baptism, and, instead of blaming me, he encouraged me to search the Scriptures further, that I might arrive at the truth. He confessed he, too, entertained the same doubts with myself. His hope, however, was, that circumcision may be regarded as the type of baptism, and, consequently, children be its subject.

In a conversation with the dominie, the pastor of the church, I promised, if he could prove to me from the Scriptures that my views were erroneous, I would at once abandon them. But he also referred me to the old covenant and circumcision. A few days ago, he baptized (sprinkled) a pious young woman, whose father, though a member of the separatish church, has long been opposed to infant baptism. I reminded him of this, and endeavored to prove that only faith entitles us to the ordinance. He said, "Do you consider infant baptism wicked?" and I replied, "In my estimation it is idolatry, and as pernicious in its consequences as the Roman Catholic mass."

I communicated the result of my conversations with various persons to my father-in-law, and tried to show him his arguments for infant baptism did not find support in Scripture, and laid particular stress on Hebrews vii. 8.

Since that time, a general searching after the truth on this subject has taken place. It is now becoming manifest that many in the church are convinced of the unscripturalness of infant baptism. I regard this as an indication from the Lord, that, together with me, many dear Christian friends will be brought to a full understanding of their duty. And now I commend the work begun by our prayers, that it may be carried on by the Spirit of God, to the glory of our heavenly Father.

J. M.

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GREECE.

To our faithful and long-tried missionaries in Greece, especially to brother Buel, who has evinced deep interest in this matter, we had the privilege of forwarding, though at a later period than was suggested in our last Report, the beautiful reprint of "Тa Аñаνта Тoν Aоνкоν" or all the sacred writings of Luke, which was there mentioned, embracing the Gospel which bears his name, and the Acts of the Apostles in Modern Greek. This forms a pretty 18mo volume of 160 pagescosting, in different styles of binding, from 14 to 20 cents a copy. We trust they will be so much prized, that repeated editions will be called for. They can be furnished, as the stereotype plates are now on hand, cheaply and promptly, in any quantities which may be demanded.

Suggestions have been made to us by the missionaries in Greece, for the preparation in a similar way of "all the sacred writings of John," viz., his Gospel, his three Epistles, and the Revelation. Also the book of Proverbs, and perhaps the Psalms. We shall carefully watch the results of this our first experiment of this kind; and if it should prove favorable, these latter requests may hereafter be granted. The results of the mighty contest now carried on with reference to the perpetuity and defence of the Greek church, as established by law, can scarce fail to have great influence, favorable or otherwise, on our work.

AFRICA.

We are again obliged to pass over Africa, as still remaining without further successful efforts on the part of our missionaries for translating the remaining portions of the Scriptures into any of her native languages. The early failure of health on the part of some of our missionary brethren seemed to demand their prompt return; others have died, and therefore the vision of our hope still lingers. When, O when shall we in its fulness witness the fulfilment of the prediction "Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God!"

To the Calcutta Baptist missionaries 1,500 dollars have been transmitted recently, to cover the failure of a similar sum mentioned in the last Report. These indefatigable men, so honored of God for more than a half century's important labors, whereby to such a wide extent the Scriptures have been translated and I printed in British India, still hold on the even tenor of their course. For obvious reasons they are now more devoted to revising and perfecting a few of the more important and useful of their versions, than in such tentative efforts as characterized the early years of the Mission, when so many different languages received at their hands attempts at the translation of the sacred Scriptures. Imperfect as many of these necessarily were, it has been stated on most reliable authority, that even the most inadequate of them has been blessed of God, to the conversion and sanctification of souls. In this we may all rejoice, while it by no means diminishes the obligation to render as faultless as possible the transcript of the holy Spirit's teachings, for this and succeeding generations. The Bengalee and Sanscrit Scriptures, which our appropriation was intended to aid to a wider circulation, are unquestionably among the most important for the 150 millions of British India. Indeed, the Sanscrit, as the learned and along with the Pali the sacred language, is having at present, and doubtless will have for centuries to come, immense influence; far beyond the bounds of the British possessions throughout all Oriental counties. Does the spirit of Dr. Carey, who commenced this work, and that of Dr. Yates, who so ably and zealously followed, each from the high and pure sphere of their present state look down with enhanced joy on the efforts now making to give wider circulation to this fruit of their toils and prayers? It may give a chastened zest to our satisfaction in this service, that in it we are so intimately allied to and united with these choice, venerated men, who so labored that we : might enter in to their labors, and thus sowers and reapers rejoice together.

THE ORISSA MISSION.

