FROM THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D. 
 
 BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 Section CA#f \J 
 

(pmcJi c/fudcJuf 
 
 /frfy 
 

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 V ^ •* j * 
 
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\ JUL 2? 1936^ 
 
 OF FAVOURITE 
 
 CONFERENCE HYMNS, 
 
 WITH 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCHES 
 
 OF 
 
 CHURCH HISTORY, 
 
 THROUGH EVERY CENTURY OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA, 
 
 BY J. A. BURKE. 
 
 ALBANY : 
 
 PRINTED BV A. N. SHERMAN". 
 1629. 
 
A TABLE OF METRES. 
 
 L. M. 8 8 8 8 
 
 CM. 8 6 8 6 
 
 S. M. 6 6 8 6 
 
 50th 10 10 10 11 On wings of faith Rippon. 
 
 104 10 10 11 11 Begone unbelief 
 
 112 8 8 8 8 8 8 In Jordans tide— St. Helens. 
 
 148 6 6 6 6 8 8 Lenox. 
 
 5-6 55556565 Ye servants of God — Devonshire. 
 
 6-4 6 6 4 6 6 6 4 Glory to God— Rip. Hymn to Trin. 
 
 6-8-4 6 6 8 4 6 6 8 4 The God of Abram praise— Rip. 
 
 7's. 7 7 7 "7 >Tis a point. — Sovereign grace has 
 
 7's D. 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 Jesus lover.-Brethren while-Hoth, 
 
 7-6 76767776 How lost.-O when shall I—Amster. 
 
 7-6-8 7 6 767876 Jesus let thy pitying eye— Rip. 
 
 8's 88888888 How tedious. — From whence does 
 
 8-6-8 8 6 8 6 8 8 Let others boast their— Rip. 
 
 8-8-6 8 8 6 8 8 6 The Lord into.— Throughout our 
 
 8-7 87878787 Come thou Fount.-Jesusgrant-Di*. 
 
 8-7-4 8 7 8 7 4 7 Lord dismiss us — Tarn-worth. 
 
 ll's 11 11 11 1 1 How firm a— Thy mercy my God 
 
 11-8 11 8 11 8 O thou in whose presence 
 
 6-9 6696690 how happy are they 
 
 12's 12 12 12 12 12 12 The voice of free grace 
 
 6-8 886666 Encourag'd by thy word 
 
 8-6 6 6 8 8 8 8 Farewell dear friends I must be 
 
 i 
 
SELECTION 
 
 t 
 
 OF FAVOURITE 
 
 SOHTFERENSE HTHEETS. 
 
 HYMN 1. C. M. 
 
 1 f\ FOR a closer walk with God, 
 ^-^ A calm and heavenly frame ; 
 A light to shine upon the road 
 
 That leads me to the Lamb ? , 
 
 2 Where is the blessedness I knew. 
 
 When first I saw the Lord ? 
 Where is the soul-refreshing view 
 Of Jesus and his word ? 
 
 3 What peaceful hours I then enjoy 'd ? 
 
 How sweet their mem'ry still ! 
 But now I find an aching void, 
 The world can never fill. 
 
 4 Return, O holy Dove, return, 
 
 Sweet messenger of rest ! 
 I hate the sins that made thee mourn, 
 And drove thee from my breast. 
 
 5 The dearest idol 1 have known, 
 
 Whate'er that idol be, 
 Help me to tear it from thy throne, 
 And worship only thee 
 
 6 So shall my walk be close with God, 
 
 Calm and serene my frame ; 
 So purer light shall mark the road 
 That leads me to the Lamb. 
 
HYMN 2. 8 & 6. 
 
 1 fpHE Lord into his garden comes : 
 The spices yield a rich perfume; 
 The lillies grow and thrive ; 
 Refreshing show' rs of grace divine, 
 From Jesus flow to ev'ry vine, 
 Which makes the dead revive* 
 % O that this dry and barren ground 
 In springs of water may abound, 
 
 A fruitful soil become ; 
 The desert blossoms as the rose, 
 When Jesus conquers all his foes, 
 And makes his people one. 
 
 3 The glorious time is rolling on, 
 The gracious work is now begun : 
 
 My soul a witness is : 
 I taste and see the pardon free, 
 For all mankind as well as me, 
 
 Who come to Christ may live, 
 
 4 The worst of sinners here may find 
 A Saviour pitiful and kind, 
 
 Who will them all receive '. 
 None are too late who will repent : 
 Out of one sinner legions went : 
 
 Jesus did him relieve. 
 
 5 Come brethren, ye who love the Lord, 
 And taste the sweetness of his word, 
 
 In Jesus' ways go on ; 
 Our troubles and our trials here 
 Will only make us richer there, 
 
 When we arrive at home. 
 G We feel that heaven is now begun, 
 It issues from the shining throne, 
 
 From Jesus' grace on high : 
 It comes like floods, we can't contain, 
 We drinli and drink and drink again, 
 
 And yet we still are dry. 
 7 But when we come to reign above. 
 
And all surround the throne of love, 
 
 We'll drink a full supply ; 
 Jesus will lead his armies through, 
 To living fountains where they flow, 
 
 Which never will run dry. 
 3 There will we reign and shout and sing. 
 And make the upper regions ring, 
 
 When all the saints get home ; 
 Come on, come on, my brethren dear 
 Soon shall we meet together there, 
 
 For Jesus bids us come. 
 9 Amen, amen, my soul replies, 
 I'm bound to meet him in the skies, 
 
 And claim my mansion there : 
 Now here's my heart, now here's my hand. 
 To meet you in that heav'nly land 
 
 W here we shall part no more. 
 10 There on that peaceful happy shore, 
 We'll sing and shout our suflf 'rings o'er, 
 
 In sweet redeeming love : 
 We'll shout and praise our conqu'ring Kin'o- 
 Who died himself that he might bring 
 
 Us rebels near to God. 
 
 HYMN 3. 5&6. 
 
 j "OEGONE, unbelief, 
 
 -*-* My Saviour is near, 
 
 And for my relief, 
 
 Will surely appear ; 
 
 By prayer le? me wrestle, 
 
 And he will perfor.n : 
 
 With Christ in the vessel 
 
 I smile at the storm. 
 2 Though dark be my way 
 
 Since he is my guide, 
 
 'Tis mine to obey, 
 
 'Tis his to proviiie ; 
 
 Though cisterns be brokeja, 
 
 And creatures all fail, 
 1* 
 
The word he has spoken 
 Shall surely prevail. 
 His love in time past 
 Forbids me to think, 
 He'll leave me at last 
 In trouble to sink : 
 Each sweet Ebenezer 
 I have in review, 
 Confirms his good pleasure 
 To help me quite through 
 Determined to save, 
 He watch'd o'er my path, 
 When Satan's blind slave. 
 1 sported with death ; 
 And can he have taught me 
 To trust in his name, 
 And thus far have brought rn* 
 To put me to shame ? 
 Why should I complain 
 Of want 01 distress, 
 Temptation or pain ? 
 He told me no less : 
 The heirs of salvation, 
 I know from his word, 
 Through much tribulation 
 Must follow their Lord. 
 How bitter that cup, 
 No heart can conceive, 
 Which he drank quite up : " 
 That sinners might live ! 
 His way was much rougher. 
 And darker than mine ; 
 Did Christ, my Lord, suffer. 
 And shall 1 repine ? 
 Since all that I meet 
 Shall work for my good, 
 The bitter is sweet, 
 The med'cine is food ; 
 Though painful at present, 
 'Twill cease before long. 
 
And then, O how pleasant 
 The conqueror's song ! 
 
 HYMN 4. 7"s. 
 
 1 'PTMS a point I long to know, 
 
 -■- Oft it causes anxious thought : 
 Do I love the Lord or no ? 
 Am 1 his, or am I not ? 
 
 2 If I love, why am I thus ? 
 
 Why this dull and lifeless frame ? 
 Hardly, sure, can they be worse, 
 Who have never heard his name. 
 
 3 Could my heart so hard remain, 
 Prayer a task and burden prove, 
 Every trifle give me pain, 
 
 If I knew a Saviour's love ? 
 
 4 When I turn my eyes within, 
 All is dark, and vain, and wild ; 
 Fill'd with unbelief and sin, 
 Can I deem myself a child ? 
 
 5 If I pray, or hear, or read, 
 Sin is mixt with all 1 do : 
 
 You who love the Lord indeed. 
 Tell me is it thus with you ? 
 
 6 Yet I mourn my stubborn will, 
 Find my sin a grief and thrall ; 
 Should I grieve for what I feel, 
 If I did not love at all ? 
 
 7 [Could 1 joy his saints to meet, 
 Choose the ways 1 once abhorr'd, 
 Find, at times, the promise sweet, 
 If I did not love the Lord ?] 
 
 S Lord, decide the doubtful case ? 
 
 Thou who art thy people's sun, 
 
 Shine upon thy work of grace, 
 
 If it be indeed begun. 
 Let me love thee more and more. 
 
 If I love at all I pray ; 
 
8 
 
 If I have not lov'd before, 
 Help me to begin to day. 
 
 HYMN 5. 8 k 7. 
 
 Grateful recollection. 
 
 1 /~^OME, thou Fount of every blessing, 
 ^-^ Tune my heart to sing thy grace : 
 Streams of mercy never ceasing, 
 
 Call for songs of loudest praise. 
 Teach me some melodious sonnet, 
 
 Sung by flaming tongues above ; 
 Praise the mount — O fix me on it ; 
 
 Mount of God's unchanging love. 
 
 2 Here I raise my Ebenezer, 
 
 Hither by thy help I'm come ; 
 And I hope by thy good pleasure. 
 
 Safely to arrive at home : 
 Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
 
 Wand' ring from the fold of God : 
 He to save my soul from danger, 
 
 Interpol his precious blood. 
 
 3 O ! to grace how great a debtor, 
 
 Daily I'm constraint to be : 
 Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter, 
 
 Bind my wand'ring heart to thee ! 
 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it ; 
 
 Prone to leave the God I love — 
 Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it 
 
 Seal it for thy courts above. 
 
 HYMIS 6. 8's. 
 
 Union Hymn. 
 T^ROM whence doth this union arise, 
 ■■- That hatred is conquer'd by love ! 
 It fastens our souls in such ties, 
 
 As nature and time can't remove, 
 It cannot in Eden be found, 
 Nor yet in a Paradise lost ; 
 
9 
 
 It grows on Immanuel's ground ; 
 
 And Jesus' rich blood it did cost. 
 My friends are so dear unto me, 
 
 Our hearts are united in lore ; 
 Where Jesus is gone we Shall be 
 
 In yonder bright mansions above. 
 why then so loth now to part ? 
 
 Since there we shall all meet again : 
 Engrav'd on Immanuel's heart, 
 
 At a distance we cannot remain. 
 And when we shall see that bright day, 
 
 And join with the angels above, 
 There free from these bodies of clay, 
 
 We'll dwell with Christ Jesus above. 
 With Jesus we ever shall reign, 
 
 And all his bright glories we'll see ; 
 There sing Hallelujah, Amen 1 
 
 Amen, even so let it be. 
 
 HYMN 7. 11 Si 8. 
 
 1 f\ THOU in whose presence my soul takes delight, 
 ^-^ On whom in affliction I call ; 
 
 My comfort by day and my song in the night, 
 My hope, my salvation, my all. 
 
 2 Where dost thou at noon-tide resort with thy sheep, 
 
 To feed on the pastures of love ? 
 Say, why in the valley of death should I weep, 
 Or alone in the wilderness rove ? 
 
 3 O why should I wander an alien from thee ; 
 
 Or cry in the desert for bread ? 
 Thy foes will rejoice when my sorrows they see. 
 And smile at the tears I have shed. 
 
 4 Ye daughters of Zion, declare, have you seen, 
 
 The star that on Israel shone: 
 Say, if in your tents my Beloved has been, 
 And wherewith his flock he has gone I 
 
 5 This is my Beloved, his form is divine 
 
 His vestments shed odours around ; 
 
 
10 
 
 The locks on his head are as grapes on the vine 5 
 When autumn with plenty is crown'd. 
 
 6 The roses of Sharon, the lillies that grow 
 
 In the vales on the banks of the streams ; 
 On his cheek does the beauty of excellence glow, 
 And his eyes are as quivers of beams. 
 
 7 His voice, as the sound of the dulcimer sweet, 
 
 Is heard through the shadow of death, 
 The cedars of Lebanon bow at his feet, 
 The air is perfumed with his breath. 
 
 8 His lips as a fountain of righteousness flow, 
 
 That waters the garden of grace ; 
 From which their salvation the Gentileyshall know 
 And bask in the smiles of his face. 
 
 9 Love sits on his eyelids and scatters delight, 
 
 Through all the bright mansions on high ; 
 Their faces the cherubims veil in his sight, 
 And praise him with fulness of joy. 
 
 10 He looks and ten thousand of angels rejoice. 
 
 And myriads wait for his word ; 
 He speaks, and eternity, fill'd with his voice, 
 Re-echoes the praise of the Lord. 
 
 HYMN 8. Vs. 
 
 1 SOVEREIGN grace has power alone, 
 
 To subdue a heart of stone ; 
 And the moment grace is felt, 
 Then the hardest heart will melt. 
 
 2 When the Lord was crucifi'd, 
 Two transgressors with him died ; 
 One with vile blasphemous tongue, 
 Scoff *d at Jesus as he hung. 
 
 3 Thus he spent his wicked breath, 
 In the very jaws of death ; 
 Perish'd as too many do, 
 
 With a Saviour in their view. 
 
11 
 
 4 But the other touch'd with grace, 
 Saw the danger of his case ; 
 Faith receiv'd to own his Lord, 
 Whom the scribes and priests abhorr'd. 
 
 5 Lord, he pray'd, remember me, 
 When in glory thou shalt be, 
 Soon with me the Lord replies, 
 Thou shalt be in paradise. 
 
 6 This was wond'rous grace indeed, 
 Grace vouchsaf 'd in time of need ; 
 Sinners, trust in Jesus' name, 
 You will find him still the same. 
 
 7 Butb&ware of unbelief, 
 Thinkl^ the harden'd thief! 
 If the gospel you disdain, 
 Christ to you has died in vain. 
 
 HYMN 9 6 k 9. 
 
 /~k HOW happy are they 
 
 *S Who their Saviour obey, 
 And have laid up their treasures above 
 
 Tongue can never express 
 
 The sweet comfort and peace 
 Of a soul in its earliest love 1 
 
 That sweet comfort was mine, 
 
 When the favour divine 
 I first found in the blood of the Lamb • 
 
 When my heart it believ'd, 
 
 What true joy I received, 
 What a heaven in Jesus's name ! 
 
 'Twas a heaven below, 
 
 My Redeemer to know ; 
 And the angels couIJ do nothing more 
 
 Than to fill at his feet, 
 
 And the story repeat, 
 And the lover of sinner* adore. 
 
 Jesus all the day long 
 
 Was my joy and my song; 
 O that all his salvation might see ! 
 
 A 
 
12 
 
 He hath loved me, I cry'd, 
 
 He hath suffer' d and died, 
 To redeem such a rebel as me. 
 
 On the win^s of his love, 
 
 I was carry 'd above 
 All my sin and temptation and pain, 
 
 And i nould not believe 
 
 That I ever should grieve, 
 That I ever should suffer again. 
 
 I then rode on the sky, 
 
 Frecl) justify d I, 
 Nor did env\ Elijah his seat ; 
 
 My glad soul mounted higher 
 
 In a chariot of fire, 
 And the world was quite under my feet. 
 
 ! the rapturous height 
 Of that holy <h light, 
 
 Which I felt in the life-giving blood ! 
 Of my Saviour possest, 
 
 1 was perfectly blest, 
 
 As if fill'd with the fulness of God. 
 
 HY N 10. 8's. 
 
 Creation unsatisfying without Christ. 
 
 1 TOTOW tedious and tasteless the hours, 
 X J. when Jesus no longer I see 
 
 Sweet prospects, sweet birds, and sweet flow'rs, 
 Have lost all their sweetness with me. 
 
 2 The mid-summer sun shines but dim, 
 The fields strive in vain to look gay, 
 But when I am happy in him, 
 December 's as pleasant as May. 
 
 3 His name yields the richest perfume, 
 And sweeter than music his voice : 
 His presence disperses my gloom, 
 And makes all within me rejoice. 
 
 4 I should, were he always thus nigh, 
 Have nothing to wish or to fear : 
 
13 
 
 No mortal so happy as I, 
 
 My summer would last all the year. 
 
 5 Content with beholding his face, 
 My all to his pleasure resign'd ; 
 No changes of season or place 
 Would make any change in my mind. 
 
 6 While bless'd with a sense of his loye, 
 A palace, a toy would appear ; 
 
 And prions would palaces prove, 
 If Jesu- would dwell with me there. 
 
 7 Dear Lord, if indeed 1 am thine, 
 If thou art my sun and my song ; 
 Say, why do I languish and pine ? 
 And why are my winters so long ? 
 
 8 O drive these dark clouds from my sky ! 
 Thy soul-cheering presence restore ; 
 Or take me unto thee on high, 
 Where winter and clouds are no more ! 
 
 HYMN 11. 12's. 
 
 The Voice of Free Grace, 
 The voice of free grace, cries, escape to the mountain 
 For Adam's lost race, Christ has open'd a fountain, 
 For sin and transgression and every pollution ; 
 The blood flows most freely in streams of salvation. 
 
 Hallelujah to the Lamb who has bles'd us with pardon. 
 And weUl praise him again when we pass over Jordan, 
 
 This fountain so clear, in which all may find pardon, 
 From Jesus* side flows a plenteous redemption ; 
 Though your sins were as great and high as a mountain } 
 The blood it flows freely, in streams of salvation. 
 Hallelujah, fyc. 
 
 O Jesus ride on ! thy kingdom is glorious ; 
 Oyer sin, death and hell thou wilt make us vie! 
 Thy n:uut shall be prais'din the great congregation, 
 
14 
 
 And saints shall delight in ascribing salvation. 
 Hallelujah, &rc. 
 
 When on Zion we stand, having gain'd the blest shore, 
 With our harps in our hands, we will praise evermore 3 
 We'll range the blest fields, on the banks of the river, 
 And sing hallelujah for ever and ever. 
 Hallelujah, fyc. 
 
 HYMN 12. L. M. 
 
 Secret Prayer. 
 
 1 \ LL those who seek a throne of grace, 
 ■**■ Are sure to find in every place ; 
 To those who love a life of prayer, 
 Our God is present every where. 
 
 2 The shady grove or burning plain, 
 The blooming field or swelling main ? 
 Alike are sweet in secret prayer, 
 For God is present every where. 
 
 3 In pining sickness, rosy health, 
 In poverty or growing wealth, 
 The humble soul delights in prayer, 
 And finds Gcd present every where. * 
 
 4 When Zion mourns and comfort- 
 And ail her fees do scoff and rail, 
 'Tis then a time for secret prayer, 
 For God k present every where. 
 
 5 When some backslide, and others fall, 
 And few are found who strive at all, 
 The faithful find in secret prayer, 
 That God is present every where. 
 
 6 Come, then, my soul, in every strait. 
 To Jesus come, and on him wait ; 
 He sees and hears each secret sigh, 
 And brings his own salvation nigh. 
 
15 
 
 HYMN 13. L. M. 
 
 \^HAT various hindrances We meet 
 " In coming to a mere} -s< 
 
 Yet who, that knows the wort!:- prayer, 
 But wishes to be often there ? 
 
 Prayer makes the darken d cloud withdraw, 
 Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw, 
 Gives exercise to faith and love, 
 Brings every blessing from above. 
 
 Restraining prayer, we cease to tight ; 
 Prayer makes the Christian's armour bright ; 
 And satan trembles, when he sees 
 The weakest saint upon his knees. 
 
 While Moses stood with arms spread wide, 
 Success was ibund on Israel's side ; 
 But when through weariness they fail'd, 
 That moment Amalek prevail'd. 
 
 Have you no words ; ah, think again, 
 Words flow apace when you complain, 
 And fill 3 r onr fellow-creature's ear 
 With the sad tale of all your care. 
 
 Were half the breath, thus vainly spent, 
 To heaven in supplication sent, 
 Your cheerful song would ofi'ner be, 
 '• Hear what the Lord hath done for me," 
 / 
 
 HYMN 14. 8& 
 
 T 
 
 HE faithless world promiscuous flows, 
 Enwrap'd in fancy's vision — 
 Allur'd by dreams, beguil'd by shows 
 And empty schemes, nor scarcely knows 
 
 There is a brighter heaven. 
 
 Fine gold will change, and diamonds fade : 
 Swift wings to wealth are given ; 
 
16 
 
 All varying time our forms invade ; 
 The seasons roll, light sinks in shade ; 
 There's nothing lasts but heaven. 
 
 Creation's mighty fabric, all 
 
 Will be to atoms riven ; 
 The sky consumed, the planets fall, 
 Convulsions wreck this earthly ball- — 
 
 There's nothing firm but heaven. 
 
 Empires decay, and nations die, 
 Our hopes to winds are given j 
 The vernal blooms in ruin lie, 
 Death reigns o'er earth and sea and sky. 
 There's nothing true but heaven. 
 
 The world is poor from shore to shore. 
 
 And like a baseless vision ; 
 Its lofty domes and briliant ore, 
 And gems and crowns are vain and poor- 
 
 There's nothing rich but heaven. 
 
 A stranger lonely here I roam, 
 From place to place I'm driven — 
 
 My friends are gone, and Pm in gloom, 
 
 This earth is all a dreary tomb, 
 I have no home but heaven. 
 
 The clouds disperse, the light appears. 
 
 My sins are all forgiven ; 
 Triumphant grace has quell'd my fears, 
 Roll on ye suns, fly swifter years, 
 
 Pm on the wing to heaven. 
 
 Adieu to all below, adieu ! 
 
 Let life's dull chains be riven ; 
 The charms of Christ have caught my view 
 To worlds of light I willpersue, 
 
 To live with him in heaven. 
 
17 
 
 HYMN 15. L. M. 
 
 School of Christ. 
 
 THERE is a school on earth begun, 
 Supported by the Holy One — 
 His pupils by his teaching, prove 
 The principles of perfect love. 
 
 Come then my friends, where'er you be 
 Come, will you go to school with me— 
 Christ Jesus is my master's name, 
 To-day as yesterday the same. 
 
 His school book is the Scriptures true ; 
 His lessons are forever new, 
 His scholars all, are well agreed ; — 
 Oh, 'tis a blessed school indeed. 
 
 My master learns the blind to see — 
 Then come ye blind the school is free. 
 My master learns the lame to walk — 
 He also lecrns the dumb to talk. 
 
 My master learns the deaf to hear — 
 Then come ye deaf, and lend an ear 
 Unto my master's pleasant voice ; 
 He'll make your mourning souls rejoice. 
 
 He learns the swearing man to pray, 
 Come ye profane without delay — 
 He'll change your tongues to praise his name, 
 And sound aloud the master's fame. 
 
 Come brethren dear, who are at school, 
 Attention pay to every rule — 
 Soon we shall learn the happy art 
 Of loving God with all the heart. 
 
 Soon these frail tenements must die, 
 Then we shall lay our school books by — 
 We'll reign with master Je^us then, 
 Glory to God — glory, anion. 
 
 Chorus. — We are going to join the church above. 
 We soon sh .11 shout redeeming love : 
 
18 
 
 Amen, amen, the angel cries. 
 Amen, amen, my soul replies. 
 
 HYMN 16. 7 & 6. 
 
 1 XJTOW lost was my condition, 
 HA Till Jesus made me whole ! 
 There is but one Physician 
 
 Can cure the sin-sick soul : 
 Next door to death he found me, 
 
 And snatch'd me from the grave. 
 To tell to all around me 
 
 His wondrous pow'r to save. 
 
 2 The worst of all diseases 
 
 Is light compar'd with sin: 
 On ev'ry part it seizes, 
 
 But rages most within ; 
 'Tis palsy, plague, and fever, 
 
 And madness, all combin'd ; 
 And none but a believer 
 
 The least relief can find. 
 
 3 From men great skill professing 
 
 1 thonght a cure to gain , 
 But this prov'd more distressing, 
 
 And added to my pain. 
 Some said that nothing aiPd me, 
 
 Some gave me up for lost ; 
 Thus every refuge fail'd me, 
 
 And all my hopes were cross'd. 
 
 4 At length this great Physician, 
 
 How mali -bless is his grace ! 
 Accepted my petition, 
 
 And undertook my case : 
 First gave me sight to view him, 
 
 For sin my eyes had seal'd ; 
 Then bade me look unto him ; 
 
 I look'd, and I wasJheaPd. 
 
 5 A dying, risen Jesus, 
 
 Seen by the eye of faith, 
 
19 
 
 At once from danger frees us. 
 And saves the soul from death. 
 
 Come then to this Physician, 
 His help he'll freely give, 
 
 He makes no hard condition, 
 "Pis only look — and live. 
 
 HYMN 17. -S.M, 
 
 The Gospel Pool, 
 
 1 "j>ESIDE the Gospel Pool, 
 ■*-* Appointed for the poor, 
 
 From year to year my helpless soul 
 Has waited for a cure. 
 
 2 How often have I seen 
 The healing waters move, 
 
 And many round me stepping in, 
 Their efficacy prove. 
 
 3 But my complaints remain, 
 I feel the very same ; 
 
 As full of guilt, and fear, and pain, 
 
 As when at first I c me. 
 A O, would the Lord appear, 
 
 My maladies to he. 1 1 
 He knows how long I've waited here, 
 
 And what distress i fee], 
 
 5 How often have I thought, 
 Why should 1 longer try ? 
 
 Surely the mercies I have sought, 
 Are not for such as I. 
 
 6 But wither shall I go '? 
 There i> no other pool, 
 
 Where streams of sovereign inercv flow 
 To make a sinner whole. 
 
 7 Here then, from day to day, 
 I'll wait, and hope, and cry ; 
 
 Can Jesus hear a sinner pray, 
 
 And suffer him to die ? 
 $ No, he is full of grace , 
 
 He never will permit 
 
20 
 
 The soul that fain would see his face, 
 To perish at his feet. 
 
 HYMN 18. ll's. 
 
 Tune, Portuguese Hytrin. 
 OTOW firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord, 
 
 -*"*- Is laid for your faith in his excellent word ! 
 
 What more can he say, than to you he hath said .? 
 
 You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled. 
 
 In every condition, in sickness, in health, 
 
 In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth ; 
 
 At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, 
 ' As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be;, 
 ' Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismay'd, 
 e I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid ; 
 ' I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, 
 ' Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. 
 1 When thro' the deep waters, I call thee to go, 
 ' The rivers of wo shall not thee overflow ; 
 { For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless, 
 ' And sanctify to thee, thy deepest distress. 
 ' When thro' fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, 
 ' My grace all-sumcient shall be thy supply ; 
 6 The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design 
 *■ Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. 
 * Even down to old age, all my people shall prove 
 5 My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love : 
 ' And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, 
 ' Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne. 
 ' The soul that on Jesus hath lean'd for repose, 
 < / will not, I will not desert to his foes ; 
 ' That soul, tho' all hell should endeavour to shake, 
 ' Pll never, no never, no never forsake. 39 
 
 B 
 
 HYMN 19. 10 & 11. 
 
 Star in the East. 
 AIL the bless'd morn when the great Mediator, 
 Down from the mansions cf glory descend ; 
 
21 
 
 Shepherds go worship the babe in the manger,' 
 Lo ! for his guards the bright angels descend. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 Brightest and blest of the sons of the morning, 
 Shine on our darkness and lend us thine aid ; 
 Star in the East, the horizon adorning, 
 Guide where our infant Redeemer was laid. 
 
 Cold on his cradle the dew-drops were shining, 
 Lo ! lies his head with the beasts of the stall ; 
 Angels adore him in slumber reclining, 
 Maker, and Monarch, and Saviour of all. 
 Brightest and blest, fyc. 
 
 Say shall we guild him in costly devotion, 
 Odours of Eden an offering divine ; 
 Gems from the mountains and pearls from the ocean 
 Myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine. 
 Brightest and blest, 4'C. 
 
