icals of the English Baptists consist of 1 weekly, 3 annual, and 9 monthly magazines.
3. In other Countries. — The British Possessions in America had, in 1859, 17 associations, 460 churches, 337 ordained ministers, 65,450 members, and 6 periodicals, of which one was in the French language. For Ger- many, the Report of the American Baptist Missionary Union, in Ma}', 1866, gives 11,239 members; for Switzerland, 269; for Denmark, 1702. Sweden had, in 1865, 6606 members. The membership of the Bap- tist churches in France is estimated at about 700. Baptist periodicals are published in Sweden and in Germany. The number of Baptists in Holland is given (by Dr. Cox) in the Encyclopedia Metropolitana as 238. The mission in Greece has been discontinued. In Asia the missions of the American Baptist Mission- ary Union (in India, Burmah, and Ceylon) reported, in 1859, 14,323 members; those of the English Baptist Missionary Society (in India and Ceylon), 2123 mem- bers ; those of the General Baptist Missionary Society of England (in India), 333 members ; those of the American Southern Baptists (in China), 30 members. In Africa, the American Southern Baptists have mis- sions in Liberia, with about 1200 members. The mis- sions, of the English Baptist Missionary Society had, in 1859, 184 members. The number of Baptists in Australasia is estimated at from 4000 to 6000. — Bene- dict, History of the Baptists ; Cox, The Baptists (in the Enc. Metr.) ; Missionary Jubilee (N. Y. 1865) ; Smith, Tables of Church History; Herzog, Real-Encyklopddie, s. v. ; Baptist Manual (of England) ; American Baptist Almanac ; Schem, Ecclesiastical Year-book for 1859, p. 27, 41, 110; Cutting, Historical Vindications. For a fuller account of works on the history of American Bap- tists, compare above, Baptist Literature.
BAPTISTS, FREE -COMMUNION, a denomina- tion of Baptists which arose in the eighteenth century in Rhode Isand and Connecticut, and owed its origin to the preaching of Whitfield. Many of those who were converted through his instrumentality formed a separate organization, and took the name " Separates." Gradually they became Baptists, without, however, practicing close communion. In 1785 they formed an association called the "Groton Union Conference." In 1820 they had 25 churches, some of which soon united with the Free-will Baptists. A General Con- ference was organized in 1835, but in 1841 the whole body united with the Free-will Baptists. See Belcher, Religious Denominations ; Cox, The Baptists (in the En- cyclopedia Metropolitana).
BAPTISTS, FREE-WILL, a section of Baptists which commenced in North America in 1780. The first church was organized at New Durham, N. H., by Benjamin Randall, who in his twenty-second year was a convert of George Whitfield. In 1784 the first quar- terly meeting was organized : in 1792, the first yearly meeting, consisting of delegates of the quarterly meet- ings. The most successful minister of this denomina- tion was John Colby, who entered the ministry in 1809, and died in 1817. In 1827 a general conference was formed, which was at first annual, then biennial, and is now triennial, and is composed of delegates ap- pointed by the yearly meetings. In 1841, nearly the whole body of another Baptist denomination, the Free- Communion Baptists, united with them, while, on the other hand, they withdrew, a few years ago, connection from 4000 members in North Carolina on account of their being slaveholders. On the same principle, they refused to receive into the connection some 12,000 from Kentucky and vicinity, who sent deputies to the gen- eral conference for that purpose. They are Arminians, and agree in doctrine almost wholly with the New ( onnection of General Baptists in England, except that they are open communionists, while the English New Connection generally hold to strict communion. At the fifth general conference, held at Wilton, Me., in October, 1831, the subject of "Washing the Saints'
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Feet," which had produced no small excitement among this denomination, was discussed, and it was agreed that the churches of the denomination should be at full liberty to retain the ordinance or not. It is now not generally practised, though not entirely in desuetude. The ecclesiastical bodies among Free-will Baptists are, the church, the quarterly meeting conference, the an- nual meeting, and the general conference. The offi- cers in the church are two — elders and deacons. Each church elects its own pastor, and exercises discipline over its own members ; but, as a church, it is account- able to the yearly meeting. Also ministers are ac- countable to the quarterly meetings to which they be- long, and not to the churches over which they are pastors. A council from the quarterly meeting or- ganizes churches and ordains ministers. The quar- terly meetings consist of ministers and such brethren as the churches may select. The general conference meets every three years, and consists of delegates chosen from the annual conferences. Confession of Faith.
1. The Scriptures.— The Holy Scriptures, embracing the Olil and New Testaments, were giveu by inspiration of God, and constitute the Christian's perfect rule of faith and prac- tice.
2. God. — There is only one true and living God, who is a spirit, self-existent, eternal, immutable, omnipresent, omni- scient, omnipotent, independent, good, wise, just, and merci- ful; the creator, preserver, and governor of the universe ; the redeemer, saviour, sanctifier, and judge of mi n ; and the only proper object of divine worship, lie exists in three persons, offices, distinctions, and relations — Father, Son, and Ih>ly Ghost, which mode of existence is above the understanding of finite men.