make Englishmen more resolute. Objections, too, may be started, but they would promote discussion, and discussion would elicit consideration, and consideration action. Objections therefore ought not to be suppressed. Apathy is much more to be dreaded—that listless apathy which "careth for none of these things," and which, unwilling to bestir itself, sees only lions in the way. We are left, however, to choose between these,-whether we will "ever live at this poor dying rate," or whether we will at once arouse ourselves to more vigorous and resolute action: And why should we not? Why give up adhesion to our distinguishing doctrines of Divine truth now? The death of the Son of God for the salvation of all men has now become a popular doctrine in our land; and notwithstanding the Surrey Gardens Music Hall has resounded with loud warnings against Arminianism, derogatory of the character and creed of one of the most pious and learned, and, I will add, the most persecuted of men, yet the most useful preachers in our land now, of every evangelical party, are those who call on all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel. Calvinists, or Fullerites some may yet wish to call themselves, but as one of our American visitors facetiously told us a few years ago, "They all thrash with our machine." Rather let us take the advice of a venerable minister of the other section of the baptist body, who, in conversation with the late Adam Taylor, said, "Stay where you are brother Taylor; we are all coming to you as fast as we can." And, my brethren, is it not worthy our observation, that "the spirit and manners of the age" are in our favour. Liberalism is now the order of the day in science, education, and politics. "We are all liberals now," says the Times. Let us then take advantage of our position. We have “a little strength;" let us use it. Stand firm first, and then advance. The first great truth in creation is, that Jesus made an atonement for sin-the second is, that it was for all men. Let us hold fast by both, and never give them up; without the first we have no hope, and the second involves the salvation of millions not yet born. And then with regard to believers' baptism I need not detain you. Pious persons of all denominations are being more and yet more convinced that its supplanter, "infant sprinkling," is only a tradition of men- -"a mockery, a delusion, and a snare.” Some of these remarks are made to meet another suggestion of which we have heard lately, and which may now be urged against our proposal, viz., the amalgamation of both sections of the baptist body into one. On that subject the writer does not wish to enter, beyond saying, that while we love and honour our more numerous brethren, we honour and love the truth more. Man is liable to err-the truth of God never. "Life's little day is past, and he is gone, while TRUTH appears Let us rather, my brethren, do as we find our missionary brethren are doing with such success in Orissa. Let us have our "missionary tours" throughout the country, either by our stated ministers for three months in turn, or by two brethren who shall be wholly given to the work. Cannot we find, and cannot we spare them? I think we can-two in 100 might surely be found, and might safely be spared. EXTENSION OF THE GENERAL BAPTIST DENOMINATION. 453 Bearing on this subject are some valuable remarks by HOWARD HINTON. I commend them to your notice, and to the notice of our young ministers especially; for to them we must look for the carrying out of any plans we may devise and adopt for the extension of our connexion. They occur in his recent sermon "On Preaching," and I give them, for they are as applicable to Britain as to India : "It is worthy of consideration whether, upon the principle thus laid down, some beneficial modification of the missionary work might not be effected, and whether some nearer approach to the scriptural model might not be arrived at. Far be my lips from uttering a single word depreciatory of any branch of missionary labour; but let me be permitted to suggest an inquiry, whether, since it is by preaching that God will save men, there might not scripturally, and therefore advantageously, be at least a class of missionaries who should be preachers only, passing, with more or less rapidity, but continually passing, over the ground declaring the glad tidings, and not detained by any of those occupations which compel a fixed and permanent residence. The crying necessities of the world appear to me to rebuke the sitting down of so large a number of missionaries as schoolmasters, translators, or pastors of churches; devoted to labours which, however important, may, in part at least, be confided to other hands, while the evangelist goes on to repeat the good news to the perishing multitudes beyond. Let me illustrate the case by a comparison. The wreck of a noble vessel has thrown into the sea a large number of persons, now, of course, in peril of immediate destruction. You have been providentially permitted to come to the rescue, and, by means of the life-boat, you have already gathered on board your friendly bark a goodly company, safe from all further danger. What is your next step? To devote yourself assiduously to the refreshment of the rescued? By no means. You hastily say to them, 'Do you take care of one another now, while I hurry back to the help of those who are still struggling with the waves.' Why should we not act on