 Vainly we offer each ample oblation ; 
 Vainly with gold, we his favor secure, 
 Richer by far in the heart's adoration, 
 Dearer to God, are the prayers of the poor. 
 Brightest and blest, fyc. 
 
 HYMN 20. 3 7 4. 
 
 1 /^ UIDE me, O thou great Jehovah, 
 ^*" Pilgrim, through this barren land, 
 I am weak, but thou art mighty ; 
 
 Hold me with thy powerful hand ; 
 Bread of heaven, 
 Feed me till I want no more. 
 
 2 Open, Lord, the crystal fountain, 
 
 Whence the healing streams do flow ; 
 Let the fiery cloudy pillar, 
 
 Lead me all my journey through: 
 
 Strong Deliverer, 
 Be thou still my strength and shield. 
 
22 
 
 When I tread the verge of Jordan, 
 
 Bid my anxious fears subside ; 
 Death of deaths, and hell's destruction, 
 Land me safe on Canaan's side : 
 Songs of praises 
 I will ever give to thee. 
 
 HYMN 21. 6&8. 
 
 1 j^NCOURAG'Dbythyword 
 
 Of promise to the poor, 
 
 Behold a beggar, Lord, 
 
 Waits at thy mercy-door : 
 No hand, no heart, dear Lord but thine, 
 Can help or pity wants like mine. 
 
 2 The beggar's usual plea, 
 Relief from men to gain, 
 If offer'd unto thee, 
 
 I know thou would'st disdain; 
 But those which move thy gracious ear, 
 Are such as men would scorn to hear. 
 
 3 I have no right to say, 
 That though I now am poor. 
 Yet once there was a day 
 When I possessed more ; 
 
 Thou know'st that from my very birth, 
 I've been the poorest wretch on earth. 
 
 4 Nor dare I to profess, 
 As beggars often do, 
 Thou great is my distress, 
 My faults have been but few : 
 
 If thou should'st leave my soul to starve, 
 It would be what I well deserve. 
 
 Though crumbs are much to good 
 For such a wretch as I, 
 No less than children's food 
 My soul can satisfy. 
 
 do not frown and bid me go ; 
 
 1 must have all thou canst bestow. 
 
23 
 
 7 Nor can I willing be 
 Thy bounty i o 
 
 From others : " me, 
 
 Their want? . t iVel ; 
 
 I'll tell them 4f y's store, 
 
 And try to send a thousand more. 
 
 8 Thy ways, thou Only Wi^e, 
 Our thoughts and ways transcend, 
 Far as tirj arched skies 
 
 Above this eai < h extend. 
 Such pleas as mine men would not hear. 
 But God receive? a beggar's prayer. 
 
 HYMN 22. 7 & 8. 
 
 Dying Saint to his Soul. 1 Cor. xv. 54-57, 
 
 1 "VT1TAL spark of heavenly flame ! 
 
 * Quit, O quit this mortal frame ; 
 Trembling, hoping, ling'ring, flying, 
 O the pain, the bliss of dying ! 
 Cease, fond nature, cease thy strife, 
 And let me languish into life. 
 
 2 Hark ! they whisper, angels say, 
 " Sister spirit, come away ;" 
 What is this ab&orbs me quite ? 
 Steals my senses^ shuts my sight ? 
 Drowns my spirit, draws my breath ? 
 Tell me my soul, can this be death ? 
 
 3 The world recedes, it disappears ! 
 Heaven opens on my eyesr— my ears 
 With sounds seraphic ring ! 
 
 Lend, lend your wings, I mount ! I fly '. 
 O grave, where is thy victory ? 
 O death, where is thy sting ? 
 
 SWE 
 TJ- 
 
 HYMN 23. C. M. 
 
 SET was the time when first I felt; 
 The Saviour's pard'ning blood, 
 
24 
 
 Apply'd, to cleanse my soul from guilt, 
 And bring me home to God. 
 
 2 Soon as the morn the light reveal'd, 
 His praises tun'd my tongue ; 
 And when the evening shades prevail'd, 
 His love was all my song. 
 
 [3 In vain the tempter spread his wiles, 
 The world no more could charm ; 
 I liv'dupon my Saviour's smiles, 
 And lean'd upon bis arm. 
 
 4 In pray'r, my soul drew near the Lord, 
 
 And saw his glories shine : 
 
 And when 1 read his holy word, 
 
 IcalPd each promise mine.] 
 
 5 Then to his saints I often spoke 
 
 Of what his love had done ; 
 But now my heart is almost broke 
 For all my joys are gone. 
 
 o Now when the evening shade prevails, 
 My soul in darkness mourns ; 
 And when the morn the light reveals, 
 No light to me returns. 
 
 7 [My pray'rs are now a chatt'ring noise, 
 
 For Jesus hides his face ; 
 I read — the promise meets my eyes, 
 But will not reach my case.] 
 
 8 Now satan threatens to prevail, 
 
 And make my soul his prey : 
 Yet, Lord, thy mercies cannot fail ; 
 O come without delay ! 
 
 HYMN 24. 7's. 
 
 1 1 f ORD, I cannot let thee go, 
 -" Till a blessing thou bestow ; 
 Do not turn away thy face, 
 ^line's an urgent, pressing case. 
 
25 
 
 Dost thou ask me, who I am ? 
 Ah my Lord, thou know'st my name ! 
 Yet the question gives a plea, 
 To support my suit with thee ! 
 Thou did'st once a wretch behold, 
 In rebellion blindly bold ; 
 Scorn thy grace — thy pow'r defy — . 
 That poor rebel, Lord, was I. 
 Once a sinner near despair 
 Sought thy mercy-seat by pray'r ; 
 Mercy heard and set him free, 
 Lord, that mercy came to me. 
 Many days have past since then, 
 Many changes I have seen ; 
 Yet have been upheld till now ; 
 Who could hold me up but thou ? 
 Thou hast help'd in ev'ry need — 
 This emboldens me to plead ; 
 After so much mercy past, 
 Canst thou let me sink at last ? 
 No — I must maintain my hold — 
 'Tis thy goodness makes me bold ; 
 I can no denial take, 
 When I plead for Jesus' sake. 
 
 HYMN 25.- 
 
 "ORETHREN, while we sojourn here, 
 -" Fight we must, but should not fear ; 
 Foes we have, but we've a friend, 
 One who loves us to the end ; 
 Forward then with courage go, 
 Lopg we shall not dwell below ; 
 Soon the joyful news will come, 
 Child your Father calls — Come home. 
 In the world a thousand snares 
 Lay to take us on in ares ; 
 Satan, with malicious 
 Watches each unguarded heart ; 
 3 
 
26 
 
 But from SatarTs malice free, 
 Saints shall soon victorious be 
 Soon the joyful news will come. 
 Cmld* your Father calls — Come home* 
 But of all the foes we meet, 
 None so apt to turn our feet. 
 None betray us into sin, 
 Like the foes we have within j 
 Vet let nothing spoil your peace„ 
 Christ will also conquer these ; 
 Then the joyful news will come, 
 Child, your Father calls — Come home. 
 
 HYMN 26. L. M. 
 
 1 TESUS, my all, to heaven is gone — ■ 
 ** He whom I fix my hopes upon ; 
 His track 1 see, and I'll pursue 
 
 The narrow way till him I view. 
 
 2 The way the holy prophet went, 
 The road that ieads from banishment. 
 The king's highway of holiness 
 
 I'll go, for all his paths are peace 
 \3 No stranger shall proceed therein. 
 No lover of the world and sin, 
 No lion, no devouring care, 
 No sin, nor sorrow shall be there. 
 
 4 No — nothing shall go up thereon, 
 But trav'ling souls, and I am one ; 
 Way-faring men, to Canaan bound f 
 Shall only in the way be found.] 
 
 5 This is the way I long have sought, 
 And mourn'd because I found it not ; 
 My grief, my burden, long has been> 
 Because I could not cease from sin 
 
 6 The more I strove against its pow'i\ 
 I sinu'd and stumbled but the more ; 
 Till late 1 heard my Saviour say, 
 
 " Come hither, soul, I am the way." 
 
27 
 
 Lo ! glad I come, and thou, blest Lamb, 
 Shall take me to thee as I am ; 
 My sinful self to thee I give — 
 Nothing but love I shall receive. 
 Then will I tell to sinners round, 
 What a dear Saviour I have found ; 
 Fll point to thy redeeming blood, 
 And say, behold the way to God. 
 
 HYMN 27. C. M. 
 
 1 A LL hail the power of Jesus 1 name ! 
 -^*- Let angels prostrate fall : 
 Bring forth the royal diadem, 
 And crown him Lord of all. 
 Martyrs. 
 * [Crown him ye martyrs of our God, 
 Who from his altar call ; 
 Extol the stem of Jesse's rod, 
 And crown him Lord of all.] 
 Converted Jews. 
 
 3 [Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, 
 
 A remnant weak and small : 
 Hail him who saves you by his grace, 
 And crown him Lord of all.] 
 
 Believing Gentiles. 
 
 4 Ye Gentile sinners, ne'er forget 
 
 The wormwood and the gall ; 
 Go — spread your trophies at his feet, 
 And crown him Lord of all. 
 
 Sinners of every age. 
 
 5 [Babes, men and sires, who know his love, 
 
 Who feel your sin and thrall ; 
 Now joy with all the hosts above, 
 And crown him Lord of all. 
 
 Sinners of every nation. 
 • Let every kindred, every tribe 
 On this terrestrial ball, 
 To him all majesty ascribe, 
 And crown him Lord of all. 
 
28 
 
 Ourselves. 
 7 that, with yonder sacred throng. 
 We at his feet may fall ; 
 We'll join the everlasting song, 
 And crown him Lord of all. 
 
 HYMN 28, S. M. 
 
 "OLEST is the tie that binds 
 -■-* Our hearts in christian love : 
 The fellowship of kindred minds • 
 
 Is like to that above. 
 
 Before our Father's throne 
 
 We pour our ardent prayers ; 
 Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one. 
 
 Our comfort and oiyr cares. 
 
 We share our mutual woes ; 
 
 Our mutual burdens bear ; 
 And often for each other flows 
 
 The sympathizing tear. 
 
 When we asunder part, 
 
 It gives us inward pain, 
 But we shall still be join'd in heart 
 
 And hope to meet again. 
 
 This glorious hope revives 
 
 Our courage by the way ; 
 While each in expectation lives. 
 
 And longs to see the day. 
 
 From sorrow, toil and pain, 
 
 And sin, we shall be free ; 
 And perfect love and friendship reign 
 
 Thro' all eternity. 
 
 HYMN 29.— C. M. 
 1 iOOME, humble sinner, in whose breast 
 ^ A thousand thoughts revolve, 
 Come, with your guilt and fear opprest, 
 And make this lust resolve. 
 
29 
 
 << I'll go to Jesus, tho' my sin 
 
 " Hath like a mountain rose ; 
 il I know his courts, I'll enter in, 
 
 " Whatever may oppose. 
 " Prostrate Til lie before his throne, 
 
 " And there my guilt confess ; 
 " I'll tell him I'm a wretch undone, 
 
 " Without his sovereign grace. 
 " I'll to the gracious king approach, 
 
 " Whose sceptre pardon gives, 
 <c Perhaps he may command my touch 
 
 " And then the suppliant lives. 
 " Perhaps he will admit my plea, 
 
 «' Perhaps will hear my prayer ; 
 ci But if I perish I will pray, 
 
 <; And perish only there. 
 " I can but perish if I go, 
 
 " I am resolv'd to try : 
 * e For if I stay away, I know 
 
 " I must forever die." 
 
 HYMN 30. C. M. 
 
 1 TT shall be well, let sinners know. 
 ■*- With those that love the Lord ; 
 His saints have always found it so, 
 
 By resting on his word. 
 
 2 Peace, then, ye chasten 'd sons of God, 
 
 Why let vour sorrows swell ? 
 Wisdom directs your Father's rod — 
 His word says, it is well ? 
 
 3 Though like, the Shulamite of old, 
 
 Whose creature-comforts fell ; 
 Like her, let f ..ilh be strong and bold. 
 And answer, it is well. 
 
 4 Though you mij trials sharp endure, 
 
 From sin, ov death, or hell ; 
 Your heavenly Father's love is sure, 
 And therefore, it is well. 
 3* 
 
36 
 
 Soon will your sorrows all be o'er, 
 And you shall sweetly tell, 
 
 On Canaan's calm and pleasant shore, 
 That all at last is well. 
 
 HYMN 31. 104. 
 
 JEHOVAH hath said, 'tis left on record, 
 " The righteous are one with Jesus the Lord ;'* 
 At all times he loves them, 'twas for them he dy'd, 
 Yet oft times he proves them, for grace must be try"d. 
 
 Temptations and sins in legions shall rise, 
 As goads in thy side or thorns in thine eyes ; 
 And oft to thy sorrow his face he will hide, 
 For G,od hath determined thy grace shall be try'd. 
 
 With him on the mount, to-day thou shalt be 
 IndulgM by thy Lord, his glory to see ; 
 There he may caress thee, and call thee his bride ; 
 Yet grace, tho' he bless thee, shall surely be try'd. 
 
 As gold from the flame, he'll bring thee at last, 
 To praise him for all thro' which thou hast past ; 
 Then love everlasting thy griefs shall rcpa} r , 
 And God, from thine eyes, wipe all sorrows away. 
 
 HYMN 32. 6— -5's. k 2— 6's. 
 
 1 "IT^E servants of God, 
 
 •*■ Your master proclaim, 
 And publish abroad, 
 His wonderful name : 
 The name all victorious 
 Of Jesus extol ; 
 His kingdom is glorious, 
 And rules over all. 
 
 2 God ruleth on high, 
 Almighty to save ; 
 And still he is nigh, 
 His presence we have : 
 
SI 
 
 The great congregation 
 His triumph shall sing, 
 Ascribing salvation 
 To Jesus our King. 
 
 3 Salvation to God, 
 Who sits on his throne, 
 Let all cry aloud, 
 And honor the Son ; 
 Our Jesus' praises 
 The angels proclaim, 
 
 Fall down on their faces, 
 And worship the Lamb. 
 
 4 Then let us adore, 
 
 And give him his right ; 
 All glory and pow'r, 
 And wisdom and might ; 
 All honor and blessing, 
 With angels above, 
 And thanks never-ceasing, 
 And infinite love. 
 
 HYMN 33. L. M. 
 
 1 ORAY'R was appointed to convey 
 
 -■- The blessings God designs to give ; 
 Long as they live should christians pray, 
 For only while they pray, they live. 
 
 2 The christian's heart his pray'r indites, 
 He speaks as prompted from within ; 
 The Spirit bis petition writes, 
 
 And Chii<i receives, and gives it in. 
 
 3 [And wilt thou in dead silence lie, 
 
 When Christ ; :; unds waiting for thy pray'r .' 
 My soul, thou hast a friend on high ; 
 Arise, and tri thy interest there. 
 
 4 If pains affii ct, or wrongs oppress — 
 If cares distract, or fears dismay — 
 If guilt deject — if sin distress, 
 
 The remedy's before thee ! — pray.] 
 
32 
 
 'Tis pray'r supports the iouI that'* weak, 
 Tho' thought be broken — language lame ; 
 Pray, if thou canst, or canst not speak, 
 But Pray with faith in Jesus' name. 
 
 Depend on Christ — thou canst not fail : 
 Blake all thy wants and wishes known ; 
 Fear not — his merits must prevail ; 
 Ask what thou wilt, it shall be done. 
 
 HYMN 34. S. M. 
 
 1 /^ RACE ! 'tis a charming sound ! 
 ^-* Harmonious to the ear ! 
 
 Heaven with the echo shall resound, 
 And all the earth shall hear. 
 
 2 Grace first contriv'd the way 
 To save rebellious man, 
 
 And all the steps that grace display, 
 Which drew the wond'rous plan. 
 
 3 [Grace first inscrib'd my name 
 In God's eternal book ; 
 
 'Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb. 
 Who all my sorrows took.] 
 
 4 Grace led my roving feet, 
 To tread the heavenly road ; 
 
 And new supplies each hour I meet, 
 While pressing on to God. 
 
 » [Grace taught my soul to pray, 
 And made my eyes o'erflow : 
 'Twas grace which kept me to this day? 
 And will not let me go.] 
 
 » Grace all the work shall crown, 
 Thro' everlasting days ; 
 It lays in heaven the topmost stone, 
 And woll deserves the praise. 
 
33 
 
 HYMN 3b. 104. 
 
 1 ^T^HO' troubles assail and dangers affright, 
 
 - 1 - Tho' friends should all fail, and foes all unite, 
 Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide — 
 The scripture assures us, the Lord will provide. 
 
 £ [The birds, without barn, or store-house, are fed ; 
 From them let us learn to trust for our bread : 
 His saints what is fitting shall ne'er be deny'd, 
 So long as 'tis written, the Lord will provide. 
 
 3 We may, like the ships, by tempests be tost 
 On perilous deeps, b~it cannot be lost ; 
 Tho' Satan enrages t\e wind and the tide, 
 The promise enga^ the Lord will provide. 
 
 4 His call we obey, like Abrah'm of old ; 
 
 Not kn owing our way, but faith make us bold : 
 For tho' we are strangers, we have a good guide, 
 And trust, in all dangers, the Lord will provide. 
 
 b [When Satan appears to stop up our path, 
 And fills us with fears, we triumph by faith ; 
 He cannot take from us, tho' oft he has try'd, 
 This heart-cheering promise, the Lord will pro'ide. 
 
 6 He tells us we're weak, our hope is in vain — 
 The good that we seek, we ne'er shall obtain ; 
 But when such suggestions our spirits have ply'd. 
 This answers all questions, the Lord will provide. 
 
 7 No strength of our own, or goodness we claim ; 
 Yet since we have known the Saviour's great name, 
 In this our strong tow'r for safety we hide, 
 
 The Lord is our pow'r, the Lord will provide. 
 
 3 When life sinks apace, and death is in view, 
 This word of his grace shall comfort us through ; 
 No fearing or doubting, with Christ on our side, 
 We hope to die shouting — the Lord will provide. 
 
34 
 
 HYMN 3G.—~ L. M. 
 
 I T ASK'D the Lord, that I might grow 
 -* In faith and love, and ev'ry grace- 
 Might more of his salvation know, 
 And seek more earnestly his face. 
 
 ( ,2 'Twas he who taught me thus to pray, 
 And he, I trust, has answer'd pray'r ; 
 But it has been in such a way, 
 As almost drove me to despair. 
 
 3 I hop'd that in some favour'd hour, 
 At once he'd answer my request ; 
 And by his love's constraining pow'r, 
 Subdue my sins, and give me rest. 
 
 4 Instead of this, he mode me feel 
 The hidden evils of my heart, 
 And let the angry pow'rs of hell 
 Assault my soul in ev'ry part. 
 
 5 Yea, more, with his own hand he seemM 
 Intent to aggravate my woe — 
 
 Cross'd all the fair designs I schem'd, 
 Blasted my gourds, and laid me low. 
 
 6 " Lord, why is this ?" I trembling cry'd ; 
 " Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death ??' 
 " 'Tis in this way," the Lord reply'd, 
 
 I answer pray'r for grace and faith. : 
 
 7 " These inward trials I employ, 
 
 " From self and pride to set thee free ; 
 " And break thy schemes of earthly joy, 
 " That thou may'st seek thy all in me." 
 
 HYMN 38. C. M. 
 
 T/f/"HEN any turn from Sion's way. 
 
 * " (Alas what numbers do !) 
 Methinks I hear my Saviour say, 
 
 "Wilt thou forsake me to ?" 
 Ah, Lord, with such a heart as mine, 
 
 Unless thou hold me fast, 
 
35 
 
 I feel I must, I shall decline, 
 And prove like them at last. 
 
 2 [Yet thou alone hast pow'r, I know, 
 
 To save a wretch like me : 
 
 To whom, or whither could I go, 
 
 If I should turn from thee ? 
 
 1 Beyond a doubt I rest assur'd, 
 Thou art the Christ of God ; 
 Who hast eternal life secur'd, 
 By promise and by blood.] 
 
 3 The help of men and angels join'd 
 
 Could never reach my case ; 
 Nor can I hope relief to find, 
 But in thy boundless grace. 
 
 $ ¥o voice but thine can give me rest, 
 And bid my fears depart ; 
 No love but thine can make me blest, 
 And satisfy my heart. 
 
 7 What anguish has that question stirr'd. 
 If I will also go ? 
 Yet, Lord, relying on thy word, 
 1 humbly answer — no ! 
 
 HYMN 39. S. M. 
 
 T^OL'R harps, ye trembling saints, 
 •*• Down from the willows take ; 
 Loud to the praise of Christ our Lord 
 Bid every string awake. 
 
 Tho' in a foreign land, 
 We are not far from home ; 
 And nearer to our house above, 
 We every moment come. 
 
 His grace shall to the end 
 Stronger and brighter shine ; 
 Nor present things, northings to come, 
 Shall quench the spark divine. 
 
3a 
 
 The time of love will come, 
 
 When we shall clearly see 
 Not only that he shed his blood, 
 
 But each shall say, for me. 
 
 Tarry his leisure then, 
 
 Wait the appointed hour ; 
 Wait 'till the bridegroom of your S3uls 
 
 Reveal his love with power. 
 
 Blest is the man, O God, 
 
 Thatstnys himself on thee ! 
 Who waits for thy salvation, Lord, 
 
 Shall thy salvation see. 
 
 HYMN 40. 7's. 
 
 1 /CHILDREN of the heavenly King, 
 ^- / As ye journey, sweetly sing ; 
 Sing your Saviour s worthy praise, 
 Glorious in ins works and ways. 
 
 2 Ye are travelling home to God, 
 In the way the lathers trod ; 
 They are happy now, and ye 
 Soon their happiness shall see. 
 
 3 O ye banish'! seed be glad ! 
 
 i Christ our !\ ooaie is made ; 
 Us to save, Oil- flesh assumes, 
 Brother to our souls becomes. 
 
 4 Shout, ye little tlock, and blest, 
 You on Jesus' throne shall rest ; 
 There your seat is now prepar'd, 
 There your kingdom and reward. 
 
 5 Fear not, brethren, joyful stand 
 On the borders of your land ; 
 Jesus Christ, your Father's Son, 
 Bids you undismay'd go on. 
 
 6 Lord! suS •.-•lie make us go, 
 Gladly k : v; all below ; 
 Only the :-, ; r i eader be, 
 And we s.ti i ■> ill follow Uace I 
 
37 
 
 HYMN 41. ll's. 
 
 1 Hp HY mercy, my God, is the theme of my song, 
 
 -*- The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongiu 
 Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last, 
 Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast. 
 
 2 Without thy sweet mercy 1 could not live here, 
 Sin soon would reduce me to utter despair ; 
 But thro' thy sweet goodness, my spirits revive, 
 And he that first made. me, still keeps me alive. 
 
 3 Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart, 
 Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart ; 
 Dissolv'd by thy goodness, I fall to the ground, 
 And weep to the praise of the mercy I found. 
 
 4 The door of thy mercy stands open all day 
 
 To the poor and the needy, who knock by the w 
 No sinner shall ever be empty sent back, 
 Who comes seeking mercy for Jesus's sake. 
 
 » Thy mercy in Jesus exempts me from hell ; 
 Its glories I'll sing, and its wonders I'll tell ; 
 'Twas Jesus my friend, when he hung on the tree, 
 Who open'd the channel of mercy for me. 
 
 m Great Father of mercies, thy goodness I own, 
 And the covenant love of thy crucified Son, 
 All praise to the Spirit, whose whisper divine, 
 Seals mercy and pardon, and righteousness mine. 
 
 HYMN 42. L. M. 
 
 4 WAKE, my soul, in joyful lays, 
 ^*- And sing thy great Redeemer's praise 
 He justly claims a song from me, 
 His loving-kindness, O how free ! 
 
 He saw me ruin'd by the fall, 
 Yet lov'd me notwithstanding all ; 
 He sav'd me from my lost estate, 
 His loving- kindness, O how great' 
 4 
 
38 
 
 3 Tho* num'rous hosts of mighty foes, 
 Tho' earth and hell my way oppose ; 
 He safely leads my soul along, 
 
 His loving-kindness, O how strong ! 
 
 4 When trouble, like a gloomy cloud, 
 Has gather'd thick and thunder'd loud, 
 He near my soul has always stood, 
 His loving-kindness, O how good I 
 
 5 Often I feel my sinful heart 
 Prone from my Jesus to depart ; 
 But tho' I have him oft forgot, 
 His loving-kindness changes not. 
 
 6 Soon shall I pass the gloomy vale — 
 Soon all my mortal pow'rs must fail ; 
 O may my last expiring breath 
 
 His loving-kindness sing in death 1 
 
 7 Then let me mount and soar away 
 To the bright world of endless day ; 
 And sing, with rapture and surprise, 
 His loving-kindness in the skies. 
 
 #^OME all ye weary Pilgrims, 
 ^-^ Who feel your need of Christ, 
 
 HYMN 43. 7 & 6. 
 
 * your 
 Surrounded by temptations, 
 And by the world despis'd ; 
 Attend to what I'll tell you, 
 My exercise I'll shew, 
 And then you may inform me 
 If it be so with you. 
 2 Long time I liv'd in darkness. 
 Nor saw my dang'rous state, 
 And when I was awaken'd 
 I thought it was too late : 
 A lost and helpless sinner, 
 Myself I plainly saw, 
 Expos'd to God's displeasure, 
 Condemned by his law. 
 
I thought the brute creation 
 Was better off than me, 
 I spent my days in anguish, 
 In pain and misery : 
 Thro' deep distress and sorrow, 
 My Saviour led me on, 
 Reveal'd to me his kindness, 
 When all my hopes were gone. 
 When first I was deliver'd, 
 I hardly could believe 
 That I so vile a sinner, 
 Such favours should receive ; 
 Altho' his solemn praises 
 Were flowing from my tongue, 
 Yet fears were oft suggested, 
 That yet I might be wrong. 
 But soon these fears were banish'd 
 And tears began to flow, 
 That I so vile a sinner, 
 Should be beloved so : 
 I thought my trials over, 
 And all my troubles gone, 
 And joy, and peace, and pleasure, 
 Should be my lot alone. 
 But now I find a warfare, 
 Which often bends me low, 
 The world, the flesh, and Satan, 
 They do beset me so ; 
 Can one who is a Christian, 
 Have such a heart as mine 1 
 I fear I never witness'd 
 Th' effects of love divine. 
 ' I find I'm often backward, 
 To do my Master's will, 
 Or else 1 want the glory 
 Of what I do fulfil. 
 In duties I feel weakness, 
 And oftentimes I find 
 A hard deceitful spirit, 
 And wretched wandering mind. 
 
40 
 
 8 Sure others do not feel 
 What's often felt by me, 
 Such trials and temptations, 
 Perhaps, they never see : 
 For I'm the chief of sinners, 
 1 freely own with Paul ; 
 And if I am a Christian. 
 
 1 am the least of all. 
 
 9 And now I have related 
 What trials I have seen, 
 Perhaps my brethren know what 
 Such sore temptations mean, 
 I've told you of my conflicts. 
 Believe my friends 'tis true, 
 And now you may infqrm me. 
 
 If it be so with you. 
 
 HYMN 50. C. M, 
 
 1 TN all my Lord's appointed ways, 
 ■*- My journey I'll pursue : 
 Hinder me not, ye much-lov'd saints. 
 
 For I must go with you. 
 
 2 Thro' floods and flames, if Jesus lead, 
 
 I'll follow where he goes : 
 
 Hinder me not shall be my cry, 
 
 Tho' earth and hell oppose. 
 
 [3 " Stay," says the world, ic and taste awhile 
 " My ev'ry pleasant sweet ;" 
 Hinder me not., my soul replies, 
 Because the way is great. 
 
 4 " Stay," satan, my old master, cries, 
 
 " Or force shall thee detain ;" 
 Hinder me not, I will be gone — 
 My God hath broke thy chain.] 
 
 5 Thro' duty and thro' trials too, 
 
 I'll go at his command ; 
 
41 
 
 Hinder me not, for I am bound 
 To my Immanuel's land. 
 
