well, near Nottingham. A theological institution, intended to promote the views of the " Strict " Baptists, has lately (I860) been established at Manchester. There is also a Baptist theological institution in Scotland, and there are three colleges in Wales. The total number of students in
these institutions may be reckoned to be about 200.The Baptists were the first denomination of British Christians that undertook the work of missions to the heathen, which has become so prominent a feature in the religious activity of the present century. As early as the year 1784, the Northamptonshire Association of Baptist churches resolved to recommend that the first Monday of every month should be set apart for prayer for the spread of the gospel, a practice which has since, as a German writer remarks, extended over all Protestant Christendom, and we may add over all Protestant Missions. Six years later, in 1792, the Baptist Missionary Society was formed at Kettering in Northamptonshire, after a sermon on Isaiah lii. 2, 3, preached by the afterwards celebrated William Carey, the prime mover in the work, in which he urged two points : " Expect great things from God ; attempt great things for God." In the course of the following year Carey sailed for India, where he was joined a few years later by Marshman and Ward, and the mission was established at Serampore. The great work of Dr Carey s life was the translation of the Bible into the various languages and dialects of India. The society s operations are now carried on, not only in the East, but in the West Indies, Africa, and Europe. In 1873 there were employed 87 European missionaries and 229 native pastors and evangelists, at 423 stations, the total number of members of churches being 32,444. The funds of the society amounted to up wards of 40,000, exclusive of the amount raised at mission stations. In 1816 the General Baptists established a missionary society, the operations of which are confined to India. It employs 16 missionaries, male and female, and 16 native preachers, and has an annual income of 14,000.
In regard to church government, the Baptists agree with the Independents that each separate church is complete in itself, and has, therefore, power to choose its own ministers, and to make such regulations as it deems to be most in accordance with the purpose of its existence, that is, the advancement of the religion of Christ. A comparatively small section of the denomination maintain that a "plurality of elders" or pastors is required for the com plete organization of every separate church. This is the distinctive peculiarity of those churches in Scotland and the north of England which are known as Scotch Baptists. The largest church of this section, consisting at present of 484 members, originated in Edinburgh in 1765, before which date only one Baptist church that of Keiss in Caithness, formed about 1750 appears to have existed in Scotland. The greater number of the churches are united in associations voluntarily formed, all of them determined by geographical limits except the General Baptist Association, which includes all the churches connected with that body. The associations, as well as the churches not in connection with them, are united together in the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland, formed in 1813. This union, however, exerts no authori tative action over the separate churches. One important part of the work of the union is the collection of information in which all the churches are interested. According to the Baptist Handbook for the present year (1875), there are in the United Kingdom Baptist churches, 2612; places of worship, 3321 ; pastors, 1916; members, 254,998.
Some of the English settlers in all parts of the world have carried with them the principles and practice of the Baptists. The introduction of Baptist views in America was due to Roger Williams, who emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1630. Driven from Massachusetts on account of hia denying the power of the civil magistrate in matters of religion, he formed a settlement and founded a state in Rhode Island, and having become a Baptist he formed, in 1639, the first Baptist church in America, of which he was also for a short time the pastor. It is impossible here to trace the history of the Baptists in the United States. In 1873 there are reported churches, 20,520 ; ministers, 12,589; members, 1,633,939. The great majority of the churches practise " strict " communion. Their missionary society is large and successful, and perhaps is best known in this country through the life of devoted labour of Dr Judson in Burmah. There are many Baptist churches also throughout British America. In the more recent colonies of Australia and New Zealand a large number of Baptist churches have been formed during the last twenty-five years, and have been principally supplied with ministers from England.
(f. w. g.)
BAR, a town of Russian Poland, in the government of Podolia, 50 miles N.E. of Kaminetz. It is situated on the River Rov, an affluent of the Bug, and was formerly called by that name itself. Its present designation was bestowed in memory of Bari in Italy, by Bona Sforza, the consort of Sigismund I. of Poland, who had rebuilt the town after its destruction in 1452 by the Tatars. From 1672 to 1699 it remained in possession of the Turks. In 1678 a conspiracy of the Polish nobles, Pulaski, Krasinski, and others, against the Russians was formed in the town, which was shortly after taken by storm, but did not become finally united to Russia till the partition of 1793. Eleven fairs are held every year, but the trade of the place is not very great. Population, 8077.
BAR-HEBRÆUS. See Abulfaragius, vol. i. p. 60.
BAR-LE-DUC, or Bar-sur-Ornain, the chief town of the department of Meuse in France. It occupies the declivity and base of a hill, in lat, 48 46 8* N., long. 5 9 47" E,, f on the River Ornaiu, a tributary of the Marne, 125 miles E. of Paris, and consists of an upper and lower town, the latter being the more modern and respectable of the two. It is a railway station on the Paris-and-Strasburg line, and the Marne-and-Rhine canal passes in the imme diate vicinity. A college, a normal school, a society of agriculture and arts, and a public library, are among its educational institutions. The only building of mark is the church of St Pierre, which contains a curioiis figure of a half decayed body in white marble, originally forming part of the mausoleum of Rene" of Chalons, Prince of Orange. The castle, which formed the nucleus of the upper town, was built by Frederick I., duke of Lorraine, in the 10th century. Louis XI. got possession of the place and caused it to be fortified in 1474. It was dismantled under Louis XIV. in 1670, but retains a few relics of the ancient works. An extensive traffic is maintained in wood, wine, and wool ; and the manufactures of cotton stuffs, hats, hosiery, leather, and confections, are considerable, the last-mentioned article being especially celebrated. Population in 1872, 15,175. The district of Bar was governed by a series of counts from 959 to 1354, when it was raised to a duchy, which. in 1419 was ceded to Rene* of Anjou, and hence forward followed the fortunes of Lorraine. The motto of the dukes, which has been adopted by the town, was Plus penser que dire. Their coins were usually distinguished by two barbels.
in the department of Aube, in France. It is a station on the Paris-and-Mulhouse line, and is situated on the right bank of the River Aube, at the foot of Sainte-Germaine, in a picturesque district, the wine of which is much esteemed.
It is a pretty little town, with a few remains of its ancient