a similar principle in relation to the spiritual necessities of mankind? Should there be no force in Christ's own example, who, when the people of Capernaum 'stayed him, that he should not depart from them,' replied, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent?' What would have become of christianity in the Roman empire if Paul and Barnabas had, on the first missionary journey, settled down as pastors at Antioch and Lystra ?" Brethren, I have done. I leave these thoughts and suggestions with you. May the Lord the Spirit direct you to right conclusions! And "To God only wise"-" Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end." EVENING SITTING. Rev. T. STEVENSON, of Leicester, in the chair. After singing, reading the Scriptures and prayer, Mr. W. MARSHALL, of Loughborough, read the last Paper on 66 LAY AGENCY, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE FURTHER EFFICIENCY OF OUR LOCAL PREACHERS." I AM sure, my christian brethren, I need not remind you that the present meeting is one upon which many members of our body look with considerable interest. The very fact that the Association appointed the meeting, and that so many have left their homes and travelled many miles for the purpose of attending it, is a clear indication that many are interested about it. And the events which have recently transpired in the religious world (and shall I not also say without the religious world?) are sufficient to awaken and keep alive this feeling. God, in his great goodness, has graciously and copiously poured out his Holy Spirit upon various portions of our fallen race. In different lands there has been a mighty movement amongst the dry bones; the blessed Spirit has breathed upon the dead; and many have heard the voice of the Son of God and sprung into life. And these mighty movements in America, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, have naturally attracted a considerable amount of attention; many eyes have been directed towards these various spots, and ofttimes we have been led to exclaim, What will the end be? and as the disciples of Jesus we have said, "The Lord is doing great things, whereef we are glad." And whilst other regions are being thus visited, and other churches thus increased, we rejoice in their prosperity (for I trust we do all possess that catholicity of spirit which leads us to rejoice in the prosperity of all parts of Zion and the good of every section of Jerusalem); still I trust we all possess that amount of national sentiment and denominational feeling which leads us most intensely to desire that our own country may also be graciously visited, and our own churches graciously multiplied. And therefore whilst the religious press, and the secular press, aye, and even the great "Thunderer" itself, has thought it right to insert letters and statements, and even leading articles, about the revival, it is not unreasonable that the religious world, and we as a section of it, should feel some concern. True, we may be small amongst the thousands of Israel, but perhaps the very smallness of our number constitutes an additional reason why we should feel intense anxiety that our numbers should be increased and our churches multiplied. And, therefore, with intense desire, we may exclaim, "By whom shall Jacob arise, for he is small?" To-day, my christian friends, you have had a variety of subjects, connected with this question, brought before your attention. Our brethren, who have addressed you, have presented a statement in reference to the progress of our body, and reminded you of the causes why we have not made greater progress. This afternoon our brother spoke concerning the adaptation of our present Home Missionary system to the accomplishment of its object; and this evening I have to speak concerning "Lay Agency, with special reference EXTENSION OF THE GENERAL BAPTIST DENOMINATION. 455 to the further efficiency of our Local Preachers." The subject of "Lay Agency" certainly opens before us a very wide field for observation and remark. Here we have rushing up before us, in mighty phalanx, the office bearers in our various churches, the teachers in our sabbath schools, the distributors of our religious tracts, the agents of our dorcas and benevolent societies, the visitors of the sick and dying; in fact, all church members who do not sustain the pastoral office are, or ought to be, included in our list of lay agents. Lay agency is certainly of vast importance in connection with the church of Christ. When we think of the immense number of our fellow countrymen who are in an unconverted state, and who are consequently exposed to the curses of a broken law; and when we reflect upon the comparatively small number of our stated pastors, well may we exclaim what are these among so many?" And as we sometimes say that if ever India is converted to God it must be mainly by native agency and not by European missionaries, so if all the inhabitants of our beloved old England are ever brought in their right mind to sit at the feet of Jesus, it must be accomplished by lay agency in connection with our stated pastors. And in the various events which have recently taken place God has taught us most plainly that his blessing is not by any means confined to the labours of those who sustain the pastoral office. The princely merchant, the wealthy manufacturer, the commercial traveller, the clerk from the counting house, the young man from the counter, the