Boston, First Baptist Church.—On the 7th of June, 1865, the First church in Boston celebrated its two hundredth anniversary.

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Boston, First Baptist Church.—On the 7th of June, 1865, the First church in Boston celebrated its two hundredth anniversary. On “the 28th of the third month, 1665, in Charles- town, Mass., the church of Christ, commonly, though falsely, called Anabaptists, were gathered together, and entered into fellowship and commu- nion with each other; engaging to walk together in all the appointments of their Lord and Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, as far as he should be pleased to make known his mind and will unto them, by his Word and Spirit, and then were baptized.”’ Here follows the names of sundry persons who, with others from Old England of like faith, formed them- selves into a Baptist church. Such is the first record on the books of the First Baptist church in Boston.: The “ third month” here alluded to dates from the Ist of March, according to the old reck- oning, and taking into the account the change from the “old style” to the “ new style,” we are brought to the 7th of June, as corresponding to ‘‘ the 28th of ‘the third month.” The little band of disciples of Christ began at once to feel the rigor of ecclesiastical persecution. Having erected what we doubt not was a plain, un- pretending house of worship, they were, by legal enactment, forbidden to use it for religious pur- poses. Orders were issued to the marshal to see to it that its doors were not opened, and in the faith- ful performance of his duty he caused to be nailed up on the door this interesting order: “ All persons are to take notice, that by order of the court the doors of this house are shut up, and that they are inhibited to hold any meeting therein, or to open the doors thereof, without license from authority, till the court take further order, as they will answer the contrary at their peril. “ Epwarp Rawson, Secretary.” In vain they protested against such treatment, and pointed out the inconsistency of those who had fled from persecution in the Old World resorting to it in the New. A public disputation was ap- pointed by the governor, with the hope that the obstinate Baptists might be convinced of their error, and come into the more respectable and the more orderly fold of the “standing order.’’ The time set apart to hold this important discussion was nine o’clock in the morning of April 14, 1668. “ The Baptists,” says Dr. Neale, ‘‘ were on hand promptly at the appointed hour, each with his New Testa- ment, ready marked, and the leaves turned down. Nothing pleased them better than an opportunityfor free speech and Scripture quotations. They came from all quarters. Three brethren were sent from the church in Newport to assist their brethren in Boston, it was said, though the Boston Baptists then, as now, felt abundantly competent to manage their own affairs. Providence, no doubt, was ably represented. The followers of Roger Williams were always courageous, and like the sons of Rhode Island in the late conflict, were never known to flee or flinch in the presence of an enemy.’ And yet after all “the flourish of arms,’ the poor Baptists were regarded as miserable heretics, whom learned divines might lecture, but to whom they were not permitted to reply. Their cause was already pre- judged before the appointed hearing commenced. As the years rolled by, and a more liberal spirit began to spread through the community, the severity of persecution was mitigated. The first pastor of the church was Thomas Gould. He was followed by Isaac Hull, both of them being assisted in their work by John Russell. Pastors and asso- ciate ‘‘ elders’’ seem to have been the order of things for several years. We come down to the time of the ordination of Elisha Callender, a young man of much promise, who had graduated from Harvard College in the class of 1810, and was set apart to the work of thé gospel ministry May 21,1718. Mr. Callender was the greatly beloved pastor of the church for twenty years, and died March 31, 1738. His last words were, ‘‘I shall sleep in Jesus.”’ The next pastor was Rev. Jeremiah Lundy, who held the office for twenty-five years. He was followed by Samuel Stillman, D.D., of whose pas- torate the reader will find a full account in the bio- graphical sketch of him in this volume. Dr. Neale says of him, ‘“‘No pastor before or since was ever more beloved by his church, His popularity was uninterrupted, and greater, if possible, in his old age than in his youth. A few individuals who sat under his ministry, and who were quite young when he was an old man, still survive. They never weary of talking about him, and even now speak of this as Dr. Stillman’s church. They looked at the venerable pastor not only with the profoundest respect, but with the observant eye of childhood. They noticed.and remembered everything in his ex- ternal appearance, his wig and gown and bands, his horse and carriage, and negro man Jephtha,— how he walked, how he talked, how he baptized, the peculiar manner in which he began his prayers, ‘O thou Father of mercies and God of all grace.” “Dr. Stillman,” continues Dr. Neale, ‘ was probably the most popular orator of his day. The most distinguished men in the Commonwealth were often present at his public services. The elder President Adams was a delighted listener to his sermons. Governor Hancock became, in the latter part of his life, a regular member of his congrega- tion. Persons who eared nothing for his theology were attracted by his fame as a public speaker. A strange gentleman of this class was one day present at church, and seemed restless and uneasy under the strong doctrines of human depravity, divine sovereignty, and future retribution that were often on the preacher’s lips. On the present occasion his denunciations of sin had been unusually pointed and scathing. ‘Really,’ the gentleman remarked, as he went out of the sanctuary, ‘the doctor makes us all out a set of rascals, but he does it so grace- fully and eloquently that I am not disposed to find fault.’’’ Dr. Stillman died on the 12th of March, 1807. The Rev. Joseph Clay, of Georgia, who had heen called to be a colleague with Dr. Stillman, entered upon his duties as sole pastor of the church, and was installed as such in the August succeeding the death of his predecessor. He preached to the church, however, only a year, and then his health giving way, he resigned and returned to his native South. James Manning Winchell was the suc- cessor of Mr. Clay. Notice of his ministry will be found in the sketch under hisname. The same may be said of the ministry of his successor, Francis Wayland. Rey. Cyrus P. Grosvenor was the next pastor, continuing in office for nearly four years. He was followed by Rey. William Hague, who was installed Feb. 5, 1831, and resigned at the end of six years to go to the First Church, in Providence, R. I. His successor was Rollin Heber Neale, D.D., who was installed Sept. 27, 1837, and continued sole pastor of the church, which has been remark- ably blessed under his long ministry, until its union with the Shawmut Avenue church, in 1877, at the time of the writing of this sketch. Rey. Dr. Crane, for many years pastor of the Second Baptist church, in Hartford, Conn., is the pastor of the united churches, which retained the old and honored name, “The First Baptist church of Boston.” From the Baptist Encyclopedia by William Cathcart