from a settlement about fifty miles distant, that he would visit the place, and administer the ordinance of baptism to some thirty or forty individuals, the subjects of a late revival. This people informed him that they knew of no other competent administrator within two hundred miles of them. In travelling one hundred miles west of the Genesee river, he found but few inhabitants, except natives, and but two white settlements; in these he tarried and preached.

Mr. Cornell found a great destitution of the means of grace in the parts he visited; and especially in Canada. In one settlement, he found professors of religion who had not heard a sermon during fourteen years; and many families which were wholly destitute of the Bible. The following affecting incident is found in his journal:

"I have seen children in this province, from nine to fourteen years of age, who did not know what a Bible was, before I showed them one. Seeing this precious book, a boy fourteen years of age, cried, Daddy, is that a Bible? I did not think a Bible looked so!' Í read the first three chapters of Genesis and the twenty-second Psalm, and, also, the twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth chapters of Matthew. When I had proceeded thus far, I cast my eye upon the family, and saw the affecting tear stealing slowly down their cheeks. The man at length observed, 'If I had that little book and could read it, I would give all I have in the world."

No two persons could have been selected, who were better adapted to this service, than were Messrs. Blood and Cornell. They had long been accustomed to journeying in the wilderness, among the destitute and feeble churches in Vermont, and in some portions of the State of New York. They were as extensively and as favorably known, as any ministers in the denomination, and were men of uncommon ability. Their journals, having been published in the Missionary Magazine, enkindled, in our churches, a missionary spirit; the fruits of which will be as lasting as eternity. The representations they gave of the destitution of those extensive regions which they surveyed, secured the immediate appointment of other missionaries. The Massachusetts Missionary Society had missionaries constantly employed in those parts, and at times, in considerable numbers, for many years. They extended their labors beyond central and western New York, into parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

At a subsequent period, this whole field of missionary labor was assumed by the New York Baptist State Convention.

Among the many missionaries who labored under the patronage of the Massachusetts Domestic Missionary Society, we find the names of Joseph Cornell, Peter P. Roots, David Irish, Lemuel Covil, Jesse Hartwell, Nathaniel Kendrick and Stephen Parsons; names which will be held in grateful remembrance by our churches in western New York, so long as any recollection of their early history shall be cherished.

In 1807, as we have remarked, the Lake Missionary Society was formed. Its origin, and some of the causes which led to it, are thus described by Messrs. Peck and Lawton:

"In view of the increased population of the country, their indigent circumstances and spiritual wants, and the multiplied calls for ministerial labor, a number of the friends of Zion met at Pompey, in the county of Onondaga, at the house of Elder Nathan Baker, August 27, 1807, to consider the propriety of forming a society for the prosecution of the missionary enterprise in the destitute regions around. After mature deliberation on the subject, a constitution was presented and unanimously adopted. The Society was called the Lake Baptist Missionary Society, as it was expected its efforts would be directed principally to what is called the Lake country. The constitution made the payment of one dollar annually requisite to membership. At the formation of the Society it consisted of twenty members. Of course, it commenced its operations with only twenty dollars in the treasury! Thus, in weakness and with much fear and trembling, was laid the foundation of that fabric, which now, through the blessing of God, commands the admiration of all the friends of Zion. These were the first dawnings of that light, which, like the sun, is shedding widely around its benign influence."-p. 31.

The following persons constituted its first Board of Directors: Ashbel Hosmer, President; Peter P. Roots, Vice President; Elisha Payne, Secretary; Jonathan Olmsted, Treasurer; Elisha Ransom, Salmon Morton, David Irish, John Lawton, Ora Butler, Simeon Gillett, Benjamin Pierce, Thomas Cox, Ebenezer Wakely, John Keep, Samuel Payne and Oliver Brown, Directors. The first missionary who served the Society was Salmon Morton. He was employed eight weeks, at four dollars per week. His tour was westward, crossing the Genesee river, into the Holland Purchase. Mr. Morton was kindly received; and, in his report to the Society, he gave an affecting ac

count of the wants of the people whom he visited, and of their desire to hear the gospel.

At the second annual meeting, the treasurer reported one hundred and seventy-one dollars in the treasury. At this meeting the name of the Society was changed from the "Lake Missionary Society," to the "Hamilton Missionary Society." In 1815, the compensation of the missionaries was increased from four to five dollars per week. The ability of the Society was now equal to the support of forty weeks of missionary labor. It was incorporated by an act of the Legislature of New York, 1817. At this period, its ability was equal to the support of eighty weeks of missionary labor.

