whom 7 are preachers from the United | the year ending April 1, 1847, were States. Canton and Shanghai are the two stations occupied. J. L. Shuck, during his visit to the United States, accompanied by Yong Seen Sang, collected $5,324 to erect a chapel in China. In Africa, there are 2 missionaries. $500 were received for Bible distribution. There is also another society, called THE AMERICAN BAPTIST FREE MISSION SOCIETY, whose receipts reported at its fourth annual meeting in Albany, May, 1847, were $4,575, and who have missionaries in Haiti, Illinois, and Wisconsin. THE AMERICAN INDIAN MISSION AsSOCIATION has an income of nearly $5,000 per annum, 19 missionaries, 5 churches, a prosperous academy; towards which latter institution the Indians contribute $2,900 per annum, and sustain a monthly publication. The fifteenth annual meeting of the AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME MISSION SoCIETY was held in New York. The receipts for the year ending April 1, 1847, were $30,797.43. 26 new Life Directors by the payment of $100, and 178 Life Members by the payment of $30. 141 missionaries and agents were employed in 19 States, in Oregon and Canada. The missionaries have statedly occupied 505 stations and out-stations, performing in the aggregate the labor of one man for 83 years; reporting the baptism of 490 persons, the organization of 29 churches, the ordination of 25 ministers; 11,896 sermons preached; 23,938 pastoral visits; 10 houses of worship completed, and 26 commenced; obtained 1,927 signatures to the Temperance pledge, and travelled 111,969 miles. The Monthly Concert of Prayer is observed at 89 stations. Connected with the churches are 167 Sabbath Schools and 71 Bible Classes, having 945 teachers and 7,341 scholars, and 14,266 volumes in their libraries. Since the formation of the Society in 1832, its missionaries have jointly performed 953 years of labor, baptized 15,906 persons, organized 593 churches and ordained 255 ministers. The second annual meeting of THE SOUTHERN BOARD OF DOMESTIC MISSIONS was held at Savannah. The receipts for $10,121. 30 missionaries and agents were commissioned, who supply 74 stations, besides much itinerant service; they report 1200 sermons; 145 baptized; 6 houses of worship commenced; 35,661 miles travelled; 10 Sunday Schools organized, with 85 teachers, 418 scholars, and 1110 volumes in libraries. Neither have the Baptists been altogether negligent in the use of the press for extending what they consider the truth of God. Located in Philadelphia is the AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, which held its eighth annual meeting in that city. The receipts for the year ending April 15, 1847, were $24,277, a larger sum than in any previous year. 36 Life Members by the payment of $20 each, and 4 Managers for Life, by the payment of $50, were added during the year. About 50,000 volumes were put into circulation during the year. They have 16 Colporteurs laboring in 10 states, and 2 Germans, formerly Roman Catholics, are employed among the Germans. They have also published 51 bound volumes, and 181 tracts. THE NEW ENGLAND SABBATH SCHOOL UNION, is also a Baptist Institution. The twelfth annual meeting was held in Boston, May 26, 1847. Receipts from sales, $10,421; from donations, $1,152. Volumes published, 37,500. Notwithstanding these efforts, it is strongly felt that the Baptists have not yet used the press to the extent they ought to do; and hence a vigorous effort is making, which promises success, to add $10,000 by donation to the capital of the Publication Society; and also to commence additional society in the Southern States. an The American Bible Society having some years since withdrawn their support from the versions of the Scriptures made by Baptist missionaries, because they translated the words relating to baptism, it was found necessary in this country, as well as in England, to form a new institution, which should secure full liberty to translators of the Holy Volume. This body is called THE AMERICAN AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, and has its house and Board of Managers at New York. The tenth annual meeting was held in The reader who would obtain farther information on the subjects indicated in this article, is referred to the following works: most of which have been more or less' consulted in its preparation. English Works.-Histories of the Baptists by Ivimey Mann and Taylor; Jones's Christian Church; Essays and Treatises on Baptism by Beeby, Craps, Winks, Birt, Orchard and Carson; Rippon's Baptist Register; the Baptist Magazine, Repository, and Reports. American Works:-Histories by Backus, Benedict, and Hinton; Treatises and Essays, by Chapin, Woolsey, Frey, and Hague; also Allen's Triennial Register, the Christian Review, and the Baptist Memorial; and not least, a small but invaluable annual publication, filled with carefully digested statistical information, "the Baptist Almanac and Annual Register," issued by the American Baptist Publication Society. HISTORY OF THE FREEWILL BAPTISTS. BY THE REV. PORTER S. BURBANK, A. M., HAMPTON, N. H. tle, N. H., in 1749, where he lived until of age, during which time he obtained a good mercantile and English education. From a child he was much accustomed to serious meditation and deep religious impressions. He did not, however, experience a change of heart until his 22d year, when the distinguished George Whitefield was the instrument, under God, of his awakening and conversion. It was not long before he became convinced, in spite of his early education, that believers, and they only, were the proper subjects for Christian baptism, and that immersion was the only scriptural mode. He was baptized in 1776, and united with the Calvinistic Baptist Church in Berwick. Very soon after this he commenced preaching; and within the first year he saw quite a revival under his preaching, in his own FROM the early period in this country's | denomination. He was born in New Cashistory when Baptists came to be a distinct branch of the Christian Church in America, at the banishment of Roger Williams from the Massachusetts Colony, and his settlement in Rhode Island, different views of the Atonement and Christian Theology generally, have obtained among them; some inclining to Calvinistic, others to Arminian, sentiments. The first Baptist Church in America was of general views, and the Baptists in several of the states were Arminian long before the Freewill Baptist Connection arose, while others were Calvinistic. As Calvinism became more and more introduced, some churches of general sentiment went down, others went over; others still, were inclined to the Arminian side, but co-operated with those churches which were Calvinistic; and generally there was but one denomination of Baptists in America till the origin of the Freewill Baptists, a little more than sixty years ago. This article on the "Freewill Baptists" will embrace summary sketches of their origin and history, doctrine and usages, and present statistics. I. ORIGIN AND HISTORY. The Freewill Baptist Connection in North America commenced A. D., 1780, in which year its first church was organ. ized. ELDER BENJAMIN RANDALL, more than any other man, in the providence of God, may be regarded the founder of this Al The Rev. DAVID MARKS, whose portrait is here given, though not one of the first, was nevertheless one of the most active and efficination. He commenced preaching at fifteen ent ministers of the Freewill Baptist denomiyears of age, travelled extensively, labored excessively, and was eminently successful. though self-educated, he managed by an extremely rigid and systematic improvement of time, not only to become a thorough English scholar, but to make no mean proficiency in the classics. He was principally instrumental in originating and establishing the Printing Establishment" of the denomination; and also compiled a small Hymn Book, and was the author of a treatise vindicating Free Communion. He died Nov. 1, 1845, Aged 40, exceedingly happy and triumphant. |