| 489 who expressed great joy at their arrival, and manifested his sincerity by walking arm in arm with the elders through the streets of Bedford, calling on the members of his church, and inviting them to attend the lectures of the elders at his chapel vestry that evening. Mr. Matthews had previously been apprised of the saints in America through the medium of the Rev. James Fielding, of Preston, and the letters from America, before referred to. In the evening his church assembled in the vestry, and Elders Goodson and Richards continued to lecture and testify of the work of God, on that and the three following evenings in the same place, with the entire approbation of Mr. Matthews, who at the close of the lectures publicly bore testimony to the truths advanced, and called upon his people to know why they did not come forward for baptism; while they in return wished to know why he did not set them the example.
"After this Mr. Matthews engaged another house in the neighborhood for the elders to preach in, under the pretense that some of the proprietors of the chapel might not be pleased with the elders occupying the vestry, and Mr. Matthews continued to attend the preaching of the elders, and also spent a great share of his time from day to day in conversation with them.
"Mr. Matthews told the elders that he had received two ordinations; one from Bishop West, whom he had proved to be an impostor, and another from the Church of England, which he acknowledged to be descended from the Church of Rome; and he further acknowledged that he had no authority from God for administering in the ordinances of God's house.
"On the 10th, Mrs. Braddock and four others were baptized by Elder Goodson. Soon after this Mr. Joseph Saville, member of Mr. Matthews' church, being very desirous of receiving baptism at the same time with Mr. Matthews, waited on him at his house, in company with Elders Goodson and Richards, and Mr. Matthews and Mr. Saville mutually agreed to meet the elders on the bank of the river Ouse, at a specified hour in the afternoon, and attend to the
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