In 1825, by an act of the Legislature, the name of the the Society was changed from the "Hamilton Missionary Society," to the "Baptist Missionary Convention of the State of New York." The Convention was, indeed, formed in 1822, and there had existed, also, within the State, for a number of years, several other missionary societies. The Hamilton Missionary Society, however, was the oldest and, by far, the most efficient body; it was, therefore, agreed, in 1825, by general consent, to unite all these organizations in one body, to be known, as above stated, by the name of the "Baptist Missionary Convention of the State of New York." The progress of the Convention now became rapid. The amount of missionary labor had, in fact, been constantly and rapidly accumulating, from 1807 until the last mentioned date; and, did our limits permit, it would be interesting to trace the various fields of labor which have successively occupied the attention of our brethren. We can only remark, in general, that, in addition to their own State, including several tribes of aboriginals, their labors have extended to the Canadas, to the States of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. During the first year of its existence, the Society could employ only one missionary for the short period of eight weeks. In 1836, they reported $17,390, enabling the Society to support missionaries to the amount of more than fifty years' labor, besides $10,000 paid to the Treasury of the American Baptist Home Missionary Society.

The individuals appointed as missionaries, were pastors, men of distinguished abilities, who had earned among the churches a good reputation for piety, soundness in

the faith, wisdom in counsel, as well as for labor and selfdenial in the service of Christ. They were absent from their flocks from one to three months, traversing the country in every direction, gathering churches where they could find fit materials; setting in order such churches as were deficient, and preaching the gospel. Such services were imperiously demanded by the condition of the country; and our brethren, in the true spirit of their religion, nobly met the exigency.

The great Head of the church, we are constrained to believe, inspired them with wisdom and gave them strength, equal to their day. Never was missionary labor more needed, nor were such services ever crowned with more abundant success.

In 1824, our brethren commenced the publication of a weekly religious newspaper; a measure no less adapted to impart efficiency to their various undertakings, than to perpetuate that unity of design which had so long characterized their proceedings. This paper, the "New York Baptist Register," is the property of the Convention, and is rented to enterprising publishers. The paper, at present, yields a revenue of six hundred dollars per annum.

In nothing does the wisdom of those men, who founded our churches in western New York, appear more conspicuous, than in the early establishment of a Theological Institution. In none of their acts does their disinterestedness appear more conspicuous, than in this; and they will command our admiration the more, when it is recollected that the projectors of this institution were, almost universally, men whose early literary advantages had been extremely limited. The motives that led to this undertaking are thus happily expressed by our authors:

"In 1817, the Baptist denomination in this State numbered about three hundred and ten churches, two hundred and thirty ministers, and twenty-eight thousand members. The character of the ministry, at and before that time, is too well known to need description. Their godliness, their zeal for the truth in its purity, their laborious fidelity, and their success in winning souls for Christ,' will be had in everlasting remembrance.' Especially now is it needless for the pen of eulogy to record their praise, while so many hearts still beat among us, on which, as 'living epistles,' are written their 'letters of commendation,' the memory of their worth. But with this just tribute to their excellence must be coupled the acknowledgement, that, in those important aids which human learning and intellectual cul

ture afford to the servants of the gospel, they were comparatively deficient. This they deeply realized, and felt the importance of having something done to aid those who were coming forward to engage in the ministry. At the period above mentioned, there were, in the entire State west of the Hudson river, only three ministers who had received a collegiate education. Meantime the cause of general education was advancing. Light was more and more diffused throughout the community; the public mind was becoming more intelligent, and the public taste more refined; the advocates of error, from its most tolerable to its most fearful form, were bringing increased resources to its defence; and the whole business of a religious instructer, both in the church and in the world, was becoming more complicated and difficult. The work of missions had also been going on for years with increasing success. There was an imperious call for 'able ministers of the new testament,' both at home and abroad. To meet this demand, God was raising up young men for the ministry in many of the churches: but no provision had been made for their education.

"Under these circumstances, a few friends of the Saviour felt the importance of doing something to aid these youths in their preparation for the work before them. God seemed to be speaking in the necessities of his cause, and calling on them to engage in this enterprise. For the better accomplishment of the object, The Baptist Education Society of the State of New York' was formed on the 24th of September, 1817. It consisted, at first, of only thirteen persons, each of whom subscribed to pay one dollar annually. Although some minor amendments have since been made to the constitution of the Society, its fundamental principles remain unaltered. The simple and exclusive object of the organization was, the improvement of the Christian ministry. Its funds are specially appropriated to the use of indigent and approved candidates, and none are admitted to participate in its benefits except such as have obtained the approbation of the churches, and furnish continued evidences of personal piety and a call to the gospel ministry. These are essential features in the plan of this Society. It was founded in the belief that God selects his own ministers; and no measure contravening this principle can be admitted, without sacrificing the confidence of the churches. Whenever it shall be the means of raising up a graceless ministry to take the oversight of the flock, it will have lost its original character, and merited the reprobation of the people of God."—pp. 55, 56.

In the winter of 1817, theological instruction was commenced under private tuition. Messrs. Jonathan Wade and Eugenio Kincaid, now missionaries in Burmah, were the first two pupils. In 1818, the Theological Institution, in Hamilton village, was duly opened. The Education Society is identified with the Institution, and holds to it the relation of a Board of Trustees. Though humble in its origin, and exceedingly modest in its pretensions, this