into the utterance of statements which are without foundation.

"We unanimously agree, that we feel more deeply than ever the unspeakable importance of those blessed truths which constitute the gospel of the grace of God: and though, doubtless, it is not expedient for us to glory, yet we will venture to affirm that we yield to none in our heart-felt attachment to evangelical truth, and our desire to have the gospel preached in all the world, and to every creature, in all its fulness, freeness, adaptation, and beautiful simplicity. God forbid that we should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"As to the discipline of our churches, we earnestly profess that our sole anxiety is, in every respect, to be conformed to the will of Christ. Far be it from any of us knowingly to receive or retain a single member that does not give scriptural evidence of belonging to the household of faith. But if they are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; if to be new creatures in Christ Jesus, believing on him that they may be justified by faith and not by works of law: and if to be practically conformed to his will -be the New Testament characteristics of! the true members of Christ's church-then do we distinctly profess, that it is the object of our earnest solicitude to have such, and none but such, as members of the churches with which we stand connected.

"We fully recognize, indeed, that a difference of opinion on the subject of communion exists among the churches of the association; but we are happy to consider this no barrier to brotherly co-operation; charity (or love), and not uniformity of sentiment on all points, being, according to the apostle, the uniting and perfect bond.

"We cannot, therefore, but deplore that our brethren, by their serious charge against us of departing from the faith, impose upon us the painful duty of meeting their statement by an unqualified denial of its truth. We are happy, however, to acquit them of consciously misrepresenting us, while we express our regret that upon insufficient grounds, and under the influence of unworthy suspicions (which too many persons are eager to instil and to promote), and without any communication whatever with those whom they injuriously surmise to have departed from the truth, they should have pursued the course which necessitates this notice.

"We earnestly wish, however, that the blessing of the Most High may rest upon them; that they may be preserved from all evil, and guided into all that is good; and that, finally, they may meet with us before the throne of God, to praise the exceeding riches of his grace, and to serve him in love and holiness through the ages of eternity."

NEW CHAPELS.

PRESTEIGN, RADNORSHIRE.

The members and friends of the baptist denomination at Presteign have for many years assembled for divine worship in a room, which they have for a considerable time found much too small, and exceedingly incommodious. They have long been anxious to procure a site for erecting a chapel, and land having lately been purchased in an eligible situation, on Monday evening the 17th of June, a numerous and respectable company assembled on the spot; a hymn was sung; the Rev. D. Evans of Presteign read a suitable portion of scripture and prayed; again a hymn was sung; and the Rev. S. Blackmore of Kington delivered a very appropriate address, which was listened to with profound attention; the foundation-stone was then laid by the abovenamed ministers and Mr. Jones, manager of the Radnorshire Bank. The land, and the building which has been contracted for, amount to £410. Already £150 has been subscribed in the town and neighbourhood, and it is earnestly hoped the Christian public will afford their kind assistance to defray the expense of the edifice.

CWMBYCHAN.

On the 2nd and 3rd of May last, was opened a new baptist chapel at Cwmbychan, near Aberavon, Glamorganshire. The following ministers prayed, namely, G. Jones, Llanelli; D. Thomas, Aberavon; D. Davies, Clydoch; and T. Jones, Neath. The following ministers preached, J. James, Bridgend (in English); J. Jones, Merthyr; G. Jones; T. Hopkins, Llwyni; T. Davies, Caersalem; R. Pritchard, Llwynhendy; J. Jones; B. Williams, Merthyr; T. Morris, Newport; J. Thomas, Tongwynlais; T. Morris. At Aberavon, the previous evening, J. James prayed, and brethren R. Pritchard and D. Jones of Cowbridge preached.

VERNON CHAPEL, BAGNIGGE WELLS ROAD, PENTONVILLE.

Wednesday, May 15th, 1844, this spacious chapel was opened for the church and congregation under the pastoral charge of the Rev. Owen Clarke, formerly meeting in Elim Chapel, Fetter Lane. An early prayer meeting was held at seven o'clock, when the divine blessing was implored on the services of the day. Three excellent sermons were preached, by Dr. Cox, the Rev. C. Stovel of Prescott Street, and the Rev. Dr. Leifchild. Prayer was offered during the different services by Dr. Murch, and Messrs. J. Smith, J. C. Miller, Gittens, J. Cox, and Owen Clarke. The congregations were highly en

couraging; while the affectionate cordiality of the ministers and other friends present exhibited a delightful illustration of that unity of the spirit which is the bond of perfectness.

