13. That a copy of these resolutions | the Rev. Mr. Holloway, of Cardington, be transmitted to the Parent Committee for concluded the services. publication in the Missionary Herald or otherwise, as they may consider expedient. Signed on behalf of the Committee, EDMUND CLARKE, Secretary. In the evening, the Rev. N. M. Harr, of Banbury, preached from Ezek. xxxiii. 11; and the preceding evening the Rev. J. W. Wayne, of Ilitchin, preached from 2 Cor. iv. 7. ASSOCIATION. MIDLAND. The Midland Association, including thirty four churches, held their annual meeting at Kington, Herefordshire, May 27 and 28. Tuesday, four o'clock, brother Blakemore was chosen Moderator, and commenced the service by prayer. The letters from the churches were read, and the Circular Letter "On Spirituality of Mind," by brother Ham, was approved and ordered to be printed. Evening, seven o'clock, brother Claypole preached. Wednesday morning, at six, the ministers and messengers met for prayer; the distribution of the fund money, and other business of the Association. Eleven o'clock, brethren Fry and Waters preached. Evening, at six, brother Carson preached. State of the churches.-Added by baptism 112, by letter 60, restored 3.-Decrease, by death 44, dismissed 44, excluded 37. Clear increase 50. The next annual meeting to be held at Ross, in Whitsun week, 1829. Brethren Morgan and Blakemore to preach; in case of failure, brethren Davies of Evesham, and Trotman of Tewkesbury. Brother Williams of Ryeford to write the Circular Letter. ORDINATIONS, &c. HARROLD. On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the Rev. George Bull Phillips, student of the Newport Pagnel Evangelical Institution, was set apart to the pastoral office over the congregational church at Harrold, Beds. The Rev. James Simmons, of Olney, commenced the service; the Rev. James Slye, of Potter's Pury, stated the nature of a gospel church and received the confession of faith; the Rev. James Pinkerton, of Weedon, preferred the ordination prayer; the Rev. T. P. Bull, Mr. P.'s tutor, gave an affectionate and appropriate charge, from 1 Peter iv. 11; the Rev. William Chapman, of Greenwich, addressed the church, from 1 Thes. v. 20; HEATON. On Wednesday, September 10, Mr. John Spooner, student of Bradford Academy, was ordained over the newly-formed Baptist church at Heaton, near Bradford, Yorkshire. The interesting services of the day were commenced with reading and prayer, by the Rev. Moses Saunders, of Haworth; after which the Rev. B. Godwin, Classical Tutor, stated the nature of a gospel church, proposed the usual questions, and received Mr. Spooner's confession of faith; the Rev. Dr. Steadman offered up the ordination prayer, accompanied with the imposition of hands; the Rev. F. Franklin, from Coventry, (Mr. Spooner's late pastor) delivered a most solemn and affectionate charge, from 1 Tim. iv. middle clause of the 6th verse, "A good minister of Jesus Christ;" Dr. Steadman delivered an affectionate charge to the church, from Phil. iv. 1; and the Rev. Jonas Forster, of Farsley, closed with STOKE GREEN, IPSWICH. On Wednesday, Sept. 17, the Rev. James Sprigg, M.A. late of Dublin, was publicly recognized as the pastor of the Particular Baptist church meeting at Stoke Green, Ipswich. The Rev. L. Ellington, of Westrow, commenced the services of the day by reading the Scriptures and prayer; the Rev. Samuel Hatch, of Salem Chapel (Baptist) stated the nature of a gospel church; the Rev. James Cole, of Otley, asked the usual questions; the Rev. Isaiah Birt, of Hackney, gave the charge; and the Rev. A. K. Cowell, of Walton, preached to the people. The hymns were read, and the devotional services conducted by respectable ministers of different denominations, of whom upwards of twenty were present. The church and congregation were much gratified to see, that diversity of sentiment did not at all prevent the ministers of various denominations in the town from manifesting, by their interest in the services of the day, the lively concern they felt in every thing tending to the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. In the evening, the Rev. Isaiah Birt preached a most eloquent and impressive sermon, from Isaiah li. 6. SWANBOURNE. port, in the county of Monmouth, consisting of fifteen members, and Mr. Davies recog. nised its pastor. The services connected with the interesting occasion were thus conducted. At half-past ten, Mr. J. Evans read the Scriptures and prayed, Mr. D. Phillips, Caerleon, delivered the introductory discourse, asked the usual questions, first to the brethren about to constitute the new specting his settlement among them; and offered up a prayer, for the blessing and sanction of Heaven upon the union which had been recognized; after which Mr. D. Evans, Pontrhydyryn delivered an impressive sermon from 1 Cor. xiv. 33. and concluded in prayer. On the 8th of October, Mr. J. Waight was set apart as pastor of the Baptist church at Swanbourne, Bucks. Brother Tyler de-church, then to the church and pastor relivered the introductory address, asked the asual questions, and received the confession of faith; brother Barrows prayed the ordination prayer; brother Walker (in the