the society, unpaid, amounting to £600, which is £600 less than was owing last year. Collected at the Argyll £. s. d. Room, not being annual subscriptions, or doua tions, 11th May, 1824.. 100 3 Donations and new annual subscriptions..... Mr. Smith, of Ilford, preached in the evening, from Isai, xliii. 4. At this Association the following resolution was passed: "Resolved, That this meeting most deeply sympathize with the Lon don Missionary Society, and other friends of Missions, in the premature death of the excellent Missionary Smith; and enter their protest against the cruel and unmerited persecutions to which he was exposed ;-that it regards, with great satisfaction, the firmness and moderation with which they have defended his character and conduct, and the zeal with which they have maintained the liberty, importance, and obligation of Missionary enterprises." The next Annual Meeting of this Association to be held (Providence permitting,) at Colchester; Messrs. Pilkington, of Raileigh, and Keen, of Waltham Abbey, to preach; in case 2 of failure, Mr. Bain, of Potter-street. C. T. K. 71 12 0 NEWCASTLE UNDER LYNE, IT will, doubtless, gratify the friends of the Redeemer, to hear of the en largement of his visible kingdom, though in ever so small a degree; un der these feelings we have great pleasure in transmitting the following statement. Through the kindness of our Hea venly Father, a pleasing congregation has been collected, and a church, comprising sixteen members, formed int this town, from a very small beginning --an incidental circumstance. ON Tuesday and Wednesday, the 18th and 19th of May, 1824, the Association of Baptist Churches, in the County of Essex, held their Annual Meeting at Waltham Abbey. - On Tuesday, Mr. Sangster, of Dunmow, preached, from Phil. i. 27. In the evening of the same day, the ministers and messengers met, to hear the letters from the several churches, which were gratifying as to the general state of About two years since, Mr. Thomper the churches, all of which evinced a son was accustomed to take advantage growing sense of the importance and of the occasional visits of ministers at necessity of the outpouring of the Holy his house, by calling together his faSpirit; of the value of Missionary ex-mily and neighbours, to hear the word ertions, at home and abroad, and in increasing zeal for their extension and prosperity. On Wednesday morning, at seven o'clock, Mr. Haines (the Association Itinerant) preached, from Heb. iv. 9; and, at eleven o'clock, Mr. Francis, of Colchester, preached, from Heb. iii. 2; also, Mr. Wilkinson, of Saffron Walden, from Acts iv. 12. After which, Mr. Haines, the Itinerant, read a Report of his labours, during the last year, which was encouraging. The Circular Letter, "On the Connexion between Doctrinal, Experimental, and Practical Religion," is put to press, and its appearance expected in a short time. of life, in one of the apartments of his own house. This being found highly inconvenient, first suggested to Mr. Thompson the propriety of fitting up a room in his manufactory, for the same purpose. From this humble com. mencement, and merely temporary design, has originated, under the bless ing of God, the present encouraging interest. During the above interval, Mr. Smith (while preparing for the ministry,) became acquainted with Mr. Thompson, who frequently invited him, as well as other ministers, to preach in the room. Mr. Smith has recently acceded to the unanimous wish of the church to become their pastor. which was charged upon Mr. Smith, and on which he was found guilty, and sentenced to be hanged, by the Demarara Court Martial, the learned gentleman concluded by moving, "That an humble address be present The formation of the church, and the services of the ordination, were solemn and interesting. On Lord'sday, the 9th of May, Isaiah Birt, of Birmingham, (who originally opened the room,) preached a most affecting sermon, from John xvi. last clause of 23ded to His Majesty, setting forth, that verse. In the afternoon, the friends intending to be formed into church fellowship assembled. Mr. Birt then read Romans xii.; delivered a most affectionate and faithful address→ prayed-recognized the union of the members, and concluded, by administering to this infant church the Lord's Supper; several friends from a neigh-jesty would be most graciously pleased bouring church also communicated: the whole formed a highly delightful opportunity. In the evening Mr. Birt preached from John x, 27, 28. On Tuesday evening, the 11th, Mr. John Birt, of Manchester, preached from Isaiah lvi. 7. The ordination services were conducted in the New Methodist Chapel, (which was generously lent for the occasion,) on the 12th. Mr. James Lister, of Liverpool, delivered an introductory discourse, from Acts ii. 47; Mr. John Birt offered up the ordination prayer, and his father gave a most impressive