Society; but there were no ministers to preach to the people. Miss Vines continued her efforts until she obtained sufficient contributions to support an evangelist as well as a colporteur; and M. Lorriux, formerly an agent of the Baptist Continental Society, during its brief existence, was stationed there for some time. About four years since, Miss Vines went herself to reside at Auxerre, where her untiring labours in visiting the people with tracts, and instructing classes of children on the Sabbath-day, contributed in no slight degree to the subsequent results. About three years since a spacious assembly room was obtained for a place of worship, and after considerable opposition from priestly influence, was opened, and numerously attended. It must not however be supposed that a large permanent congregation has even yet been gathered. The number fluctuates, but a small band are steady in their attendance, while on occasions of special interest, such as lectures on the errors of popery, the chapel is crowded to excess by that class of persons so numerous throughout France, who are disgusted with the absurdities of popery, but not yet converted to a purer faith. The introduction of the gospel into Auxerre is, however, far from being the only benefit resulting from this effort. The minister and colporteur have a wide field of labour in the vicinity, where a large population is visited, and many village stations have been established. Openings also occur for an occasional sermon at too great a distance for worship to be regularly sustained. While the writer was at Auxerre last year, the minister preached in a town fifteen miles distant, where he was permitted to occupy the court-house, and was requested by the numerous audience to establish regular worship; but the distance, and his arduous labours at home, forbade. Many facts might be mentioned, showing the desire of the people to hear the gospel, and exciting our hopes that the harvest is at hand. Under these circumstances, to be obliged to give up this station would be a cause of deep regret, yet as the funds of the Société Evangelique have suffered severely since the Revolution, the cause at Auxerre is peculiarly dependant on the continuance of the special contributions obtained by Miss Vines. There has been, however, a diminution in these contributions during the present year, and it is with the hope of calling forth renewed and increased liberality on behalf of this important station that the above statement is submitted to the readers of the Baptist Record.' There is probably no missionary field that will yield such speedy and abundant fruit as France; and it is surely the dictate of wisdom, in spiritual as well as temporal affairs, to cultivate first the most promising soil, and to take possession at once of new territory, when the barriers are thrown down which before opposed our entrance. A circumstance has recently occurred at Auxerre, which shows the disposition of the present authorities to sustain the rights of Protestants. At the great festival of the Romish Church, profanely called Fête Dieu, representations of the Saviour under the figure of a lamb, surrounded with drapery and garlands, are placed in the streets. Last year this idol was suspended against the wall of the Protestant chapel; but this year the minister determined to endeavour to prevent a similar insult. He therefore waited on the mayor a few days before the féle, to request his interference. The result of his application was an order from that magistrate, forbidding any such exhibitions in the streets, and commanding that they should be strictly confined to the churches. Subscriptions and donations for the Auxerre mission are received by the Rev. Dr. Cox, and Rev. Dr. Reed of Hackney, and at the bank of Glynn and Co., Lombard Street, London, E. XI.-LITERARY NOTICES. The Importance of Right Views on Baptism. An Appeal to pious Pædobaptists. By Francis Clowes. London: Simpkin & Marshall. 1848. In a very sensible and direct manner, Mr. Clowes endeavours to impress on the parties addressed, the great consequence it is that a believer should seek and obey the truth on baptism. He next shows that our views of the ordinance peculiarly harmonize with the gospel system, and then urges their especial importance at the present time. The tract is admirably adapted to place in the hands of the multitudes whose minds are in an unsettled state on this subject, or of those who will not inquire lest their judgment should decide against their practice. While written with great "plainness of speech," it is forcible, well-reasoned, and convincing, and free from all unchristian reflections or language. "If one ceremony really misrepresents gospel principles, and the other expounds them; if one encourages sacramental efficacy, and the other overthrows it; if one builds up national churches, and the other ousts the civil jurisdiction in religion; if one system really does hazard tampering with Scripture and sinks Christ's ordinances below the intelligence of the age, while the other enables us to wield unhampered the sword of the Spirit, and to give a reason to every man of our practice,-why, then, though the question be a ceremonial one, it is not trivial or unimportant. The interests of Protestantism, the interests of evangelical religion, are intimately bound up with it."