unavoidable absence of brother Ivimey) gave the charge, from 1 Tim. iv. 16; brother Tyler preached to the church from Heb. xiii. part of 18th verse, "Pray for us." Brother Brooks preached in the evening, from 1 Cor. xiii. 10; and Messrs. Harris, Turner, and Field, engaged in the other services of the day. PONTESBURY. On the 11th of October, a church of the Particular Baptist denomination was formed at Pontesbury, Salop, and the following Tuesday, Oct. 14, Mr. John Francis, late of Caerleon, South Wales, was solemnly ordained to the pastoral office over the said church. The service commenced at ten, A.M. with singing the 122d psalm; Mr. Ashford, of Welsh Pool, read the 110th psalm, and prayed; Mr. Jones, of Newtown, described the nature of a Christian church, asked the questions, and received Mr. Francis's confession of faith; Mr. Lakelin, of Snailbeach, prayed the ordination prayer; Mr. Keay, of Wellington, delivered a truly affectionate and impressive charge to Mr. F. from Rev. ii. 10; Mr. Kent, of Salop, addressed the church from Heb. xiii. 22; and Mr. James (Independent), of Minsterley, concluded in prayer. In the afternoon, Mr. Price, of Newtown, read Psalm xxiii. and prayed; Mr. Kent preached from Romans v. 11; and concluded in prayer. In the evening, Mr. James (Independent) read Ezek. xxxiii. and prayed; Mr. Jones preached from 2 Cor. iv. 2; and Mr. John Francis concluded in prayer. NEWPORT. At 3, Mr. T. Harris of Merthyr engaged in the devotional exercise, and Mr. D. Jones, Abersychan, late of Chesterfield, preached from Amos vii. 2. At 7, Mr. J. Lewis, Hope Chapel (Independant) commenced by reading and prayer, Mr. T. Harries preached from Isaiah ii. 2. and closed the interesting services of the day in prayer. NOTICES. Baptist Missionary Society.-On Lord's day, Nov. 2, the Rev. J. Dyer will preach two sermons on behalf of this Institution, at Keynsham, near Bristol, morning and evening. Two sermons also will be preached at the same time at Paulton; and on the following day a Public Meeting will be held at the latter place, for the establishment of an Auxiliary Society. The Secretary of the Parent Society, and ministers from Bristol and the neighbourhood are expected to be present. On Tuesday Evening, Nov. 4th, the Rev. Isaiah Birt. of Hackney, will preach at Broadmead, Bristol. On Wednesday Evening, the Rev. J. P. Mursell of Leicester, will preach at King Street. On Thursday Morning, the Public Meeting will be held at Broadmead. And in the evening, the Rev. T. Swan, late of Serampore College, will preach at Counterslip. On the following Lord's day, the Rev. Eustace Carey is expected to preach, in the morning at Broadmead, and in the evening October 1, a church was formed at New- at Counterslip. NOVEMBER, 1828. NOTWITHSTANDING the popular commotions, of which so much has been lately said, in the county of Clare, it will be seen that the Readers and Expounders of the Irish Scriptures are listened to with profound attention, and treated with marked respect, by the Roman Catholics. That they have "feared God and the king, and have not meddled with those who are given to change," is to the honour of those plain-hearted and intrepid men; and that they have been preserved from harm, and, excepting in a few instances, even from interruption, in their public readings, is indeed great cause for thankfulness for the protecting care of God our Saviour, who hath said to his disciples, in reference to such dangerous posts of labour" In your patience possess ye your souls:" and who hath graciously promised-" For not a hair of your head shall perish." The Committee feel encouraged by the success of their appeal in the Chronicle of the last month, and again take the liberty of reminding the friends of the Society that it is very desirable applications should be made to persons beyond the limits of the Baptist Denomination, as they consider the objects of the Society, viz. the Readers of the Irish Scriptures, and the Schools, as being general objects which protestants of every description may be requested to support. For the purpose of making applications to the friends of education in Ireland, who are zealous for maintaining and extending the doctrines of the Reformation in that country, the Rev. S. Davies of Clonmel and the Rev. J. Wilson of Sligo, have been requested to visit England in the month of November, and the Committee will feel obliged to their brethren, the Ministers in the respective towns which they may be directed to visit, if they will afford them all the assistance within their power: they say of them in the language of Paul, "They work the work of God." From an Irish Reader. Moynoe Scariff, Sept. 6, 1828. |able young man, ran out from the above priest's house bareheaded, and swore that he would take me and throw me into the sea; whereon the priest called the multitude I arrived at Moynoe on the evening of to witness that he was not desiring them to Tuesday last, after an absence of seven cast me into the sea, but to take me by the weeks and upwards, during which time my shoulder whenever I should come amongst labours were chiefly confined to that great them, and turn me away from them, and have watering place