Mention has already been made of the overwhelming bereavement which has befallen that noble band of English General Baptists, by the removal so nearly contemporaneously, of Rev. J. G. Pike, the senior Secretary of the Mission, in England; and of Rev. Dr. Sutton, one of its chief ornaments as an accomplished, indefatigable missionary. A double blow seems thus to have fallen on the present work of the Mission; for its senior member, Rev. John Buckly, has been required to remain in England for a season, at least, to fill the senior Secretary's place; thus reducing still more the effective force of experienced laborers in the field. For these reasons it seemed probable that the Mission would prefer to have our appropriations, which, according to the original design, were to complete the work of Scripture distribution throughout the whole district, delayed or extended through a greater number of years than at first were contemplated. Our correspondence with them has already intimated such a course as desirable. In the meantime, as the letters and journals somewhat extensively published the last year clearly show, the good fruits springing up from the Word already sown are appearing on every side, causing devout thanksgiving to God.

FREE-WILL BAPTIST LABORS AND TRANSLATIONS FOR THE SANTALS.

The Rev. Mr. Phillips, whose interesting efforts for the simple and wild race of men called Santals, we last year noticed, has from regard to his own and his family's health been expected very soon to visit this country, and spend some months in his native land. His enterprise for completing the Santal New Testament will not probably be finished so soon as was anticipated in our last Report. Meanwhile our brethren having that Mission in charge, seem more and more impressed with the desirableness of drawing closer the bonds of fraternal union which make us one in our Bible operations. An increased number of the Freewill Baptist Churches are now cooperating with our Society, and the mutual interests of both are, we trust, promoted by the union. Whenever they are ready to make larger requisitions upon our treasury for their foreign work or the home supply of the destitute, they will find a cordial and liberal response.

ASSAM.

The Rev. Dr. Brown, who has done good service as the translator of the New Testament, though infirm in health, still remains at his post. We know the deep interest which he feels in completing the great work which he has begun. The other missionary brethren in Assam seem to be imbued with a similar spirit; and whether they go forth in the cities, towns, hamlets, or scattered dwellings of the wilderness, either preaching the gospel, or superintending those Christian schools which have been so much blessed in the conversion of scores of the choicest youth, or labor in any other sphere, they bear with them and diffuse around them, widely as possible the sacred Scriptures. As their holy and purifying light shines on the dark minds around them, and only as it is diffused, do they expect any permanent beneficial influence established. We have rejoiced not a little in the testimonies which in this manner, and from all these brethren, have reached us.

One thousand dollars was this year asked by the Union, and has been cheerfully granted by us, to aid the further prosecution of the good work in that part of our field.

In Assam, a "Harmony of the Four Gospels," as far as page 144 (1,500 copies), has been printed. Total number of pages 223,200.

In the Teloogoo Mission, an edition of 1,000 copies of the "History of Christ," by Mr. Day, has been printed the last year. It is a volume of 232 pages, wholly in the words of the Four Gospels. There have been distributed of this work, together with Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, and the Four Gospels, separately, 3,540 copies. Also two Hindostanee New Testaments, one Sanscrit New Testament, one Hebrew Old Testament, and a few bound volumes embracing Genesis to Job inclusive, and a few copies of the Four Gospels, bound together. We have appropriated to this Mission for Scripture distribution the last year, five hundred dollars.

BURMAH.

This earliest scene of our Oriental Missions receives still a large measure of attention, and is attracting to itself no insignificant amount of the sympathy, and the effort for future enlightenment and evangelization, the incipient benefits of which have been already experienced. Very gratifying are the testimonies which the faithful missionaries, from time to time, are sending us, of the spiritual fruit which they find springing up from the seed-God's precious truth-which has long been buried in dust, but which now yields the fruits of righteousness. The intrepid and indefatigable Kincaid, under date of Prome, September 20th, 1854, thus writes to the Corresponding Secretary:

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MY DEAR BROTHER:-For a long time I have been promising myself to write to you, and mention a few interesting facts connected with the Redeemer's kingdom in Burmah. Since reaching Prome last January, we have baptized forty-five Burmans and fourteen Karens. The records of any single week since last February would furnish reasons to encourage all to pray and labor for the salvation of Burmah. Within fifty miles of us are eight cities and hundreds of villages, and the door of faith open. We have converts in four cities and five villages. Among these are four men called of God to the work of the ministry, well-educated, with large hearts, and full of faith. The last man, baptized three days ago, is the healman or chief of a village twenty miles north-east of Prome. He has been visiting us for months. During the first visit I found he knew a good deal of the Christian doctrine, and on questioning him found he had the Gospel of John and a bound volume of tracts. I inquired of him when and where he got them He got them in Prome, sixteen years ago, as near as he could recollect the time; that was about the time we came down from Ava. At a subsequent visit he brought the books, at my request. They have been well read. I gave him a New Testament and the Psalms of David, and tried to get his two books to send home, but he seemed so reluctant to part with them, that I gave it up. For some ten years past he and six others have abandoned Boodhism, and have worshipped God as well as they knew how. The entire village has declared against Boodhism, and is now listening to that Gospel that brings life and immortality to light. Several in that village are now candidates for baptism, and they are putting up a Zayatt or small chapel for public worship. I have not time to give you much in detail now, but will write you soon more particularly.