The chapel has been erected under the direction of J. Harrison, Esq., architect. Its elevation is chaste and elegant; it has a noble school-room under the floor of the chapel, and two commodious vestries at the rear of the building. It will seat about 520 persons, without galleries. The entire cost of the whole will be about £2100, of which about £700 has been already provided: about £60 was obtained in the course of the day. It is designed to vest the whole in trust for the benefit of the church and congregation.

The situation of the chapel is important, as it fronts the high road, and is distinctly seen from seven or eight different roads or streets, and is in the centre of a new and most populous neighbourhood.

For nearly three months divine worship has been held in the spacious school-room, during which period the congregations have steadily increased, and about one hundred and fifty children have already been entered in the Sunday school. The neighbourhood presents a sphere of usefulness of the most important character, and Mr. Clarke and the affectionate and attached friends by whom he is surrounded, appear disposed to exert themselves to the utmost for its moral and spiritual cultivation.

On the following Lord's day, May 19, the pulpit was occupied in the morning by the Rev. J. H. Hinton of Devonshire Square; in the afternoon, by the Rev. John Blackburn of Claremont Chapel, who, as the nearest independent minister, kindly expressed the affectionate regards of his brethren towards this cause; and, in the evening, by the Rev. Owen Clarke. The congregations were exceedingly good, and in the evening the chapel was well filled.

The church for whose use Vernon Chapel is erected is one of the oldest in the baptist denomination in London. Its very early history is somewhat obscure. In 1748, when under the pastoral care of the Rev. Wm. Collins, the church occupied the meetinghouse in Boar's Head Yard, Petticoat Lane, which had been used by the baptist denomination in the early part of the reign of Charles II. Mr. Collins was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Davis, during whose ministry the church was endowed by the late Mr. John Dorset. Mr. Davis was succeeded by the Rev. John Allen, author of the Spiritual Magazine, upon whose resignation the church invited the Rev. Christopher Hall, brother of the Rev. Robert Hall of Arnsby, author of the Help to Zion's Travellers, and the uncle of the late Rev. Robert Hall of Bristol. Mr. Hall became pastor Oct. 3, 1769, and filled that office until his death, Aug. 17,

1786. During Mr. Hall's ministry, the church changed its place of meeting several times, and at his decease it assembled in Hope Street, Spitalfields.

After Mr. Hall's death, the church removed its place of meeting several times, until it assembled in Trinity Hall, Aldersgate Street. Mr. Hall was succeeded by Messrs. Hazey, Stewart, and others, until the church became very much reduced in numbers. March 22, 1835, it was resolved to invite the Rev. James Elvey of Elim Chapel, Fetter Lane, to become their pastor. This invitation was accepted, and the church over which Mr. Elvey had presided, and which had formerly been under the care of the excellent Abraham Austin, dissolved their church state. Many of the persons formerly members with Mr. Elvey in Elim Chapel, applied to be admitted to membership with this church, now under the care of their former pastor; and, having been received into fellowship, the church removed its place of meeting to Elim Chapel, Fetter Lane. The members, although increased by these additions, afterwards greatly diminished, and, on Mr. Elvey's death, in February, 1842, its state was very discouraging. The Rev. Thomas Mountford succeeded Mr. Elvey, and preached for a few months; but differences arising, Mr. Mountford resigned. The Rev. Owen Clarke, formerly a member of the church under the charge of Mr. Austin, was invited to the pastoral office, and preached his first sermons as pastor, Sept. 11, 1842. Soon after his settlement, the proprietors of Elim Chapel, having submitted it for sale by auction, the church, from the price demanded, the extent of the repairs required, the state of the burial ground, and other circumstances, felt that it was essentially necessary to remove from Elim Chapel, and to erect this new place of worship. In this work there has been the most cordial unanimity between the members and the pastor, and the tokens of the divine guidance and blessing have been of the most cheering and propitious character.

ORDINATIONS.

LONGTOWN, HEREFORDSHIRE.

Mr. Robert Fisher was publicly recognized as the pastor of the baptist church, Longtown, March 27th, 1844. The Rev. W. Owens of Llanvihangel delivered an opening address on the principles of dissent; the Rev. H. Poole of Abergavenny received the confession of faith, and offered the ordination prayer. The Rev. W. Stanley of Peterchurch delivered the charge. Mr. Poole preached to the church and congregation in the evening.