charge, from Luke xii. 43. The remaining services were postponed until the evening, when Mr. Lakelin, of Burslem, commenced with prayer; and Mr. Stevens, of Rochdale, addressed the church, from Phil. ii. 16. Much happiness was enjoyed on the occasion by those who were engaged in the solemnities of the day: the sphere of labour being extensive, much good is humbly anticipated from this settlement. Mr. Smith has had no inducement, from pecuniary considerations, to cast in his lot with this sinall infant society; but, it is hoped, through the Divine blessing upon his labours, his spiritual reward, in the conversion of souls, will be great. A most eligible piece of land has been purchased, and put in trust; and, it is hoped, through the blessing of God, and the assistance of Christian friends, a chapel may ere long be erected; the present place of worship being half a mile from the town. T. THOMPSON. Late Rev. Mr. Smith, of Demarara. THE case of this persecuted Missionary was brought before the House of Commons, by Mr. Brougham, on Tuesday, June 1. After having traced all the pretended evidence of guilt the House having taken into their most serious consideration the proceedings which had taken place on the trial of Mr. John Smith, at Demarara, contemplated, with the most serious alarm, the violation of law and justice which had then been committed; and they did earnestly pray, that His Ma to give orders for such an impartial and humane administration of the law in that colony, as would secure the rights, not only of the negroes, but of the planters themselves." In consequence of several interrup tions, this motion was not decided until Friday the 11th, when, in a House of more than three hundred members, not one of whom attempted to justify the proceedings of the Court-Martial, one hundred and forty-six concurred in denouncing them as the violation of law and justice." We rejoice that the blameless conduct of the late Mr. Smith has been thus publicly vindicated by the British Legislature, and that the conduct of his judges has been thus pointedly reprobated. A general conviction prevails, that the reproach cast upon Missionaries, by this unhappy circumstance, has been entirely rolled away. The Times paper of June 17, says, "At Barbadoes advices had been received from Demarara of the 26th of April. These supply one remarkable fact, taken in con nection with the late proceedings in‹ Parliament, relative to the case of the unfortunate Mr. Smith, the Missionary, which is, that the Rev. Mr. Austin, a clergyman of the Established Church, and Mr. Arrindell, the prisoner's counsel, had had the boldness to circulate letters in the colony itself, after the proceedings had closed, expressing their belief of Mr. Smith's entire innocence." Test and Corporation Acts. A PETITION was presented to both Houses of Parliament, from the London Dissenters of the Three Denominations, on Thursday, the 17th Ult. praying for the repeal of the above mentioned penal statutes, signed by about 10,000 persons. We copy from the Times Journal an extract from what is reported to have fallen from Mr. Wm. Smith, member for Norwich, on that occasion. "They complained that, in consequence of differing from the church of England, they were subjected to many civil disabilities. They maintained that they ought not to be placed on the same footing as the Roman Catholics, because the latter acknowledged a foreign potentate, whilst they acknowledged no power superior to that which existed in this country." This is placing the subject of the difference in political sentiment between the Protestant Dissenters and Roman Catholics upon the only just principle: their political disabilities as Dissenters in common from the Church of England, ought never to have been spoken of as constituting a common cause, in regard to the penal statutes against Dissenters. Loan for New Churches. In the House of Lords, June 17, it is stated that Lord Liverpool said, "The Bill proposed to apply £500,000 towards the building of churches. It was, however, provided, that a congregation whioh paid two-thirds of the expense of building a church should be allowed to choose their own ministers." This, we hope, will prove favourable to evangelical preaching. Lord King is reported to have approved of this plan, though he objected to money being exacted from Roman Catholics and Protestant Dissenters for such a purpose: remarking, that "churches ought to be built for them in return." So said the late Rev. Thomas Scott. Such a grant, however, to Dissenters, would, in all probability, bring them under some regulations unfavourable to their religious liberty! We are glad the Protestant Dissenters have not expressed any opinion against money being voted exclusively for New Churches: it proves. that such pecuniary considerations are too trifling to engage their attention, while any measure affecting their liberties, would