 And when my Saviour calls me home ? 
 Still this my cry shall be — 
 
 Hinder me not — come welcome death- 
 Til gladly go with thee. 
 
 HYMN 51. C. M. 
 
 1 (\N Jordan's stormy banks I stand, 
 ^-^ And cast a wishful eye 
 To Canaan's fair and happy land, 
 Where my possessions lie. 
 
 5 the transporting, rapt'rous scene, 
 That rises to my sight \ 
 Sweet fields, array'd in living green, 
 And rivers of delight! 
 
 3 There gen'rous fruits that never fail, 
 
 On trees immortal grow ; 
 There rocks and hills, and brooks and vales.. 
 With milk and honey flow. 
 
 4 When shall I reach that happy place, 
 
 And be for ever blest 1 
 When shall I see my Father's face, 
 And in his bosom rest ? 
 
 5 FilPd with delight, my raptur'd soul 
 
 Would here no longer stay : 
 Tho' Jordan's waves around me roll. 
 Fearless I'd launch away. 
 
 HYMN 52. C. M. 
 
 1 AMIa soldier of the cross, 
 •**■ A follower of the Lamb ? 
 And shall 1 fear to own his came,, 
 Or blush to ipeak his name ? 
 4* 
 
42 
 
 Are there no foes for me to face ? 
 
 Must I not stein the flood ? 
 Is this vain world a friend to grace, 
 
 To help us on to God ? 
 
 Shall I be carried to the skies, 
 
 On flow'ry beds of ease ; 
 While others fight to win the prize? 
 
 And sail through bloody seas 1 
 
 Sure I must fight, if I would reign, 
 Increase my courage, Lord, 
 
 To bear the cross, endure the shame. 
 Supported by thy word. 
 
 The saints all in this glorious war, 
 Shall conquer, though they die ; 
 
 They see a triumph from afar, 
 And seize it with their eye. 
 
 When that illustrious morn shall rise, 
 And all thine armies shine, 
 
 With robes of vict'ry through the skies 
 The glory shall be thine. 
 
 HYMN 53. U's. 
 
 f ^OME, brethren and sisters, that love my dear Lord 
 ^~ 7 I pray give attention and ear to my word ; 
 What wonder of mercy ! behold now I see, 
 What a tender, kind, Saviour has done for poor me, 
 
 I was led by the devil, till lost and distrest, 
 I tho't that in torments I soon should be cast : 
 
 ^eace to the wicked, but all misery, 
 Till by faith I saw Jesus hang bleeding for me. 
 
 sinner, said Jesus, for you I have died : 
 All glory to Jesus my soul then reply'd ; 
 The guilt was removed my soul did rejoice ; 
 The blood was applied, the witness and voice. 
 
 On rny low bending knees, before God I did fall; 
 All glory to Jesus, for he's all in all ; 
 
43 
 
 The heart of this rebel was bursted in twain, 
 To see my dear Jesus on Calvary slain. 
 
 5 There was peace now in heaven, and peace upon earth, 
 The angel's rejoice at a poor sinner's birth : 
 Your sins are forgiven, my Saviour did say, 
 O witness, kind heaven, on this my birth day. 
 
 t» My soul it was humbled, I fell to the ground, 
 The time of refreshing at length I have found : 
 O Lord, thou hast ravish'd my soul with thy charms, 
 Let me die now like Simeon, with Christ in my arm*. 
 
 HYMN 54. 7 & 6. 
 
 1 f\ WHEN shall I see Jesus, 
 ^^ And reign with him above ; 
 And from that flowing fountain 
 
 Drink everlasting love ? 
 When shall I be deliver'd 
 
 From this vain world of sin, 
 And with my blessed Jesus 
 
 Drink endless pleasures in ? 
 
 2 But now I am a soldier, 
 
 My Captain's gone before, 
 He's given me my orders, 
 
 And bid me not give o'er ! 
 His faithful word has promis'd 
 
 A righteous crown to give, 
 And all his valiant soldiers 
 
 Eternal life shall have. 
 
 3 Tiirough grace, I am determined 
 
 To conquer, though I die, 
 And then away to Jesus, 
 
 On wings of love I'll fly. 
 Farewell to sin and sorrow, 
 
 I bid you all adieu ; 
 And O, my friends prove faithful, 
 
 And on your way pursue. 
 
44 
 
 4 And if you meet with troubles 
 
 And trials ©n your way, 
 Then cast your cares on Jessus, 
 
 And don't forget to pray. 
 Gird on the heav'nly armour 
 
 Of faith and hope, and love, 
 Then, when the combat's ended. 
 
 He'll carry you above. 
 
 5 O do not be discourag'd, 
 
 For Jesus is your friend , 
 And if you want more knowledge, 
 
 He'll not refuse to lend : 
 Neither will he upbraid you, 
 
 Though oft'ner you request ; 
 He'll give you grace to conquer. 
 
 And take you home to rest. 
 
 6 And when the last loud trumpet 
 
 Shall rend the vaulted skies, 
 And bid the sleeping millions 
 
 From their cold beds arise, 
 Our ransom'd dust, revived, 
 
 Bright beauties shall put on, 
 And soar to the blest mansion 
 
 Where our Redeemer's gone. 
 
 7 Our eyes shall then with rapture 
 
 The Saviour's face behold j 
 Our feet, no more diverted, 
 
 Shall walk the streets of gold ; 
 Our ears shall h&dr with transport 
 
 The hosts celestial sing ; 
 Our tongues shall chant the glories 
 
 Of oui immortal King. 
 
 3 There we shall reign triumphant 
 Upon the blissful shore, 
 And shout with the redeemed, 
 
 " Our trials all are o'er ; 
 " The wicked cease from troubling,, 
 " Our weary souls have rest j 
 
45 
 
 ^ c We now shall live with Jems 
 
 " Eternal ages blest." 
 We shall outvie the angels 
 
 With the redeemed throng. 
 And shout aloud, " Salvation I" 
 
 'Twill be our endless sons;. 
 They sing creating goodness, 
 
 But we redeeming love ; 
 Tis this shall be our glory 
 
 In realms of joy above. 
 
 HYMN 55. L. M. 
 
 1 ^THHE gold and silver are the Lord's, 
 
 And ev'ry blessing earth affords ; 
 All come from his propitious hand, 
 And must return at his command. 
 
 2 The blessings which I now enjoy, 
 
 I must for Christ and souls employ ; 
 For if I use them as my own, 
 My Lord will soon call in his loan. 
 
 3 When I to him in want apply, 
 He never does my suit deny ; 
 And shall I then refuse to give, 
 Since I so much from him receive ? 
 
 4 Shall Jesus leave the realms of day, 
 And clothe himself in humble clay ? 
 Shall he become despis'd and poor. 
 To make me rich forever more ? 
 
 5 And shall I wickedly withhold, 
 To give my silver or my gold ? 
 To aid a cause my soul approves, 
 And save the sinners Jesus loves ? 
 
 G Expand my heart — incline me, Lord, 
 To give the whole I can afford ; 
 That what thy bounty render'd mine, 
 I may with cheerful hands resign, 
 
46 
 
 HYNN 56. L. M. 
 
 The Hiding Place. 
 
 1 TLZT AIL, sov'reign love that first began 
 -"--*- The scheme to rescue fallen man : 
 Hail, matchless, free, and sov'reign grace, 
 That gave my soul a hiding place ! 
 
 2 Against the God that built the sky, 
 I fought, with hands uplifted high ; 
 Despis'd the mansions of his grace, 
 Too proud to seek a hiding place I 
 
 3 En wrapt in dark Egyptian night, 
 And fond of darkness more than light, 
 Madly I run the sinful race, 
 Secure without a hiding place ! 
 
 4 But lo ! th' eternal counsel ran, 
 Almighty love ! arrest the man ! 
 I felt the arrows of distress, 
 And found I had no hiding place ! 
 
 5 Jehovah's justice stood in view, 
 To Sinai's fiery mount I flew ; 
 
 But Justice cry'd with frowning face, 
 Thio mountain is no hiding place ! 
 
 6 But lo ! a heavenly voice I heard, 
 And mercy's angel soon appear'd l . 
 He led me on a pleasing pace, 
 
 To Jesus Christ, my hiding place. 
 
 7 Should seven-fold streams of vengeance roll. 
 And shake this globe from pole to pole : 
 No thunder bolts shall daunt my face. 
 
 For Jesus is my hiding place ! 
 
 8 A few more rolling suns, at most, 
 Shall land me on fair Canaan's coast, 
 Where I shall sing the song of grace, 
 And see my glorious Hiding Place. 
 
47 
 
 HYMN 57. L. M. 
 
 1 T11IS finish'd ! so the Saviour cry'd, 
 
 -■- And meekly bow'd his head, and died; 
 'Tis finish'd — yes, the race is run, 
 The battle fought, the victory won. 
 
 2 'Tis finish'd — all that heaven decreed* 
 And all the ancient prophets said, 
 
 Is now fulfilPd, as was design'd, 
 In me, the Saviour of mankind. 
 
 3 'Tis finish'd — Aaron now no more 
 Must stain his robes with purple gore ; 
 The sacred vale is rent in twain, 
 
 And Jewish rites no more remain. 
 
 4 'Tis finish'd — this my dying groan 
 Shall sins of every kind atone : 
 Millions shall be redeem'd from death, 
 By this my last expiring breath. 
 
 5 'Tis finish'd — heaven is reconcil'd, 
 And all the powers of darkness spoil'd I 
 Peace, love and happiness again 
 Return and dwell with sinful men. 
 
 6 'Tis finish'd— let the joyful sound 
 
 Be heard through all the nations round ; 
 
 'Tis finish'd— let the echo fly 
 
 Thro' heaven and hell, thro' earth and sky. 
 
 HYMN 58. L. M. 
 
 I know that my Redeemer lives. 
 
 1 T KNOW that my Redeemer lives ; 
 
 -*■ What comfort this sweet sentence gives- 
 He lives, he lives, who once was dead, 
 He lives, my ever living Head ! 
 
 2 He lives, triumphant from the grave, 
 He lives, eternally to save ; 
 
 He lives, all glorious in the sky, 
 He lives, exalted far on high 1 
 
48 
 
 3 lie lives, fo bless me with his love, 
 He lives, to plead my cause above ; 
 He lives, my hungry soul to feed 
 He lives, to help in time of need. 
 
 4 He lives, to grant me full supplies, 
 He lives, to bless me with his eyes ; 
 He lives, to comfort me when faint, 
 He lives, to hear my soul's complaint. 
 
 5 He lives, to crush the powers of hell, 
 He lives, that he may in me dwell ; 
 He lives, to heal and keep me whole, 
 He lives, to guide my feeble soul. 
 
 6 He lives, to banish all my fears, 
 He lives, to wipe away my tears ; 
 He lives, to calm my troubled heart, 
 He lives, all blessings to impart. 
 
 7 He lives, my kind and gracious friend, 
 He lives, and loves me to the end ; 
 He lives, and while he lives 111 sing, 
 He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. 
 
 $ He lives, and grants me daily breath, 
 He lives, to conquer sin and death ; 
 He lives, my mansion to prepare, 
 He lives, to bring me safely there. 
 
 9 He lives, all glory to his name, 
 He lives my Jesus still the same ; 
 O ! the sweet joy this sentence gives, 
 " I know that nay Redeemer lives.'* 
 
 HYMN 59. C. M. 
 
 1 (DINNERS, this solemn truth regard ! 
 ^ Hear, all ye sons of men ; 
 
 For Christ, the Saviour, hath declar'd, 
 " Ye must be born again. 7 ' 
 
 2 Whate'er might be your birth or blood, 
 
 The sinner's boast is vain ; 
 Thus s«ith the glorious Son of God, 
 "' Ye must be born again." 
 
49 
 
 3 Our nature's totally deprav'd — 
 The heart a sink of sin ; 
 Without a change we can't be sav'd ; 
 " Ye must be born again." 
 [4 That which is born of flesh is flesh, 
 And flesh it will remain ; 
 Then marvel not that Jesus saith, 
 " Ye must be born again.'*] 
 
 5 Spirit of life thy grace impart, 
 
 And breathe on sinners slain ; 
 Bear witness, Lord, in ev'ry heart, 
 That we are born again. 
 
 6 Dear Saviour let us now begin 
 
 To trust and love thy word ; 
 And, by forsaking ev'ry sin, 
 Prove we are born of God. 
 
 HYMN 60 C. M. 
 
 1 PT1HE time is short ! the season near, 
 
 -*- When death will us remove ; 
 To leave our friends, however dear, 
 And all we fondly love. 
 
 2 The time is short ! sinners beware, 
 
 Nor trifle time away ; 
 The word of great solvation hear, 
 While it is call'd to-day. 
 
 3 The time is short ! ye sinners, now 
 
 To Christ the Lord submit ; 
 To mercy's golden sceptre bow, 
 And fall at Jesus' feet. 
 
 4 The time is short ! ye saints rejoice — 
 
 The Lord will quickly come : 
 Soon shall you hear your Bridegroom's voice, 
 To call you to your home. 
 
 5 The time is short ! it swiftly flies — 
 
 The hour is just at hand, 
 < When we shall mount above the skies, 
 And reach the wish'd-for land. 
 5 
 
50 
 
 The time is short !— -the moment near 
 When we shall dwell above ; 
 
 And he forever happy there, 
 With Jesus, whom we love. 
 
 HYMN 61. L. M. 
 
 3 T£ INDREDin ChBSt, for his dear sake, 
 A hearty welcof|£ here receive ; 
 May we together now partake 
 The joys which only he can give. 
 
 2 To you and us, by grace 'tis giv'n, 
 
 To know the Saviour's precious name ; 
 And shortly we shall meet in heaven, 
 Oar hope, our way, our end the same. 
 
 3 May he, by whose kind care we meet, 
 Send his good Spirit from above ; 
 Make our communications sweet, 
 
 And cause our hearts to burn with love. 
 
 [4 Forgotten be each worldly them,e 
 When Christians meet together thus ; 
 We only wish to speak of him, 
 Wholiv'd, and dy'd, and reigns for us. 
 
 5 We'll talk of all he did and said, 
 And suffer'd for us here below ; 
 The path he mark'd for us to tread. 
 And what he's doing for us now.] 
 
 .6 Thus, as the moments pass away, 
 We'll love, and wonder, and adore ; 
 And hasten on the glorious day, 
 When we shall meet to part no more. 
 
 HYMN 62. C. M. 
 
 1 XTE saints, attend the Saviour's voice, 
 ■*• And hear his words of grace ; 
 He says — and let your hearts rejoice— 
 " In me ye shall have peace." 
 
51 
 
 2 Tho' storms and tempests round you roar, 
 
 And foes and fears increase, 
 fie says — and what could he say more — 
 " In me ye shall have peace " 
 
 3 What tho' corruption dwell within, 
 
 Nor does the coniiict cease ; 
 lie says, in spite of hell and sin, 
 " In me ye shall have peaUJ£" 
 
 4 Tho' you must pass thro' death's cold flood 
 
 To gain your wish'd release, 
 He says, and sure he'll make it good, 
 '"' In me ye shall have peace." 
 
 h When you his face in glory view 
 Where joy can ne'er decrease ; 
 Eternity shall prove ii true, 
 In him ye shall hare peace. 
 
 HYMN 63. 8 k, 7. 
 
 1 "ORECIOUS Bible! what a treasure 
 ■*- Does the word of God afford ; 
 All I want for life or pleasure, 
 
 Food and med'cine, shield and sword ; 
 Let the world account me poor, 
 Having this, I need no more. 
 
 2 Food to which the world's a stranger, 
 Here my hungry soul enjoys ; 
 
 Of excess there is no danger, 
 Though it fills, it never cloys ; 
 On a dying Christ I feed, 
 He is meat and drin:< indeed ! 
 
 3 When my hope is faint and sickly, 
 Or when s.itan wounds my mind ; 
 Cordials to revive me quickly, 
 Healing med cines here I find ; 
 To the promises I flee, 
 
 Each affords a remedy. 
 
\ 62 
 
 In the hour of dark temptation, 
 Satan cannot make me yield ; 
 For the word of consolation 
 Is to me a mighty shield : 
 While the scripture truth is sure, 
 From his malice I'm secure. 
 
 Vain is the threats to overcome me, 
 •When I take the Spirit's sword ; 
 Then with ease 1 drive him from me. 
 Satan trembles at the word : 
 J Tis a sword for conquest made, 
 Keen the edge, and strong the blade. 
 
 Shall I envy then the miser, 
 
 Doating on his golden store ? 
 
 Sure I am, or should be wiser, 
 
 I am rich, 'tis he is poor : 
 
 Jesus gives me in his word, 
 
 Food and med'cine, shield and sword. 
 
 HYMN 64. 7's. 
 
 1 TESUS, lover of my soul, 
 ** Let me to thy bosom fly, 
 While the raging billows roll, 
 
 While the tempest still is high ! 
 Hide me, O my Saviour, hide, 
 
 Till the storm of life is pas>t ; 
 Safe into the haven guide ; 
 
 O receive my soul at last ! 
 
 2 Other refuge have I none, 
 
 Hangs my helpless soul on thee, 
 Leave, ah ! leave me not alone, 
 
 Still support and comfort me : 
 All my trust on thee is stay'd, 
 
 All my help from thee 1 bring ; 
 Cover my defenceless head 
 
 With the shadow of thy wing. 
 
53 
 
 3 Thou, O Christ, art all I want ; 
 
 All in All in thee 1 find : 
 Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, 
 
 Heal the sick and lead the blind : 
 Just nnd holy is thy name, 
 
 1 am ;ill unrighteousness, 
 Vile and full of sin I am, 
 
 Thou art full of truth and grace. 
 I Plenteous grace with thee is found, 
 
 Grace to pnrdon all mv sin ; 
 Let the herding streams abound ; 
 
 Make and keep me pure within, 
 Thou of life the fountain art, 
 
 Freely let me tnke of thee : 
 Spring thou up within my heart, 
 
 Rise to all eternity, 
 
 HYMN 65 C. M. 
 
 1 TT is the Lord, enthron'd in light, 
 -*- Whose claims are all divine, 
 Who has an undisputed right, 
 
 To govern me and mine. 
 
 2 It is the Lord, who gives me all — 
 
 My wealth, my friends, my ease ; 
 And of his bounties may recall 
 Whatever part he please. 
 
 3 It is the Lord — should I distrust, 
 
 Or contradict his will ? 
 Who cannot do but what is just, 
 And must be righteous still 
 
 4 It is the Lord, who can sustain 
 
 Beneath the heaviest load, 
 
 From whom assistnnce I obtain 5 
 
 To tread the thorny road. 
 
 5 It is the Lord, whose matchless skill, 
 
 Can from afflictions raise 
 Matter eternity to fill 
 With ever growing praise. 
 5* 
 
54 
 
 6 It is the Lord, my cov'nant God, 
 
 Thrice blessed be his name, 
 Whose gracious promise, seal'd with blood. 
 Must ever be the same. 
 
 7 His cov'nant will my soul defend, 
 
 Should nature's self expire ; 
 And the great Judge of all descend 
 In awful flames of fire. 
 
 8 And can my soul, with hopes like these, 
 
 Be sullen or repine ? 
 No — let the Lord take what he please ; 
 To him I all resign ! 
 
 HYMN 6fS. L. M. 
 
 T/lfHERE two or three, with sweet accord. 
 
 * * Obedient to thieir sovereign Lord, 
 Meet to recount his acts of grace, 
 And offer solemn pray'rand praise. 
 
 " There," saith the Saviour, " will 1 be, 
 
 " Amid that little company ; 
 
 " To them unveil my smiling face, 
 
 " And shed my glories round the place.''* 
 
 We meet at thy command, O Lord, 
 Relying on thy faithful word : 
 
 send thy Spirit from above, 
 To manifest thy dying love. 
 
 HYMN 67. C. M. 
 
 "OW sweet, how heavenly is the sight. 
 When those who love the Lord, 
 hi one another's peace delight, 
 And so fulfill his word ! 
 
 O may we feel each brother's sigh, 
 And with him bear a part : 
 ! s llow from eye to eye, 
 
 7 from heart to heart. 
 
55 
 
 Free us from envy, scorn, and pride, 
 
 Our wishes fix above ; 
 May each his brothers fillings hide, 
 
 And shew a brother's love. 
 
 Let love, in one delightful stream, 
 
 Through every bosom flow ; 
 And union sweet and dear esteem, 
 
 In ev'ry action glow. 
 Love is the golden chain that binds 
 
 The happy souls above ; 
 And he's an heir of heav'n that finds 
 
 His bosom glow with love. 
 
 HYMN 68.- 8 8 6. 
 
 "CT7HEN thou my righteous Judge shalt come, 
 ™ * To fetch thy ransora'd people home, 
 
 Shall I among them st;md ? 
 Shall such a worthless worm as I, 
 Who sometime am afraid to die ; 
 
 Be found at thy right hand ? 
 I love to meet among them now, 
 Before thy gracious feet to bow, 
 
 Tho' vibst of them all ; 
 But can I bear the piercing thought ? 
 "What if my name should be left out. 
 
 When thou for them shalt call ! 
 Prevent, prevent it by thy grace ; 
 Be thou, dear Lord, m) hiding place, 
 
 In this th' accepted day : 
 Thy pardoning voice, O let me hear, 
 To still my unbelieving fear ; 
 
 Nor let nie fall, I pray. 
 
 Let me among thy saints be found, 
 Whene er th' archangel's trump shall sound 
 
 To see thy smiling face ; 
 Then loudest of the crowd 1 "11 sing, 
 Whde heavens resounding mansions ring 
 
 With shouts of sovereign grace. 
 
56 
 
 HYMN 69. C. M. 
 
 \ f~\ HAPPY souls, who dwell above, 
 
 ^-^ In God's immediate sight ; 
 They glow with everlasting love. 
 And shine divinely bright. 
 
 2 O what a Sabbath they enjoy, 
 
 Now freed from ev'rysin ; 
 While Jesus' love is their employ, 
 And endless praise their theme. 
 
 3 O may 1 breathe that heavenly air, 
 
 And feast on joys divine ; 
 I And sing and praise my Saviour there, 
 And in his glories shine. 
 
 4 ' Thy presence beams eternal day 
 
 0>r all the blissful place ; 
 Who would not drop this load of clay, 
 And die to see thy face V 
 
 HYMN 70. C. M. 
 
 Sabbath Morning. 
 J ^"^OME, dearest Lord, and feed thy sheep, 
 ^" / On this sweet day of rest ; 
 O bless thy flock, and make thy fold 
 Enjoy an heavenly rest. 
 
 ? Welcome, and precious to my soul. 
 Are these sweet days of love ; 
 But what a Sabbath shall I keep, 
 When I shall rest above ! 
 
 3 I come, I wait, I hear, I pray, 
 
 Thy footsteps, Lord, I trace, 
 Here, in thine own appointed way, 
 I wait to see thy face.' 
 
 4 These are the sweet and precious days 
 
 On which my Lord I've seen ; 
 And oft, when feasting on his word. 
 In raptures I have been. 
 
57 
 
 5 O if my soul, when deaih nppears, 
 
 In this sweet fr^me he found : 
 
 I'd clasp my Saviour in mine arms, 
 
 And leave this earthly ground. 
 
 6 I long for that delightful hour, 
 
 When from this • lav und rest, 
 I shall be cloth'd in rohes divine, 
 And made forever blest. 
 
 HYMN 71. S.M. | 
 
 Evening Hymn. 
 
 1 PTHHE day is past and gone, 
 
 -■- The evening shades appear ; 
 O may we all remember well 
 The night of death draws near. 
 
 2 We lay our garments by, 
 
 Upon our beds to rest ; 
 So death will soon disrobe us all 
 Of what we here profess. 
 
 3 Lord keep us safe tins night, 
 
 Secure from all our fears ; 
 May angels guard us while we sleep, 
 Till morning light appears. 
 
 4 And if we early rise, 
 
 And view the unwearied sun, 
 May we set out to win the prize, 
 And after g'ory ran. 
 
 5 And when our days are past, 
 
 And we from time remove, 
 O may we in thy bosom rest, 
 The bosom of thy love. 
 
 
 HYMN 71. C. M. 
 
 Z^IOME, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove. 
 ^^ With all thy quickening powers, 
 Kindle a flame of sacred love 
 In these cold hearts of ours, 
 
58 
 
 2 Look how we grovel here below. 
 
 Fond of these trifling toys : 
 Our souls can neither fly nor go, 
 To reach eternal joys. 
 
 3 In vain we tune our formal songs, 
 
 In vain we strive to rise ; 
 Hosannas languish on our tongues, 
 And our devotion dies. 
 
 4 Dear Lord, and shall we ever live 
 
 At this poor, dying r ite ? 
 Our love so faint, so cold to thee, 
 lft. And thine to us so great ? 
 
 5 Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove, 
 
 With all thy quickening powers ; 
 Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love. 
 And that shail kindle ours. 
 
 HYMN 72. S. M. 
 
 1 |^1 OME, we that love the Lord, 
 ^^ And let our joys be known, 
 Join in a song with sweet accord, 
 
 And thus surround the throne. 
 
 2 The sorrows of the mind 
 
 Be banish'd from the place 1 
 Religion never was design d 
 To make our pleasures less. 
 
 3 Let those refuse to sing 
 
 That never knew our God ; 
 But favorites of the heavenly King 
 May speak their joys abroad. 
 
 4 The God that rules on high, 
 
 And thunders when he please, 
 That rides upon the stormy sky. 
 And manages the seas ; 
 
59 
 
 5 This awful God is our's, 
 
 Our Father, and our love ; 
 He shall send dovn his heavenly powers 
 To carry us above. 
 
 6 There we shall see his face, 
 
 And never, never sin ; 
 There, from th- rivers of his grace, 
 Drink, endless pleasures in. 
 
 7 Yes, and before we rise 
 
 To that immortal state, 
 The thoughts of such amazing bliss, 
 Should constant joys create. 
 
 Glory begun below ; 
 Celestial fruits on earthly ground 
 From faith and hope may grow. 
 
 9 The hill of Sion yields 
 
 A thousand sacred sweets, 
 Before we reach the heavenly fields, 
 Or walk the golden streets. 
 
 10 Then let our songs abound, 
 And every tear be dry ; 
 We're marching thro' ImmanuePs ground, 
 To fairer worlds on high. 
 
 HYMN 73. C. BT. 
 
 1 4 LAS ! and did my Saviour bleed 
 -^- And did my Sovereign die ? 
 Would he devote that Sacred head 
 
 For such a worm as I ? 
 
 2 Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, thine, 
 
 And bath'd in its own blood, 
 
 While all expos'd to wrath divine, 
 
 The glorious sufferer stood ! 
 
60 
 
 3 Was it for crimes that I had done, 
 
 He groan'd upon the tr<°e ? 
 Amazing pity ! grace unknown! 
 And love beyond degree ! 
 
 4 Well might the sun in dnrkness hide, 
 
 And shut his glories in, 
 When God, the mighty Maker, died, 
 For man, the creature's sin. 
 
 5 Thus might I hide my blushing face, 
 
 While his dear cross appears, 
 
 Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, 
 
 And melt mine heart in tears. 
 
 6 But drops of grief can ne'er repay 
 
 The debt of love I owe : 
 Here, Lord, I give myself away ; 
 ? Tis all that I can do. 
 
 HYMN 74. C. M. 
 
 ^LVATION! O, the joy ful sound! 
 ^ J Tis pleasure to our ears ; 
 A sovereign balm for every wound, 
 
 A cordial for our fears. 
 BuryM in sorrow, and in sin, 
 
 At hell's dark door we lay ; 
 But we arise by grace divine 
 
 To see a heavenly day. 
 Salvation ! let the echo fly 
 
 The spacious earth around, 
 While all the armies of the sky 
 
 Conspire to^raise the sound. 
 
 HYMN 75. C. M. 
 
 1 \ft7HY should the children of a King, 
 * * Go mourning all their days ? 
 Great Comforter, descend and bring, 
 Some tokens of thy grace. 
 
61 
 
 2 Dost thou not dwell in all the saints, 
 
 And seal the heirs of heaven ? 
 When wilt thou banish my complaints 
 And show my sins forgiven ? 
 