Kilkee, and the two adjacent nothing to say or do with me, &c.; and then parishes, and am happy to say that I have took the piper by the arm, and brought him been well received, notwithstanding the ex- into his house again. The young men who traordinary opposition manifested against are training for the priesthood went further: me by ten or twelve priests, and by four or they endeavoured to persuade the people to five half-priests, or young fellows who are murder me, and throw me into the sea. "No,” training for the priestood, who daily infested said the poor people, "he did us no harm, that place. One of the former, the cele- but gave us very good advice, if we take brated priest C. vehemently abused a crowd it; he told us that we are in duty bound to of my hearers for listening to me. He said love thy neighbour as thyself, and if ye that they were a set of ignorant, poor peo- (said the poor people to the students) loved ple, that they were not versed in the Scrip- him as he loves ye and the whole world, ye tures, and that they should not listen to me; would not give us such a bad advice." that I was continually going about preaching During these rencontres, several female to them, and endeavouring to proselyte voices have been raised in my behalf.— them; that I was bred a Roman Catholic, | Surely the corruptions of popery, the basethat I became a renegade, and that I a was less fabric of idolatry and superstition, have most dangerous person to have any thing to sustained severe attacks, and are beginning say or do with, &c. At this time a piper, an in many instances to give way to the glori ous rays of divine light; numbers of the Romanists rising above the authority of their priests, and awakened to a sense of their native sin and woe. I have disseminated a uamber of religions tracts, which have been thankfully received, and five Bibles: indeed, the man with whom I lodged seemed displeased with me, as I did not give him a Bible; all I could do was to give him my child's Testament. Indeed, I think in my mind that Kilkee, in some measure, exhibited a representation of Jerusalem on the great day of Pentecost, when Israelites from every tribe presented themselves before the Lord. There were in Kilkee persons out of various towns, villages, and remote parts of the counties of Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary, who have heard in their own language the wonderful works of God. T. BUSHE. From an Irish Reader. Balloboy Scariff, Sept. 8, 1828. Never since my commencement as a Reader of the Irish Scriptures, has it been in my power to state such a pleasing instance of the utility of the reading of the Scriptures, and reasoning on the word of life, as what fell under my view on the Lord's day, yesterday. My brother Tom being absent from this part of the country these several weeks back, and the people hearing that he would not go to Scariff yesterday, as soon as mass was said, the congregation, I may say, came in a mass, at least some hundreds of them, and brought with them a man named Murphy, a native of Carlow, as their principal champion of popery. They sent a messenger before them, to desire Tom to be ready to discuss the disputed points. The challenge was accepted, and both Tom and Murphy took their seats on a large rock that lies about the middle of the grass field at the rear of his (Tom's) house. No house could contain them. The people sat down on the grass, and preserved the most solemn silence for hours, from about half-past two till near sunset. There were people from all parts of the country for miles around, and surprising to hear that there was not a single murmur or disapprobation expressed during the refutation of the mass, whilst purgatory was proved to be a fable, &c. whilst it was proved that there is no other mediator between God and man but the man Christ Jesus, whose blood cleanseth from all sin. The only interruption that occurred was by the wife of J. C.; she assumed some authority. She stood opposite the people, and told them that they were acting contrary to their religion and to the commands of their priest; that he commanded his flock not to listen to such people. A From a Sabbath Reader. REV. SIR, I am happy to have to state, that the people of this neighbourhood are not so much against Scripture reading as I at first supposed them to be. I have spoken on the word of life to many of them, and have found them very favourable to the cause. On a Sunday evening, about three weeks since, I called at the house of a carpenter who works for Mr. B. There were about nine or ten of the neighbours assembled. I told them I came to read a portion of the word of God for them, and added, (lest they might have any objection) "I am willing to read the Douay Testament," which was in the house. The answer I received was, that they had got strict orders from the priest not to receive me or my reading on any conditions whatsoever. I commenced then to explain to them the priest's reasons for not allowing the Scriptures to be read, and quoted no less than twenty passages to prove my observations. I then took my leave of them, at the same time telling the carpenter he would understand the truth of my observations