-p. 12. The Christian Treasury: containing contributions from Ministers and Members of various Evangelical Denominations. London: Johnstone. September and October, 1848. THIS is an admirable periodical, published Weekly and Monthly, full of matter adapted for devout Christians of every class. The Life of Bunyan, author of the Pilgrim's Progress; compiled from his own THE basis of this memoir is of course Bunyan's autobiography, the 'Grace Abounding.' Dr. Chase has connected the narrative together by many sensible and judicious remarks. He has likewise made considerable use of the two books brought by Bunyan's wife as her dowry, both of which doubtless exercised an important influence on his mind. The book, from its conciseness and adhesion to the immortal dreamer's personal narrative, is well adapted for general use. We shall, however, be glad to see a more extended memoir, from the same or some other pen, written in a spirit of sympathy with Bunyan's sentiments and writings. Scriptural Teaching; or, a Pastor's Offering to his People. By the Rev. William Blackley, B.A., Chaplain to the Right Honourable Viscount Hill. London: Hatchard and Son. 1847. THE character of these sermons is evangelical, and fitted for the general perusal of the hearers of a clergyman of the Church of England. Their references to articles, creeds, and ecclesiastical practices, unfit them for use among dissenters from its fold. Among the curious "Variations" of infant baptism, our readers may place the following: it is a part of a dialogue appended to this volume. "Thomas. The confirmation service arises entirely out of the imperfection or deficiency of infant-baptism. "William. Out of what? out of the imperfection or deficiency of infant-baptism? Is not infant-baptism, then, complete baptism? "Thomas. No, certainly not. When any one was baptized by the Apostles there was an implied or vocal profession of belief in the Christian faith-in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost, and in the office of each in the economy of human redemption. And this is one great principle involved in baptism.—But there is another. Can you suppose for a single moment, that, when the Apostles baptized any persons, they would have baptized them, if, while professing faith in God, they had had the least reason to suppose that those persons did not mean to live according to the Christian faith? This is the second great principle involved in Christian baptism. Now in respect of these two principles, I ask, can an infant be the subject of either? "William. Of course he cannot; that is plain enough. He can neither make the profession of faith which baptism requires, nor enter into an engagement to live according to it. "Thomas. And, therefore, on an infant being admitted to baptism in the Church of England, persons are pledged to the child, to instruct it in the faith of Christ; and then, when it is convinced that Jesus is the Messiah-when it is confirmed in the belief of the Christian system, as the adult is before he is baptized, it (i. e. the infant) is to do what the adult does at his baptism, namely, profess his belief in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit, and in the office of each in the economy of human redemption, and engage to live according to the Christian faith. The object of what is called confirmation is to involve him in this. It is a solemn service for a personal and public dedication of one's-self to God. The adult does this when he is baptized; the infant does not, and cannot do it. Therefore he is called upon to do it at the service called Confirmation, which is the completing outward act of infant baptism." -pp. 417-420. In other words, because an institution of Jesus Christ has been perverted to a use for which it is not intended, and given to a class of persons where it loses all its significancy, another rite has been invented to make the matter square with the Divine requirement: Good men, men of evangelical views, men animated by a warm attachment to the word of Jesus, are content, rather than abandon an unmeaning ceremony, without countenance in the law of their Redeemer, to foist into the church a novel ceremony; having departed from the simplicity of Christ, they add to his institutes, and render meaningless the primary act of the Christian church-life. The Worship of God in Public, opposed to the Voice of Scripture and the Practice of the Primitive Christians. London; Houlston and Stoneman. 1848. It is a defect, we conceive, of serious importance in the arrangements of our churches, that so few opportunities are given for the church, as such, to assemble, by itself, not only to unite in the worship of praise and prayer, but to receive those special instructions in divine truth, and exhortations to a godly life, which the presence of a mixed multitude now prevents. It is obvious that if we are to permit the attendance of a large number of ungodly or unbelieving hearers, the services must in some measure be made suitable to their condition, and that high tone of lofty spiritual feeling, natural to the child of God, must be lowered to the mental and moral habitude of the unregenerate. No one can doubt that such a course is pernicious in its operation on the spiritual life, on the growth of the Christian in grace and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus. The sense of fraternal unity is lost by this commingling of heterogeneous elements, and one of the chief ends of the church fellowship unanswered-" the edifying of itself in love." The concerns of life are sufficiently disparting in themselves between the disciples of the Lamb, and this distance of brother from brother is increased, or rather not frustrated, by the not assembling of ourselves together in the sanctuary as members of one family. The family, as such, seldom comes together to mingle its sorrows and joys. Can we wonder if our church estate is little valued, or its fellowship carelessly regarded? We desire to see more frequent meetings of the Lord's people. We would have one part of the Lord's day specially devoted to their social worship and spiritual improvement; while other occasions should be sought out, nay, multiplied, to proclaim the glad tidings, and to summon the world-weary pilgrim to the rest of God. So far we sympathize with the writer of the tract before us, the general spirit and object of which we commend. On mutual and social prayer we think him mistaken. The following passages are sufficient to prove its duty, and the practice of it in the apostolic church: Matt. xviii. 19; Acts i. 14, ii. 42, iv. 23-31, xii. 5, 12; and if he be a reader of the Fathers we may refer him to Tertullian's 'Apology," chap. 40, and to the 'Fifth Oration' of Chrysostom, for proofs of its use in the assemblies of the Christians after apostolic times. The Child's Help to Self-Examination and Prayer. By Helen S. Herschell. Third Thousand. London: Aylott and Jones. 