a century, have emanated six societies, who have erected for themselves places of worship, in this city and vicinity, all of which are as fully attended, if not more so, than any other places of worship. That God would thus prosper his church throughout the habitable globe, is the earnest prayer of your humble servant, THOMAS KETTELL, Pro. Clerk. Boston, Sept. 7th, 1830. P. S. Since writing the above, brother Hicks handed me some old papers, among which I find the following scrap: March 6th, 1791. The christian church commonly called Universalist, celebrated the Lord's supper for the first time; the number of twenty brethren and nine sisters. It was celebrated after the afternoon exercises, when Mr. Murray had entertained us through the day from Isaiah xxxv., four first verses. The collection was for procuring the elements, and the overplus to furnish the furniture of the table after the bread and wine; for there remains in the hands of Deacon Lane, 8s. 1d.' Exact copy, verbatim. T. K. MR. MURRAY'S ACCOUNT OF HIS HAVING ORIGINATED THE CEREMONY OF DEDICATION. On my first appearance in this country, during my residence in the state of New Jersey, I was requested, as the phrase is, to christen the children of my hearers. I asked them what was their design in making such a proposal to me? When they replied, they only wished to do their duty. How, my friends, returned I, came you to believe infant sprinkling a duty? Why, is it not a command of God to sprinkle infants?" If you will, from scripture authority, produce any warrant sufficient to authorize me to baptize children, I will immediately, as in duty bound, submit thereto. Our Savior sprinkled no infant with water: those who were baptized by his harbinger, plunged into the river Jordan, which plunging was figurative of the ablution by which we are cleansed in the blood of our Saviorbut infants are not plunged in a river. 'Paul declares he was not sent to baptize, and he thanks God that he had baptized so few: nor does it appear that among those few, there were any infants. It is not a solitary instance to find a whole household without a babe. The eunuch conceived it necessary there should be much water for the performance of the rite of baptism: all this seems to preclude the idea of sprinkling and of infant baptism: and it is said, that whole centuries passed by after the commencement of the Christian era, before the sprinkling of a single infant. I am, however, commencing a long journeymany months will elapse before my return. I pray you to search the scriptures during my absence; and if, when we meet again, you can point out the chapter and verse wherein my God has commanded his ministers to sprinkle infants, I will immediately prepare myself to yield an unhesitating obedience. I pursued my journey I returned to New Jersey, my then home-but no authority could be produced from the sacred writings for infant sprinkling. Still, however, religious parents were uneasy, and piously anxious to give testimony, public testimony of their reliance upon and confidence in the God of their salvation. Many, perhaps, were influenced by the fashion of this world; but some, I trust, by considerations of a higher origin. I united with my friends in acknowledging that when God had blessed them by putting into their hands and under their care one of the members of his body which he had purchased with his precious blood, it seemed proper and reasonable that they should present the infant to the God who gave it, asking his aid in the important duty which had devolved upon them, and religiously confessing by this act, their obligation to and dependence on the Father of all worlds. Yet we could not call an act of this kind baptisin; we believe there is but one baptism; and this, because the spirit of God asserts, by the apostle Paul, that there is but one baptism, and the idea of this single baptism is corroborated by the class in which we find it placed. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians iv. 5, 6. After much deliberation I proposed, and many of my hearers have adopted the following mode: The parent or parents (I am always best pleased when both parents unite,) bring their children into the great congregation, and stand in the broad aisle, in the presence of the worshippers of God. The Father receiving the babe from the arms of the mother, presents it to the servant of God, who statedly ministers at his altar. The ambassador of Christ receives it in his arms, deriv ing his authority for this practice from the example of the Redeemer, who says, Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. The minister, therefore, taking the infant from its father, who gives him, as he presents it, the name of the child, proclaims aloud, John or Mary, we receive thee as a member of the mystical body of him who is the second Adam, the Redeemer of men, the Lord from heaven. We dedicate thee to him, to whom thou properly belongest, to be baptized with his own baptism, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and we pronounce upon thee that blessing which he commanded his ministers, Moses, Aaron, and his sons, to pronounce upon his people, saying, The Lord bless thee and keep thee; 'The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give the peace. For this procedure we have the command, the express command of God. Our reason and our religion concur to approve the solemnity, and our hearts are at peace. The Lord, we repeat, hath commanded us to bless the people; God himself pronounced this blessing upon all the people, in the first Adam, when he placed him in the garden of Eden, and blessing and cursing came not from the same mouth upon the same characters. God, our God, is the ever blessing God; nor are blessings given only to the deserving. The blessings of providence and of grace are freely bestowed upon the evil and the unthankful; and when the evil and the unthankful obtain the knowledge of this truth, they earnestly sigh to be good, to be grateful. But the ever blessed God, not only blessed the people in their first general head, but in that seed which is Christ. In thy seed, said the Lord Jehovah, shall the families, all the families of the earth be blessed. This was a royal grant. We are not, in general, sufficiently attentive to this particular. It is common to talk of being blessed by, and some say, through Christ, but few, very few, ever think of being blessed in Christ.'-Sketches, &c. ii. 366-368. See also 'Letters and Sketches,' iii. 845. Adams, President John, invites Mr. Murray to preach on the Alton, England, the birth-place of Murray, 10. Bath, arrives at, 71; is entertained by the hay maker, 72; preach- W Belief, the object of, interesting dialogue upon, 100. Chatham, Earl of-Murray's lines upon the death of, 261. Convention General of Universalists of N. E. States and others, 292. Convention of Universalists in Philadelphia in 1790, letter to Cork, Murray visits, 64. Croswell, Rev. A. slanders Murray in the papers, 203; is an- England, Murray's father leaves, 16; Murray's return and arrival Factory, in Boston, Murray preaches in, 195. Gloucester, Mass. Murray visits the first time, 203; second time Greene, Gen. correspondence with Murray, 254. Grash, Rev. A. B. extract from his discourse, 270. Hitchins, Rev. Mr. by his arguments Murray is led to adopt the Hopkins, Rev. Mr. his journey and dialogue with Murray, 169; Ireland, Murray's removal to, 17; leaves for England, 69. Jones, Rev. Thomas, his conversion and settlement at Gloucester, 241. Little, Mr. his conversion to Methodism, 32; he adopts Murray London, arrival of Murray at, 75; his arrival there in 1788 from Lord's Supper, the views of Murray, 243. Mason, Pres. of a Society 103; attempts to refute Relly's Union, 104. Mob, dispersed by Murray, in London, 251. Murray's father, an Episcopalian, 10; removes to Ireland, 17; Murray, John, his ancestors, when born, is baptized by an Epis- |