mouths; no sourness or moroseness disgraces their religion: and whatsoever they believe their Saviour commands they prac tise, without inquiring or regarding what others do." Though they in general maintain the same principles at this present time, yet they themselves confess there is not that same degree of vital piety existing among them that there was at the close of the eighteenth century; owing, as they think, to the circumstance of many of them having become very wealthy, and of their intermarriage with others. The German Baptists, or Brethren, have now dispersed themselves almost through every State in the Union, more or less; but they are most numerous in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. It would be a difficult task to give a regular statistical account of these people, as they make it no part of their duty to keep an exact account of the number of communicants. Some of their larger congregations number from two to three hundred members; each congregation has from two to three preachers, and some more. In travelling and preaching there are in general two together; and very frequently one speaks in German, and the other in the English language, to the same congregation. None of their ministers receive any pecuniary compensation for any services they perform pertaining to the ministry; they preach, officiate at marriages and funerals among all who call upon them, without respect to persons: though their ministers will not perform the rites of matrimony, unless they can be fully satisfied that there are no lawful objections in the case of either of the parties to be married. Their teachers and deacons are all chosen by vote, and their bishops are chosen from among their teachers, after they have been fully tried and found faithful; they are ordained by the laying on of hands and by prayer, which is a very solemn and affecting ceremony. It is the duty of the bishops to travel from one congregation to another, not only to preach, but to set in order the things that may be wanting; to be present at their love-feasts and communions, and, when teachers and deacons are elected or chosen, or when a | bishop is to be ordained, or when any member who holds an office in the church is to be excommunicated. As some of the congregations have no bishops, it is also the duty of the bishop in the adjoining congregation to assist in keeping an oversight of such congregations. An elder among them is, in general, the first or eldest chosen teacher in the congregation where there is no bishop; it is the duty of the elder to keep a constant oversight of that church by whom he is appointed as a teacher. It is his duty to appoint meetings, to baptize, to assist in excommunication, to solemnize the rites of matrimony, to travel occasionally, to assist the bishops, and in certain cases to perform all the duties of a bishop. It is the duty of their teachers to exhort and preach at any of their regular stated meetings; and, by the request of a bishop or elder, to perform the ceremony of baptism and rites of matrimony. It is the duty of their deacons, (or, as they are sometimes called, visiting brethren,) to keep a constant oversight of the poor widows and their children, to render them such assistance as may be necessary from time to time; it is also their duty to assist in making a general visit among all the families or members in their respective congregations, at least once a year, in order to exhort and comfort one another, as well as to reconcile all offences that may occur from time to time. It is also their duty to read the Scriptures, to pray, and even exhort, if it may appear necessary, at their regular meetings of worship. The general order of these people has been to hold their meetings for public worship at dwelling-houses; but in some of their congregations they have now erected meeting-houses, or places expressly for worship. Some of them are built very large, without a gallery or a pulpit. They, as yet, have but one Annual Meeting, which is held every year about Whitsuntide, and is attended by the bishops and teachers, and other members, who may be sent as representatives from the various congregations. At these meetings there is, in general, a committee of five of the eldest bishops chosen from among those who are present, who retire to some convenient place, to hear and receive such cases as may then be brought before them, by the teachers and representatives from the various congregations, which are (or at least the most important of them) afterwards discussed and decided upon, and then those several queries with the considerations as then concluded, are recorded and printed in the German and English languages, and sent to the teachers in all the different congregations in the United States, who, when they receive them, or as soon as convenient, read them to the rest of their brethren. By this course of proceeding, they preserve a unity of sentiment and opinion throughout all their congregations. Some of their ministers manifest a great deal of zeal in their Master's cause; and although some of them are poorly circumstanced in the world, yet they, at their own expense, leave their families for several weeks in succession, and some even longer, to preach the Gospel to others. They have had a general revival amongst them within the few last years past; many have been convicted and converted under their preaching, and the cause of religion seems to be progressing among them; and what might seem strange to some, is, that they baptize by immersion, and that at any season of the year. In connection with what has been said in the commencement of our account, con cerning their doctrines, &c., we will only add, by way of conclusion, that they believe that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him; and that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life: and that God sent his Son into the world, to seek and to save that which was lost, believing that he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through a crucified Redeemer, who tasted death for every man, and was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. And