rouse them to petition from one end of the kingdom to the other. The maxim of SELDEN is inwrought, as it were, in their minds, "Above all liberty." ORDINATIONS, &c. A NUMBER of respectable persons residing at TOTTENHAM, and its vicinity, who are attached to the Baptist Denomination, have long wished to possess a place of worship; the population being large enough fully to justify such an addition to its existing means of religious improvement. A building, easily convertible into a small chapel, having presented itself, it has been very neatly fitted up for divine worship, and was opened for that purpose, March 11, 1824. The Rev. T. Griffin, of London, commenced the services of the day by reading the word of God, and prayer; after which, Dr. Rippon, of London, preached; and the Rev. Mr. Loyd, of Southgate, concluded. The afternoon services were held in the Wesleyan Chapel, kindly lent for the occasion. The Rev. Mr. Thomas, of Enfield, began, by reading the scripture and prayer; the Rev. Mr. Williams, of London, preached; and the Rev. W. Shenston, of London, concluded. Assembled again in the evening, when the Rev. T. Rippon engaged in prayer; the Rev. Dr. Newman, of Bow, preached; and the Rev. T. Griffin concluded. ON Monday, March 29, 1824, the foundation stone of a newBaptistChapel was laid in the very populous town of BARNSTAPLE, North Devon. In the morning, by seven o'clock, the church met for prayer; at ten in the forenoon we assembled on the ground; commenced by singing; Mr. Pulsford, of Torrington, prayed; Mr. Johns, our minister, delivered a most appropriate address, from Joshua xxiv. 27: closed by singing and prayer, by Mr. Johns. This church arose from the following circumstance. About the year 1814, Mr. and Mrs. Ferres, then members of the Baptist Church at Folkestone, in Kent, were sent by Government to Barnstaple, in the Barrack Department. There were, at that time, not above one or two Baptists in the town, and no preaching, except a minister occasionally came by, and gave them a sermon; Mr. Ferris invited Mr. Harris, (a Baptist minister, who was labouring in some parts of North Devon as an Itinerant,) to preach in Barnstaple, and with great difficulty obtained a room for the purpose. It was impossible that Mr. Harris could regularly supply Barnstaple, consistently with his other engagements; but his lack of service was supplied, by Mr. Ferris instituting prayer-meetings and reading sermons. Circumstanced as they were, they were obliged to move from room to room, but their efforts were blessed, so that, November 19, 1817, a church was formed, consisting of twelve members. In 1818 we obtained the old Methodist Chapel, at a yearly rent, and opened it for our use, February 22, the same year. This place is very small and inconvenient, being in a back street, and hid from public view; and we met with so many difficulties, that we have been kept in a state of infancy, and retarded our more rapid increase. At the close of the same year, we had to lament the removal of our friend Mr. Ferris, and his wife, who were called away by Government to another situation; several other valuable members we have lost by removals; so that when we have reflected on our present existence as a church, we have seen evidently the hand of an Omnipotent God sustaining us, and helping us hitherto. We have gradually increased in number; some have joined us by baptism, others by letter; so that our present number is twenty-eight, with prospects of some very valuable additions. In October last we purchased | the spot of ground where our new place of worship is building, the dimensions of which are 30 feet by 40; with a gallery, vestry, and buryingground. The estimated expense is about £500, beside the purchasemoney, which is £140; towards which we have obtained about £200; and our valued friend, Mr. Ferris, has kindly offered to take our case to the religious public, to solicit subscriptions, and is engaged in the work. The whole premises are regularly vested in the hands of trustees, for the use of the Baptist Denomination for ever, and are the only freehold premises belonging to the Baptists in any of the large towns in North Devon. To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. London, June 8, 1824. SIR,-A paragraph having appeared on the cover of the New Evangelical Magazine of this month, in the address "To Correspondents, and others," reflecting on the Rev. Mr. Ivimey, you will much oblige us by inserting the annexed letter, addressed by us to the Editor of that work, in your valuable and widely circulated publication, for next month; and thus co-operate in rescuing a valuable member of society from unmerited calumny. We are your obedient servants, C. PENNY. T. MERRETT. (COPY.) London, June 7, 1824. SIR,-In justice to the Rev. Mr. Ivimey, whom you have so unjustly aspersed in your "Address to Correspondents," in the New Evangelical