domestic house-wife, the girl from the factory, aye, and the little children too, have all been employed by the Head of the church for leading others to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. I think no one, therefore, will be disposed to frown upon, or to speak disparagingly concerning, "Lay Agency." And to those of you, my friends, who are engaged in any department of christian effort, let me say, Persevere. If you wish to be in any measure instrumental in improving and extending our denomination, go forward; be instant in season and out of season; and “whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest." But the programme of this meeting refers to one special branch of lay agency, and it is to that branch that I must now more especially direct your attention. Our paper refers to the further efficiency of our Local Preachers. And I must confess that, in my opinion, and I have no doubt in the opinion of most present, it would have appeared a much more appropriate course if one of our senior and judicious pastors-one who has had considerable experience in the work of the ministry, and who has a number of local preachers connected with his church-I say it would have been much better if such an one had been appointed to write the paper on this subject. But somehow we, the said local preachers, appear to be rather a formidable class, and no one is particularly anxious to encounter us; and hence your Committee tell me, that when they applied to several stated pastors these good gentlemen very politely declined to take up the subject, lest they should appear personal to their own local brethren, or, in other words, lest they should trample upon the toes of some of their own friends. In speaking to you, then, concerning the further efficiency of our local preachers, I think there are three parties who may do something towards securing it. 1. The churches whence they go out. 2. The churches amongst whom they labour. 3. The local brethren themselves. In speaking concerning the churches whence our local preachers go out, I would remark, that the first thought which commends itself to our attention is this: These churches should send forth the very best men they can produce. I mean they should look out those members who, by their natural talents, educational advantages, and social position, are best qualified for the office; and they should try and induce these individuals to go forth and preach amongst their fellow men the unsearchable riches of Christ. Now, my brethren, I think it is a fact which must have attracted the attention of most parties present, that the majority of our local preachers do not belong to the class to which we are now referring. We have amongst us, as a body, a considerable number of gentlemen who possess superior natural talents; in early life they had superior educational advantages; they possess well-selected libraries; they have more time than many other men for reading, and they occupy a respectable social position, but how few of this class are employed as local preachers. Well, I dont think this ought so to be. I think Mr. A B the manufacturer, Mr. C D the solicitor, Mr. E F the grocer, and Mr. G H the draper, are as much indebted to Christ, and under as strong obligation to preach his gospel, as William Brown, the shoemaker; John Jones, the stocking maker; James Smith, the warehouse-man; or Henry Robinson, the porter. And, depend upon it, if the efficiency of our local preachers is to be increased, we must endeavour to improve our class of men. Send your comparatively illiterate men, who have had no educational advantages, who are pressed down by poverty, and who have scarcely a moment's time for preparation, and the effect will soon be apparent upon a congregation;-send your parties who are in more favourable circumstances, or send a mixture of the two, and you may then manage to keep alive your cause, and increase your church. Depend upon it, my friends, it is no use trying to ignore the fact, other things being equal, a man's social position will have an influence. If you grind down your village pastor so that he is obliged to work in a stocking frame, or to sit at a cobbler's stall to get a little bread for his family, he is not likely to be so useful, or have that influence he would have, under more favourable circumstances; and so with your local preacher. If, then, the efficiency of our local preachers is to be increased as one means of improving and extending our denomination, I ask, is it not desirable that our churches should send forth the best men they have? And let me ask the gentlemen who occupy the position of which we have been speaking, to come forward and consecrate themselves to this important work. And then not only may the churches increase the efficiency of our local preachers by sending forth their best men, but they may also do many things to strengthen and encourage and improve those who do go forth. For my own part, I certainly think it exceedingly desirable that all who go out as local preachers should have the approval of the churches of which they are members. I dont say that before a man begins to speak he should ask permission to do so. If this were necessary I apprehend many young men would never begin; because it unfortunately is the case, that there are senior members in our churches who are so much afraid a man should run before he is sent, that when they see a young disciple manifesting some |