 3 Assure my conscience of her part 
 
 In the Redeemer's blood ; 
 And bear thy witness with my heart, 
 That I am born of God. 
 
 4 Thou art the earnest of his lore, 
 
 The pledge of joys to come ; 
 And thy soft wings, celestial Dove, 
 Will safe convey me home. 
 
 HYMN 76. 12 8 U. 
 
 The Pure Testimony. 
 HPHE pure testimony put forth in the spirit, 
 
 Is sharp as a two-edged sword, 
 And hypocrites then are most sorely tormented." 
 
 Because they're condemn'd by the word. 
 The pure testimony discovers the dross, 
 And wicked professors make light of the cross,, 
 And Babylon trembles for fear of her loss. 
 
 Is not the time come for the church to be gathered. 
 
 Into the one spirit of God, 
 Baptiz'd in one spirit into the one body, 
 
 Partaking of Christ's flesh and blood, 
 They drink of one spirit, which makes them all $e<- 
 They're one in Christ Jesus where ever they be. 
 The Jews and the Gentiles, the bond and the free 
 
 Then blow ye the trumpet in pure testimony, 
 
 And let the world hear it again ; 
 And come ye from Babylon, Egypt and Sodom, 
 
 And make your way over the plain 
 Come gird on your armour, ye saints of the Lord, 
 And Christ will direct you by his holy word, 
 The pure testimony will cut like a sword. 
 6 
 
62 
 
 4 The great prince of darkness is must'ring bis force* 
 
 . To make you his servants again, 
 By flatteries, reproaches, and vile persecutions. 
 That you in his service may join. 
 But shun his temptations whatever they be, 
 And fear not his servants whatever they say, 
 The pure testimony will give you the day. 
 
 5 The world will not persecute those who are like then* 
 
 But hold them the same as their own, 
 The pure testimony demands separation, 
 And calls you your names to lay down. 
 Come out of the spirit and practices too, 
 The steps of your Saviour keep still in your view. 
 By pure testimony you'll make your way through. 
 
 6 The battle is coming between the two kingdoms, 
 
 The armies are gathering around, 
 The pure testimony and bold opposition, 
 Will come to close battle ere long. 
 Then wear your robes wash'd in the blood of the Lamb- 
 And walk in the spirit as Jesus has done, 
 By pure testimony you will overcome. 
 
 7 The pure testimony of Jesus our Saviour, 
 ". "VViil bring us to Canaan's land, 
 
 The pure testimony will make us all happy, 
 Whenjoin'd in the heavenly band: 
 Of pure testimony we'll sing on that shore, 
 When all the redeemed shall join in one choir- 
 By pure testimony our trials are ef'er. 
 
 HYMN 77. CM. 
 
 1 AND must I be to judgmeht brought, 
 """ And answer in that day, 
 
 For every vain and idle thought, 
 And every word 1 say ? 
 
 2 Yes, every secret of my heart, 
 
 Shall shortly be made known. 
 And I receive my just desert 
 For all that I have done. 
 
63 
 
 How careful then ought I to lire ! 
 
 With what religious fear ; 
 Who such a strict account must give 
 
 For my behaviour here ! 
 
 Thou awful Judge of quick and dead, 
 The watchful power bestow ! 
 
 So shall I to my ways take heed, 
 To all I speak or do 
 
 If now thou standest at the door, 
 
 let me feel thee near ! 
 
 And make my peace with God, before 
 
 1 at thy bar appear. 
 
 HYMN 78.— L. M. Greene. 
 
 i A SSEMBLED here in Jesus' name, 
 
 ■**- We may, dear friends, the promise claim ; 
 That where a few together meet, 
 They shall approach thy mercy seat. 
 
 2 Then to the skies our voices raise, 
 Exalt his nime in prayer and praise, 
 Who to hi* creatures here below, 
 Does mercy so resplendent show. 
 
 3 Then here let pride no 1 eart possess, 
 But every soul free grace confess ; 
 Who can in Christ, their hope confide, 
 And trust, for them the Saviour died. 
 
 4 Beneath his feet then let us fall, 
 And learn of him who died for all 
 That will for mercy ask, or pray, 
 And come to Christ, — the only way. 
 
 5 Here let our sins be laid aside, 
 And look to him, who for us died ; 
 And run with joy the gospel race, 
 That's set before his children's face. 
 
 6 Here learn that boasting is but vain, 
 Unless we " boast a Saviour slain ;" 
 
64 
 
 The author of exulting faith, 
 And finisher, the Scripture saith. 
 Then let not fe^r of man have place, 
 But humbly sue to God for grace ; 
 That Jesus, in our hearts would deign. 
 As King of Glory, there to reign. 
 
 SAPOT&BSULXi HYEMffg. 
 
 HYMN 79. L. M. 
 
 Not ashamed of Christ, 
 i TESUS ! and shall it ever be 
 ** A mortal man asham'd of thee ! 
 Asham'd of thee, whom angels praise, 
 Whose glories shine thro' endless days I 
 
 2 Asham'a of Jesus ! sooner far 
 Let evening blush to own a star ; 
 He s< ;ds U le beams of light divine, 
 O'er nis benighted soul of mine. 
 
 3 Ash: .n d of Jesus ! just as soon 
 Let ttdni uit be asham'd of noop ; 
 'Ti? midnight with my soul till he, 
 Hrignt IV o'rning Star ! bids darkness flee. 
 
 A A ham 'i of Jesus ! that dear friend 
 a wh >m my hopes of heaven depend ! 
 No • when I blush — be this my shame, 
 That II no more revere his name. 
 
 5 Ashamed of Jesus ! yes, I may, 
 When I've no guilt to wash away, 
 No tear to wipe, no good to crave, 
 No fears to quell, no soul to save. 
 
 6 Till then — nor is my boasting vain — 
 Till then, 1 boast a Saviour slain ! 
 And O may this my glory be, 
 
 That Christ is not asham'd of me 1 
 
[His institutions would I prize, 
 Take up my cross — the shame despise ; 
 Dare to defend his noble cause, 
 And yield obedience to his laws.] 
 
 HYViN 80. 7's. 
 
 1 ^^HRISTIAN^, if your hearts are warm. 
 ^^ Ice and snow can do no harm, 
 
 If by Jesus you are priz'd, 
 Rise, believe, and be baptiz'd. 
 
 2 Jesus drank the gjall for you, 
 Bore the curse to mortals due ; 
 Children prove your love to him, 
 Never fear the frozen stream. 
 
 3 Never shun the Saviour's cross, 
 All on earth is worthless dross, 
 If the Saviour's love you feel, 
 Let the world behold your zeal. 
 
 4 Fire is good to warm the soul, 
 Water purifies the foul : 
 
 Fire and w. iter both agree, 
 Winter soldiers never flee. 
 
 9 Every season of the year, 
 Let your worship oe sincere ; 
 When the storms prevent your roam, 
 Serve vo r gracious Lord at home. 
 
 Read his sacred word by day, 
 Ever Watching, always pray ; 
 Meditate his law by night, 
 This will give you great delight. 
 
 HYMN 81. L. M. 
 
 THE great hedeemer we adore, 
 VV ho came, the lost to seek and sav* ; 
 Went humbly down from Jordan's shore.. 
 To find a tomb beneath its wave S 
 6* 
 
66 
 
 2 ' Thus it becomes us to fulfil 
 
 All righteousness,' he meekly said y 
 Why should we then to do his will, 
 Or be asham'd, or be afraid ! 
 
 3 With thee into thy wafry tomb, 
 
 Lord 'tis our glory to descend ; 
 J Tis wondrous grace that gives us room. 
 To lie interr'd by such a friend. 
 
 4 Yet as the yielding waves gives way. 
 
 To let us see the light again ; 
 So on the resurrection day, 
 The bands of death prov'd weak and vam 
 
 5 Thus when thou shalt again appear, 
 
 The gates of heav'n shall open wide ; 
 Our dust thy mighty voice shall hear. 
 And rise and triumph at thy side. 
 
 HYMN 82. C. M. 
 
 TTkEAU Lord, and will thy pardoning love 
 -"-^ Embrace a wretch so vile ! 
 Wilt thou my load of guilt remove. 
 And bless me with thy smile 1 
 
 Hast thou the cross forme endur'd. 
 
 And all its shame despis'd ? 
 And shall I be asham'd, O Lord, 
 
 With thee to be bapliz'd ? 
 
 hou the great example lead, 
 Iq Jordan's swelling flood ? 
 And shall my pride disdain the deed 
 That's worthy of my God ? 
 
 Dear Lord, the ardour of thy love 
 Reproves my cold delays : • 
 
 now my willing footsteps move 
 fn thy delightful ways. 
 
67 
 
 HYMN 83. C. M. 
 
 1 M "PROCLAIM," saitli Christ, " my wondrous grac 
 
 -*- "' To ;ill ihe sons of men ; 
 " He that believes, and is baptiz'd, 
 
 " Salvation shall obtain," v 
 
 2 Let plenteous grace descend on those. 
 
 Who, hoping in thy word, 
 
 This day have publicly declar'd 
 
 That Jesus is their Lord. 
 
 3 With cheerful feet may they advance 
 
 And run the Christian race ; 
 And, thro" the troubles of the way, 
 Find all-sufficient j^race. 
 
 mss&xssiosr hymns, 
 
 HYMN 84. L. M. 
 
 1 |~| ! HAPPY day, when saints shall meet 
 ^-* To part no more — the thought is sweet; 
 No more to feel the rending smart, 
 
 Oft felt below, when Christians part. 
 
 2 O happy place 1 *till rfmst say, 
 Where >\\ but love is done away ; 
 All cause of p irtin^ t;iere is past ; 
 Ever their sorial fe ists will last. 
 
 3 Such union here is sought in vain, 
 As there, in ev ry he.irt, will reign : 
 There separations can't compel 
 The saints to bid the sad farewell. 
 
 4 On earth, when friends together meet, 
 And find the passing moments sweet ; 
 Time s rapid motions soon compel, 
 With grief to say — dear friends, farewell. 
 
 i The shepherd feels the smarting shock. 
 Of parting with his weeping flock ; 
 
68 
 
 His feelings for them, none can tell, 
 
 When friends so dear must say farewell. 
 
 The happy season soon will come, 
 
 When saints shall meet in heav'n, their homt 
 
 Eternally with Christ to dwell, 
 
 Nor e'er shall hear the sound, Farewell. 
 
 HYMN 85. 8 h 7. 
 
 1 T ORD, dismiss us with thy blessing, 
 •*-" Fill our hearts with joy and peace ; 
 Let us each thy love possessing, 
 
 Triumph in redeeming grace. 
 O refresh ns () refresh us, 
 Trav'ling through this wilderness. 
 
 2 Thanks we give, and adoration, 
 
 For thy gospel's joyful sound ; 
 May the fruits Gf thy solvation, 
 
 In our hearts and lives abonnd. 
 May thy presence, may thy presence. 
 With us evermore be found. 
 
 3 So whene'er the signal's given, 
 
 Us from earth to call away, 
 Borne on angel s win^s to heaven, 
 
 Glad the summons to obey. 
 May we ever, may we ever, 
 Reign with Christ in endless day. 
 
 HYNN 86. L. M. 
 
 "TJISMISS us with thy blessing, Lord, 
 -"-^ Help us to feed upon thy word ; 
 All that has been amiss, forgive, 
 And let thy truth within us live. 
 
 Tho' we .ire guilty, thon_ art good ; 
 Wash all our works in Jesus' blood t 
 Give every fetter d soul release, 
 And bid us all depart in peace. 
 
69 
 
 HYMN 8 1 ?. 8 k G: 
 
 1 Tjl ARE WELL dear friends, I must be gone. 
 -*- I have no home nor stay with you ; 
 I'll take my staff and travel on, 
 Till I abetter world can view : 
 Farewell, farewell, farewell, 
 My loving friends farewell. 
 
 2 Farewell my friends, time rolls along, 
 Nor waits for mortals, care or bliss, 
 
 I leave you here and travel on, 
 Till I arrive where Jesus is. 
 
 3 Farewell my brethren in the Lord, 
 To you I'm bound in chords of love ; 
 Yet we believe his gracious word, 
 That soon we all shall meet above. 
 
 4 Farewell old soldiers of the cross, 
 You've struggled long and hard for heav'a \ 
 You've counted all things here but dross, 
 Fight on, the crown shall soon be giv'n. 
 
 Fight on, fight on, fight on, 
 The crown will soon be giv'n. 
 
 5 Farewell ye blooming sons of God, 
 Sore conflicts yet await for you : 
 
 Yet dauntless keep the heavenly road. 
 Till Canaan's happy land you view. 
 
 6 Farewell poor careless sinners too ; ' 
 It grieves me sore to leave you here, 
 Eternal vengeance waits for you, 
 
 O turn and find solvation near. 
 O turn, O turn, O turn, 
 And find salvation near. 
 
 HYMN 88. L. M. 
 
 1 /CHRISTIAN brethren! ere we part 
 v ^^ Join ev'ry voice and ev'ry heart, 
 One solemn hymn to God we raise, 
 One final song of grateful praise. 
 
70 
 
 2 Christians, we here may meet no mor< 
 But there is yet a happier shore ; 
 And there releas'd from toil and pain ; 
 Brethren, we shall meet again. 
 
 3 Now to our God the Three in One, 
 Be everlasting glory done ; 
 
 Raise all ye saints, the sound again, 
 Ye nations join the loud amen. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 
 Page. 
 
 All those who seek a throne of grace 
 
 14 
 
 All hail the power of Jesus' name 
 
 27 
 
 Awake, m\ soul, in jo\ ful lays 
 
 37 
 
 Am I i soldier of the cross 
 
 41 
 
 Alas and did my Saviour bleed 
 
 59 
 
 And must I be to judgment brought 
 
 62 
 
 Assembled here in Jesus name 
 
 as 
 
 Begone unbelief 
 
 5 
 
 Beside the gospej pool 
 
 19 
 
 Brethren while we sojourn here 
 
 25 
 
 Blest is the tie that binds 
 
 28 
 
 Come thou Fount of every blessing 8 
 
 Come humble sinner, in whose breast 28 
 
 Come all ye weary pilgrims 38 
 Come, brethren and sisters, that love my dear Lord 42 
 
 Come, dearest Lord and feed thy sheep 56 
 
 Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove 57 
 
 Come, we that love the Lord 58 
 
 Christian brethren eie we part 09 
 
 Christians, if your hearts are warm 65 
 
 Children of the heavenly King 36 
 
 Dear Lord, and will thy pardoning love 
 
 Dismiss us with thy blessing Lord 68 
 
71 
 
 Page, 
 
 Encourag'd by thy word 22 
 
 Farewell dear friends, I must be gone 69 
 
 From whence doth this union arise 8 
 
 Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, 21 
 
 Grace ! tis a charming sound 32 
 
 Hail the bles'd morn when the great Mediator 20 
 
 Hail sovereign love thnt first began 46 
 
 How tedious and tasteless the hours 12 
 
 How lost whs my condition 18 
 
 How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord 20 
 
 How sweet, how heavenly is the sight 54 
 
 I know that my Redeemer lives 47 
 
 I ask'd the Lord that I might grow 34 
 
 In all my Loni's appointed ways 40 
 
 It is the Lord, enthron'd in light 35 
 
 It shall be well, let sinners know 29 
 
 Jesus and shall it ever be 64 
 
 Jesus, my .til to heaven is gone 26 
 
 Jesus, lover of my soul 52 
 
 • Jehovah hath said, 'tis left on record 30 
 
 Kindred in Christ, for his dear sake 50 
 
 Lord I cannot let thee go . 24 
 
 Lord dismiss us with thy blessing 68 
 
 O happy souls who dwell above 56 
 
 O happy day when saints shall meet 67 
 
 O how happy are they 11 
 
 O for a closer walk with God 3 
 O thou in whose presence my soul takes delight 9 
 
 On Jordan's stormy banks I stand 41 
 
 O when shall I see Jesus 43 
 
 Precious Bible what a treasure 51 
 
 Prayer was appointed to convey 31 
 
 Proclaim saith Christ, my wondrous grace <o7 
 
12 
 
 Page. 
 
 Salvation ! O the joyful sound 60 
 
 Sovereign grace hath power alone 10 
 
 Sinners this solemn truth regard 48 
 
 Sweet was the time when first I felt 23 
 
 The Lord into his garden comes 4 
 The voice of free grace cries escape to the mount'n 13 
 
 The gold and silver are the Lord's 45 
 
 The time is short the season near 49 
 
 The day is past and gone 57 
 
 The faithless world promiscuous flows 15 
 
 The great Redeemer we adore 65 
 
 The pure testimony put forth in the spirit 61 
 
 There is a school on earth begun 17 
 
 Tho' troubles assail and dangers affright 33 
 
 Thy mercy my God is the theme of my song 37 
 
 J Tis a point I long to know 7 
 
 J Tis finish d so the Saviour cry'd 47 
 
 Vital spark of heavenly flame 23 
 
 What various hindrances we meet 15 
 
 When any turn from Sions way 34 
 
 When thou my righteous Judge shalt come 55 
 
 Where two or three with sweet accord 54 
 
 Why should the children of a king 60 
 
 Your harps, ye trembling saints 35 
 
 Ye saints attend the Saviour's voice 50 
 
 Ye servants of God 30 
 
 DOXOLOGY. 
 
 7s. 
 
 SING we to our God above, 
 Praise eternal as his love : 
 Praise him, all ye heavenly host, 
 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 
 
FEW 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCHES 
 
 OF THOSE 
 
 THAT HAVE HELD OR BORNE TESTIMONY THAT BE- 
 
 LIEVERS' BAPTISM IS AN INSTITUTION OF 
 
 OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, 
 
 FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL. 
 
 THROUGH EVERY CENTURY, TO 
 
 THE PRESENT ERA. 
 
 BY J. A. BURKE. 
 
 '* Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you." — John 
 
 xv. 14." 
 " But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the 
 
 kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized 
 
 both men and women." — Acts viii. 12. 
 
 PRINTED BY A. N. SHERMAN, AT THE OFFICE OF PACKARD & VAN 
 BENTHUYSEN. 
 
 ALBANY: 
 
PHBFAOE. 
 
 Throughout these Historical Sketches, the 
 proper appellation by which each denomination 
 choose to be distinguished or called, will be strictly 
 adhered to, and opprobrious epithets in describing 
 the character of individuals or churches, will, as 
 far as possible, be avoided. Therefore claiming 
 the same privilege for ourselves, we shall call that 
 denomination, who have professed, and practiced 
 Believers' Baptism, in whatever circumstance, or 
 under whatever government or age they may have 
 existed, by the name of Baptists. 
 
 It will be perceived that the compiler has re- 
 frained from making any original remarks, farther 
 than to introduce or connect the extracts that are 
 taken from different authors ; and then only that 
 their own ideas may be conveyed in as condense J 
 a form as possible. 
 
 The books from which these selections are mad©, 
 are no doubt familiar to most of those who are in 
 the habit of reading Church history, except Junius, 
 Jun. which is an octavo volume of 230 pages, print- 
 ed in England above fifty years since. A son of the 
 author, however, resides in the wastern part of N- 
 York, as I am informed by a very respectable min- 
 ister, also a resident in the same state. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCHES, &<V 
 
 THE FIRST CENTURY. 
 
 And in those days shall the God cf Heaven set up a kingdom 
 which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left n> 
 other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these king- 
 doms and it shall stand forever. — Dan. 2 44. 
 
 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at band ; repeal 
 ye, and believe the Gospel. — Jesus Christ — JMark 1 15. 
 
 Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. — John the Bap- 
 tist—Mat'. 3 2. 
 
 The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, tlifc 
 Son of God, as it is written in the prophets, be- 
 hold I send my messenger before thy face, which 
 shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of 
 one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way 
 of the Lord, make his paths. straight. John did 
 baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism 
 of repentance for the remission of sins, and therB 
 w T ent out unto him all [many*] of the land of Judca, 
 and they of Jerusalem., and were all Baptized of 
 him in the river of Jordan confessing their sins. — 
 Mark! 1—5. 
 
 There was a man sent from God, whose namB 
 was John. — John i. G. 
 
 Saying unto the people, that the}' should believe 
 on him which should come after him, that is on 
 Christ Jesus. — Acts xix. 4. 
 
 * Baldwin on the Baptism of John, p. 42. 
 1* 
 
In perfect accordance with the preceding, the 
 reader will be gratified with the following lumin- 
 ous and interesting quotations from Dr. Prideaux. 
 This laborious divine, in explaining Daniel's proph- 
 esy of the seven iveeks, and the threescore and 
 two weeks, or 483 years from the going forth of 
 the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem 
 unto Mesiah the Prince, says, u this brings it down 
 to the year of the Julian period 4739, which was 
 the very year in which the ministry of the gospel 
 first began. This, saith he, Christ executed at 
 first, and therein made his appearance as the Me- 
 $jah, by his forerunner, John the Baptist, for the 
 space of three years and an half; and after that by 
 himself in his own person, for three years and an 
 half more. And these two being put together make 
 up the last week of this prophesy, which began 
 exactly at the ending of the sixty-two weeks. And 
 therefore the prophecy concerning the coming of 
 Mesiah had its completion." a Luke tells us (con- 
 tinues Dr. Prideaux) the Word of God first came 
 to John in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Cesar, em- 
 peror of Rome, and from the coming of that word 
 to John, and his preaching of it to the Jews was 
 the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and 
 the first appearance of his kingdom here on earth. 
 And this Christ himself tells us : for his words are, 
 (Luke xvi. 16.) ' The law and the prophets were 
 until John, since that the kingdom of God is preach- 
 ed.' That is, the Jewish economy lasted until the 
 coming of John and his preaching the baptism of 
 repentance for the remission of sins. But from the 
 time of his coming on this ministry, which was the 
 ministry of the gospel, the kingdom of the Mesiah 
 begun."* Hence, according to this learned writer, 
 Daniel's prophesy concerning the Mesiah, which 
 has proved so confounding to the Jews, andsoconv 
 
 * Connect, vol. ii. pp. 53, 54. 
 
forting to christians, can only be explained, by al- 
 lowing John's ministry to be the beginning of the 
 gospel of Jesus Christ, and consequently a part of 
 the christian dispensation. 
 
 . Mr. Scott, in his Notes on Mark i. 1, says, " This 
 was in fact the beginning of the gospel, the 
 introduction of the New Testament dispensation ; 
 the opening of the glad tidings relating to Jesus 
 Christ the anointed Saviour, the incarnate Son of 
 God." 
 
 " The history of John the Baptist," says Dr. 
 Whitby, u is styled the beginning of the gospel, 
 because he began his office by preaching repent- 
 ance, as the preparation to receive it, and faith in 
 the Mesiah as the subject of it." — Baldwins Bap- 
 tism of John, p. 16, 17. 
 
 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan, unto 
 John to be baptized of him, but John forbade him 
 saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and 
 comest thou tome ? And Jesus answering, said 
 unto him, suffer it to be so now, for thus it becom- 
 eth us to fulfill all righteousness, (or ratify every 
 divine institution*) then he suffered him, and Jesus 
 when he was baptized went up straightway out of 
 the water, aud lo the heavens were opened unto 
 him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like 
 a dove and lighting upon him, and lo a voice from 
 heaven saying this is my beloved Son, in whom I 
 am well pleased — Matt. iii. 13 — 17. 
 
 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit 
 descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode 
 upon him, and I knew him not, but he that sent me 
 to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon 
 whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and re- 
 maining on him, the same is he which baptizeth 
 with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bear record 
 that this is the Son of God— John i. 32—34. 
 
 * Campbell. 
 
8 
 
 Thus it becometh us " We never find tb.it Je- 
 sus spoke of himself in the plural number, and must 
 therefore allow he meant John also, and all God's 
 servants in a subordinate sense. It became Christ r 
 as our surety, and as our example, perfectly to ful- 
 fill all righteousness. It becometh us all to walk 
 in God's commandments and ordinances, without 
 exception." — Scott's Fam. Bib. notes on the place. 
 
 Jesus had no sin to wash away, and yet he was 
 baptized, and God owned this ordinance so far as 
 to make it the season of pouring forth the Spirit up- 
 on him. And where can we expect this sacred 
 effusion but in a conscientious and humble attend- 
 ance upon divine appointments. — Dr. Doddridge 
 Fam. Expos. Improv. of the place. 
 
 Jesus submitted to be baptized, that is, buried 
 under the water, by John, and to be raised out of 
 it again, as an emblem of his future death and re- 
 surrection. — Dr. M'Knight trans, of Epis. Rom. 
 vi. 4. 
 
 After these things, came Jesus and his deciples, 
 into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with 
 them and baptized. — John in. 22. 
 
 When therefore the Lord knew how the Phari- 
 sees had heard that Jesus had made and baptized 
 more deciples than John, though Jesushimself bap- 
 tized not, but his deciples, he left Judea, and depart- 
 ed unto Galilee. — John iv. 1, 2. 
 
 He did not begin with baptising, but instructing. 
 He first taught them his Gospel, and they belie v 
 ing and embracing his word, became his deciples 
 upon which he baptized them. As this is all the 
 Evangelists have recorded respecting Christ's bap 
 tising, through the whole of his ministry, this if 
 consequently all in which the practice of Christ \i 
 given for the guide of his people. 
 
 This is the method of the Gospel, that first men by 
 the preaching of it, be made deciples, or be brought 
 unto faith in Christ and then be taught to do and 
 
9 
 
 observe whatsoever he commands. — Dr. Owen, by 
 Pengill y p. 10. — Whosoever doth not bear his cross, 
 and come after me, cannot be my deciple. — Luke 
 xiv. 27. 
 
 The commandments of Christ are evident in 
 the volume of the book in which they are some- 
 times called his statutes, his laws, and his ordi- 
 nances, which are particularly described in his 
 commission to his deciples, " Go ye therefore, and 
 teach all nations baptising them in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. 
 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 
 have commanded you : and, lo, I am with you al- 
 ways, even unto the end of the world. Amen." — 
 Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. — The Evangelist Mark thus 
 records it, " And he said unto them, ' Go ye into 
 all the world, and preach the Gospel to every crea- 
 ture. He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
 saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned.' " 
 — Mark xvi. 15, 16. — Agreeable to this we find 
 the Apostles went forth, preaching the word, which 
 chieflj" consisted in declaring the Resurrection of 
 Jesus from the dead. Therefore, [said Peter,] let 
 all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God 
 hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, 
 both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard 
 this, they were pricked in their heart, and said un- 
 to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and 
 brethren what shall we do. Then Peter said unto 
 them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you 
 in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of 
 sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy 
 Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your 
 children, and to all that are afar off, even as ma- 
 ny as the Lord our God shall call. Then they that 
 gladly received his word, were baptized, and the 
 same day there were added unto them about three 
 thousand souls, and they continued steadfastly in 
 
10 
 
 the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in break- 
 ing of bread, and m prayer. — Acts ii. 36 — 42. 
 
 Thus it is evident that the believing converts, 
 first received the word gladly — then baptism — then 
 church fellowship, continuing steadfastly in the 
 apostles' doctrine, in breaking of bread, and in 
 prayers. Thus we see that the first New Testa- 
 ment church was formed of Baptized believers in 
 Christ. — Junius, Jr. p. 30. 
 
 The Apostles continued to labor according to the 
 command of their Lord until a great number be- 
 lieved and were baptized. For with great pow r er 
 gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the 
 Lord Jesus, and great grace were upon them all. 
 The persecution which arose about the time of 
 Stephen's death, caused [many of] the disciples 
 of Jesus, except the apostles, to leave Jerusalem. 
 They proceeded out every way, like the radii of a 
 circle from the centre, and formed churches in ma- 
 ny places. — Benedict vol. 1. p. 8. 
 
 There is no doubt respecting all the churches 
 after the apostles days being settled, according to 
 the order of the Gospel Baptized churches at Jeru- 
 salem, for you see the church at Samaria, Cesaria, 
 Phillippi, Corinth, Gahtia, Colosse, and Ephesus, 
 were all believers, baptized in the name of the 
 Lord Jesus, and since then through all ages of the 
 Church, there have been people of the same faith 
 of believers baptism, and of the same order re- 
 specting the administration of it, though perhaps 
 not under the name of Baptists, for in Paul's time, 
 they were not called Baptists, but Christians, or 
 Disciples of Christ. — Junius, Jun. p. 35. 
 
