To the Editor of the BAPTIST

MAGAZINE.

Dear Sir,-In the review of "The Biblical Liturgy," by the Rev. S. Cox, in your last number, I find the following sentence:-" In the love of show, in display, in the management of their households, in their amusements, in their entertainments, there is a growing similarity between the members of our churches and the world; and we are not quite certain whether membership of a Baptist or Independent Church would be a greater guarantee for one's piety than membership of the Church of England."

The statements made in the first of these two sentences, are doubtless true, but not to the extent which the writer seems to suppose. The evils are not general, as those who best know the Churches can testify. That they do exist, and that the tendency to their indulgence is growing, are facts which all must deplore. But is this general application of such allegations likely to do good? Will it not pain the godly and devout? The writer so expresses himself as to convey the idea of an almost total abandonment of Church discipline, and the absence of all distinction between the Church and the world. Hence the sentence which follows, and against which I earnestly protest.

What constitutes membership in the Church of England?

Baptism in infancy. That is no guarantee, certainly, of piety. To say nothing of our Independent Churches, the members of Baptist Churches, with few exceptions, are baptized on a profession of repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and then admitted to membership, the pastor giving the right hand of fellowship in the name and in the presence of the Church, Coupling this with the fact that previous inquiry is instituted into the religious character of the parties introduced, how can this statement of your

If he mean only those whom he describes as "professing Christians," he should have been particular in confining his statements to such. But he does not, for he speaks of "the whole aspect of Dissent". "the whole body "-and "members of our churches and the world."

Now, it may be said this is only the opinion of the writer of the article in question. Not so, for it comes forth with the prefix, WE! and must have passed under the Editor's eye, and received his approval. Besides, the Baptist Magazine aspires to be "the organ of the denomination," and I shall be glad if it prove more successful than ever in attaining such an honourable distinction. But this brings additional responsibility, and in proportion as it succeeds, far more weight will be attached to its statements. Besides, the changes which have been recently made in its proprietorship and management are intended to effect that object more completely. You cannot, therefore, gain this status among us without being prepared for the augmented responsibility accompanying it.

I am aware that it is not usual to admit criticisms on articles of review. Why? Because they are not supposed to be the production of one mind simply. They come under the protection and authority of the WE. Of this I do not complain. But if it be so, then the more need of care as to what is written, and how it is written-or the review must be known like any other article, and be regarded as an article only, and if signed by the writer, all the better. This is a change, however, which I by no means desire.

Admitting the truth of the first sentence, which is true only to a limited extent, I maintain that membership of a Baptist Church is a guarantee of piety, except in those cases where discipline

any

has been allowed to fall into desuctude, or where the novel and injurious practice has gained ground of admitting to the fellowship of our churches anyone who professes to be a Christian, without previous inquiry into character, or evidences of conversion-throwing, as it is phrased, the whole responsibility on the party making the application. If that practice should become general, the statements of your reviewer will soon become true. But I hope our elder ministers will not sanction it, and I trust that our rising ministry will not be carried away by the apparent liberality of the thing, or by the statement of its being in accordance with apostolic practice and such like, for this is but a spurious liberalism after all. The purity of our churches as much depends on our care in admitting to membership as in maintaining the discipline of the church after admission. It is much more easy to admit questionable persons than to exclude unworthy members after they are admitted, unless their conduct be flagrantly wrong. May the recent meetings at Birmingham, at which so many pastors and deacons were present, and at which papers of such unusual excellence were read, and one bearing strongly on this very question, produce a conviction in all hearts of the need of a more careful cultivation of personal godliness. And I cannot but hope that if we are spared to have such another session, time may be given for the freest conference, and certainly no subject could be more suitable than the one now discussed; and if taken up in the right spirit, and taken up generally, not many years will pass away before it will be next to impossible for anyone to say, "We are not quite certain whether membership of a Baptist Church would be a greater guarantee for one's piety than membership of the Church of England."

Wishing to the Magazine, in which I feel a deep interest, all success,

I am, yours very truly,

FRED. TRESTRAIL.

The following is the explanation given by our reviewer [ED.]:

If, as Mr. Trestrail admits, “The

statements made in the first of these two sentences are doubtless true" to any extent, the inference drawn therefrom is not very unnatural. The

allegations are in the first sentence, which Mr. Trestrail corroborates. The latter sentence is merely an opinion based on such allegations. The context shows that the obvious meaning of the words objected to is, that so far as this "growing" evil prevails, the " guarantee" of a public profession ceases to be of value. It is only by dividing the first part of the paragraph from the last that our esteemed friend can find matter for censure. Respecting the growing worldliness of our churches, admitted by Mr. Trestrail, statements much more severe than ours were contained in the papers read at Birmingham; and at a conference of Dissenting ministers and deacons, at which we were present a few days since, this growing worldliness was almost the sole topic of discussion. The question is not affected by numbers; but if in ever so few cases it be deemed compatible with honourable Church-membership, or even deaconship, to give card and dancing parties, or to attend oratorios and operas, then we contend that Church-membership alone is a very feeble guarantee for piety. The evils complained of we deeply deplore, and shall be devoutly grateful to God if our article call attention to them and in the slightest degree lessen them. It is our aim to acquire an honourable status in the denomination, not by compromising the truth, but by a manly outspokenness, in a Christian spirit, on things pertaining to godliness.

To the Editor of the BAPTIST
MAGAZINE.

