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COMMUNICATIONS have been received during the past month from the Rev. Dr. Winter -Dr. J. P. Smith-W. Orme-J. Churchill-W. Ellis-W. Chaplin--D. E. FordT. Keyworth-J. Hoppus--R. Pool--J. S. Hine-G. Redford-J. Matheson--R. Vaughan-J. Fletcher--J. H. Cox.

Also from Messrs. Royston--J. Tarn--J. Pitman--S. Brown--James Edmeston-W. Bateman--G. Cunningham-A Friend to Missions--Amicus A. K.-J. M.-К. К. -Δ.-Cedman.

D. E. F. will perceive his remarks have been anticipated by another correspondent.--W. C. does indeed ask "too much," when he requests the insertion of his turgid " lines," in this or any future number of our work.

Investigator, having observed in some recent numbers of the Missionary Chronicle, that two converts from popery were baptized by our Missionaries in India, begs to ask, Is it intended generally to deny the validity of baptism as administered by the Romish Church? or is there any peculiarity in the Romish mode of administering that ordinance in the East which warrants this anabaptism? as he conceives serious inconvenience may result from the hasty adoption of such a course.

We thank A. B. for his friendly hints, which generally harmonize with our own wishes, but he must be aware that very considerable difficulty exists in selecting subjects for the graver, which are at once popular and appropriate.

Mr. E. Pullen will oblige us by a note to the Publisher, informing us in what way he would wish his books returned, and how they shall be addressed. Our venerable correspondent, J. A. refers us to the following passage in Doddridge's Life of Col. Gardiner, § 36--"I hope the world will be particularly informed, that there is at least a second (case like the Colonel's,) whenever the Established Church shall lose one of its brightest ornaments, and one of the most useful members which that, or perhaps any other christian communion can boast,"--and wishes to inquire to whom the Doctor alluded? and what were the extraordinary circumstances of his case, which made it only second to that of Gardiner ?

Apropos, on the subject of Doddridge's Life of the Colonel, our northern correspondent H., who led us and our readers astray, by a communication which appeared in our last September Magazine, and for which he was gently chastised by Z Z. in our Supplement, has bowed to that correction in terms which we think must satisfy that gentleman.--" I feel myself called upon to acknowledge my error in not having looked into Dr. Doddridge's Memoir before writing those strictures upon a part of it, on which friend Z. Z. has taken the trouble to explain to me that I have been fighting a shadow."

We have to express sincere regret to our friend "a Yorkshireman," that he should have been troubled to write a second letter, as his first was duly received, but not acknowledged, as it was unintentionally thrown aside with some other papers.

The papers of Delta, "on Religion in London," cannot appear. We fear, indeed, such instances of inconsistency may be too easily found amongst our fashionable professors, but we cannot admit their general occurrence.

If " the Entrances" to which Cedman refers, have any architectural character, and will make agreeable pictures, we shall be happy to receive the drawings he kindly offers. The article to which J.C. refers, shall be returned as he directs, if not shortly inserted.

We thank our venerable friend, An Observer, for his shrewd remarks on a recent review of the Glasgow Controversy, which we must, however, decline to insert, as we can assure him it must be something more important than the ordinary articles of the Miscellany to which he refers, which can justify the opening of our pages even to his able replies.

The papers of "a Country Minister," and of "a London Congregational Minister," on the Scottish Missionary Society, in our next.

Did Amicus A. K. ever read the Fable of "the Old Man and his Ass?" we can assure him it is illustrated in the case of the Portrait to which he refers us, which has been much approved by many by our subscribers, and was engraved from a beautiful drawing from the pencil of no mean artist.

K. K. had better send his verses to "the beloved Pastor," to whom they are addressed, as they can never be acceptable in any other quarter, and we should doubt, indeed, of their acceptance even there.

"A Friend of Missions" begs us to insert the following errata, -" they refer," he says, "to points of no great consequence; but it may be as well to correct them, to prevent any advantage being taken of them as errors."

p. 128, col. 1, 1. 10. To the Hibernian School Society, to 1815, read, to 1825. p. 132, col. 1. 1. 7, Exclusive of Two hundred guineas from the London and Baptist

Missionary Societies, read, Five hundred guineas.

p. 162, col. 1. for the ship Dolphin, read Devonshire.

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Published May 11826. for the Congregational Magazine, by B.J. Holdsworth, 18 St Pauls Church Y. London.