 In this (the first) century, Clemons asserts who 
 they are, that are the proper subjects of Baptism ; 
 that they are such as have passed through an exa- 
 mination and received instruction. ---See Jacob Mor- 
 ningus, in his Hist, of Bap. p. 2, out of Clement's 
 Epis. ; also Dutch Martyrology. 
 
11 
 
 Ignatius, in his discourses upon Baptism, affirms 
 that it ought to be accompanied with faith, love, 
 and patience, after preaching — see his letters to 
 Polycarp, and his letters to the saints of Philadel- 
 phia, for which see II. Montamus, p. 45 — Jacob 
 Du Bois, p. 1G — 22, and the Dutch Marty ro logy, 
 Cent. 1. 
 
 The Waldenses — These ancient followers of 
 Christ profess and practice Believer's Baptism in 
 this century — seeD. Balthazer Lidius, in his trea- 
 tise of the Church, p. 2 ; Col. 2, out of Rena- 
 rius. — As also did the ancient Brittons, who receiv- 
 ed the Gospel in the reign of Tiberias, by an Evan- 
 gelist sent by the Apostles — see Gilda's Book De 
 Victoria Aurelii Ambrosii — Junius, Jun. p. 6G. 
 
 SECOND CENTURY. 
 
 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for 
 theirs is th^ kingdom of Heaven. Blessed ate ye when men revile 
 you and persecute you. and shall say all manner of evil against } r ou 
 falsely for my sake ; rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is 
 your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the piophets which 
 were before you. — JIalt. v. 10, 11, 12. 
 
 It has been pertinently remarked by one cf the 
 ancients, that the writer of the Acts of the Apostles, 
 leaves the reader thirsting for more. But concise 
 as his naralive is, it ought to be regarded as an in- 
 valuable part of the sacred writing ; and for this 
 reason, among others, because it shews us in what 
 sense the apostles understood the commission which 
 their Lord had given them, previous to his assen- 
 sion into heaven. From their discourses, record- 
 ed in that book, we leain what were the doctrines 
 they preached ; what the laws and institutions they 
 
12 
 
 enforced upon the deciples ; and the manner in 
 which they setup his kingdom in the world. — 
 
 Jones p. 99. 
 
 It would be difficult to fofm any probable con- 
 jecture of the number of converts to Christianity in 
 the early ages of the church, but it must have been 
 immensely great, for it is supposed that three mill- 
 ion were sacrificed in the three first centurics> to 
 the Pagan persecutors. In these three first centu- 
 ries there were ten general persecutions, formed 
 by so many Pagan Emperors. 
 
 History scarcely affords an instance of such un- 
 distinguished rage exerted against any people, up- 
 on any occasion, except those who have been per- 
 secuted for righteousness sake, though they indeed 
 have often been exposed to similar treatment, both 
 from heathens, and professed christians. The de- 
 vouring sword of war seldom prays upon the de- 
 fenceless, upon tender youth, or hoary age, or wo- 
 men ; some bounds are set by the feelings of hu- 
 manity, and the carnage of a field of battle ; but 
 when the native enmity of the heart, against those 
 of whom the world is not worthy, is permitted to 
 act without restraint, it acknowledges no distinc- 
 tions, it feels no compassion, but like the insatia- 
 ble fire consumes whatever it can reach. If there 
 be some exceptions, a few persons of gentle natu- 
 ral dispositions who are unwilling to shed blood, 
 and rather express their dislike by a contemptuous 
 pity, this is chiefly to be ascribed to the power of 
 God over the heart of man, and he sometimes makes 
 use of these to check the violence of others. Such 
 an one was Pliny ; he had no esteem for Christians ; 
 he despised them as deluded enthusiasts, and he 
 was angry with them for what he deemed their ob- 
 stinacy ; yet the greatness of their sufferings, and 
 the number of the sufferers, gave him some con- 
 cern, and made him interfere in their favor, so 
 
13 
 
 far as to prevent them being industriously sought 
 ought, or punished without witness or proof. The 
 chief or only crime of the christians, in the judg- 
 ment of Pliny, was their steadfastness in maintaing 
 a cause which the Emperor did not approve, and 
 continuing their assemblies after they had been pro- 
 hibited by edict. The object of divine worship in 
 their assemblies was the Lord Jesus Christ. On 
 a stated day, that is, on the day which upon this 
 account has, from the apostles' time, been styled 
 the Lord's day, they met early in the morning, (to 
 avoid the notice of their opposers,) to sing hymns 
 to his praise, not in commemoration of a mortal 
 benefactor or lawgiver, but as to God, acknowledg- 
 ing, by this practice their firm persuasion of that 
 great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the 
 flesh, and that God was in Christ reconciling the 
 world unto himself. May we be duly thankful to 
 God, and to the government under which we live, 
 for the valuable privilege of religious liberty, and 
 that Ave can worship him according to the light of 
 our consciences, and assemble together in his name 
 when and where we please, none being permitted 
 to make us afraid. — Newton, vol. 6. p. 393. 
 
 Justin Martyr says, in his second Apology Ant. 
 Pius, the Emperor, I will declare unto you how 
 we offer up ourselves to God, after that we are re- 
 ceived through Christ : Those among us who are in- 
 structed in the faith, are brought to the water ; 
 then they are baptized therein, in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; 
 then we bring the person, thus washed or baptized 
 to the brethren, where the assemblies are, that we 
 may pray both for ourselves and the new illumina- 
 ted person, that we maybe found, by doctrine and 
 good works, worthy observers and keepers of the 
 commandments; then bread and wine being brought 
 to the chief brother, (so they called their chief 
 minister) he taketh it and offereth praise and 
 
 2 
 
14 
 
 thanksgiving to the Father, in the name of the Son, 
 and the Holy Ghost. After prayer and thanksgiv- 
 ing, the whole assembly say amen. When thanks- 
 giving is ended by the chief Guide and the consent 
 ^of the whole people, the Deacons (as we call them) 
 give to every one present, part of the bread and 
 wine, over which thanks is given ; — this we call 
 the Eucharist, to which no man is admitted, but 
 he that believeth the truth of the doctrine, and 
 lives as Christ has taught. 
 
 Justin Martyr appears to have been converted to 
 Christ about thirty years after the apostle John, 
 when many that were witnesses of the apostle's 
 preaching and practice were living, when he was 
 beheaded by Verus the Emperor, — see Baxter's 
 Saints Rest, c. viii. § 5. 
 
 The manner of baptizing was by dipping or im- 
 mersing in water, in the name of the Father, of the 
 Son and of the Holy Ghost ; which was, as they 
 observe, not only agreeable to the sense of the 
 word, which signifies immersion in water ; but to 
 the allegory of the Death, Burial and Resurrec- 
 tion, to which the apostles Peter, Paul and Anna- 
 nias, so properly alludes to — Acts ii. 3S — and xxii. 
 16 — likewise in Rom. vi. 3, 4 — 1 Peter iii. 21 — 
 see Magdeburg Hist. Cent. i. L. ii. c. pp. 496, 497. 
 — Junius Jun. p. 66. 
 
 " The Waldenses, (saysEvervinus in his letter 
 to Bernard,) say that they had great numbers of 
 their persuasion scattered almost every where, 
 and that amongst them were many of our clergy 
 and mo iks. And as for those who were burnt, 
 they, in the defence they made for themselves, 
 told us, that this heresy, (so called by the Catho- 
 lics) had been concealed [among them] from the time 
 of the Martyrs (who suffered by the Pagans,) and 
 that it had existed in Greece and other countries." 
 
 Jones, p. 273. 
 
15 
 
 THIRD CENTURY. 
 
 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on 
 Christ.— Gal. iii. 27. 
 
 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like 
 as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, 
 even so we also should walk in newness of life. — Rom. vi. 4. 
 
 At the commencement of this century, Severu9 
 was Emperor of Rome, and continued the same cru- 
 el persecution against the christians, that many of 
 his predecessors had done. 
 
 At this time, Asia, Egypt and the other provin- 
 ces were deluged with the blood of the martyrs, as 
 appears from the testimonies of Tertullian, Cle- 
 mens of Alexandria, and other writers. It was this 
 series of calamities, during which Leonides, the 
 father of Origen, and Irasneus, pastor of the church 
 at Lyons, suffered martyrdom, that induced Ter- 
 tullian to write his Apology, and several other books 
 in defence of the Christians. 
 
 The mention of Tertullian naturally directs our 
 attention to the progress of Christianity, in a region 
 which we had hitherto no occassion to notice, viz. 
 the Roman province of Africa. This whole coun- 
 try, once the scene of Carthagenian greatness, 
 abounded with christians in the second century, 
 though of the manner in which the gospel was in- 
 troduced, and of the proceedings of its first preach- 
 ers there, we have no account. A numerous church 
 existed at Carthage in the latter end of the second 
 and beginning of the third century, of which Ter- 
 tullian was one of the pastors. He may be said to 
 have flourished from the year 194 to 220. His 
 Apology for the christians is an invaluable treatise ; 
 it exhibits a most pleasing view of the spirit and 
 behaviour of the disciples of Jesus at that time, and 
 of their adherence to the faith, order and discipline 
 of the churches planted by the apostles* 
 
16 
 
 We are a body, (says Tertullian,) united in one 
 bond of religion, discipline, and hope. We meet 
 in our assemblies for prayer. We are compelled 
 to have recourse to divine oracles for caution and 
 recollections on all occasions. We nourish our 
 faith by the word of God, we erect our hope, we 
 fix our confidence, we strengthen our discipline, 
 by repeatedly inculcating precepts, exhortations, 
 corrections, and by excommunication when it is 
 needful. This last as being in the sight of God, is 
 of great weight ; and is a serious warning of the 
 future judgment, if any one behave in so scandalous 
 a manner as to be debarred from holy communion. 
 Those who preside among us are elderly persons, 
 not distinguished for opulence, but worthiness of 
 character. Every one pays something into the 
 public chest once a month, or when he pleases, and 
 according to his ability and inclination, for there is 
 no compulsion. These gifts are, as it were the 
 deposit of piety. Hence we relieve and bury the 
 needy, support orphans and decrepit persons ; those 
 who have suffered shipwreck, and those who, for 
 the word of God, are condemned to the mines or 
 imprisonment. This very charity of ours has caus- 
 ed us to be noticed by some : See, say they, how 
 these Christians love one another. — Jones, pp. 136 
 138. 
 
 From writers of unquestionable authority, it is 
 evident, that the primitive christians continued to 
 baptize in rivers, pools, and baths, until about the 
 middle of the third century. Justin Martyr says, 
 that they went with the catechumens to a place 
 where there was water, and Tertullian adds, that 
 the candidates for baptism made a profession of 
 faith twice, once in the church, and then again 
 when they came to the water, and it was quite in- 
 different whether it were the sea, or a pool, a lake, 
 qv a river, or a bath. Such are the accounts giver* 
 
 
17 
 
 by Justin Martyr in his Apology, and by Tertullian 
 on bantism as quoted by Robinson. — Benedict, v. 
 1 p. 53. 
 
 The first mention of Infant Baptism, is by Ter- 
 tullian, and he opposed it. His words are, " The 
 delay of baptism, may be more advantageous, either 
 on account of the condition, disposition, or age of 
 any person, especially in reference to little chil- 
 dren. For what necessity is there that the spon- 
 sors should be brought into danger, because either 
 they themselves may fail of their promises by death, 
 or be deceived by the growth of evil dispositions, 
 [in their children.] The Lord indeed, says, c Don't 
 forbid them to come to me.' Let them, therefore, 
 come, when they are grown up ; when they can un- 
 derstand ; when they are taught to what they are 
 to come. Let them become christians when they 
 can know Christ. Why should this innocent age 
 hasten to [the sign of ] the remission of sins? Men 
 act more cautiously in worldly things, so that divine 
 things are here entrusted with those whom earthly- 
 things are not. Let them know how to seek salva- 
 tion, that you may appear to give to one that ask- 
 eth, — Rob. Hist. Bap. translated by Pengilly, p. 37. 
 It is highly probable that this answered Tertulli- 
 an's end, and prevented what had only been pro- 
 posed, the baptism of minors, and it is absolutely 
 certain that about six years after, Tertullian joined 
 the very people against whom he had written this 
 book, and the baptism of children is not once men- 
 tioned again till at least forty years after. — Robi- 
 6on's Hist. Bap. p. 172. 
 
 Origen, was a native of Alexandria ; he flourish- 
 ed in the third century. He was a man of sober 
 morals, but he was an eccentrical genius, and his 
 theological speculations were the most wild and ex- 
 avagant in the world. Two sorts of his works 
 emain ; the one genuine Greek fragments, the 
 ether pretended Latin versions of the remainder 
 2* 
 
18 
 
 of his Greek originals, which are lost. The genu- 
 ine Greek works contain nothing in favor of Infant 
 Baptism, but on the contrary, baptism is always 
 spoken of in relation to the adult.* The spurious 
 Latin pieces do speak in favor of infant baptism, 
 but they scent strongly of forgery, and seem to 
 have been written after the Palagian controversy.! 
 Perhaps the vague sense of the word may have 
 been the innocent, or it may be the guilty cause of 
 these apparent contradictions. Even Dr. Wall ex- 
 poses the partiality of Sir Peter King, for quoting 
 a mutilated passage from the genuine works of Ori- 
 gen, in favor of the baptism of babes as the apostle 
 Peter had addressed in his first epistle, new born 
 babes, laying aside all evil speakings, and desiring 
 the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow 
 thereby 4 Indeed it is impossible to quote any- 
 thing conclusive, in favor of modern infant bap- 
 tism fromOrigen ; because, as he held the pre-exist- 
 ence of human souls before they were born into 
 the world, and before they were united to the bo- 
 dy, had heard, and had been taught of the Fa- 
 ther^ 
 
 Irseneus, who lived in the second century, is re- 
 presented as saying, " The Church received a tra- 
 dition from the apostles to administer baptism to 
 little Children or Infants." But Dr. John Gill 
 challenged the whole literary world to produce such 
 a passage from his writings. It was afterwards ac- 
 knowledged that Origen of the third century, and 
 not Irseneus of the second, was the writer intend- 
 ed. — Benedict. Hist. Bap. v. 1, p. 55. 
 
 Fidus wrote to Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, in 
 
 * Dr. Gales Reflections on Mr. Wall's Hist, of Infant Baptism, 
 Let. xiii. 
 
 t Tombes Examen— Rob. Hist. Bap. p. 207. 
 
 % Dr. Wall's Hist, of Inf 't. Bap., Part i. c. v $ 9. 
 * § Orig. Com. On Johan. — Gale. Let. vii. John vi. 45 — Rob. Hist. 
 Bap. p. 207 
 
19 
 
 Africa, to know whether children might be Bap- 
 tized before they were eight days old, for by his 
 bible he could not tell, nor could Cyprian tell with- 
 out consulting a council. When convened, the 
 letter by Fidus was read, but as it is lost, a judg- 
 ment of it can only be formed by what Cyprian hath 
 said of it. It is not known who Fidus was.. The 
 precise question before the association was, at what 
 age may Infants be baptized ? Fidus thought at eight 
 days old, because the law of circumcision prescribes 
 this time. No, replied the council, " God denies 
 grace to none, Jesus came not to destroy men's 
 lives, but to save them, and we ought to do all we 
 can to save our fellow creatures. Besides, added 
 they, God would be a respector of persons, if he 
 denied to infants, what he grants to adults. Did 
 not the prophet Elisha lay upon a child, and put 
 his mouth, upon his mouth, and his eyes, upon his 
 eyes, and his hands, upon his hands ? Now the 
 spiritual sense of this is, that infants are equal to 
 men ; but if you refuse to baptize them, you de- 
 stroy this equality and are partial. 
 
 The whole, however, it is expressly said, was 
 conducted by a rule written in the book of Samuel, 
 not as a rule even for Jesus, but as an [account] of 
 ancient history. This mistake of the Old Testa- 
 ment was the source of almost all the errors of 
 those times. The teachers acted the part of Eli, 
 and became priests. The people acted that of El- 
 kanah and Hannah, and dedicated their children 
 to God. The children thought themselves extra- 
 ordinary persons, and acted the part of Samuel, 
 and in process of time, behold ! like Samuel, 
 they made and unmade kings ; distracting and 
 dethroning Sauls, anointed Davids, and hewing 
 Agags to pieces before the Lord. Hence the 
 divine right of kings, for God always spoke (say 
 they) by his servants, the priests : and hence unc- 
 tion by the clergy to this day.— Extracts from Rob. 
 Hist, Bap. pp. 108 to 193. 
 
20 
 
 Mr. Baxter is pleased to give us this further ac- 
 count respecting baptism — That " Tertullian, Ori- 
 gen and Cyprian, who lived in the second and third 
 centuries, do affirm, that in the primitive times 
 none were baptized, but such as engaged them- 
 selves to obey him. — Saints Rest, P. i. c. viii. § 5. 
 
 Novation, withdrew from the church of Rome the 
 middle of this century, formed a puritan church, 
 and was elected bishop. Great numbers followed 
 his example, and all over the empire puritan church- 
 es were constituted, and flourished through the suc- 
 ceeding two hundred years. He saw with extreme 
 pain, the depravity of the Catholic Church, for in 
 seasons of prosperity, many persons rushed into 
 the church for base purposes. In times of adversi- 
 ty they denied the faith, and turned again to idola- 
 try. The bishops, fond of proselytes, encouraged 
 all this, for the sake of adding to their numbers ; 
 — afterwards, when penal laws obliged them to 
 lurk in corners, and worship God in private, they 
 were distinguished by a variety of names, and a 
 succession of them continued until the reformation. 
 — Jones, pp. 180, 181. 
 
 As for the Waldenses, (says Beza,) I may be 
 permitted to call them the very seed of the primi- 
 tive and purer Christian church, since they are 
 those that have been upheld, as is abundantly mani- 
 fest, by the wonderful providence of God, so that 
 neither those endless storms and tempests by which 
 the whole Christian world has been shaken for so 
 many succeeding ages, and the western parts at 
 length so miserably oppressed by the bishop of 
 Rome, falsely so called ; nor those horrible perse- 
 cutions which have been expressly raised against 
 them, were ever able so far to prevail as to make 
 them bend, or yield a voluntary subjection to the 
 Roman tyranny and idolatry. — Preface to Morland'a 
 Hist. p. 7 — Jones p. 343. 
 
21 
 
 FOURTH CENTURY* 
 
 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain de- 
 ceit, afnr the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, 
 and not after Christ. — Col. ii. 8. 
 
 In the early part of this century, Constantine (the 
 great) removed the persecuting; edicts against the 
 christians, and to the end of his life which took 
 place 22 May 337, was a decided supporter of the 
 cause of Christ. 
 
 The extraordinary occurrences of the Ufa of 
 Constantine produced an entire change in the. whole 
 of the Christian profession. Its friends were now 
 no longer called to endure patiently the hatred of 
 the world — to take up their cross, and press after 
 a conformity to Christ in his sufferings^ and thro' 
 much tribulation, to enter his kingdom ; but they 
 were to bask in the sunshine of wo? Idly pro erity, 
 enjoying the smiles of the great, and connecting 
 with their professions the riches and honor of this 
 present world — the baneful effects of which began 
 speedily to develope themselves. So long as the 
 Christians were persecuted by the heathen on ac- 
 count of their faith and practices, they were driv- 
 en to the gospel as their only source of consolation 
 and support; and they found it everyway sufficient 
 for their utmost need. The animating principles 
 which it imparted, raised their minds superior to 
 the enjoyments of this world, and in the hope of 
 life and immortality, they were happy, even if call- 
 ed to lay down their lives for the sake of their pro- 
 fession. And herein the power of their religion 
 was conspicuous. It was not with them an empty 
 speculation, floating in the mind, destitute of any 
 influence upon the will and the affections. While 
 it induced them to count no sacrifice too costly 
 which they were called to make for the gospel's 
 sake, they were led by it to exercise the most fer- 
 vent christian affection one towards another — to 
 
22 
 
 sympathize tenderly with each other in all their 
 sorrows and distresses — and, by bearing one an- 
 other's burdens they fulfilled their Lord's new com- 
 mand of brotherly love. This was the prominent 
 feature in Christianity during the first three centu- 
 ries. The writings of the apostles and evangelists 
 all breathe this amiable spirit, and abound with ex- 
 hortations to cultivate this God-like disposition ; 
 and so conspicuous was the exercise of it among 
 the primitive christians, that it was commonly re- 
 marked by their enemies, and recommended by 
 them as worthy of imitation. 
 
 But now they began to new-model the christian 
 church, the government of which was, as far as 
 possible, arranged conformably to the government 
 of the state. The emperor himself assumed the 
 title of bishop — and claimed the power of regula- 
 ting its external affairs ; and he and his successors 
 convened councils, in which they presided, and 
 determined all matters of discipline. The bishops 
 corresponded to those magistrates whose jurisdic- 
 tion was confined to single cities ; the metropolitans 
 to the pro-consuls or presidents of provinces ; the 
 primates to the emperor's vicars, each of whom 
 governed one of the imperial provinces. Canons 
 and prebendaries of cathedral churches took their 
 rise from the societies of ecclesiastics, which Eu- 
 sebius, bishop of Verceil, and after him Augustine, 
 formed in their houses, and in which these prelates 
 were styled their fathers and masters. — Jones pp. 
 163, 165, 166. 
 
 iEneas Sylvius, afterwards Pope Pius II., says, 
 that the first error of the Waldenses is, that they 
 affirm that the church of Rome is not the church of 
 Jesus Christ, but an assembly of ungodly men, and 
 that she has ceased from being the true church, 
 from the time of Pope Sylvester, (in the fourth cen- 
 tury) at which time the poison of temporal advanta- 
 ges was cast into the church. — Jones p. 315. 
 
23 
 
 Jerome upon Matt, xxviii. 19, 20, says, the 
 Lord commanded his apostles that they should first 
 instruct and teach, all nations, and afterwards should 
 baptize those that were instructed in the mysteries 
 of the faith, for it cannot be, saith he, that the bo- 
 dy should receive the ordinance of baptism before 
 the soul has received the true faith. — Junius, Jun. 
 page 66. 
 
 The Novatians said "you may be ad mi ted among 
 us by baptism ; or if any Catholic has baptized you 
 before, by re-baptism ; but if you fall into idolatry, 
 we shall separate you from our communion, and on 
 no account re-admit you. God forbid we should 
 injure either your persons, your property, or your 
 character, or even judge of the truth of your re- 
 pentance cr future state ; but you can never be 
 re-admitted to our community without giving up the 
 last and only coersive guardians we have of the puri- 
 ty of our fellowship." — Jones, p. 181. 
 
 It is remarked that in the fourth century, the 
 baptism of Infants .had made such little progress, 
 that not only great men and princes, but even those 
 of believing parents, were not baptized, till aged, 
 and capable of declaring their faith in the Mesiah : 
 viz. Basil, Gregory, Nazianzen, Ambrose, Chrys- 
 istom, Jerom, Austin, Constantine, and Theodo- 
 sius. — Junius, Jun. p. 68. 
 
 The Waldenses. — Reinerius., who flourished 
 about the year 1254, and whose testimony is the 
 more remarkable, as he was a Dominican, and In- 
 quisitor General, says, " Among all the sects which 
 still are, or have been, there is not any more per- 
 nicious to the church than the Leonists, (a branch 
 of the Waldenses) ; and this for three reasons. The 
 first is, because it is older, for some say that it 
 hath endured from the time of Pope Sylvester, 
 others from the time of the apostles. "—Bishop New- 
 ton on the prophesies, v. 2, p. 259. 
 
24 
 
 FIFTH CENTURY. 
 
 For I am jealous over yo^i with Godly jealous}' ; — for I have e3* 
 pouserl you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste 
 virgin to Christ ; — hut I fear, lest by any means, as the Serpent be- 
 guiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted 
 from the simplicity that is in Christ. — 2 Cor. ii. 2, 3. 
 
 The apostles of Jesus Christ gave many intima- 
 tions in their writings of the corruptions which 
 should arise under the christian profession at a fu- 
 ture period. There were not wanting symptoms 
 of this, even in their own days, as appears from 
 the following passages. When the apostle Paul 
 delivered to the elders of the church at Ephesus, a 
 solemn warning to take heed to themselves and to 
 the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made 
 them overseers, he adds, as the reason of it, " for 
 I know this, that after my departure shall grevious 
 wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock ; 
 also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking 
 perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." 
 Acts xx. 29, 30. 
 
 While the long and harrassing persecutions, 
 which were carried on by the Pagan Roman em- 
 perors, continued, and all secular advantages were 
 on the side of Paganism, there was little encour- 
 agement for any one to embrace Christianity, who 
 did not discover somewhat of its truth and excel- 
 lence. Many of the errors, indeed, of several cen- 
 turies, the fruit of vain philosophy, paved the way 
 for the events which followed ; but the hindrance 
 was not effectually removed, until Constantine, the 
 emperor, on professing himself a christian, under- 
 took to convert the kingdom of Christ into a king- 
 dom of this w r orld, by exalting the teachers of Chris- 
 tianity to the same state of affluence, grandeur, and 
 influence in the empire as had been enjoyed by 
 Pagan priests and secular officers in the state. The 
 professed ministers of Jesus now having a wide field 
 
25 
 
 opened to them for gratifying their lust of power, . 
 wealth, and dignity, the connection between the 
 Christian faith and the cross was at an end. What 
 followed was the kingdom of the clergy, supplant- 
 ing the kingdom of Jesus Christ. 
 
 It is worthy of observation, in what language 
 the apostle describes the revelation of the man of 
 sin, when this hindrance, or let, should be remov- 
 ed. ' And then shall that wicked be revealed, — 
 whose coming is after the working of Satan, with 
 all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with 
 all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that 
 perish.' He had before described this power, and 
 personified him as 4 the son of perdition, who op- 
 poseth and exalteth himself above all that is called 
 God, or that is worshipped ; so that he as God, sit- 
 teth in the temple of God shewing himself that he 
 is God.'— Jones Ch. Hist. p. 154, 157. 
 
 In this century, in the year 416, a council was 
 convened at Mela, which said it is the pleasure of 
 the bishops to order that whosoever denieth that 
 Infants newly born of their mothers are to be bap- 
 tized, or saith that baptism is administered for the 
 remission of their own sins, but not on account of 
 original sin derived from Adam, and to be expiated 
 by the laver of Regeneration, be accursed. — Rob. 
 Hist. Bap. p. 202. 
 
 The Waldenses in their description of Anti- 
 Christ, say, ' He teaches to baptize Children into 
 the faith and attributes to them the work of regen- 
 eration, thus confounding the work of the Holy 
 Spirit in regeneration, with the external rite of 
 baptism, and on this foundation bestows orders, and 
 indeed grounds all his Christianity. He places all 
 religion and holiness in going to mass, and has min- 
 gled together all description of ceremonies, Jewish, 
 Heathen and Christian. — Jones p. 328. 
 
 Chrisostom says, that the time of grace or con- 
 version, was the onlv fit time for baptism ; which, 
 3 
 
26 
 
 says he, was the season in which three thousand 
 in Acts 2, and others afterwards, were baptized. 
 And again he says, the principal thing in baptism 
 to be looked after is the Spirit, — see Magd. Cent. 
 5, p. 363. — Junius, Jun. p. 75. 
 
 The Novations. — Their doctrinal sentiments ap- 
 pear to have been very scriptural, and the disci- 
 pline of their churches rigid in the extreme. They 
 were the first class of Christians who obtained the 
 name of (Cathari) Puritans ; an appellation which 
 does not appear to have been chosen by themselves, 
 but applied to them by their adversaries, from which 
 we may reasonably conclude that their manners 
 were simple and irreproachable. 
 
 The vast extent of this seet, says Dr. Lardner, 
 is manifest from the names of the authors who have 
 mentioned them, or written against them, and from 
 the several parts of the Roman empire in which they 
 were found, — Jones, 181, 183. 
 
 Novation appears to have been possessed of con- 
 siderable talents — Mosheim terms him " A man of 
 uncommon learning and eloquence !" 
 