1848. A NEW edition of a little work which we highly value. It is thoughtful and serious, just adapted for a child whose heart the "Lord hath opened," desirous to correct its faults, and anxious to train the new-born energies of the soul in the paths of piety. In the hands of a pious mother, we can conceive of its utility as greatly enhanced, by whom the meditations may be made powerfully conducive to the restraint of evil habits and passions, and to the growth of all that is lovely and of good report in her little ones. A manual of a like character, adapted to Christians of more advanced age, would be of great service in the present state of the churches. The spiritual life needs greater attention and cultivation than it usually receives, and it is a cause of deep regret, that a class of works in which our forefathers delighted should meet with so little encouragement and use amongst us. Our piety would be none the worse for more introspection, nor be less effective in its action on the world were it fed by more meditation on God's word, more self-examination into motive, and more prolonged, earnest communication with God, than is now the habit of the professing Church. The Duty of Christians to Seek the Salvation of the Unconverted around them. A Sermon preached by the Rev. W. Walters, Preston. Second edition. London: Simpkin, Marshall and Co. 1848. THIS earnest and striking discourse was preached as a response to the "Kind Words" of the Baptist Union. While simple in construction, and in its leading ideas appropriate to the occasion, its appeals are pointed, terse, and thrilling. We cannot withhold the following passage, both for its truth and excellence. "Once we were in an unregenerate state ourselves. Then we were hourly sending forth influences to action. All those influences were of an evil character. They were the fruit of the corrupt tree which grew out of the heart. In these days of our impenitency, we associated with those who are still unconverted; and who can tell how much of what they now are and of what they now do, is the consequence of their former intercourse with us? Perhaps we presented before them some of their worst temptations: it may be the very temptations which have decided their course until the present hour. Perhaps we dug the pit into which they fell, and out of which they have never arisen :-spread the net which entangled them, and holds them in bondage to this day. Perhaps that glass we offered our friend in the days of our revelry, has sealed his fate as a drunkard; that concert or play to which we invited him, landed him in a life of settled pleasure; that worthless book we put into his hands, been the groundwork of all his licentiousness; that unbelieving word we uttered in his hearing, proved the starting point of his present infidelity. Do not some of us bitterly feel, as we think thus of the past-as memory lifts the veil and calls up to view the scenes of other days-that our example and our influence have often gone to form the character and increase the guilt of the sinners who surround us? God has called us by his grace from the ways of the destroyer. We are safe in the love of Jesus. We have fled to his cross, and obtained pardon and peace through his blood. But they, alas! are still in peril; are still beneath the condemnation of the law, and exposed to its dreadful penalty. What we have done, we have done; and now, instead of passing by with apathy on the other side, or retiring into secret to weep over the past, it behoves us at once to reveal to them their danger, and point them to the refuge. We, brethren! yes, conscience says, we have helped to destroy, and shall we not help to save?”—pp. 6, 7. We commend the perusal of this sermon to the cold, apathetic members of our Churches. Who will Live for Ever? A Reply to the Rev. J. H. Hinton's Criticism on Luke xx. 36. With an Appendix. By Edward White. London: Jackson and Walford.. In a previous number of the Record we expressed our dissent from the conclusions of Mr. Hinton. Mr. White has now, by two or three general arguments, sought to overthrow the positions of that pamphlet. We should, however, have been glad to have seen, from Mr. White's pen, an examination of the whole passage, and a critical investigation of the terms on which Mr. Hinton rests the main weight of his argument. For although it may be true that the old translators are right in translating as they do, yet when that translation is called in question, it becomes necessary to vindicate our adhesion to the previous view by depriving of their value the critical emendations suggested. For aught that appears in Mr. White's pamphlet, the criticisms of Mr. Hinton remain intact. We are, moreover, convinced that while Mr. White may with propriety discard the old theological term of “spiritual death," a correct view of our Lord's language in the passage in question, would be very far from supporting the idea that death is synonymous with annihilation. Language will allow us the use of the phrase "moral death," or "spiritual death," while yet retaining the primary notion the term "death" is intended to convey: but to prove that the physical idea still remains attached to the term in such connections, is very far from sufficient proof that death is extinction of being, or annihilation. A resurrection implies the continued existence in some form of that which is raised again. It may not be in that form which we call life, that is, in the conjunction of body and soul. But if these do not continue to exist in some form, their renewed combination would be a new creation, not a resurrection. If death were synonymous with annihilation, an absolute extinction of the thing which is dead, then would there be no such thing as a corpse, a dead body, a piece of decaying corruptible matter. The moment in which the frail earthly tenement falls a prey to what is called death, that moment, on this |