SHIPSTON ON STOUR.

The Rev. Joseph Acock, late of Naunton and Guiting, Gloucestershire, has accepted an invitation to become the pastor of the baptist church at Shipston on Stour, and has entered upon his labours in that town.

On the 27th of May, the friends at Naunton and Guiting, to the number of four or five hundred, assembled at a tea meeting for the purpose of presenting their late pastor with a token of their esteem and gratitude. J. Wood, Esq., of Totteridge, having taken the chair, the meeting was opened by singing and prayer, after which Mr. Comely, in the name of the church and congregations, presented Mr. Acock with Horne's Introduction to the Study of the Scriptures, and a purse of more than twenty sovereigns. Mr. Acock acknowledged the present in a suitable address, in the course of which he took a brief review of his ministerial labours in connexion with the abovementioned congregations, during a period of more than twenty years. The meeting was addressed subsequently by Messrs. Hobbs, Dunn, Ricketts, and Rodway, and concluded by prayer.

FOUNHOPE, HEREFORDSHIRE.

On the 30th of May, Mr. J. Little was ordained to the pastoral office over the baptist church at Founhope. Brother Owens of Llanvihangel preached; brother T. Wright of Lays Hill asked the usual questions, and delivered a solemn and appropriate charge to the minister; brother Hall of Gorsley offered up the ordination prayer; and brother Stanley of Peterchurch addressed the congregation. The attendance was good, and the prospects of the young minister are very encouraging.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE.

The ordination of Mr. H. Christopherson, late of Stepney College, London, as co-pastor with the Rev. George Sample, took place in New Court Chapel, on Tuesday, June 4th. In the morning, the Rev. W. Campbell, M.A., of St. James's Chapel, commenced the service by reading the scriptures and prayer; the Rev. James Acworth, M.A., president of Horton College, Bradford, delivered an introductory discourse on the constitution of a church, and proposed the usual questions to the minister; the Rev. George Sample offered the ordination prayer; the Rev. Dr. Raffles of Liverpool (in the absence of Dr. Cox, through illness) delivered the charge; and the Rev. Mr. Jack of North Shields concluded with prayer. In the evening, the Rev. Mr. Pullar commenced the service by reading the scriptures and prayer; the Rev. Dr. Raffles preached to the church and congregation; and the Rev. H. Christopherson concluded with prayer.

VOL. VII.-FOURTH SERIES.

ROMSEY.

Mr. Farmer, late of Forest Row, Sussex, has recently accepted an invitation to the pastorate from the baptist church at Romsey: he commenced his stated labours on the first sabbath in June.

PARLEY, HANTS.

The Rev. Paul Alcock, late pastor of the baptist church, Berwick St. John's, has received and accepted a unanimous call from the church of Christ of the same faith and order worshipping at Parley, near Christchurch, to become their pastor, and has commenced his stated labours there with prospects of usefulness.

BOXMOOR, HERTS.

Mr. Benjamin P. Pratten of the baptist college, Bristol, has accepted a unanimous invitation from the church and congregation at Boxmoor, to the pastoral office lately held by the Rev. F. W. Gotch, M.A., philosophical tutor of Stepney College.

ISLINGTON.

Mr. J. J. Brown of the baptist college, Bristol, has accepted an invitation from the church assembling at Islington Green, intending to enter on his pastoral work on the first Lord's day in July.

RECENT DEATHS.

MRS. PARSONS.

Died, on the 14th of February last, aged sixty-six, Mrs. Parsons of Laverton, near Frome. The deceased was sister to the late Rev. John Dyer, secretary to the Baptist Missionary Society. She had also the honourable privilege of seeing two of her sons employed in the missionary cause; one of them, Mr. G. B. Parsons, was taken to his rest before herself; and the other, Mr. John Parsons, still lives to labour. He occupies the station at Monghyr, East Indies. The death of Mrs. Parsons is a great loss to the small church which has been gathered in the village where she resided. She was eminently a mother in Israel. Intense anxiety for the salvation of her own family, was united with earnest desire and benevolent effort for the spiritual welfare of her neighbours and acquaintance. Many persons now settled in different parts of the country are also indebted to her for the mental and religious discipline of their early years. Her counsels and instructions were very useful in fitting them for the relations they now sustain. The constancy and frequency of her private devotional exercises doubtless contri

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