although it has herein been testified, that they hold general redemption as a doctrine, still it is not preached among them in general, as an article of faith. It has probably been held forth by those who felt themselves, as it were, lost in the love of God; and, perhaps, on this account, they have been charged with holding the sentiments of the Universalists, which they all deny. They conceive it their duty to declare the whole counsel of God, and therefore they feel themselves bound to proclaim his threatenings and his judgments against the wicked and ungodly; yet in accordance with their general principles, which are Love and Good Will, they are more fre quently led to speak of the love and goodness of God towards the children of men. HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS. BY W. B. GILLETT, PASTOR OF THE SEVENTH DAY BAPTIST CHURCH, PISCATAWAY, N. J. Christian churches in Rome, which must have been in the latter part of the second century." What is required to constitute a Jewish Christian Church, in Mr. Robinson's opinion, is evident from what he says of the Council of Bishops, in 517. He calls them, "African Jewish Christians." The charge alleged against them is, that in one of their canons they had done something towards regulating the keeping of the Sabbath. It is probable that those forty-four churches in Rome, were guilty of the same offence, EVERY denomination is proud of tracing | says, "That there were forty-four Jewish its origin back to its founder. But not so with the Seventh Day Baptists. They have no authentic records by which they can ascertain their origin, other than the New Testament. Neither would they pretend that they can trace their existence back through the dark ages to the Apostles; yet they are bold to say they can do it with as much, or with more certainty, than any denomination now in existence. The sentiments to which they hold, and the principles that distinguish them from the religious world, they think, they are able to show, were taught by the Apostles, and practised by the early Christians. That the seventh day Sabbath, was observed by the Church, until the decree of Constantine, profane history abundantly shows; and very soon all the Roman dominions felt the effects of God's law being made void by human traditions. Although the mystery of iniquity began to work before the Apostles left the stage, it had not shown itself supported by the secular arm, until, under the pretence of doing honor to Jesus Christ, God's law was set at naught, and human laws, unjust and cruel, enacted in its stead. Mosheim gives an account of a sect in the twelfth century, in Lombardy, who were called Passagenians, or the circumcised; they circumcised their followers, and celebrated the Jewish Sabbath. The account of their practising circumcision is doubtless a slanderous story; and, because they observed the seventh day, they were called, by way of derision, Jews. There were Seventh Day Baptists in Transylvania. Francis Davidis, first chaplain to the court of Sigismund, the prince of that kingdom, and afterwards superintendent of all the Transylvania churches, was a Seventh Day Baptist. (Bened's Hist. vol. ii. p. 414.) In Chambers's Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, he says, "In 321, the seventh As these Eastern churches have uniday was observed in Rome, and the enact-formly practiced immersion for baptism, ing of Constantine's laws, relative to the observation of the first day, shows, that it was not regarded as holy time." Robinson in his History of Baptism these extracts show that there have been Christian churches from the earliest ages of Christianity, who agree in sentiment with the Seventh Day Baptists in America. But it is uncertain whether the English | a clergyman who had professed great Seventh Day Baptists orignated from these friendship for Mr. Stennett. Mr. Stennett Eastern churches, or whether they were knowing that no proof of those charges by led to embrace their views from the Scrip- those witnesses, could be made justly, he tures only; their views have ever been resolved to traverse it. Various circumthe same as those entertained by the stances occurred that were all in his earlier Christians, who have observed the favor; so that when Mr. Stennett came to seventh day of the week. At what time Newburg, neither prosecutor nor witness the Seventh Day Baptists first made their appearing against him, he was discharged. appearance in England, is uncertain. It After this he was confined a long time in is apparent that the Anglo-Saxons in their prison. early settlement of Great Britain, were many of them Seventh Day Baptists. But the same tyranny that affected the Church at Rome, spread its baneful influence over the island of Great Britain. Dr. Chambers says, "There was a sect arose in the sixteenth century, but we have no particular account of their churches until about 1650." In 1668 there were nine or ten churches, besides many scattered disciples in different parts of the kingdom. About this time there was much debate upon the subject of the Sabbath, and the controversy became sharp; there were engaged in it, on both sides, men of learning and ability, and some of their works are still extant. While they were permitted to enjoy their privileges peaceably, they prospered, notwithstanding the influence of the pulpit and the press. In 1668, Mr. Edward Stennett, a Seventh Day Baptist minister, and pastor of a church in England, writes to his friends in America, and says, the churches here have their liberty, but we hear that strong bonds are making for us. And it was this good man's lot to bear a part of the persecutions of that day. For the Conventicle Act forbid them to meet on the Sabbath for worship at any rate. If they met on the Sabbath, they had to do it by stealth; whilst their enemies were ever watchful, to find, if possible, some accusation against them. Mr. Stennett was arrested under pretence that he held meetings in his house, which meetings he had held in his hall for a long time, but they were managed with so much discretion, that it was impossible