Some eighteen months before this letter was written, and in anticipation of action upon Dr. Judson's proposal to put one copy of the complete Burman Bible in each city and town in that land, wherever the Burmese language was spoken, our Corresponding Secretary had written to this missionary, Brother Kincaid, in advocacy of that noble proposition, which Judson's last written appeal to our Society had seemed to devolve on us as a sacred duty, so soon as Burmah should be open. that letter, or rather a garbled perversion of it, has been much commented on, and misconceived, we insert it here in full, from a conviction of its justness and relevancy, and as a simple act of self-defence. It was dated Bible Rooms, N. Y., 7th February, 1853.

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After giving, in substance, Dr. Judson's proposition [see Periodical Paper for Oct., 1852], the Secretary added:

"I cannot but think that something like what is above proposed will have these three good effects.

"1. In this transition state of the Burmese minds,-when coming into more close contact and new relations with English and Americans,-to have our great guide book furnished them, so as to be accessible for their examination, would be

likely to awaken new interest in their minds, and prepare them for a more favorable hearing of the Gospel.

"2. This would furnish good employment for a class of Burman converts, as yet too much novices to be made preachers, or even colporteurs in the common sense of the word; but they can be porters of Bibles to such towns and villages as are accessible, and make the deposit as directed at the head man's house or principal place of resort, with regard to proper precautions for its safe preservation and use. In this employment I should hope they would become more experienced, and thus more useful for other religious services.

"3. Very subordinate to these high ends, but not utterly unworthy of regard, this plan would provide for using up a considerable portion of the quarto Burman Bible, nearly 4,500 of which have remained on hand for 13 years, blocking the wheels of our appeal for aid in this department, and I presume becoming so antiquated, that in another like period of 13 years, this edition will be cast aside as waste paper. Now I would rather distribute these in any way that was not wickedly wasteful, than have them thus remain useless, and even an impediment to our future progress."

In further illustration of this last head, let it be remembered that Mr. Kincaid, just before he last sailed for Burmah, took an opportunity of conferring with the then Secretary of our Society in the Bible Rooms, and expressing his earnest determination, immediately on his return, to take effective measures for distributing these same Burman Bibles, which had lain neglected and useless so long.

It may reasonably be presumed that Brother Kincaid and the other missionaries are by this time convinced that had they followed out more promptly and ully the enlarged and benevolent designs of our first missionary to Burmah, ampler fruits might ere this have been gathered. While we needlessly linger those heathen miserably perish, to whom we might have sent the word of everlasting life. That somewhat notorious quarto Burman Bible is not likely to be useful for ordinary circulation among a people so rude and simple. Hence the wisdom of such an appropriation of a great part of the edition as Dr. Judson proposed.

It is gratifying to see that the Publishing Committee of the missionaries in Burmah have promptly recommended the republication of more than 30,000 volumes of Scripture in the Burman, Karen, and Peguan languages, and to know that preparation is being made for their early issue from the Maulmain Press.

Indeed, it is high time that those printing the Scriptures for distribution in Burmah should wake up to the performance of so obvious a duty. We have never failed to furnish promptly and generously the funds required for this purpose.

Rev. Dr. Peck, Foreign Corresponding Secretary of the Missionary Union, thus writes, 30th April, 1855:

At Maulmain the Publication Committee have authorized a now edition of the Burmah New Testament, with Dr. Judson's last revisions, with headings to the chapters, and with references; 10,000 copies, 8 vo; and another of the Sgau Karen New Testament, 5,000 copies, 12 mo; also, Harmony of the Gospels, by Mrs. Wade, the translation according to the New Testament edition, and the arrangement according to Townsend, 5,000 copies, 8 vo.

The Committee, according to the new regulations, were at liberty to put the above to press without waiting for a special authorization from the Executive Committee, being in immediate demand.

They recommended that the Pwo Testament be put to press as soon as prepared. Dr. Mason, the