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THE HONOURABLE AND PIOUS

CONFESSION,

OF A TRUE PENITENT; EXEMPLIFIED IN THE CASE OF MRS. ELIZABETH JACKSON. BETHE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, IN WILLIAMSTOWN, VERMONT; AND THE BAPTIST CHURCH, IN SAID TOWN-JUNE 3, 1805.

FORE

STATEMENT,

FROM REV. MR. THOMPSON.

BY requeft of fome of my pious friends, who are cordially engaged for the promotion of religious truth, I state the following facts refpecting Mrs. JACKSON; and atteft the truth of her Letter, including her confeffion, which fhe fent to the Elder and Baptist Church, where the received her baptifm by immerfion.

Mrs. JACKSON, with her husband, are perfons of decent abilities, and approved piety; they were both received into the Congregational Church, in Petersham, in Maffachusetts; they, a few years ago, removed to Williamstown, in the ftate of Vermont, where they have fince lived; and have fupported a good and regular christian character. They have conftantly attended divine worship, with their congregational brethren, when favoured with preaching; but at other times, especially upon week days, have attended the miniftration of the

Baptifts. In the latter part of the past winter, and in the fpring following, the people's attention was much excited in religious concerns, and preaching and conferences, were frequent-especially among the baptifts. Mrs. JACKSON's mind became unufually affected and folemn. At their meeting for examinations and for baptifms, fhe gave evidence of great anxiety of mind, by fighs and tears. Upon being afked the caufe of her great diftrefs, fhe replied, I am troubled about baptifm."It is to be noted, that fhe had been, more than a year before this, by the converfation of a baptift, much confused in her mind, and almost perfuaded to give up her infant baptism. The question was then put unto her, whether fhe did not feel it her privilege to go into the water, and be baptized? Her reply was, that he did not, then. But by the expreffions of zeal and affection, or through the multiplicity of words, with which fhe was furrounded, the not only confented to the ordinance, but received it then, and was received in fellowship with the baptift brethren.

AFTER being fenfible fhe had taken a wrong ftep, fhe requested a conference with them; that the path of her duty might be made clear, and fearing left fhe fhould make bad worfe, and thereby increase the injury fhe had done the cause of Christ. But, in converfation with them, fhe became more established, that duty called her to appear in the congregation of God's people, and exhibit her feelings and views of the nature of her paft conduct. She freely prefented to me the confeffion, and defired me to read it in public; which was done upon the first fabbath of June, 1805.

If I can judge, in fuch cafes, fhe gave good evidence of godly fincerity and brokenness of heart, whenever I had opportunity of conversation with her upon the subject. She is a person of an amiable mind, as to her natural temper; and has a good understanding in the great truths of the gofpel; and is far from any enthusiasm or conftitutional unsteadiness of mind-but appears, in general, to deliberate well on whatever the does.

LATHROP THOMPSON.

Williamstown, June 3, 1805.

REVEREND AND BELOVED,

I, ELIZABETH JACKSON, take this early opportunity to let you, my brethren and fifters of the baptift denomination, ufually meeting on the East hill, (fo called) know what I have done, and my reafons for thus doing.

AFTER I had received baptifm, in your way, and on feeing my infant child, and calling to mind my covenant vows, in giving up myfelf to God, and to his Congregational Church in Petersham, and in giving up my children in baptifm; by each and every of these transactions, I put my own hand (in faith, I truft) to the holy feal of Baptifm, which my parents first put upon me, in my infancy; and made that baptifm my own, by the act of faith which I hope, God, by his gracious Spirit, gave me, a poor, undone finner, before I vifibly covenanted with my God, and his holy people.

I SAY, reflecting upon what I had done when among you, my dear chriftian friends, I had no reft

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nor comfort, night nor day 'till I was brought to confefs my finful folly; and loathe myself for my fhameful departure from my God, and for the violation of his holy covenant, which I had trifled with and trampled upon.

WHEN I had forrowed and wept, with brokennefs of heart, in fecret; and had confeffed my wicked departure from my God, by breaking his holy covenant before his people, among whom I love to worship, I found a fweet peace return to my foul, which had been a ftranger to my breast, for

weeks.

THE Confeffion I' made public yesterday, I will now transcribe to you; and wifh it may be read publicly among you. I afk your forgivenefs. Oh! beloved, pray for me! who am lefs than the leaft of all God's mercies.

My Confeffion now follows:

"IN my infancy I was dedicated to God, in baptifm, by my parents: and when I had arrived to adult years, (as I humbly hope) I was brought to embrace that righteousnefs of faith in Christ Jefus, of which water baptifin is an outward feal; and profefling, publicly, this my faith, and entering into covenant with God's people, I think I underftandingly took my infant baptifm, and made it my own act; and thus acknowledged the fame faith which my parents did, and of which the baptism I had already received, and in my perfonal dedication renewed, was an outward feal.

"BUT, afterwards, having fome fuggeftions of fered, as though what my parents had done could not answer my duty for myfelf; I was, for a time, confiderably tried upon the fubject.

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