Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-12-07

ington Co. Vt, will be dedicated on the
5th inst
The Executive committee of the Vt. Con-
ference Tract Society have eng gel the SER
vices of two young men as colporteur., from
whose zeal and devotion, much good Is anti
cpatcd.
Statistics showing the decline Of infant
blp,ism in NJ lssachus5tts, are declared by
the Congregational papers to he melancholy,
wrile the Baptist editors pronounce item
highly satisfactory as signs Of progress IN
the right direction. The Episcopal Papers
are ulso making these statistics quite lrJmi-
nent, but with II different pun ose from
either Of the others to show how prone those
who remain outside Of the true church are To
fall into looscne,s of ceremonial observance.
The statements are ultaine from reports OF
the churches, and they show marked AN
pnal decrease in the number of infant hap
tlsnls for the past ten years, until in 1854
there were but - such hap i.ms in the
466 churches OF the state. In 10 OF the
churches there as not single infant bap-
tised, in G5 Others ! each in the remaining
StO dbOul u tdCH--lH uNtId-c VI lNctll -
and to each church in the state The s1me
neglect of the ordinance Is supposed TO ire
vail among the CongregationAlisto and Pres
byterians Of the other states, indicating
either a gradual chan-e Of opinion on the
subject, OF a remarkable neglect Of duty in
the members of the churches.
The Ba ptist missions in Burmah are meet
ing with great success Large numbers have
been baptized often forty AMI fifty ut a time
one meeting Il e'e were thousand converts
present; in the region OF Toungoo 3 900 are
asking for baptism The Methodists have in
Kansas and Nebraska 10 mission stations, 81
preaching places, 10 sabbath schools 50 memh-
ers, of whom GO are whites and ~ Indians.
Recently, in IL trial at jackson, (N.
c. Superior Court, Judge Manly held that
person protesting the doctrines OF Univcr
salism was an incompetent witness, and in
accordance with that decision, ruled out two
or three witncsscs The decision gave rise to
considerable Indignation among those who
profess the docirins Of the Universnlist
Church, and at late State Convention of the
denomination the following preamble and
resolution were adopted
{" Whereas. we have learned with surprise
and regret through the public press that His
Honor Judge Manly, of the last Superior
Court of Jack SON y C.. decided that Univer-
salists are not competent witnesses in Il Court
Of Justice AMI whereas we believe such ii
decision is not only Migrant outrage upon
the increasing and respectable denomination
of Christians known as UnlversallstS. but
unconstitutional and inimical to this repub.
lican government
- Resolved, That this convention proc ed
forthwith to take such measures they INA
deem cxpedient to have their claims and civ
il rights protected in this our boosted land vi
civil and religious liberty
For the benefit of those who do not under
stand their laith, they insert three articles
oil belief
We believe that the Holy Scriptures Of
tic Old and New IestIlnents contain rcvc-
Ia ton of the character Of God, and of TIC
duty, interest, and final destination OF man
kind: We believe there is one God, Whose
nature is love, revealed in our Lord Jesus
Christ 10y one Holy Spirit OF Grace, who viii
finally restore the whole family of m.nkuo
q holiness and happiness. We believe thai
holiness and true hapl mess are in-rTarahl'
connected, and believers ought to maintain
CfIef ana Practice COCA NOfkSs Tor tlt,'
are good and profitable unto men
Tue MISSIONARY ship John Williams
recently arrived at New York, brings tn,
painful intelligence that on the island 0
late, one of the South Sea Islands, two IA
tive teachers and their wives had been bar
tlrously murdered and eaten by the canni
b,ls The Journal Vi the voyage among thu
liebrides, says
After II ran of ten days from Samoa, ",
,aci,ed the island Of Anciteum The mis-
tonaries, Messrs. Geddle and lnglis, hat
early completed a census of the population
J. contains about 1000 inhabitants Of these
5000 profess Christianity the remanin!
400 heather are 90 scattered that they pos
t.ss little influence. \ considerable band O
ltives and four Sllnoans assist the mission
tries Thirty schools are now in operation
and about 1900 persons under Instruction
At lama, where the work had been broker
Up by the ravages Of su,all pIX, we agai
lnded teachers, who were received by lout
tlout OF joy.
We were delighted with the improved AZ
: earance Of things at Eromangd. The teach
,rs had ali been ill., nevertheless, tue wor
vent forward. Since last voyage tho mum
Ter attending reli gious service had been NOR
thun doubled.
On r, .cliug the island e Fat, the dis'rss,
ilg news was brought on board, Tat some o
The teachers with their wives, left there o
the last voyage, had been tarbarously mui
,lered. Only nineteen dsj snItsr they lhnde'
tiud8r the most cheering circumstances, tn
two Raratongan teachers and their wiye
were murdered Ia furnish materials for
oannibal banquet. The real reason Of th
udden act Of cruelty could not be learned