on the perusal of his own Testament, which I am told he reads with great diligence. There is a dairyman that lives convenient to Mr. B. who is a zealous Roman Catholic, and for this reason the priest entrusts him with a Testament, which he reads in his own house. The poor ignorant part of Mr. B.'s workmen count him as their only advocate, and whenever he is present they have no objection to hearken to the reading of Scripture by me. This man and I frequently dispute about the authority of popish doctrines, and it is known to most of the workmen that he denies transubstantiation and praying to images. On an evening, after reading portions of Scripture for a few labourers that assembled after work in O'D.'s house, Mr. B.'s shoemaker and the dairyman being present, we touched on many points of doctrine; but among others I asked which did they think the greater breach of the commandments, viz. to work on Sunday, or eat flesh meat on Friday? The answer I received was, that they thought it more sin to eat the meat on Friday, than work every Sunday in the year. I then referred to Exodus, chap. xx. and Deuteronomy, chap. v. to shew them the authoity for keeping the Sabbath. I then spoke on Numbers xv. 32 to 36. conceming abstinence from flesh meat on Friday, I told them it was a mere human invention, and to prove it, I referred to 1 Tin. iv. to the 5th verse; Matt. xv. 11: 1 Co. x. 25, 26. I then held up to their viewthe great command in Scripture, Remember the Sabbath day, &c. and on the other hand the prohibition of flesh meat, which the Scriptures condemned as a doc trine f devils. Then Aftr O'Connell had been returned for the county of Clare, for three weeks successively this prt of the country was illuminated with bonfire, so that from my bed at night I could oserve all the adjacent hills as volcanoes, ad nothing was to be heard but the shouts of papists and harangues of their priests. Among others, a young man who teaches school within three miles of this place, istinguished himself by repeating sermons for the peasantry assembled at these bofires, in which he used to exhort them to be like their predecessors, the ancient Romans, those valiant sons were never known to yield, bt fight for their rights until death. Not long sice, this man was sent by the priest at Baff to give a sermon to the workmen who atended the reading of the Scriptures in M. B.'s house, in order to turn them from te reading; but in an argument that I had vth him, and from his ignorance of Scriptur, and inability to prove any thing, I sc cleanly upset him, before a great crowd of spectators, that he now receives the version and hatred of the people. J. F. From the Rev. J. Wilson. Sligo, Sept. 16, 1828. DEAR BRETHREN, Another month has elapsed, and things have remained almost in statu quo in reference to our operations in this country. There is the same opposition on the part of the priests and their adherents-there is the same inclination on the part of many others to read the Scriptures themselves, and to have their children educated at our schools -there is a corresponding degree of success attending our efforts, and I am happy to dad, there is a still increasing desire to possess the Scriptures. I have two or three times said that I had given more bibles (the highest premium for correct repetition of the Scriptures) than in any preceding quarter; I have great pleasure in being able to repeat that observation at the close of the present quarterly inspection. In fact, such is the demand for bibles in this way, that though our worthy Secretary in Dublin sent me a very large supply a few months ago, I shall soon have to call upon And this demand for him again for more. the Scriptures is, I humbly conceive, one very satisfactory evidence that our labours are not in vain, especially knowing, as I do, that in general the bibles thas obtained are not covered with dust, nor constantly, though for security they are occasionally, under lock and key. A pleasing instance of this desire to possess the bible occurred about three weeks ago. A man and his wife called on me, having travelled twelve miles for the purpose, to state the case of a daughter who is in one of our schools, who failed in obtaining the premium of a bible at the last inspection, which she was very anxious to do, for her parents; she had previously obtained one for herself, and by committing fifteen chapters last quarter to memory, she completed the one hundred chapters. But in consequence of being detained a considerable time from school, she did not repeat the chapters correctly, and the bible was not adjudged to her. But the family being large, all were anxious for a second bible, and though till within the last two or three years one was more than they wanted, yet now it is not enough, for all the family have ceased going to mass, and all are anxious to read the whole of the word of God. After such a statement, of course I felt peculiar pleasure in bestowing a second bible, having good reason to believe the statement to be correct. You will learn from Wm. Moore's Journal, that one of your Sabbath Readers of this district has been removed by death. He was one of the earliest employed by |