Magazine for June, we beg to state, that that gentleman had nothing whatever to do with publishing the portrait of himself; nor was he aware of the necessary steps your conduct, in infringing on our private property, compelled us to adopt for its protec tion. As the subject will be fully in vestigated in a court of justice, we shall abstain from any further remarks. Trusting, in the mean time, that" the mild, gentle, and forgiving spirit of the gospel," of which you seem to boast, will induce you to insert this explanation in your next pub lication; and thus, as far as in your power, rescue from unmerited censure the conduct of a meritorious and deserving individual. We remain, yours, obediently, C. PENNY. T. MERRETT. To the Editor of the New Evang. Mag. Calendar for July. 3. Moon passes Mars I. 24 aft. 5. Earth (as to longitude) between the Sun and Herschel, XI. 45 aft. 10. Occultation of Herschel by the Moon. Invisible here. Next month there will be an occultation of him visible at London. 11. Full Moon IV. 21 morn. The Earth casts its shadow upon of the Moon's diameter. Eclipse begins III. 353 morn, sets III. 583, with of her diameter eclipsed... The Moon will be out of the shadaw IV. 53). 13. Ceres south 0.8 aft. On account of the late period in the month, when the public Meetings were held, we regret that the proceedings of the Baptist Home Missionary Society must be deferred to the next Magazine. Irish Chronicle. THE period, in the month of June, at which our Anniversaries are held, makes it impossible, at present, to give our Readers the proceedings of the General Meeting of the Irish Society, as we have usually done. Not doubting but the Report of the Committee will be heard with gratification by the Meeting, we have made some extracts from it, which will, we hope, afford similar feelings of pleasure to our kind friends in the country, who will be unable to attend on that occasion. Extracts from the Tenth Annual Report of the Baptist Irish Society. AFTER stating some difficulties experienced during the past year, in consequence of circulating the scriptures, and mentioning instances of opposition from some Roman Catholic Priests which had been made, it is said, that the Society may never cease to propagate those scriptural and evangelical sentiments, which were so successfully taught and defended by Cranmer, Latimer, and Knox; as laying the only solid foundation for a sinner's hope in the alone righteousness and forgiving mercy of the Saviour, and not in human merit, or the absolution of the Priest. Surely, those Christians who owe all their scriptural knowledge, and all their liberties to the Reformation from Popery, will never be negligent in using that liberty to impart the knowledge of salvation to enlighten them who sit in darkness, and the shadow of death, and to turn their feet into the way of peace. Never may this, nor any similar Society, relax in its efforts, to make known the light of the glorious gospel of Christ in Ireland, till all its inhabitants are emancipated from that most degrading and dangerous of all slavery-the bondage of the mind." "The Committee would not have mentioned these painful proofs of the hostility made to the Holy Scriptures, by persons calling themselves ministers of the Catholic Religion, had it not been necessary for the vindication of men whose characters have been malignantly traduced, and to repel the charge that the object of the Society was Proselytism, and not the good of the Irish peasantry. If by Proselytism be intended, attempts to bring persons over to their own sect, they indignantly deny the allegation; for, without undervaluing their own distinguishing sentiments, their only wish has been to make the Irish acquainted with the doctrines of the Scriptures, in order that they may become genuine Christians. But, if employing suitable means "It must be obvious that, as persons for making them Bible-Christians be called Proselytism, they admit the ac- by instruction become capable of readcusation to be just;-and, if this is to ing the Scriptures, and as those who be vile, they hope the Society will could previously read become more inbecome yet more vile -and that still terested in their contents, a larger larger accessions will be made to the supply of Bibles and Testaments is reProtestants of Ireland by the humble quired. They have accordingly been labours of the Institution. They have gratuitously supplied during the past not so learned Christ, as to think light-year, through the Readers of the Irish ly of the doctrines of the Reformation, nor of its political influence on the civil and religious liberties of their native country; and they most ardently pray The Committee, having reported what they designate their Home Proceedings, call the attention of the Meeting to the Progress which the Society is making in Ireland: they say, Scriptures, and the Schools, with 500 |