for those inimical to them to be admitted, so as to appear as witnesses against the persons who met there. At length a neighboring clergyman, resolved to suborn witnesses, but in this he was defeated. And he was Many of the Seventh Day Baptist ministers were taken from their families and congregations, and were cast into prison. Among the number was Rev. Joseph Davis, who was a long time prisoner in Oxon Castle. Francis Bamfield was one of the most eminent ministers of his time. He was educated at Oxford, and was a number of years a minister of the established church. In the time of the civil wars he was against the Parliament, and opposed to the Protector's usurpation; he suffered much on that account. At what time he became a Baptist is not known, but on the restoration of Charles, he was treated with unrelenting severity. In one prison he was confined eight years. After that he was released, went to London, and gathered a church that still exists as a Seventh Day Baptist Church; after that he was again imprisoned, and there died in 1683. Robert Spaulder and John Mauldin, were Seventh Day Baptists, and much persecuted; and Spaulder was even taken out of his grave by his persecutors. (Bene's Hist. vol. ii. p. 417.) But the most barbarous and cruel acts of persecution were practiced upon John James, the minister of a Seventh Day Baptist Church in London; he was put to death in a most cruel manner in 1661. To take away his life was not enough to satisfy his enemies, but after being hung at Tyburn, he was drawn and quartered, his quarters were carried back to Newgate on the sledge that carried him to the gallows; they were afterwards placed on the gate of the city, and his head was placed on a pole, opposite his meeting house. He went to the gallows as an innocent man, and died in a joyful manner. This is a brief narrative of the prosperity, trials, and sufferings of the early Seventh Day Baptists in Eng land. Some left the country, others still adhered to their peculiar views; even to the present day there are a few small churches in England. There are two in London, one at Shoreditch, one at Mill Yard, but their numbers must be small; and there are some scattering individuals throughout the kingdom, and some in Scotland. In 1665, Mr. Stephen Mumford, a Seventh Day Baptist, came from England to Newport, Rhode Island, and soon Mr. Samuel Hubbard, a Baptist, embraced his views; there were others who soon embraced the same sentiments, but they continued to travel together in the same church, until 1671. Mr. Hubbard has left a manuscript journal, in which he gives an account of their separation. Soon after this (alluding to their embracing the Sabbath,) many hard things were said to the Sabbath-keepers by their brethren, that they had gone from Christ to Moses; that the gentiles had nothing to do with the ten commandments. And in 1681, they came to an open separation, when these brethren and sisters entered into church-fellowship together, and became the first Seventh Day Baptist Church, in America. This little church being thus constituted, William Hiscox became their first pastor; but a hostile spirit was soon raised against this little band, and laws were enacted severe and criminal in their nature. John Rogers, a member of this church, was sentenced to sit a certain time upon a gallows with a rope about his neck, to which he submitted. There were many other severities practised upon the Sabbath-keepers in New England, while the Baptists were persecuted for their baptism. The Seventh Day Baptists met with opposition from all, and as far as the civil laws would permit, they suffered the dire effects arising from this state of things. From these and other causes the progress of the Seventh Day Baptists has been very much impeded. Their history details no remarkable revolution in their favor. Worldly honors, interest, influence and convenience are against them, and have always been opposed to their perseverance in the observance of the Sabbath. The members composing the church at | Newport have felt the disadvantages attending them in a city, and for years they have been on the decline; since many have removed to different parts of the State, and some made their way into the far West, where they have been the means of establishing churches, some of which are large and flourishing. But this event has not terminated in extinguishing the little light; although the mother church has become very weak and almost extinct. This church has had a succession of worthy ministers, the most of them were born, ordained, and preached, and died, members of that church. The church at Hopkinton, R. I., was established by brethren from Newport, in 1708. For a number of years this church numbered nine hundred members, but several churches have since been constituted in the vicinity, by members from this church. They still number over five hundred members, having two ordained ministers, and an elegant meeting-house on the banks of the Paucatuck river. From this church there have been sent out many ministers, who have been lasting blessings to the cause of truth. There are now in Rhode Island seven churches, six ordained ministers, and not far from one thousand communicants; and from these churches the tide of emigration has taken hundreds into the western country. In the State of Connecticut there are but two small churches, which probably number one hundred communicants, and but one ordained minister. The Seventh Day Baptists in New Jersey arose from different circumstances. One Edmund Dunham, a First Day Baptist member, became convinced that he and his brethren were in an error as it regarded the Sabbath of the Lord. He presented his views to his brethren, and about twenty of his brethren and sisters came out with him in sentiment. They separated from the First Day church, and entered into covenant together, to walk together as a gospel church, in 1705, and sent Edmund Dunham to Rhode Island to receive ordination, and he was chosen their pastor. They are located in the county of Middlesex, Piscataway township, thirty miles from New York city, and six miles from |