 The Waldenses had, like the ancient Brittons, 
 erected colleges or places where they united and 
 lived in large bodies or assemblies, among whom 
 many were appointed to teach and preach the gos- 
 pel. [At that time Pelagius appeared, and said "that 
 children were born as innocent as Adam was crea- 
 ted," instead of all being born under sin, and that 
 we all go astray from the womb speaking lies.] The 
 ancient Brittons to suppress this error sent to their 
 brethren in France, who sent them Germanus and 
 Lupus, who were mighty in the scriptures, and 
 were not only serviceable to suppress the error, 
 but were very useful in the conversion of many, 
 and they baptized great multitudes upon confession 
 of faith, in a river near Chester.— Junius, Jun. p. 41. 
 A. D. about 420. 
 
27 
 
 SIXTH CENTURY. 
 
 And John also was baptizing in iEnon, near to Salini, because 
 there was biuch water there ; and they came and were baptized. 
 
 John iii. 23. 
 
 Christians at f>rst baptized in rivers and fords, and 
 wherever water of sufficient depth could be found. 
 About the middle of the third century, baptistries 
 began to be built. They at first, like the manners 
 and conditions of the people, were very simple, 
 and merely for use ; but in the end they arose to 
 as high a degree of elegant superstition, as enthusi- 
 asm could invent. 
 
 To the account of the baptistry at the church at 
 St. Sophia, of Constantinople, I will subjoin the 
 following extracts from the discourses of Basil, 
 archbishop of Csesarea, which may serve to show 
 both how and for what purpose they baptized in 
 the Greek established church, in the fourth centu- 
 
 ■7' 
 
 " It is necessary for the perlection ot a christian 
 
 life, that we should imitate Christ ; not only such 
 holy actions and dispositions, as lenity, modesty, 
 and patience, which he exemplified in his life, but 
 also in his death, as Paul saith, 'lama follower 
 of Christ, I am conformable to his death, if by any 
 means I might attain to the resurection of the 
 dead.' How can we be placed in a condition of 
 likeness to his death ? By being buried with him 
 in baptism" &c. Nothing like this is to be found 
 in the Lent sermons of modern times ; and a 
 translation of the Lent Homilies of the ancient 
 Greek bishops could not be read to any congrega- 
 tion of modern christians, without great absurdity, 
 except to Baptist assemblies, and there they would 
 be heard in raptures, for their singular propriety 
 and beauty. — Benedict's Hist. Bap. vol. 1. pp. 68, 
 69, 70. 
 
28 
 
 At the Baptistery of No vara, a building near the 
 church which yet remains, Bishop Lorenzo preach- 
 ed a baptismal discourse, about the sixth century. 
 His Homily on repentance, seems to have been a 
 preparation sermon previous to, or immediately af- 
 ter baptism. — Extracts Rob. hist. Bap. p. 100. 
 
 Mr. Robinson has given similar descriptions of 
 the baptisteries of Revenna, Venice, Florrence, 
 No vara, and Milan ; but those which have been 
 mentioned will give the reader an idea of the form 
 and design of these baptismal structures, which 
 were erected in the front of Christian temples, to 
 show that baptism is the entrance into the church. 
 — Bened. v. 1, p. 70. 
 
 In this age believers were baptized upon pro- 
 fession of their faith, is evident. Gregory says, 
 1 In baptism, the elect receive the gift of the Spirit, 
 whereby also their understandings are enlightened 
 in the Scriptures ; and that hy faith in the death 
 of Christ by baptism their sins are forgiven.' In 
 this century the council of Agathan decreed, that 
 the Articles of Faith be first preached to the per- 
 sons to be baptized, before they are baptized, — see 
 Vicecome's Hist, of Bap. p. 482— Junius, Jun. p. 75. 
 
 Austin was sent to England A. D. 596, one hun- 
 dred and seventy years after the Waldenses had 
 visited England, he was the Pope's legate, and a 
 cruel enemy to the ancient Christian Brittons. He 
 was so ignorant of the rite of Baptism to Infants 
 when he first came to Britain (and because he 
 could not find it in his Bible) that he wrote to Pope 
 Gregory to be resolved in it: See his tenth Inter- 
 rogatory Ex. Decreto. Greg. Lib. I. Council Tom. 
 II. — Junius, Jun. p. 41. 
 
 JErius. — It is happy for simple Christians that 
 their rule of duty is plain, though unfortunately, 
 not sanctioned by either the Catholic or the Re- 
 formed church. It is " not to admit into the wor- 
 ship of God, any thing which is either not express- 
 
ly commanded, or plainly exemplified in the New- 
 Testament." This was evidently the principle up- 
 on which iErius proceeded in opuosing the super- 
 stition of his times, and for which he deserves to 
 be held in perpetual remembrance ; — he had socie- 
 ties throughout Armenia, Pontus and Capadocia. — 
 He and his followers flourished in the fifth and sixth 
 centuries. — Jones pp. 194, 196. 
 
 Donatists.—A sect of the Cathari, whose name was 
 derived from their firrt Bishop Donatus ; like the 
 Novations, they re-baptized, denying the validity 
 of baptism by the Catholics. From the purity of 
 their communion they were called puritans. They 
 flourished from the fourth to the sixth century, and 
 were very numerous, having churches in Spain, 
 Italy and Africa : and at one time 279 Bisnops. 
 
 Jones p. 222. 
 The Waldenses. — " We live (says Monsieur 
 de Vignaux, who was forty years pastor of one of 
 the churches in the vallies of Piedmont,) in peace 
 and harmony one with another, have intercourse 
 and dealings chiefly among ourselves, having never 
 mingled ourselves with the members of the church 
 of Rome by marrying our sons to their daughters, 
 nor our daughters to their sons," &c. He then 
 gives a summary of their doctrinal principles, for 
 the sake of which they have been persecuted, such 
 as " that the Holy Scriptures contain all things ne- 
 cessary to our salvation, and that we are called to 
 believe only what they teach, without any regard 
 to the authority of man — that nothing else ought to 
 be received by us except what God hath command- 
 ed — that there is only one mediator between God 
 and man, and consequently that it is wrong to in- 
 voke the saints. That baptism and the Lord's sup- 
 per are the only standing ordinances in the church 
 of Christ — that we admit of no other degrees than 
 bishops and deacons. — that all human tradition 
 are to be rejected," &c. — Jones p. 344. 
 3* 
 
30 
 
 SEVENTH CENTURY, 
 
 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the 
 life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the 
 blindness of their heart. — Eph. iv. 18. 
 
 And he said unto them take heed, and beware of covetousuess, 
 for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which 
 he possesseth. — Luke xii. 15. 
 
 The Emperors of Rome and Constantinople, who 
 professed Christianity, had now been lavishing on 
 the clergy, riches, immunities, and privileges, du- 
 ring three succeeding centuries ; and these sedu- 
 cing advantages had contributed to a relaxation of 
 discipline, and the introduction of such a mass of 
 disorders as wholly destroyed the spirit of the 
 Christian profession. They seemed to have be- 
 lieved, says the Abbe de Mably, that avarice was 
 the first attribute of the Deity, and that the saints 
 made a traffic of their influence and protection. 
 " Our treasury is poor," said Chilperic, king of the 
 Franks, u Our riches are gone to the church ; the 
 bishops are the kings." And true it is, that the 
 superior clergy, by the influx of wealth and the 
 acquisition of lands, combined the influence of 
 worldly grandeur with that of religion, insomuch 
 that they were often the arbiters of kingdoms, and 
 disposed of the crown, while they regulated the 
 affairs of the state. 
 
 Historians have exhibited to us the melancholy 
 picture of the universal darkness and ignorance, 
 which, at the beginning of the seventh century, had 
 overspread all ranks of men. Even the ecclesias- 
 tical orders scarcely afforded an exception to this 
 general description. — Jones pp. 236, 237. 
 
 In this age we find that the Bracarens Council* 
 in Spain, decreed, that no adult person but such 
 who h'xdbeen well instructed and examined should 
 be baptized. 
 
31 
 
 The council of Toletanus express the same im- 
 port ; and we find that Paulinus baptized in the 
 river Trent, in England, a great number both of 
 men and women, — see Bead, L. 2, Chap. 16. Cent. 
 7, p. 145 ; and in Egypt, it is said, that the Chris- 
 tians departed from the faith and practice of the 
 church of Rome, placing it upon the apostolic foun- 
 dation, that the person should first believe before 
 he is baptized. — Vicecomes, L. 9, c. 3 — Junius, 
 Jun. p. 75. 
 
 The Paulicians — At a moment when darkness 
 seemed to cover the earth, and thick darkness the 
 people, it is pleasing to contemplate a ray of ce- 
 lestial light darting across the gloom-; about the 
 middle of this century, a new sect arose in the 
 East, under the name of Paulicians. 
 
 Near Somosater, a person named Constantine, 
 entertained a deacen from Syria, from whom he 
 received the precious gift of the New-Testament ; 
 he studied it with unwearied assiduity ; he investi- 
 gated the creed of primitive Christianity, and the 
 knowledge, under divine blessing, that he was en- 
 abled to attain, he gladly communicated to others 
 around him, and what we would call a revival, soon 
 commenced, a Christian church was collected, in 
 a little time several individuals arose among them, 
 qualified for the work of the ministry, and several 
 other churches were collected throughout Arme- 
 nia and Capadocia. It appears to have been a lead- 
 ing object with them to restore the profession of 
 Christianity to all its primitive simplicity. — Jones 
 p. 239. 
 
 The Waldenses, says Reinerius Saccho, an in- 
 quisitor, and one of their most implacable enemies, 
 who lived only eighty years after Waldo, admits 
 that the Waldenses flourished five hundred years 
 before that preacher, (of course they flourished in 
 this century, their enemies giving the evidence.) 
 — Jones p. SOI. 
 
32 
 
 EIGHTH CENTURY, 
 
 It is written thou shg.lt love the Lord thy God, and him only shait 
 thou serve. — Matt. vi. 10. 
 
 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness 
 of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, 
 or that is in the water under the earth. — Ex. xx. 5. 
 
 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you 
 into the grace of Christ. — Gal. i. 6. 
 
 One Lord, one faith, one baptism. — Eph. iv. 6. 
 
 The mystery of iniquity continued to work, until 
 at length, under the reign of Irene, was convened 
 what was termed the seventh general council. It 
 was held at Nice. In this assembly it was decreed, 
 that holy images of the cross should be consecrated 
 and put on the sacred vessels and vestments, and 
 upon walls and boards in private houses and in pub- 
 lic highways. And especially that there should be 
 erected images of the Lord God our Saviour Jesus 
 Christ, of our blessed Lady, the mother of God, of 
 the venerable angels and of all the saints. And 
 that whoever should presume to think or teach oth- 
 erwise, or to throw away any painted books, or the 
 figure of the cross, or any image or picture, or any 
 genuine relics of the martyrs, they should, if bish- 
 ops or clergymen be disposed, or if monks or lay- 
 men be excommunicated. 
 
 The Waldenses bore a noble testimony against 
 all this idolatry, superstition and false worship, 
 calling it antichrist. Their language is, " Christ 
 never had an enemy like this ; so able to pervert 
 the way of truth into falsehood, insomuch that the 
 true church, with her children, is trodden under 
 foot. The worship that belongs alone to God he 
 transfered to antichrist himself — to the creature, 
 male and female, deceased — to images, carcases, 
 and relics. The sacrament of the eucharist is con- 
 verted into an object of adoration, and the worship- 
 ing of God alone is prohibited. — Jones p. 229, 328. 
 
 The first appearance of baptizing by pouring. 
 
33 
 
 was in the eighth century, when Pope Stephen III. 
 allowed the validity of such a baptism of infants in 
 danger of death, and in cases of necessity. The 
 learned James Bassanage makes several very pro- 
 per remarks on this canon : as that " although it 
 is accounted the first law for sprinkling, yet it doth 
 not forbid dipping ; that it allows sprinkling only 
 in cases of imminent danger : that the authenticity 
 of it is denied by some Catholicks : that many laws 
 were made after this time in Germany, France, and 
 England, to compel dipping, and without any pro- 
 vision for cases of necessity : therefore this law did 
 not alter the mode of dipping in public baptisms : 
 and that it was not till five hundred and fifty years 
 after, that the council at Ravenna, in the year thir- 
 teen hundred and eleven, declared dipping or 
 sprinkling indifferent. "-Bened. v. 1, p. 65. 
 
 In this age we find the learned Bede says, (page 
 220.) that men were first to be instructed in the 
 knowledge of the truth, then to be baptized as 
 Christ has taught, because that without faith it is 
 impossible to please God. The learned Haime, 
 upon Matt, xxviii. 19, says, in these words is set 
 down the rule how to baptize ; that is, that teach- 
 ing should go before baptism. For he saith that 
 Christ says teach all nations, then Baptize ; for he 
 that is to be baptized must first be instructed to be- 
 lieve what he in baptism is to receive. 
 
 Likewise the council of Paris, and that of Lao- 
 dica, that those who are baptized ought first to be 
 instructed in the faith, and to make a confession 
 thereof. — Junius, Jun. p. 76. 
 
 The following illustrations of the word baptize, 
 are from eminent men of later date. Dr. Campbell, 
 principal of the College, (Abberdeen) says, the 
 word baptize, both in sacred authors, and classical, 
 signifies to dip, to plunge, to immerse, — see his 
 four Gospels p. 259. note on Matt. 3d. 
 
 Zanchus, professor of Divinity at Heidleburg, 
 
34 
 
 says, the proper signification of the word baptize, 
 is to immerse, plunge under, to overwhelm in wa- 
 ter. Witsius, professor of Divinity in the Univer- 
 sities of Franker, Utretcht and Leyden, says, it 
 cannot be denied that the native signification of the 
 word baptize is to plunge or dip. Calvin says, the 
 word baptize signifies to immerse, and the rite of 
 immersion was observed by the ancient church. — 
 Review of Bakers view of Bap. p. 4. 
 
 The Paulicians, — Their public appearance soon 
 attracted the notice of the Catholic party, who im- 
 mediately branded them with many opprobrious 
 epithets. The labors of Constantine appears to 
 have been crowned with much success. Pontus 
 and Capadocia, regions once renowned for Chris- 
 tian piety, were again blessed with a diffusion of 
 the light of divine truth, and their congregations, 
 in process of time, were diffused over the provin- 
 ces of Asia Minor. Simeon, a Greek officer, was 
 sent to destroy them, and the venerable Constan- 
 tine with others were stoned to death ; but Simeon 
 himself, struck with the evidence of divine grace 
 in the sufferers, embraced at length the faith which 
 he came to destroy — renounced his station, resign- 
 ed his honors and fortunes, became a zealous 
 preacher among the Paulicians and at last sealed 
 his testimony with his blood. — Jones p. 240. 
 
 The Waldenses of Italy, called Paterines, who 
 were discovered by their enemies in the tenth cen- 
 tury, made no objections to the Catholicks bapti- 
 zing by immersion as the mode ; but when they 
 were examined, they objected vehemently against 
 the baptism of infants, and condemned it as an 
 error. Among other things, they said, that a child 
 knew nothing of the matter ; that he had no de- 
 sire to be baptized, and was incapable of making 
 any confession of faith, and that the willing and 
 professing of another could be of no service to him. 
 —Jones, p. 282, see 10 Cent, of these Sketches. * 
 
35 
 
 NINTH CENTURY. 
 
 And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord, choose ye this day 
 whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the 
 Lord. — Joshnaxxiv. 15. 
 
 The principal vallies of Piedmont, are Aosta and 
 Susa on the north — Stura on the south — and in the 
 interior of the country, Lucerna, Angrogna, Rac- 
 capiatta, Pramol, Perosa, and S. Martino. The 
 valley of Clusone, or Pragela, as it is often called, 
 was in ancient times apart of the province of Dau- 
 phiny, in France, and has been from the days of 
 Hannibal, the ordinary route of the French and 
 other armies, when marching into Italy. Angrogna, 
 Pramol, and S. Martino are strongly fortified De- 
 nature on account of their many difficult passes and 
 bulwarks of rocks and mountains ; as if the allwise 
 Creator, says Sir Samuel Moriand, had from the 
 beginning, designed that place as a cabinet, where- 
 in to put some inestimable jewel, or in which to 
 reserve many thousand souls, which should not 
 bow the knee before Baal. 
 
 Indeed, from the borders of Spain, throughout 
 the greatest part of the south of France, among and 
 below the Alps, along the Rhine and even to Bo- 
 hemia, thousands of the disciples of Christ, as will 
 hereafter be shewn, were found, even in the very 
 worst of times, preserving the faith in its purity, 
 adhering to the simplicity of Christian worship, 
 patiently bearing the cross after Christ ; men dis- 
 tinguished by their fear of God and obedience to 
 his will, and persecuted only for righteousness sake. 
 — Jones pp. 242, 244. 
 
 In this age we find that Rabanus, in chap. 4, 
 says, that the Catechism, which is the doctrine 
 of faith, must go before baptism, to the intent that 
 he that is to be baptized, may first learn the mys- 
 teries of faith, and likewise observes, the Lord 
 Christ anointed the eyes of him that was born 
 
36 
 
 blind, with clay made of spittle, before he sent 
 him to the water of Shiloah, to signify that he that 
 is to be baptized, must first see or be instructed in 
 the faith concerning the incarnation of Christ, — 
 when he that is instructed doth believe, then he is 
 to be admitted to baptism, that he might know 
 whom he afterwards ought, and in duty is bound to 
 serve. — Junius, Jun. p. 76. 
 
 The Paulicians. — 1 These Christian churches 
 seem to have been almost incessantly subjected to 
 persecution, which they supported with Christian 
 meekness and patience, until the ninth century, 
 when Theodora the Greek empress is computed to 
 have killed by gibbet, fire and sword, a hundred 
 thousand persons. The Catholic writers frequently 
 mention the Paulicians, as being of the same sect as 
 the Waldenses, among others, the Catholic histo- 
 rian, William of Neuburg, called the Waldenses 
 who were appreheuded in England, and who deni- 
 ed infant baptism, Paulicians. — Jones, pp. 241,275. 
 
 The Waldenses, says President Edwards, lived 
 separate from all the rest of the world ; who kept 
 themselves pure, and constantly bore a testimony 
 against the church of Rome, through all this dark 
 time. The place where they dwelt was the Vau- 
 dois, or the five vallies of Piedmont, (that is, foot 
 of the mount). It is a very mountainous country 
 between Italy and France, and the place where 
 they lived was compassed with those exceeding 
 high mountains, called the Alps, which was almost 
 impassable. The passage over the mountains and 
 desert countries, was so difficult, that the vallies 
 where this people dwelt were almost inaccessible. 
 There this people lived for many ages as it were 
 alone ; where, in a state of separation from all the 
 world, having very little to do with any other peo- 
 ple, they served God in the ancient purity of his 
 worship, and never submitted to the church of 
 Rome.— Merrill's Min. Hist. Bap. p. 101. 
 
37 
 
 TENTH CENTURY. 
 
 And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my 
 stiength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore, will I 
 rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon 
 me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in ne- 
 cessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake, for when 1 
 am weak then am I strong. — 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. 
 
 During the dark ages which succeeded the inva- 
 sion of Europe by the barbarous nations, when feu- 
 dal anarchy distracted the civil governments, and 
 a flood of superstition had deluged the church , Chris- 
 tianity, banished from the seats of empire, and loath- 
 ing the monkish abodes of indolence and vice, 
 meekly retired into the sequestered vallies of Pied- 
 mont. Finding there a race of men unarrayed in 
 hostile armour, uncontaminated by the doctrines 
 and commandments of an apostate church, unambi- 
 tious in their temper, and simple in their manners, 
 she preferred their society, and among them took 
 up her abode. The turbulence of the times, which 
 drave many from the more fertile plains of France 
 and Italy, in search of freedom and tranquility, 
 greatly augmented the population of this remote 
 district ; and, in the ninth century, the doctrine 
 of the kingdom of heaven had been held forth among 
 them with considerable clearness and ability by 
 Claude, bishop of Turin. 
 
 Remote from the influence of noisy parties, and 
 little conversant with literature, we can scarcely 
 expect any notice of them, until their increase and 
 prosperity excited the attention of ambition and 
 avarice, and occasioned it to be rumoured in the 
 neighboring ecclesiastical states that a numerous 
 people occupied the southern vallies of the Alps, 
 whose faith and practice differed from those of the 
 Romish church ; who paid no tithes, offered no 
 mass, worshipped no saints, had no recourse to any 
 of the prescribed means for redeeming their souls 
 from purgatory. 
 
38 
 
 The archbishops of Turin, Milan, and other cities, 
 heard this report with anxiety, and the necessary 
 measures were accordingly adopted for ascertain- 
 ing its truth or falsehood ; the former turning out 
 to be the result, and finding that these people were 
 not to be controlled by the authority and denuncia- 
 tions of the church of Rome, the aid of the civil 
 power was demanded. The princes and nobles of 
 the adjacent countries at first refused to disturb 
 them ; they had beheld with pleasure their simple 
 manners, their uprightness and integrity, their 
 readiness to oblige, and their fidelity in the dis- 
 charge of all the duties of civil and social life. The 
 clamour of the Romish clergy, however, ultimately 
 prevailed, and the civil power was armed against 
 the peaceable inhabitants of the vallies. Scaffolds 
 were erected and fires kindled at Turin and other 
 cities around them. The fortitude and Confidence 
 of the martyrs, however, increased as their faith 
 and constancy were tried. " Favor me," said Ca- 
 talan Girard, who was one of their number, as he 
 sat upon the funeral pile at Reuel — u favor me with 
 those two flint stones," which he saw near him. 
 Being handed to him, he added, as he threw them 
 to the ground, " Sooner shall I eat these stones, 
 than you shall be able by persecution to destroy 
 the religion for which I die." 
 
 Multitudes, however, fled like innocent and de- 
 fenceless sheep from these devouring wolves. 
 They crossed the Alps ; and travelled in every 
 direction as Providence and the prospect of safety 
 conducted them, into Germany, England, France, 
 Italy, and other countries. There they trimmed 
 their lamps and shone with new lusture. Their 
 worth every where drew attention, and their doc- 
 trine formed increasing circles around them. The 
 storm which threatened their destruction, only 
 scattered them as the precious seeds of the future 
 
/ 
 
 39 
 
 glorious reformation of the Christian church.— Jones 
 pp. 267, 268. 
 
 The most satisfactory definition that I have met 
 with of the term Waldenses, is that given by Mr. 
 Robinson, in his Ecclesiastical Researches ; and, 
 in the confidence that it is the true one, and that I 
 may not unnecessarily trespass on the reader's 
 time and patience, I submit it to his consideration. 
 
 From the Latin word vallis, came the English 
 word valley, the French and Spanish voile, the 
 Italian valdesi, the Low Dutch valley e, the Proven- 
 cal vaux vaudois, the Ecclesiastical Valdei&es, 
 Ualdenses, and Waldenses. The words simply 
 signify rallies, inhabitants of vallies, and no more. 
 It happened that the inhabitants of the vallies of 
 the Pyrenees did not profess the Catholic faith ; 
 it fell out also that the inhabitants of the vallies 
 about the Alps did not embrace it ; it happened, 
 moreover, in the ninth century, that one Valdo, a 
 friend and counsellor of Berengarius, and a man 
 of eminence who had many followers, did not ap- 
 prove of the papal discipline and doctrine ; and it 
 came to pass about an hundred and thirty years 
 after, that a rich merchant of Lyons, who was call- 
 ed Valdus, or Waldo, openly disavowed the Ro- 
 man Catholic religion, supported many to teach the 
 doctrines believed in the vallies, and became the 
 instrument of the conversion of numbers ; all 
 
 THESE PEOPLE WERE CALLED WaLDENSES. This 
 
 view of the matter, which to myself is indisputably 
 the true one, is also supported by the authority of 
 their own historians, Pierre Gilles, Perrin, Leger, 
 Sir S. Morland, and Dr. Allix.— Rob. Ec'l. Re- 
 searches, pp. 302, 303— Jones, p. 299. 
 
 But after multitudes of the Waldenses were dis- 
 persed indifferent parts of Europe, they often bore 
 the name of the country where they then, or re- 
 cently had inhabited , such for instance, as were 
 from Alby, or the district of Albigeois, were call- 
 
40 
 
 ed Albigenses ; from Lombard, Lombardists ; from 
 Toulouse, Toulousians; from Bohemia, Bohemians, 
 &c. They were also often called after the name 
 of eminent preachers of their faith and order ; — 
 from Peter Waldo, of Lyons, Leonists ; from Pe- 
 ter De Bruys, Petrobrusians, and in some places, Ca- 
 tharists, (puritans); Paterines, Paulicians, &c; " all 
 these branches, however, sprang from one common 
 stock, and were animated by the same religious and 
 moral principles, and it is observed that whenever 
 the Pope or the officers of the inquisition made out 
 their process of indictment against any of those 
 branches, they were always called Waldenses, for 
 the Catharists in Germany, and the Paterines in the 
 Duchy of Milan, during this period held the same 
 principles as the Waldenses." — Jones, p. 301-2. 
 
 The Paterines, of Italy , were known by the name 
 of Cathari, or Gazari, which is a corruption of 
 Cathari, puritans ; and it is remarkable that in the 
 examinations of these people, they are not taxed 
 with any immoralities, but were condemned for 
 speculations, or rather for virtuous rules of action, 
 which all in power accounted heresies. They said 
 a Christian church ought to consist of only good peo- 
 ple ; a church had no power to frame constitutions, 
 (canons) ; it was not right to take oaths ; it was 
 not lawful to kill mankind ; a man ought not to be 
 delivered up to officers of justice to be converted ; 
 the benefits of society belonged alike to all the 
 members of it ; faith without works could not save 
 a man ; the church ought not to persecute any, 
 even the wicked. 
 
 As the Catholics of those times baptized by immer- 
 sion, the Paterines, made no complaint of the mode 
 of baptizing, but when they were examined, they 
 objected vehemently against the baptism of infants, 
 and condemned it as an error. Among other things, 
 they said, that a child knew nothing of the matter, 
 that he had no desire to be baptized, and was in* 
 
41 
 
 capable of making any confession of faith, and that 
 the willing and professing of another could be of 
 no service to him. " Here then," says Dr. Allix, 
 very truly, u we have found a body of men in Italy, 
 before the year one thousand and twenty-six, five 
 hundred years before the reformation, who believ- 
 ed contrary to the opinions of the church of Rome, 
 and who highly condemned their errors." Atto, 
 bishop of Verceulli, had complained of such peo- 
 ple eighty years before, and so had others before 
 him, and there is the highest reason to believe that 
 they had always existed in Italy. It is observable 
 that those who are alluded to by Dr. Allix, were 
 brought to light by mere accident. No notice were 
 taken of them in Italy, but some disciples of Gun- 
 dulf, one of their teachers, went to settle in the 
 low countries (Netherlands,) and Gerard, bishop of 
 Cambray, imprisoned them, under pretence of con- 
 verting them. — Jones, pp. 281, 282. 
 
 The Waldenses, or Cathari, who in Italy 
 were called Paterines, were decent in their de- 
 portment, modest in their address and discourse, 
 and their morals irreproachable. In their conver- 
 sation there was no levity, no scurrility, no de- 
 traction, no falsehood, no swearing. Their dress 
 was neither fine nor mean ; they were chaste and 
 temperate, never frequenting taverns, or places of 
 public amusement. They were not given to anger 
 and other violent passions. They were not eager 
 to accumulate wealth, but content with the neces- 
 saries of life. They avoided commerce, because 
 they thought it would expose them to the tempta- 
 tion of collusion, falsehood and oaths, choosing ra- 
 ther to live by labor or useful trades. They were 
 always employed in spare hours, either in giving 
 or receiving instruction. Their bishops and offi- 
 cers were generally mechanics, who maintained 
 themselves by their own industry. — Jones, p. 283. 
 4* 
 
42 
 
 ELEVENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good 
 works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. — Matt. v. 16. 
 