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THE venerated subject of this brief memoir was born in London, March 24th, 1757. His parents were in humble life, but happily possessed of those principles which impart dignity to the character, irrespective of the distinctions of a world which passeth away. The father of Mr. Townsend had indeed, in his youth, enjoyed brighter earthly prospects, but in consequence of his conscientious attachment to the ministry of the Rev. G. Whitefield, he was disinherited, and doubtless found the blessedness of those who are persecuted " for righteousness' sake." His son John was admitted, at a proper age, as a scholar, into Christ's Hospital, one of the noblest institutions of which the metropolis can boast, and here a solid foundation was laid for those respectable attainments which, by his own industry, he was afterwards to acquire. On the term of education expiring, he was apprenticed to his father, who was employed in a mechanical business, and who probably retained his son beneath his own roof, from a solicitude that he should attend that gospel ministry for which he had suffered, and by which he had enjoyed so much. With him, therefore, he constantly heard at Tottenham Court Chapel and the Tabernacle, and was often seriously impressed by the faithful and heart-stirring ministry with which NEW SERIES, No.17.

that connexion was at that period blessed.

At length the set time arrived, when a permanent effect was produced on his mind, by a sermon upon Psalm ciii. 19. " Like as a father pitieth his children," &c. from Dr. Peckwell, then a very popular and eloquent preacher amongst the Calvinistic Methodists. He subsequently joined the communion at the Tabernacle, and was introduced to one of those societies which then existed amongst the young men, for prayer and reading the scriptures. It was usual, on these occasions, for each member to deliver his sentiments on some passage of Holy Writ, which, while it doubtless often betrayed the crude and ignorant notions of many a self-possessed but uninformed mind, yet also elicited those talents for public instruction which might otherwise have remained concealed from observation.

The ministerial gifts of Mr. Townsend were thus discovered by a friend, to whose christian advice and instruction his introduction to the ministry may be attributed. By him he was induced to visit Mitcham, in Surrey, where he preached his first sermon, which proving acceptable, he was encouraged frequently to exercise his gifts as a preacher.

Having been introduced, in 1779, to supply the chapel at

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Lewes, in that county, for six weeks, he continued there for eight months; which season of seclusion was connected with circumstances highly favourable to his ministerial improvement. At that period the Rev. R. Cecil possessed two small livings in that neighbourhood, the united annual value of which did not exceed £80. Here, however, in the spirit of Christian disinterestedness, which so peculiarly characterized that eminent minister, he laboured abundantly whilst his health permitted, and it was Mr. Townsend's privilege to hear him preach twice every week: and he could not hear such a man in vain. Not only was his heart made better, but an impulse was given to his mind highly favourable to its improvement. Under this excitement, he providentially discovered, in an upper room of the house where he boarded, put away as useless lumber, a good selection of old divinity books; from which, to use his own expression, he procured many a precious morsel." With such a tutor, and such an academical library, his leisure was most advantageously occupied; for what devoted young minister could hear Cecil, and read the Puritans, without advancement in knowledge and piety? At the close of eight months, he was compelled to return to London, much to the regret of himself and the people amongst whom he had laboured.

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He was now invited to Kingston in Surrey, where he preached for fifteen months, as a candidate for the ministerial office, and was ordained, in 1781, as the pastor of the Congregational church in that town. At the close of three years he felt it his duty to resign his charge, as the Antinomian heresy, at that period, begun very seriously to disturb the peace of that and many other churches in the neighbourhood.

In 1783, the ancient Presbyterian congregation, Jamaica Row,

Bermondsey, in which those able ministers and eminent confessors, James Janeway and Thomas Rosewell, had presided, became extinct, through the ill health and Arian sentiments of their last pastor, Dr. Flaxman; upon whose resignation, the meeting-house was taken by some Independents, and the following year Mr. Townsend was invited to become their minister; and, in 1784, he was set apart for the pastoral office amongst them.

In 1787, the late excellent Mr. Hawkes purchased the lease of Orange-Street chapel, formerly the church of the French Protestant refugees, and subsequently an episcopal chapel, in which the Rev. Messrs. Toplady, Cecil, Foster, and Eyre succesively laboured. This chapel was opened on the Calvinistic Methodist plan, March 25, 1787; and, in consequence of the failure of one of the ministers engaged for that service, Mr. Townsend was, at a short notice, prevailed upon to preach in the evening; and it pleased God to bless the discourse he delivered to the conversion of a female, who attended the chapel expecting to hear the preacher who had been previously announced.

This encouraging incident led the managers of that chapel to form a regular engagement with him; and from that time, to the last Sabbath of his ministry, he occupied their pulpit four times in each month: a fact which is at least creditable to his catholic spirit, seeing that he was a conscientious dissenter from the liturgical services of the national church.

He was, doubtless, encouraged iu these extra-pastoral duties at Orange-street by the peculiar success with which his ministry there was blessed. He has been frequently heard, in his own modest way, to state that he had known more than one clergyman, and several Dissenting ministers, who

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