Dear Sir,-On a visit to my daughter at Portsea, a member of the church in Kent-street, I had the happiness of enjoying some pleasant Christian conversation with her pastor, Mr. Davis, and several of their Christian friends, and also of attending the meetings of the deputation from our Missionary Society visiting Portsea at that time, which I am happy to say were very well attended. It is for the purpose of referring to the

sermon then delivered by the Rev. Dr. Thomas I take the liberty of troubling you with this. The three missionary sermons published in the Magazine must have interested your readers, and I should hope much increased its sale.

I think you would do well to publish the excellent sermon, heard with so much general satisfaction, delivered by Dr. Thomas on that occasion. Mr. Davis calling at my daughter's with Dr. Thomas (and it was no small pleasure to renew an acquaintance with him I had the pleasure of enjoying at my house so many years since, when he was a student at Stepney) gave me the opportunity of saying to him that I hoped he would consent to let you have it for publication, in which Mr. Davis concurred. Should Dr. Thomas be willing, I trust you will do so. I am sure the peculiarity of the subject itself, with the energy with which it was applied to missionary work, could not fail to make it interesting to many beside your general readers. Conscious that the imperfect manner and want of perspicuity that attaches to this, might well prevent its appearing with your correspondence in the generally acknowledged improvement of our Magazine, I leave its publication in your hands. But if I have not exhausted your patience, I would take this opportunity of thanking the conductors of our Missionary Herald for its improved mode in communicating its intelligence; it puts me back half-acentury or more, to the early " Periodical Accounts." And if they would allow a hint from one whose love for the mission has "grown with his growth and strengthened with his strength," and still increases, in the prospect, as he hopes, through sovereign distinguishing grace, soon to be united with the glorified spirits of those earliest pioneers of our mission-two or three of them personally known to him.

The hint I would suggest is, if an additional page or two was added to the Herald, and devoted to consecutive extracts from the earliest period of our Periodical Accounts. It was well remarked to me by a highly respected minister, They resemble more romance than a reality." The influence,

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a

I am persuaded, could not fail to interest
all our young friends interested in
missionary work, and must be read with
feelings of admiration and deep grati-
tude to God that such men were raised
up by Him-sent forth--preserved in
His providence-sustained by His grace
-faithful to the end. Is it not to be
feared that, for the want of such a re-
publication, a large number of young
Baptists are, if not altogether, but im-
perfectly acquainted with these labours
of our pioneer missionaries?
I am, dear sir,

Yours very affectionately,
WILLIAM BOWSER.

7, Catherine-court, Trinity-square, E.C., Oct. 11.

Eighty-four years might well excuse all imperfections.

THE "SILVER-TONGUED" PREACHER AND THE MODE OF BAPTISM.

To the Editor of the BAPTIST MAGAZINE.

Dear Sir,-In the March number of the magazine was an article on “Halfan-hour with an old Puritan." Since reading that paper, I have gone carefully through the Sermons of Master Henry Smith. They are a treasure of Gospel truth, expressed in homely, vigorous language. Some passages are of surpassing interest. Smith possessed great dramatic power, and was able to stir the passions as well as rouse the conscience. He paints the drunkard and his sin in the most vivid and revolting colours. The sins of the age

are set forth, occupying the back ground of his withering denunciations. The other day, I was so fortunate as to get a glimpse of a portrait of this celebrated preacher. He is represented in the attitude of preaching. His hand is raised, and the separated fingers give you the idea of great nervous power. His head indicates great intellectual capacity. A thick beard, and full moustache, remind you of the preachers who

In Smith's Sermons there are two passages which refer to baptism. They are interesting as setting forth his views of the proper mode of administering that ordinance.

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our

"In this baptism," he says, bodies are washed with water, to signifie how our sins are washed with Christ's blood; when our bodies are washed, they are taken out of the water again, to signifie how we shall be raised from death to life by the resurrection of Christ, and how we should rise from sinne to righteousnesse. Thus we begin our life with a solemn promise to God before the Church to serve Him with our bodies and souls till death us do part."

Again, "The word baptism doth not signify only a dipping, but such a dipping in the water as doth cleanse the parts dipped: and for that the Primitive Church did use to put the party baptized quite under the water. Therefore, Paul, both to the Romans and the Collossians, useth these word: 'We are buried then with Him in baptism into His death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father: so we also should walk in newness of life.' In the which words, the Apostle sheweth what resemblance there baptism hath with Christ, His death and resurrection."

Such is the view of the great Puritan

preacher, whose life began and closed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

In addition to the testimony of Henry Smith, permit me to refer to the writings of one whose learning, probably, was profounder than Smith's: William Tyndal's name has not received the honour due to it. British Christians are under the greatest obligations to him. We have forgotten him in the galaxy of great names of 1610. In Tyndal's "Pathway into the Holy Scripture" is the following passage, illus trative of his views of the right mode of baptism" And to know how contrary this law is to our nature, and how it is damnation not to have this law written in our hearts, though we never commit the deeds; and how there is no other means to be saved from this damnation than through repentance towards the law and faith in Christ's blood; which are the very inward baptism of our souls, and the washing and the dipping of our bodies in the water is the outward sign. The plunging of the body under the water signifies that we repent and profess to fight against sin and lusts, and to kill them every day more and more, with the help of God, and our diligence in following the doctrine of Christ and the leading of His Spirit; and that we believe to be washed from our natural damnation in which we were born, and from all the wrath of the law. And hope to sin no more."

Such was the view of the great man who laid the basis of our noble translation of the English Bible, and sealed the truth with his blood. His scholarship cannot be impeached.

Congratulating you on the improved character of the Baptist Magazine, I am yours, &c., GILES HESTER.

Loughborough.