We last month ventured a suggestion in favour of attempting something on behalf of China. We urged what others were doing, or would do; among the rest, the Americans - "always going a head!" Well, what think you, gentle reader? We were anticipated! The Americans had already gone, and taken up their position, and planted a church! The late posts have brought us two letters, - one from our active friend Mr. H. A. Wilkinson, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, then in Scotland, who gives us the following extract. It is from a letter of Mr. [Jehu Lewis] Shuck, the American Baptist Missionary to China, addressed to Mr. Spencer Cone, of New York, and dated "Hong Kong, August 24, 1842," and which appeared in the New York Baptist Advocate of December 31, 1842: -

First Baptist Church Formed There

      Mr. Shuck, a missionary in connection with the American Baptist Board, removed from Macao and took up his residence at Hong Kong, on the 19th of March last. Not being in possession of funds, he made application for assistance on the spot, and speedily raised 1,700 dollars towards building chapels and school rooms.

      Sir H. Pottinger made him a free grant of ground, and gave fifty dollars towards the erection of the Queen's road chapel. A church was formed on the 15th May, which now contains nine members, and which meets in the Queen's road chapel, which was opened on the 19th July. Another chapel, which they call the Bazaar chapel, was completed in June. These are the first Baptist chapels which have been built in China. It is intended to build a third in another part of the Island. Mr. Shuck has been joined by Mr. and Mrs. Deans, who removed from Bangkok in consequence of ill health, and by Mr. Roberts from Macao. They have visited and preached in many villages, and call earnestly upon their countrymen for a reinforcement, to improve the favourable openings which present themselves. One Chinaman, and two others, had been baptized.

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[From The Baptist Reporter, 1843, p. 82. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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