 The Paterines, — Their churches were divided 
 into sixteen compartments ; such as the English 
 Baptists would call associations. Each of these 
 were subdivided into parts, which would be here 
 termed churches or congregations. In Milan there 
 was a street called Pataria, where it is supposed 
 they met for divine worship. — Jones, p. 282-3. 
 
 The Paterines, about the year 1040, had become 
 very numerous at Milan, which was their principal 
 residence, and here they flourished at least two 
 hundred years. They had no connexion with the 
 [Catholic] church ; for they rejected not only Je- 
 rome of Syria, Augustine of Africa, and Gregory 
 of Rome, but Ambrose of Milan ; considering them, 
 and all other pretended fathers, as corrupters of 
 Christianity. They particularly condemned Pope 
 Sylvester as Antichrist. — Jones, p. 283. 
 
 Anselem says, that believers are baptized into 
 the death of Christ : that believing his death and 
 conforming thereto, may as dying with him, live 
 also with him. — Cent. 11, p. 169. And again he 
 saith, the baptism of Christ is the washing of water 
 into the word of life — take away either the water 
 or the word and baptism ceaseth.-Junius, Jr. p. 76. 
 The Waldenses, and their disciples from France, 
 Germany and Holland, began to emigrate and to 
 abound in England, about the year 1080, they are 
 said to have propagated their sentiments through- 
 out England, so that not only the meaner sort in 
 country villages, but the nobility and gentry in the 
 chief towns and cities embraced their doctrines, 
 and of course adopted the opinion of the Baptists, 
 for we have no information that any of the Wal- 
 denses at this period, had fallen off to infant bap- 
 tism. For more than a hundred years the Wal- 
 denses increased and were unmolested. — Benedict. 
 v. 1, p. 191. 
 
43 
 
 TWELFTH CENTURY. 
 
 Remember the word that I said unto you. The servant is not 
 greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me they will perse- 
 cute you ; if they have kept my sayings they will keep yours also. 
 
 John xvi. 20. 
 
 We are told by Le Sieur de la Popeliniere, who 
 wrote a History of France, that the religion of the 
 Waldenses spread itself throughout all the coun- 
 tries of Europe, even into Poland and Lithuania ; 
 and that ever since the year 1100, they had been 
 propagating their doctrine, which differed but lit- 
 tle from the modern Protestants. He adds that, 
 notwithstanding the vigorous efforts that have been 
 resorted to, by different princes and powers, to 
 suppress their doctrine, they had, even to his 
 times, boldly and courageously maintained it. 
 
 A little before the year 1 140, Evervinus, a Ger- 
 man, addressed a letter to Bernard, a bishop of the 
 Roman church, informing him that they had lately 
 discovered some heretics, a branch of the Walden- 
 ses, in his neighborhood, (Stainfield, Germany) 
 and that they had got the bishop and his compan- 
 ions, whom they admonished to repent for three- 
 days, and then they were all burnt to death, and 
 what is more astonishing, continues Evervinus, 
 they came to the stake, and endured the torments 
 of the flames, not only with patience, but even with 
 joy. He also gives the following, as a part of their 
 Confession of Faith. " Whereas we and our fa- 
 thers having been born and brought up in the apos- 
 tolic doctrine have continued in the grace of Christ, 
 and shall continue so to the end. By their fruits 
 ye shall know them saith Christ; and our fruits 
 are the footsteps of Christ. The apostolic dignity, 
 say they, is corrupted by engaging itself in secular 
 affairs, while it sits in the chair of Peter. They 
 do not hold the baptism of infants, alleging that pas- 
 sage of the gospel, ' He that believeth and is bap- 
 
44 
 
 tized shall be saved.' They place no confidence 
 in the intercession of saints ; and all things observ- 
 ed in the church which have not been established 
 by Christ himself, or his apostles, they call super- 
 stition." 
 
 The letter of Evervinus had all the effect upon 
 Bernard that he could desire. He is extremely 
 offended with them for deriding the Catholics be- 
 cause they baptized infants, and prayed for the 
 dead, and asserted purgatory — condemning their 
 scrupulous refusal to swear at all, which, according 
 to him, was one of their peculiarities. — Extracts 
 from Jones, pp. 271-2-3. 
 
 The Cathari.—We have some additional informa- 
 tion concerning these people, given us by Egbert a 
 monk, and afterwards abbot of Schonage, who tells 
 us that he had often disputed with these heretics, and 
 that he had learned still more of their opinions from 
 those who had, through the force of torments and the 
 threat of being burned, renounced their commun- 
 ion. He says, " they are commonly called Cathari, 
 [Puritans] a sort of people very pernicious to the 
 Catholic faith, which, like moths, they corrupt and 
 destroy." He adds, that they were divided into 
 several sects, and maintained their opinions by the 
 authority of Scripture. He takes particular notice 
 of their denying the utility of baptism to infants, 
 which, say they, through their incapacity, avails 
 nothing to their salvation ; insisting that baptism 
 ought to be deferred till they come to years of dis- 
 cretion, and that even then, those only should be 
 baptized who make a personal profession of faith, 
 and desire it. — Jones, p. 274. 
 
 About the year 1110, In the South of France, 
 in the provinces of Languedoc and Provence, ap- 
 peared Peter de Bruys, preaching the gospel of 
 the kingdom of heaven, and exerting the most lau- 
 dable efforts to reform the abuses and remove the 
 superstitions which disfigured the beautiful simpli- 
 
45 
 
 city of the gospel worship, and saying that baptism 
 was only to be administered to adults. About the 
 year 1160, Peter Waldo, a merchant of Lyons, be- 
 gan his ministry. An extraordinary occurrence in 
 providence was the means of awaking his mind to 
 the one thing needful. One evening after supper, 
 as he sat conversing with a party of friends, and 
 refreshing himself among them, one of them fell 
 down dead upon the floor, to the consternation of 
 all that were present. Such a lesson on the uncer- 
 tainty of human life, and the very precarious ten- 
 ure in which mortals hold it, most forcibly arrest- 
 ed his attention — under the terror of an awakened 
 conscience, he had recourse to the Holy Scriptures 
 for instruction and comfort. The belief of the tes- 
 timony which God had given of his Son, diffused 
 peace and joy into his own mind, raised his views 
 and conceptions above ' the smoke and dross of this 
 dim spot which men call earth,' and led him, through 
 a precious Saviour, to look for glory, honour and im- 
 mortality ; even eternal life in the world to come. 
 He preached about 20 years, and it was blessed to 
 the souls of thousands. The inhabitants of Europe 
 were indebted to him for the first translation of the 
 Bible into a modern tongue, since the time that the 
 Latin had ceased to be a living language, — a gift of 
 inestimable value. — Jones, p. 303-4. 
 
 The Waldenses.- -The true witnesses, and as I 
 may say, the Protestants of this age, were the Wal- 
 denses and the Albigenses, who oegan to be famous 
 at this time, and being dispersed into various places, 
 were distinguished by various appellations. Their 
 first and proper name seemeth to have been Vallen- 
 ses, or inhabitants of the valleys, and so saith one of 
 the oldest writers, Ebrad of Bethunc, who wrote 
 in the year 1212, (about 50 years before Peter Wal- 
 do.) They call themselves Vallenses, because 
 they abide in the valley of tears, alluding to their 
 situation in the valleys of Piedmont. — Bishop New- 
 ton on the prophesies, v. 2, p. 256, 
 
46 
 
 THIRTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 But when they believed Phillip, preaching the things concerning 
 the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were bap- 
 tized both men and women. — Acts viii. 12. 
 
 But of all the Catholic writers, who have treat- 
 ed of the Waldenses, there is none whose testi- 
 mony is more important than that of Reinerius Sac- 
 cho. He had himself been one of their number, 
 and wrote a book against them, (A. D. 1258.) " Of 
 all the sects that have risen up against the church 
 of Rome," says he, " the Waldenses have been 
 the most prejudicial and pernicious, for three rea- 
 sons ; 1st., because it is the most ancient — some 
 aver their existence from the days of Sylvester, oth- 
 ers from the very time of the apostles ; 2d., because 
 it is so universal, for there is scarcely a country in- 
 to which this sect has not crept ; 3d., because all 
 others render themselves detestable by their blas- 
 phemies against God, this, on the contrary, hath a 
 great appearance of Godliness ; for, they live right- 
 eously before men, believing right concerning God 
 in every particular, holding all the articles contained 
 in the [apostle's] creed. 
 
 " The first lesson," says he, in another place, 
 " that the Waldenses teach those whom they bring 
 over to their party, is to instruct them what kind 
 of persons the disciples of Christ ought to be, and 
 this they do by the doctrine of the evangelists and 
 apostles, saying that those only are the followers 
 of the apostles who imitate their manner of life." 
 
 The Cathari, says Egbert, were increased to 
 great multitudes, throughout all countries, and al- 
 though they seem not to have attracted attention in 
 any remarkable degree, to this period : yet as it is 
 obvious they could not have sprung up in a day, it 
 is not an unfair inference that they must have long 
 existed as a people, wholly distinct from the Catho- 
 lic church, though amidst the political squabbles 
 of the clergy, it was their good fortune to be almost 
 entirely overlooked. — Jones, p 275. 
 
47 
 
 In this century we find that Jacob Merningus 
 says, " That he had in his hand in the German 
 tongue a Confession of the faith of the Baptists, 
 called Waldenses, which asserts that in the begin- 
 ning of Christianity, there was no such thing as 
 baptising of infants, and that their forefathers prac- 
 tised no such thing, as Johannes Bohemius writes 
 in his second book, and Merningus' History of Bap- 
 tism, Part ii. page 733. And it is likewise observ- 
 ed that this faith and practice made a prodigious 
 spread through Poland, Lombardy, Germany and 
 Holland, — see Merning. upon Cent. 13, page 737, 
 and Montantus, page 86 — Junius, Jun. p. 77. 
 
 The Paterines. — Reinerius says, in 1259, the 
 Paterine church of Alba conssisted of above 500 
 members; that at Concorezzo of more than 1500; and 
 that of Bagnolo of about 200. The houses where 
 they met seem to have been. hired by the people, and 
 tenanted by one of the brethren. There were several 
 in each city, and each was distinguished by a mark 
 known by themselves. They had bishops or elders, 
 pastors and teachers, deacons and messengers ; that 
 is, men employed in travelling to administer to the 
 relief and comfort of the poor, and the persecuted. 
 
 The Waldenses,— Among those chosen and faith- 
 full witnesses, the Lord seemeth very signally to 
 have raised up those Christians, who, though dis- 
 persed in divers countries, have been commonly 
 known by the name of Waldenses, who for some 
 centuries of years, have lived aitoag their enemies 
 as lambs among wolves, to bear their testimony for 
 the truth of Christ against the apostacies of the 
 [Church] of Rome, for which they have been kil- 
 led all the day long, and appointed as sheep for the 
 slaughter. Nevertheless, the Lord, the great shep- 
 herd of the sheep, hath made their blood thus shed, 
 to become a constant seed of faithful and valiant 
 witnesses for him, which is indeed the more mar- 
 vellous in our eyes, that this bush hath so long 
 burned, and is not yet consumed. — Jones, p. 515. 
 
48 
 
 FOURTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto 
 the world. — Gal. vi. 14. 
 
 But they had heard only, that he which persecuted us in limes 
 past, now preacheth the faith which he once destroyed. And they 
 glorified God in me. — Gal. i. 23, 24. 
 
 About the year 1330, the Waldenses were griev- 
 ously harrassed and oppressed, in several parts of 
 Germany, by an inquisitor of the name of Echard, 
 a Jacobin monk. The circumstances are related by 
 Vignier, in his Historical Library, part the third, 
 where he also records an anecdote of this Echard, 
 worth mentioning. After inflicting cruelties with 
 great severity, and for a length of time, upon the 
 Waldenses, he was at length induced to investigate 
 the causes and reasons of their separation from the 
 church of Rome, The force of truth ultimately 
 prevailed over all his prejudices — his own con- 
 science attested that many of the errors and corrup- 
 tions, which they charged on that apostate church, 
 really existed ; and, finding himself unable to dis- 
 prove the articles of their faith by the word of God, 
 he confessed that truth had overcome him, gave 
 glory to God, and entered into the communion of 
 the Waldensian churches, which he had long been 
 engaged in punishing and persecuting even to death. 
 The news of his conversion was soon spread abroad, 
 and reached the ears of the other inquisitors, whose 
 indignation was rdused by his apostacy. Emissa- 
 ries were dispatched in pursuit of him, and he was 
 at length apprehended and conveyed to Heidle- 
 berg, where he was committed to the flames. His 
 dying testimony was a noble attestation to the prin- 
 ciples and conduct of the Waldenses, for he went 
 to the stake charging it upon the church of Rome 
 as a monstrous and iniquitous proceedure, to put 
 to death so many innocent persons, for no other 
 crime but their steadfast adherence to the cause of 
 
49 
 
 Christ, in opposition to the delusions of Antichrist. 
 —Jones 383. 
 
 In 1315, Walter Lollard, a German preacher of 
 great renown among the Waldenses, and a friend 
 to believers' baptism, came to England and preach- 
 ed with great effect. His followers and the Wal- 
 denses generally, in England for many generations 
 after him, were called Lollards ; and Crosby has 
 quoted authorities to show that they rejected infant 
 baptism, as a needless ceremony. In 1371, Dr. 
 John Wickliff began to be famous in England, and 
 it is clear from many authors that he rejected infant 
 baptism, — his followers agreed with the Baptists. 
 
 " Walden calls Wickliff one of the seven heads 
 that came out of the bottomless pit, for denying in- 
 fant baptism ; that heresy (as he calls it) of the 
 Lollards, of whom he was a great ring-leader. — 
 Ivimey, pp. 71-2 — Bened. Hist. Bap. v. 1. p. 192. 
 
 In this century, Carious, bishop of Meyland, did 
 exhort the ministers under his charge, that they 
 should first teach the faith ; and that only upon a 
 confession of faith, and a good conversation, they 
 should administer baptism. — Mering. p. 270 — Jun- 
 ius, Jun. p. 78. 
 
 The Waldenses (notwithstanding their severe 
 persecution), continued to increase throughout Ger- 
 many, during the thirteenth and fourteenth centu- 
 ries. Four hundred and forty three were appre- 
 hended by the inqusitors in Saxony and Pomera- 
 niain the year 1391, who confessed that their teach- 
 ers came from Bohemia, and that they and their 
 ancestors before them, had been instructed in the 
 principles they then held. In 1457, a great num- 
 ber of the Waldenses were discovered by the in- 
 quisitors in the diocese of Eistein, Germany, who 
 were put to death, and who confessed that they had 
 among them twelve barbes, or pastors, who labour- 
 ed in the work of the ministry. In 1 3 1 5 there were 
 80,000 Waldenses in Bohemia.— -Jones, p. 383,400. 
 5 
 
50 
 
 FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the 
 soul ; but rather fear him, which is able to destroy both soul and bo- 
 dy in hell. — Mat. x. 28. 
 
 When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also ap- 
 pear with him in glory. — Col. iii. 4. 
 
 About the year 1400, thejpersecutors attacked 
 the Waldenses of the valley of Pragela. The poor 
 people seeing their caves possessed by their ene- 
 mies, who assaulted them during the severity of 
 the winter, retreated to one of the highest moun- 
 tains of the Alps, the mothers carrying cradles, and 
 leading by the hand those little children, who were 
 able to walk. Many of them were murdered, oth- 
 ers were starved to death, a hundred and eighty 
 children were found dead in their cradles, and the 
 greatest part of their mothers died soon after them. 
 In the valley of Loyse, four hundred little children 
 were found suffocated in their cradles, or in the 
 arms of their deceased mothers, in consequence of 
 a great quantity of wood being placed at the en- 
 trance of the caves and set on fire. On the whole, 
 above three thousand persons belonging to the val- 
 ley were destroyed, and this righteous people were 
 in that place exterminated. — Bened. vl, p. 119. 
 
 In this century the Baptists were many, espe- 
 cially in Bohemia, which the confession of the Tha- 
 borites, in the year 1431 confirms. And the de- 
 scription given of a set of Christians in Bohemia, 
 88 years after this confession does almost in every 
 thing fit the modern Baptists. They mutually sa- 
 lute one another by the name of brother and sister. 
 They own no other authority than the scriptures of 
 the Old and New Testaments. They slight all the 
 (Catholic) doctors both ancient and modern, and 
 give no regard to their doctrine. Such as come 
 over to this sect must every one be baptized anew, 
 in water. — Junius, Jun. p. 78 — Bened. p. 166. 
 
I 
 
 51 
 
 Chessanion, in his history of the Albigenses, 
 says, " that which confirms me yet more in this be- 
 lief, (that the Albigenses and Waldenses approv- 
 ed not the baptism of infants), is, that in the histo- 
 ry of the city of Treves, there were some, who de- 
 nied that the sacrament of baptism was available to 
 the salvation of infants ; and one Catharine Saube, 
 who was burnt at Montpelier, in the year 1417, for 
 being of the mind of the Albigenses in not believing 
 the traditions of the Romish church, was of the same 
 mind respecting infant baptism ; as it is recorded in 
 the register of the town-house of the said city of 
 Montpelier. The truth is, (continues Chessanion) 
 they did not reject the sacrament and saj it was 
 useless, but only counted it unnecessary to infants, 
 because they are not of age to believe, nor capable 
 of giving evidence of their faith. That which in- 
 duced them, as I suppose, to entertain this opinion 
 is, what our Lord says, He that believeth and is 
 baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not 
 shall be damned." — Benedict's History Baptists, 
 page 123-4. 
 
 The Waldenses. — The king of France being 
 informed by the enemies of the Waldenses, that 
 several henious crimes were laid to their account, 
 sent two ofHcers, to make enquiry into this matter. 
 On their return they reported that they had visited 
 all the parishes where they dwelt ; had inspected 
 their places of worship; they found no images, nor 
 signs of the ornaments belonging to the mass ; no 
 ceremonies of the Romish church, much less could 
 they discover any traces of those crimes with 
 which they were charged. On the contrary, they 
 kept the Sabbath day ; observed the ordinance of 
 baptism according to the primitive church ; in- 
 structed their children in the articles of the Chris- 
 tian faith, and the commandments of God. 
 
 Jones, p. 338. 
 
52 
 
 SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light ; thejr 
 that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the 
 light shined. — Isaiah ix. 2. 
 
 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeem- 
 ed his people. — Luke i. 68. 
 
 It seems reasonable to conclude that the Walden- 
 ses must have beheld with infinite satisfaction, the 
 seism which took place in this century in the Ro- 
 man church, when Luther and his associates with- 
 drew from its communion. For independent of the 
 labors of this intrepid reformer, the great cause for 
 which the Waldenses were contending, viz : the 
 purity of the doctrines of the gospel, and the sim- 
 plicity^ Christian worship, was powerfully sup- 
 ported by a host of learned men, who rose up in 
 rapid succession, and ranged themselves on the 
 side of Luther. The reformers with all their zeal 
 and learning, were babes in Scriptural knowledge, 
 when compared with the more illiterate Walden- 
 ses, particularly in regard to the nature of the king- 
 dom of Christ, its institutions, laws, and worship 
 in general ; for both Luther and Calvin always con- 
 tended for a form of national Christianity — a prin- 
 ciple which the moment it is received into the mind, 
 must necessarily darken it as to the nature and king- 
 dom of Christ. — Jones, p. 420. 
 
 Martin Luther was at first a Catholic priest, also 
 a professor of divinity in the university of Wittem- 
 burgh, and was one of the earliest and most suc- 
 cessful promoters of that great change in the Chris- 
 tian world, which has been denominated the re- 
 formation. He labored chiefly in Germany, but 
 he was not the only reformer in this century ; Zu- 
 inglius preached successfully in Switzerland, Cal- 
 vin, in Geneva, and the neighboring regions, and 
 Simon Menno, in part of Germany, Holland, Ne- 
 therlands and the neighboring states. Luther said 
 that faith and baptism ought always to go together. 
 — Bened. v. 1, p. 140. 
 
53 
 
 Zuinglius, according to his own confession was for 
 a time inclined to reject infant baptism.* Calvin, 
 said Christ requires teaching before baptizing. f 
 But Menno, by which name he is generally distin- 
 guished, was like Luther at first, a famous Catho- 
 lic preacher, until A. D. 1531, when he began to 
 suspect the validity of many things in the church 
 of Rome, and among the rest that of infant baptism, 
 (indeed the Catholics to this day frankly concede 
 the point that it is not to be found in the Scrip- 
 tures). About a year after he left the Catholics, 
 he commenced preaching to Baptist congregations, 
 and continued for about 25 years to preach the Gos- 
 pel, with remarkable success ; great numbers em- 
 braced the Baptist sentiments, and many of their 
 successors retain the name of Mennonites, or Dutch 
 Baptists, to this day. The learned Dr. Limborch 
 says, " to speak candidly what I think of all the mo- 
 dern sects of Christians, the Dutch Baptists most re- 
 semble both the Waldenses and Albigenses." And 
 Mosheim notwithstanding the flimsy, confused, 
 and in many instances, the erroneous account which 
 he gives of the Waldenses, yet he has expressly 
 owned, that before the rise of Luther and Calvin, 
 there lay concealed in almost all the countries of 
 Europe, persons who adhered tenaciously to the 
 principles of the modern Dutch Baptists ;| and 
 their principles on the ordinance of baptism, were 
 just what he (Mosheim) relates was the practice of 
 the Christian church in the second century, which 
 was, that " the sacrament of baptism was adminis- 
 tered without the public assemblies, in places ap- 
 pointed and prepared for that purpose, and was per- 
 formed by immersion of the whole body in the bap- 
 tismal font." Also, that the persons that were to 
 be baptized, after they had repeated the creed, 
 confessed and renounced their sins, and particular- 
 
 * Benedict, v. 1, pp. 139, 140. t Pengilly, p. 14. 
 t Jones, p. 348. 
 
 5* 
 
54 
 
 ly the devil, and his pompous allurements, were 
 immersed under water, and received into Christ's 
 kingdom by a solemn invocation of Father, Son, 
 and Holy Ghost, according to the express command 
 of our blessed Lord. He also observes that adult 
 persons, were prepared for baptism by abstinence, 
 prayer, and other pious exercises. It was to an- 
 swer for them, that sponsors or godfathers were first 
 instituted, though they were afterwards admitted 
 also in the baptism of infants. § And Luther the 
 great reformer, said, it cannot be proved from Scrip- 
 ture, that infant baptism was instituted by Christ, 
 or began by the first Christians, after the Apostles. || 
 Tertullian opposes the innovation of baptizing chil- 
 dren, and among other objections he says, " what 
 necessity is there to expose sponsors to danger ? 
 Death may incapacitate them (the sponsors) for ful- 
 filling their engagements, or bad dispositions [in 
 the children] may defeat all their endeavors — when 
 they understand Christianity, let them profess them- 
 selves Christians, for, adds he, such as understand 
 the importance of baptism are more afraid of pre- 
 sumption than procrastination, and faith alone se- 
 cures salvation. — Robinson, p. 171. 
 
 When the first churches began to swerve from 
 the form of sound words, to corrupt the discipline 
 of the house of God, and to commit fornication with 
 the kings of the earth, by forming an alliance with the 
 state, we cease to trace the kingdom of Christ among 
 them, but we shall find it successively among the 
 churches of the Novatians, the followers of iErius, 
 the Paulicians, the Cathari or Puritans in Germa- 
 ny ; the Paterines, and the Waldenses, until the 
 times of reformation. — Jones' pref. p. v. 
 
 Mr. Morel, pastor of a Waldensian church, sta- 
 ted that in the year 1530 t there were above eight 
 hundred thousand persons professing the religioa 
 
 § Mosheim, v. 1, pp. 108, 107. 
 
 R Poed. Exam. vii. p. 4, by Pengilly 32. 
 
55 
 
 of the Waldenses ; nor will this appear an exagera- 
 ted statement, if we consider the view that has been 
 given of their dispersion throughout almost every 
 country of Europe — the immense number that suf- 
 fered martyrdom, and that in the year 1315, there 
 were eighty thousand in the small kingdom of Bo- 
 hemia.* We do not contend that all those eight 
 hundred thousand were of the Baptist sentiments, 
 but from their dying testimonies at the stake, the 
 frequent testimonies their enemies gave of their 
 contending for believers' baptism, from their own 
 confession of faith, and their declaring that bapti- 
 zing children into the faith was a mark of antichrist, 
 we do contend that great numbers held and prac- 
 ticed, that believers in Christ were the only pro- 
 per subjects of the ordinance of baptism. 
 
 It has been mentioned by some authors that some 
 of the Dutch Baptists, instead of immersing believ- 
 ers, poured water upon them ; but their churches 
 was visited by the English Baptists in the seven- 
 teenth century and corresponded with them for 
 some time afterwards, and no mention made of their 
 changing the ordinance. Men no taught the doc- 
 trine of dipping exclusively. " After we have 
 searched ever so diligently, says he, we shall find 
 no other baptism besides dipping in water, which 
 is acceptable to God, and maintained in his word, 
 let who will oppose, this is the only mode of bap- 
 tism that Jesus Christ instituted and the apostles 
 taught and practised.!" 
 
 The condition of the peasants in Germany, in 
 the year 1524, about the time they began to medi- 
 tate a revolt from the galling yoke of their tyrani- 
 cal masters, was deplorable indeed, if there be any 
 thing to deplore in a deprivation of most of the 
 rights and liberties of rational creatures. What ap- 
 peared to animate them at this time, was, that Lu- 
 ther and his associates had broke (as it were) out 
 
 * Jones, p. 426.. 1 Benedicts hist. v. 1, p. \5(K 
 
56 
 
 of prison and set tyranny at defiance. All Europe 
 knew this, and as all had as many reasons and as 
 much right as he had, all were agitated and some 
 acted. Luther had published in 1520, a small tract 
 in German, on christian liberty, which was read 
 with the most astonishing avidity and the contents 
 communicated by such as could read to others who 
 could not. 
 
 It is certain that the disturbances in the city of 
 Minister were began by a minister of the Lutheran 
 pursation, whose name was Bernard Rotman, who 
 was assisted in his endeavors by other ministers of 
 the same persuasion, and they began to teach re- 
 volutionary principles a year before the Baptists, 
 (whose leaders were Muncer, Stubner and Stork) 
 visited the place. These things the Catholics new, 
 and failed not to improve them to their advantage. 
 They uniformly insisted that Luthers doctrine led 
 to rebellion, that his disciples were the prime mo- 
 vers of the insurrection, and they also asserted 
 that a hundred and thirty thousand Lutherans per- 
 ished in the rustic war. 
 
 The Lutheran historians from whom the English 
 take their account, endeavor to clear themselves 
 by accusing the Baptists of being the prime movers 
 and principle promoters of the insurrection. But 
 the facts are, that the three hundred thousand 
 peasants who revolted under extreme oppression, 
 were composed of Baptists, ] Lutherans, Catholics, 
 and a still greater part, of persons who had no re- 
 ligious opinions at all. 
 
 Dr. Isaac Milner acknowledges that the causes 
 of the rustic war, or the war of the peasants were, 
 purely secular. — Extracts from Benedict hist. Bap. 
 v. 1, c. vi. entitled Munster. 
 
 Twisk, says in his Cronology, page 930, that in 
 the year 1507, the Waldenses who were Baptists, 
 were much spread in Hungary. 
 
 And as a satisfaction that these Waldenses were 
 Baptists, Montantus in his Impress the second, says, 
 
57 
 
 that the Waldenses in the public declaration of their 
 faith to the French king, in the year 1521, assert 
 in the strongest terms the baptizing of believers, 
 and denying that of infants. — Junius, Jun. p. 78. 
 
 The Waldenses. — In Provence, in France, says 
 Sleidon, there are a people called Waldenses, who 
 by an ancient custom, acknowledge not the Pope 
 of Rome, having always professed a greater purity 
 of doctrine, and since Luther appeared, eagerly 
 thirsted after knowledge. Many times had they 
 been complained of to the king, as despisers of ma- 
 gistrates, and fomenters of rebellion, which envi- 
 ous, rather than true accusation, is by most (Catho- 
 lics) made use of to this day. They live together in 
 some towns and villages, among which is Merindole. 
 About five years since, sentence was pronounced 
 against them in parliament, " that they shall all 
 promiscuously be destroyed, thattheir houses shall 
 be pulled down, their villages levelled with the 
 ground, all the trees also cut down, and the place 
 rendered a desert." 
 
