162 



BAPTISTS. 



BEAUCHAMP, HENKY B. L. 



Chancellor minutely examined the trust deeds, 

 as well as the " Confession of Faith " published 

 by the body in 1643 and 1680 and at other 

 times. He did not see that the delegates from 

 the churches, who took part in the meetings 

 where the Confessions were drawn up, held 

 strict communion to be an essential and funda- 

 mental doctrine, and he did not see that it was 

 insisted upon in the trust deeds of the chapel 

 in question. He decided, therefore, to dismiss 

 the case. 



The Baptist Union of England, at one of its 

 quarterly meetings, adopted an address to the 

 American Baptist churches, expressive of its 

 views on the American war and slavery. The 

 following are the most important passages of 

 this address : 



It will not be needful for us to prove that the fatal 

 origin of your present national discords has been the 

 existence in vour midst of the sinful institution of 

 slavery. In former times we have ventured to urge 

 upon you the duty of denouncing and extirpating this 

 baneful and unholy institution ; but now we rejoice to 

 believe that nearly all classes among you are convinced 

 that it is wholly opposed to the will of God, and fruit- 

 ful only in calamity to those who uphold it. Yes, 

 brethren, it is slavery that has prevented our main- 

 taining with you that close and brotherly intercourse 

 which your hearts ardently desired ; it is slavery that 

 has so lamentably alienated one portion of your people 

 from the other ; it is slavery that has excited fierce and 

 ungovernable passions, which will neither listen to 

 reason nor submit to law. And it is the foul pollution 

 and gross injustice of slavery that have brought upon 

 you the chastisement of Heaven, and deluged your 

 once happy and prosperous land with seas of human 

 blood. Brethren, it has grieved us beyond all our 

 power to express, to know that this unhallowed and 

 accursed institution has been upheld and defended by 

 many who profess to believe with us in the Scriptures 

 of eternal truth ; men who bear among Christians the 

 honored name of Baptists, and claim the same spiritual 

 lineage with ourselves. And in proportion to our for- 

 mer grief is the joy we now experience in learning 

 from one of our official correspondents amongst you, 

 that the Baptist churches and associations in your 

 Northern States have generally, if not universally, ar- 

 rived at the conviction that slavery must be forthwith 

 destroyed. We deprecate with all our heart the efforts 

 of interested or malicious men in this country to exas- 

 perate strife between us, or help the abettors of slavery 

 in yours ; and we shall use our utmost endeavors to 

 strengthen the patience of our suffering countrymen, 

 and to encourage our rulers to maintain that wise policy 

 of non-interference which they have hitherto observed. 

 Be assured, brethren, that our hatred of slavery is as 

 intense as it ever was, and that our sympathies are al- 

 together with those who strive for its total abolition 

 throughout the entire world. 



The sixth Triennial Conference of the German 

 Baptists was held in Hamburg in July. About 

 ninety pastors, missionaries, and delegates were 

 present. From the report of the Committee of 

 the Union it appeared that during the last three 

 years 4,658 persons had been baptized ; that 

 there was a clear increase in the membership 

 of the churches during that time of 8,867 ; and 

 that the present number of members was 11,- 

 275. It also stated that nine new churches had 

 been formed, and 827 stations established for 

 preaching the gospel. 



The progress of the Baptists in Sweden con- 

 tinues to be marked. According to a report of 



Rev. Mr. Wiberg, the founder of the Swedish 

 mission, in the whole of Sweden, during the 

 year, there were formed 14 new churches, 

 baptized 850, restored 69, exchided 288. At the 

 1st of January, 1863, there were 161 churches, 

 with 5,515 members ; 4,231 children gathered 

 in Sunday schools, with 90 teachers. Cases of 

 persecution constantly occur all over the coun- 

 try. Baptist parents are often fined or charged 

 to pay godfathers and policemen for assisting 

 the priests. The Baptist Executive Committee 

 published five baptismal tracts. Twenty-one 

 of the churches now have places of worship of 

 their own ; the others assemble in private 

 houses. 



Considerable additions to the number of Bap- 

 tists were made in Poland and in the Russian 

 province of Courland. In the latter great ef- 

 forts were made to put them down. The con- 

 gregation of Libau sent two of its members as 

 delegates to St. Petersburg, who had an inter- 

 view with the emperor. This interview did 

 not arrest persecution, for the district court 

 of Courland condemned two Baptists to exile 

 from Russia for preaching Baptist sentiments. 

 Toward the close of the year, however, the 

 Directing Senate of Russia reversed this de- 

 cision of the district court of Courland, and 

 the emperor issued an ukase, which forbids 

 the restraining of Baptist preachers by force, 

 and declares such force all the " more to be 

 deprecated in a doctrine of religion, which may 

 later find acknowledgment." So great an ad- 

 vance on the past policy of the Russian author- 

 ities was hailed as a wonderful sign by the Bap- 

 tists of Germany, and Rev. Mr. Oncken, of 

 Hamburg, the founder of the German mission, 

 resolved to proceed to St. Petersburg, to organ- 

 ize a congregation in the capital of the Russian 

 empire. 



The first impulse to the establishment of a 

 Baptist mission in Italy was given in October, 

 1860, by the " True Union," a Baptist paper of 

 Maryland. In 1862, two Baptist clergymen of 

 England, Rev. Edward Clarke, of Tiverton, and 

 Rev. James Wall, of Calne, visited Italy, and 

 on their return made an appeal to the English 

 Baptists for the establishment of an Italian mis- 

 sion. This appeal was warmly responded to, 

 and in October, 1863, Rev, James Wall took 

 his departure from England as the first Baptist 

 missionary to Italy. 



BEAUCHAMP, HENBY BEATTCHAMP LYGON, 

 Earl, an English peer, born in Powyke, 

 Worcestershire, in 1784, died at Madrestield 

 Court, Great Malvern, Sept. 8th, 1863. He 

 entered the army July 9th, 1803, served in 

 the Peninsula with the 16th Dragoons at the 

 capture of Oporto, battles of Talavera and Bn- 

 saco and elsewhere, and was severely wounded 

 at Busaco. He eventually became a general in 

 the army, colonel in succession of the 10th 

 Hussars and the 2d Life Guards, and chamber- 

 lain in waiting to the Queen. He sat in the House 

 of Commons for the county of Worcester, before 

 the passing of the Reform Bill, and afterward 