 The Waldenses to remove the prejudice, and to 
 manifest their innocence, sent their Confession of 
 Faith to the king of France. Their seventh arti- 
 cle is, " We believe that in the ordinance of bap- 
 tism, the water is the visible and external sign, 
 which represents to us, that, which by virtue of 
 God's invisible operations, is within us, viz : the 
 renovation of our minds, and the mortification of 
 our members through [the faith of] Jesus Christ ; 
 and by this ordinance we are received into the 
 holy congregation of God's people, previously pro- 
 fessing and declaring our faith and change of life." 
 
 The above sentence was deferred five years, 
 when it was then executed in full force, and dread- 
 ful were their sufferings by fire and sword, to both 
 men, women and children. [There are three of their 
 Confessions of Faith in Jones' Church History, and 
 not the least intimation of infant baptism in either ; 
 this last one is dated 1540.] — Jones pp. 326, 431. 
 
58 
 
 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ; shall tribulation, 
 or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or 
 6\vord. (As it is written), For thy sake we are killed all the day 
 long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. — Romans viii. 
 35, 36. 
 
 For most part of this century, the Waldenses 
 were most cruelly persecuted in several of their val- 
 lies, and in the adjacent country where they resi- 
 ded ; but at length the armies of France and Sa- 
 voy, having inhumanly destroyed a vast number 
 of them, committed more than twelve thousand of 
 them to prison, and dispersed two thousand of their 
 children among the Catholics, considering that their 
 work was accomplished, they caused all their pro- 
 perty to be confiscated. And thus were the val- 
 leys of Piedmont depopulated of their ancient in- 
 habitants, and the light of the glorious gospel ex- 
 tinguished in a country where for many preceding 
 centuries, it had shone with resplendant Lusture. 
 These brief sketches, will not permit giving a de- 
 tailed account of their suffering in prison ; of the 
 dreadful sufferings of those who were released 
 when the ground was covered with snow and ice, 
 to find a refuge in foreign countries ; nor of the 
 almost endless torments and cruelties which were 
 heaped upon them by their persecuting enemies ; 
 nor of the kind reception they met with when they 
 arrived at Switzerland, Geneva, and other places. 
 
 At Geneva they experienced that kind and hos- 
 pitable reception which was due to them as their 
 fellow-creatures, and more especially as their per- 
 secuted Christian brethren. They clothed the na- 
 ked, fed the hungry, succoured the afflicted, and 
 healed the sick. But it was not only at Geneva 
 that the Waldenses met with this kind and hospi- 
 table treatment. The Cantons of Switzerland open- 
 ed to them their country, and not their country 
 
59 
 
 only, but their hearts and affections also. The con- 
 duct of the Swiss indeed was so noble and disinte- 
 rested throughout the whole of this distressing pe- 
 riod, that it would be unjust to their memory to 
 pass it over with slight mention.— Jones p. 542. 
 
 The Baptist Churches increased very much on 
 the continent of Europe in this century. There 
 were also, above one hundred Baptist churches in 
 England, and about twelve in America.* 
 
 TheWaldenses. — If we calmly review the con- 
 duct of the court of Rome towards the Waldenses, 
 and mark the savage ferocity with which they had 
 now r for several successive centuries, invariably 
 pursued them ; how, w 7 hen exiled from one coun- 
 try, they w T ere followed to another, and that nothing 
 short of their total extirpation could satisfy their 
 cruel adversaries, we can scarcely refrain from ap- 
 plying to them the affecting language of the Psalm- 
 ist, " For thy sake we are killed all the day long; 
 we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 
 
 Those who have made the couduct of divine Pro- 
 vidence towards the primitive church their study, 
 will not be stumbled at this apparent desertion of 
 the Waldenses, nor regard the ostensible triumph 
 of the [Catholic] church, as any indication of the 
 weakness of the truth professed by them. For not- 
 withstanding the extreme rigour of their persecu- 
 tions, we find that God hath tenderly preserved 
 them till the Reformation, and though he has 
 often exposed them to the rage and barbarous usage 
 of their persecutors, yet he has from time to time, 
 afforded numbers of them such deliverances, as 
 have enabled them to continue unto this day. 
 
 Their persecutors, like those of the apostolic 
 churches, have only served to procure martyrs to 
 the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ and to dis- 
 perse throughout every land, the knowledge of 
 those important doctrines and ordinances of his 
 house, which were at first delivered to the saints, f 
 
 * Benedict's Hist. Bap. t Jone9, p. 546. 
 
60 
 
 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the 
 earth, ye that go down to the sea, all that is therein, the isles, and 
 the inhabitants thereof. — Isaiah xlii. 10. 
 
 Sketches of the English Baptists. — Barteus, in 
 Cent. 1, FoL37, says, " That the British Church 
 received the faith ; whence it was that Chrysostom 
 and others of the Greek fathers, make such fre- 
 quent and great mention of the British Isles, their 
 reception of the gospel, and the divine sense they 
 had of the power thereof, — that the churches were 
 exactly constituted according to Christ's pattern.* 
 The Baptist historians in England, contend that the 
 first British Christians practiced believers' baptism, 
 and that they maintained these principles until the 
 coming of Austin (a Catholic priest) in the sixth 
 century, for when the ancient Brittons refused to 
 hear him, he said to them, (as Fabean in his his- 
 tory relates) " Assent you to me in three things, 
 first in keeping Easter-Day, in the form and time 
 as it is ordered ; second, that you give Christen- 
 dom to children ; third, that you preach to the 
 Saxons, as I have ordered you," &c. &c.f We 
 have no mention of the Christening or baptizing of 
 children in England, before the coming of Austin. 
 Many of these ancient Christians were driven into 
 Wales, and the Welch Baptists contend that the 
 Baptist principles were maintained in the recesses 
 of their mountainous principality, all along the dark 
 ages of popery 4 
 
 We have several intimations of the Waldenses 
 passing from the continent to England, the first in 
 the fifth century, from France, to assist in preach- 
 ing against the Pelagian error ; the Lord blessed 
 their labors, and they baptized a great number up- 
 
 * Junius, Jun. p. 37. t Junius, Jun. p. 39. 
 
 | Extracts from Benedict's hist. Bap. v. 1, p. 191. 
 
61 
 
 on confession of faith, in a river near Chester. We 
 find that there was a Christian unity and corres- 
 pondence between the Brittons and the ancient 
 Christians in France, who were afterwards called 
 Waldenses. These are said by Morland, in his 
 preface to the French Bible, to have always had 
 the full enjoyment of the heavenly truth contain- 
 ed in the holy vScriptures, ever since they were 
 enriched with the same by the apostles themselves, 
 having in fair manuscripts preserved the Bible, en- 
 tire in their own tongue.* In the time of William 
 the conqueror, A. D. 1066, it appears that the Wal- 
 denses did abound in England, as Bishop Usher tells 
 us in his book of the state and succession of the 
 Church, p. 242, and during the reign of Henry I., 
 the Bishop tells us, that the Waldenses of Aquitain. 
 did about the year 1100 spread their doctrine all 
 over Europe, and in England in particular ; and 
 from these Waldenses, sprung the Lollards, from 
 Walter Lollard, a friend to believers' baptism, and 
 a great preacher among them in England,jin the time 
 of Edward III. f Towards the middle of the 
 twelfth century, a number of the Waldenses who 
 spoke the German language were propagating the 
 gospel in England, but when they attracted public 
 attention, about thirty of them, with Gerhardus and 
 Dulcinus, two of their bishops or teachers, were 
 apprehended by order of Henry II., who called 
 a council at Oxford, being interrogated about their 
 religion, Gerhardus, a man of learning, answer- 
 ed in their name, that they were Christians, and 
 believed the doctrines of the gospel. They were 
 orthodox, (says the Catholics) as to the Trinity and 
 incarnation, but denied the Catholic doctrine of 
 purgatory, prayers for the dead, invocation of 
 saints, baptism, eucarist, marriage, and the com- 
 munion of saints ; they showed much modesty and 
 
 t Junius. Jun. pp. 41, 42. * Morland's hist. i>. 14 
 
 6 
 
62 
 
 meekness in their whole behaviour ; — when they 
 were threatened with death in order to oblige them 
 to renounce their tenets, they only said, u Bles- 
 sed are they that suffer for righteousness sake."— 
 There is no difficulty, says Mr. Ivimey, in under- 
 standing their heretical sentiments ; for when a 
 Catholic says they rejected the eucharist, it was 
 the doctrine of transubstantiation ; when they re- 
 jected marriage, they denied it to be a sacrament, 
 but a civil institution ; when they rejected baptism, 
 they rejected the baptism of infants ; when they 
 rejected the communion of saints, it was that they 
 refused to hold communion with the corrupt church 
 of Rome.* These appears to be the errors for which 
 they were branded with a hot iron, whipt, turned 
 into the open fields in winter, none being allowed 
 to assist them, and many perished through cold and 
 hunger. This sect, says William of Neuburg, a 
 Catholic historian, were called Paulicians, or Pub- 
 licani, whose original was from Gascoyne, who 
 being as numerous as the sand of the sea, did 
 sorely infest France, Italy, Spain, and England. — 
 About twenty years from this period, another 
 Catholic writer, (Guitmond) observes, that not 
 only the weaker sort, in country villages, but the 
 nobility and gentry in the chief towns and cities 
 were infected with this Waldensian heresy. About 
 the year 1218, the Friar's minorites were sent over 
 from the continent to suppress the Waldensian here- 
 sy, and many, doubtless, suffered by their means. 
 John Wickliff, who was a graduate in Merton Col- 
 lege, Oxford, and a Baptist, who taught in the year 
 1371, that believers after the example of Christ, 
 should be baptized in pure water, and that it was 
 not lawful for believers who had received the bap- 
 tism of the spirit, to neglect the baptism of water. 
 Fla. Iliricus Calat. Test, page 403, from whom 
 Bishop Usher begins the English reformation, as he 
 
 * Bened. hist. Bap. v. 1, pp. 192, 194, 195. 
 
/ 
 
 6S 
 
 translated the Bible out of the Latin into English, 
 and is the first Bible we (the English) have. He 
 taught that no rule or ceremony ought to be receiv- 
 ed into the church, which is not plainly confirmed 
 by the Word of God.— Fuller, p. 132,— Juuius, 
 Jun. p. 43. 
 
 In the year 1400, Henry IV., enacted the cruel 
 statute for burning heretics. William Sawtree, (once 
 a Catholic priest) was the first that was burnt for 
 being a Lollard. The sufferings of the Baptists 
 and all other evangelical dissenters, from this period 
 to the reformation, were very great. The Lollards 
 Tower, still stands a monument of their miseries, 
 and the cruelty of their implacable enemies. They 
 were cruelly persecuted, because they would not, 
 (having no command nor example) baptize their 
 new born infants. — Dutch Martyrology, Fol. 774. 
 — Junius, Jun. p. 44. 
 
 By a speech which Henry VIII. delivered to his 
 parliament, A. D. 1545, it appears that many of 
 his subjects went under the name of Baptists. Bish- 
 op Latimore says, in a sermon preached before 
 Edward VI., that many Baptists were burnt in di- 
 vers towns in England, and died martyrs cheerful- 
 ly, and that he had been informed by a credible 
 person that there was at that time in one town in 
 England more than five hundred heretics, who held 
 the erroneous opinions of the Baptists. — Junius, 
 Jun. 45. 
 
 The change which took place in the sixteenth 
 century under Henry VIII. (when the Episcopal 
 church was established) was in the end favorable 
 to the cause of religion ; the fetters of Popery were 
 broken ; the scriptures in the English language 
 were sanctioned by parliament, and by their means, 
 evangelical principles were diffused throughout the 
 land. But persecuting laws were still in force, and 
 the ruling party, both in church and state, had a 
 disposition to put them in execution. In 1549, t 
 
64 
 
 kind of protestant inquisition was established, which 
 consisted of the archbishop of Canterbury, bishops, 
 and noblemen, any three of whom being a quorum, 
 were instructed to examine and search after all Bap- 
 tist heretics. Many Baptists were apprehended ; — 
 how many were executed, we are not informed, 
 but we are sure that two were ; Joan Boucher — 
 and George Van Pare, a Dutchman, were commit- 
 ted to the flames ; great exertions were made to 
 save the unfortunate Joan, who had been compell- 
 ed by her Bible and conscience to become a Baptist. 
 A person supposed to be Fox, author of the " Book 
 of Martyrs," earnestly entreated the famous John 
 Rogers, to use his interest with the archbishop to 
 save the poor woman from the cruel death to which 
 she had been doomed ; but Rogers answered that 
 burning alive was no cruel death, but easy enough. 
 Fox, astonished at such an answer, replied, " well, 
 perhaps it may so happen that you yourselves, will 
 have your hands full of this mild burning ;" and so 
 it came to pass, for Rogers was the first man who 
 was burnt in Queen Mary's reign. 
 
 At the commencement, of the seventeenth cen- 
 tury, Edward Wightman w r as burnt at Litchfield, 
 being a Baptist, and the last that suffered death for 
 heresy in England ; he is supposed to be the pro- 
 genitor of a large family of that name in America. 
 In this century, the Baptist sentiments prevailed 
 greatly in England and Wales, and althouh Mr. 
 Wightman was the last that suffered death for right- 
 eousness sake, yet thousands of Baptists were fin- 
 ed, imprisoned, afflicted and tormented in almost 
 every part of England. M The Baptists," said Robert 
 Bailie in a work he published against them, " have 
 lifted up their heads and increased their number 
 above all the seets in the land." As the Baptists 
 were accused of holding many dangerous opinions, 
 seven of their churches met, and put forth a Con- 
 fession of Faith (which can be seen in NeaPs His- 
 
65 
 
 tory of the Puritans) for the purpose of clearing 
 themselves from such unjust aspersions. It was 
 put into the hands of many of the members of par- 
 liament, and produced such an effect, that some of 
 their greatest adversaries were obliged to acknowl- 
 edge, that excepting the article against infant bap- 
 tism, it was an orthodox confession. 
 
 Mr. Ivimey, who wrote a history of the Baptists, 
 supposes that in and about London, in A. D., 1646, 
 there were 46 Baptist Churches. In 1689, dele- 
 gates from upwards of one hundred Baptist church- 
 es in England and Wales met in London, for the 
 purpose of enquiring into the state of their church- 
 es, and adopting measures for their future prosperi- 
 ty. These sketches are too limited to particular- 
 ize individual characters, but we can with the great- 
 est propriety say, that there are, and have been, a 
 great number of eminent characters for piety, zeal, 
 and learning in Great Britain, who have held, and 
 borne testimony that believers' baptism is an insti- 
 tution of the Lord Jesus Christ ; among them are 
 all degrees of Collegiate honors, and some who 
 are of the most respectable talents as authors and 
 ministers of the gospel ; many are now preaching 
 to Baptist churches in Great Britain and America, 
 many are missionaries in the East Indies, associa- 
 ted with that venerable servant of God, Dr. Carey, 
 and there are many dispersed in other parts of the 
 Lord's Vineyard. 
 
 In the eighteenth century, the Baptist principles 
 continued to increase extensively, throughout the 
 whole of Great Britain. In 1784, it was resolved 
 by an association held at Nottingham, to set apart 
 an hour the first Monday evening in every month, 
 for extraordinary prayer, for the revival of religion, 
 and for the extension of Christs kingdom in the 
 world, since known by the name of the monthly 
 concert for prayer. In 1792 the Baptist Missiona- 
 ry Society was formed at Kettering/whichhas since, 
 6* 
 
66 
 
 by its wonderful acts astonished the Christian world, 
 and made the word of God accessable to millions 
 in Indies benighted realm. From information re- 
 ceived from Mr. Thomas, who had been to India, he 
 had learned the language, and preached a few years. 
 The committee of this infant society, which consist- 
 ed of Messrs. Ryland, Hogg, Carey, Sutcliff, and 
 Fuller, were fully of opinion that a door was now 
 open for a mission in the East Indies. In 1793, 
 Mr. Thomas, Mr. Carey and family, sailed as the 
 first Baptist Missionaries for India, since that peri- 
 od, a number of other missionaries have followed 
 and translated the scriptures in a number of the 
 India languages ; the Lord has greatly owned and 
 blessed their labours, and Dr. Carey's motto through 
 all their arduous undertakings has been, " attempt 
 great things, expect great things ;" and truly we 
 may say, the Lord hath enabled him and his as- 
 sociates to realize great things.* And the English 
 Baptists at home, as well as abroad, can truly say. 
 in the language of the Psalmist, " the Lord hath 
 done great things for us, whereof we are glad." 
 The number of Baptist churches in Great Britain 
 and East Indies, in 1824, were 900 ; there were 800 
 ministers, and about 84,000 communicants, f 
 
 The Waldenses, I call, (says Milton,) as they 
 are called in these official dispatches, by the gene- 
 ral known name of Protestants ; but the dissenters 
 from the Papal church, who occupied the vallies 
 of Piedmont, had neither connexion nor a common 
 origin with those who were properly called Protest- 
 ants. [From one of the first acts of this association 
 in Germany,] the Waldenses asserted a much more 
 ancient pedigree, and assumed to be of the old Ro- 
 man church, before it was corrupted by the Papal 
 innovation, — see Life of Milton, 2d Edit. 1810, p. 
 317, 319.— Jones Ch. Hist, note to p. 491. 
 
 * Extract from Benedict's valuable history of the Bap. v. 1, pp. 
 188, 246, t Bened. Hist, of all Religions, p. 295. 
 
67 
 
 NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 The wilderness, and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and 
 the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose, it shall blossom 
 abundantly, and rejoice, even with joy and singing ; the glory of 
 Lebanon shall be given unto it ; the excellency of Carmel and Sha- 
 ron, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our 
 God. — Isaiah, xxxv. 1, 2. 
 
 A few Historical Sketches of the American 
 Baptists. 
 
 The first Baptist Church of Christ in America, 
 was organized in Providence, R. I., A. D. 1639. 
 The number of its members was just equal to the 
 number of the apostles, twelve. Mr. Roger Williams, 
 a pious and zealous Minister of the Gospel, their 
 first pastor, and the founder of the state of Rhode- 
 Island ; a native of Wales, — born A. D. 1593; libe- 
 rally educated, under the patronage of Sir Edward 
 Coke; entered on the study of law ; after pursuing 
 it some time he turned his attention to divinity, and 
 made such proficiency therein, as encouraged Sir 
 Edward to obtain him Episcopal Orders. His preach- 
 ing was highly esteemed, and his private character 
 revered; but by embracing the sentiments of the 
 Puritans, he was greatly exposed to suffering, and 
 at last compelled to leave his native country. He 
 embarked for America, A. D. 1631. After his ar- 
 rival, he preached for the Puritan churches in Sa- 
 lem and Plymouth, three or four years ; at length, 
 for preaching Baptist sentiments, maintaining liber- 
 ty of conscience, and that civil magistrates, as such, 
 have no power in the church, and that Christians, 
 as such, are subject to no laws nor control, but 
 those of King Jesus, he so enraged the magistrates, 
 that they excluded and banished him out of their 
 coast. The town was enraged at the magistrates, 
 and several of their inhabitants followed their Min- 
 ister. The candidates for communion, nominated 
 and appointed Mr. Ezekiel Holliman, a man of gifts 
 
68 
 
 and piety, to baptize Mr. Williams, who baptized 
 the others. This church was soon joined by 12 
 others ; and their successors have one of the largest 
 meeting houses, and the greatest number of com- 
 municants of almost any church in the U. States. 
 To those who are partial for a succession of minis- 
 ters, it is observed, if there is any virtue in succes- 
 sion, the Baptists certainly have all the benefits 
 that can possibly be derived ; for Catholic, Epis- 
 copalian, Puritan, Presbyterian, and other minis- 
 ters have in a great number of instances, united 
 with their churches. And in the case of Mr. Will- 
 iams, he was first Episcopal, then a Puritan minis- 
 ter, and lastly, upon profession of his faith, was, 
 agreeable to the command of our Lord, buried with 
 Christ in baptism, in the name of the Father, Son, 
 and Holy Ghost. It is admitted, that the Most 
 High has always had his churches and people in 
 every age, since the decease of the apostles, but 
 to attempt to trace a regular succession of ordained 
 bishops in the vallies of Piedmont, or any other 
 country, " is laboring in the fire for very vanity," 
 and seems to me, (says that excellent writer, Mr. 
 W. Jones,) to proceed upon mistaken vieW£ of the 
 nature of the kingdom of Christ, and of the sove- 
 reignty of God, in his operations in the earth, as 
 they have respect unto it. Jesus himself, in reply 
 to the Pharises, (Lukexvii. 20, 24,) compares his 
 kingdom to the lightning, darting its rays in the 
 most sovreign and uncontroled manner from one 
 extremity of the heavens to the other. Wherever 
 the blessed God has his elect, there in his own pro- 
 per time he sends his Gospel to save them. One 
 while we see it diffusing its heavenly light on a par- 
 ticular region, and leaving another in darkness. — 
 Then it takes up its residence in the latter, and 
 forsakes the former. — Jones pref. p. v. 
 
 It is indeed worthy of observation, to seethe hand 
 of God in the dispersion and in the gathering of his 
 
69 
 
 church and people ; for while these ancient follow- 
 ers of Christ, the Waldenses, about this period of 
 the world (the 17th century) were so dreadfully- 
 persecuted, that the inhabitants of the vallies who 
 escaped death had to flee to other countries. The 
 light of the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus were 
 just darting their heavenly beams in a country that 
 was a wilderness, as if a part of the true winesses 
 for the worship, doctrine, and ordinances of the 
 gospel church which had remained among them 
 from the time of the apostles, were now to be re- 
 moved to the wilds of America ; there animated by 
 the same spirit, others were to bear witness to those 
 important truths of the gospel, for which so many 
 millions of them had laid down their lives, not 
 counting them dear for Christ's sake. 
 
 The true grounds of liberty of conscience were 
 not understood in this country until Mr. Williams, 
 and Dr. John Clark, (pastor of the first Baptist 
 church in Newport, R.I.) publicly avowed that 
 Christ alone is king in his kingdom, and that no 
 others had authority over his subjects in the affairs 
 of conscience and eternal salvation. Mr. Williams 
 justly claims the honor of being the first legislator 
 in the world, that fully and effectually provided 
 for, and established a free, full and absolute li- 
 berty of conscience. 
 
 The second Baptist church was constituted in 
 Newport, R. I., A. D. 1644 ; by the year 1705, 
 there were 16 churches constituted, and not many 
 years after, they amounted to 37.* 
 
 In A. D. 1707, at Philadelphia was formed the 
 first Baptist association in America, consisting of 
 five churches. This, with some other associations, 
 have given, in their minutes a short compendium 
 of the sentiments of the Baptist churches ; which 
 are, to " Maintain inviolably, the important doc- 
 
 * Bened. hist. Bap. p. 272, 452, 460. 
 
70 
 
 trines of three equal persons in the Godhead. Eter- 
 nal and personal election. Original sin. Particu- 
 lar redemption. Free justification by the righteous- 
 ness of Christ imputed. The absolute necessity of 
 the Spirit's operation. Efficacious grace in regene- 
 ration. The obligation of believers to attend to all 
 the precepts of Scripture. The final perseverance 
 of real believers. The resurrection of the dead. 
 The general judgment of the last day. The eter- 
 nal happiness of the righteous, and the everlasting 
 misery of such as die impenitent. The baptism of 
 believers by immersion ; and the independence of 
 their respective churches." 
 
 In 1740, a powerful work of grace began in New- 
 England, and prevailed much in other parts of the 
 United States. This work commenced under the 
 ministry of that honored servant of God, Mr. Geo. 
 Whitfield, who was then travelling as a flaming itin- 
 erant along the American coast ; — vast multitudes 
 were awakened by his means and brought to bow 
 to the sceptre of*immanuel. 
 
 In 1790, there were in the United States and 
 territories, 868 churches, 1100 ministers, and about 
 65,000 communicants.* Baptist churches and com- 
 municants, since that period, have increased with 
 astonishing rapidity ; great indeed, have been the 
 number of those that have proclaimed his word, 
 and the blessing of the King of kings hath crowned 
 their labors with great success. Colleges and Theo- 
 logical seminaries are established in the states of 
 Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island, N. 
 York, and Washington City. Foreign and domes- 
 tic missions are also established ; so that a number 
 of missionaries are supported among the benighted 
 Burmans, in India ; a number on our frontiers, 
 among the tawney natives of the forest ; also a num- 
 ber who are laboring in other destitute regions.-— 
 
 * Benedicts Ch. Hist. y. 1, pp. 273, 276. 
 
71 
 
 About a dozen religious periodicals are published 
 by our brethren, in different sections of the Union. 
 The Baptist general Tract Society, which from its 
 judicious arrangement, promises to be exceeding 
 useful. We in common also with other religious 
 denominations, partake in the benevolent institu- 
 tions of the day, such as, Bible, Tract, Sunday 
 School Societies, &c. &c. 
 
 But above all the blessings with which God has, 
 in infinite goodness favored us with, that unering 
 standard of divine truth, the Holy Scriptures^ in 
 our native language, is the most valuable. Benevo- 
 lent institutions have made them aecessable to eve- 
 ry grade in society ; so that they can be obtained 
 like the blessings of the precious gospel of Christ, 
 without money, and without price. The Walden- 
 ses of Piedmont, who had the Scriptures only in 
 manuscript, soon after the art of printing was made 
 known, went to Switzerland, and had an entire im- 
 pression of the whole Bible in French, for which 
 they paid the sum of fifteen hundred crowns of gold.* 
 Like them let us prize the Bible above the most 
 valuable treasures ; may their truths be impressed 
 upon our minds, and the life giving word engraved 
 upon our hearts. We learn that when these faith- 
 full followers of Christ travelled to vend their wares, 
 they were always provided with extempore ser- 
 mons, by repeating chapters, and even whole books, 
 from what they had committed to memory, from their 
 scriptural manuscripts.! They dwelt a great part 
 of the Christian era, with the sword of persecution 
 suspended over their heads. But we are so highly 
 favored of the Lord, that our excellent government 
 protects every religious denomination ; so that in 
 our worship, we have none to fear ; none to make 
 us afraid. And as a denomination, we may with 
 the greatest propriety say, that the Lord hath done 
 
 * Jones, p. 458. t Jones, p. 341. 
 
72 
 
 great, exceeding great things for us ; but we would 
 not glory in the great accumulation of strength, nor 
 would we glory in our great accession of numbers, 
 but we would ascribe all glory to God alone, who 
 in the darkest seasons of persecution, and distress, 
 hath so preserved his church, that since the God 
 of heaven set up a kingdom on earth, which was 
 the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the 
 Son of God as proclaimed by his servant, John the 
 Baptist, that there have been a people who have 
 held and borne testimony that believers' baptism is 
 an institution of the Lord Jeeus Christ, and who 
 have maintained the worship of God and the ordi- 
 nances of the Gospel church, in their ancient purity, 
 as they were at first delivered to the saints of God. 
 The whole number of Baptist churches in the Uni- 
 ted States in 1827, were over 4,400 ; there were 
 3,300 ministers, and above 300,000 communicants. 
 r^TjiE Waldenses, who now bear the name of 
 German Baptists, Mennonites, and Dutch Baptists, 
 have successively been given to the same denomi- 
 nation of Christians, who are acknowledged, both 
 by friends and foes, to be the descendants of the 
 Waldenses. Petrobusians, and other eminent and 
 ancient sects, whose origin, according to Mosheim, 
 is hid in the remote depths of antiquity. After 
 Menno's time, they were generally called Mennon- 
 ites, but the Mennonites in process of time settled 
 mostly in Holland, and here they received the com- 
 mon name of the inhabitants of the country, and 
 were called Dutch Baptists. From the best sources 
 of information that can be obtained, there were in 
 A. D., 1815, in the kingdom of Holland, and in the 
 other parts of the European continent, more than 
 300 Baptist churches, 550 ministers, and 30,000 
 communicants. — Bened. Hist, all Religions, pp. 
 203, 295. 
 
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