observations, which he patiently carried on without any important result, till March 26th, 1859, when he discovered what was doubtless a small planet transiting the sun. It appeared as a well-defined, black, circular spot, with an apparent diameter about one-fourth that of Mercury when crossing the sun in 1845. The discoverer, in the hope of again observing the object, and thus determining within reasonable limits of error, the elements of its orbit, did not announce his discovery till December 22d, 1859, when he communicated his observations to Leverrier.

On the receipt of this interresting letter, the distinguished Director of the National Observatory went immediately to Orgères, examined carefully the apparatus used, and received from Dr. Lescarbault an exact account of all the circumstances of the observations. This examination, together with the thorough explanations given by the discoverer, was regarded by Mr. Leverrier as entirely satisfactory. The plank containing the original record was accordingly carried off in triumph, and publicly exhibited at the next meeting of the Academy of Sciences.

A discussion of the observations gives, on the assumption of a circular orbit, about fourteen millions of miles as the distance of the new planet from the sun. Its time of revolution is about twenty days, the inclination of its orbit, twelve degrees, and the diameter of the planet nearly one thousand miles.

The action of this body on Mercury is by no means sufficient to account for all of the unexplained perturbation; hence the probability that it is a member of a group of asteroids. The following facts, moreover, seem to warrant the opinion that several others of the cluster have been seen by different observers;Mr. Benjamin Scott of London, states that on an evening near sunset, in the summer of 1847, he saw a well-defined black spot on the solar disk, which was not to be found on the following morning. He mentions also that a similar spot was seen by Mr. Lloft, January 6th, 1818. Mr. E. C. HERRICK of New Haven, in a note communicated to the American Journal of Science and Arts, for November, 1859, calls attention to a number of similar observations. The subject is one of more

than ordinary interest, and must claim the earnest attention of astronomers for some time to come.

Taking it for granted then that one intra-mercurial planet has been observed, the primaries belonging to our system, as at present known, will number sixty-seven; and, as there are twenty-one secondaries, the whole number of known planetary bodies is eighty-eight-more than three times the number known but fifteen years since. How many may yet be added, it is impossible to conjecture. The group within the orbit of Mercury in all probability contains a vast number, the largest of which may be discovered and their orbits determined. So also of the zone between Mars and Jupiter. Nor is it probable that the minute asteroids of our system are confined to these two groups;-the phenomena of meteoric stones indicate that the region of the earth's orbit is traversed by extremely small bodies of a planetary character. In regard to the existence of any large planets exterior to Neptune we can only say that we have not, and perhaps never can have, any negative evidence; while on the other hand it may be remarked that the interval between the sun and the nearest fixed stars is much greater in comparison with Neptune's distance from the sun, than the interval between Verus and the earth, compared with the moon's distance from the latter. The distance of the nearest fixed star, Alpha Centauri, is 226,000 times the earth's distance from the sun, or more than seven thousand times the distance of Neptune. Its mass is but little more than one-third that of the sun. May we not conclude, therefore, that the attractive influence of the central orb of our system would control the motion of a planetary body at a distance 100,000 times greater than that of the earth? The period of such a body would be 31,623,000 years; in other words its annual motion would be less than one-twenty-fourth of a second of arc. Even at onetenth of this distance the annual motion would be little more than one second ;-less than the proper motion of many of the fixed stars. Between the orbit of Neptune and this remote region may be several planets, the nearest of which may be within the reach of our telescopes.

ARTICLE IV.-THE BAPTISTS IN CONNECTICUT.

Notes of the Baptists and their Principles in Norwich, Conn. From the Settlement of the Town to 1850. By Rev. FREDERICK DENISON, A. M., Pastor of the Central Baptist Church, Norwich. 1857.

A Memoir of the Life and Times of the Rev. Isaac Backus, A. M. By ALVAH HOVEY, D. D., Professor of Christian Theology in Newton Theological Institution. Boston: 1859.

THESE two books show us, to our great satisfaction, that the spirit of historical research, so much increased in our country of late years, has not left our Baptist brethren unaffected. Perhaps no denomination are more tempted than they to frown upon or despise such a spirit,-rejecting (as they do) not only the dogma of a priestly authority transmitted from the apostles through the successive generations of Christ's ministers, but also the better principle of a vital connection between the several generations of his people by virtue of the covenant. first declared unto Abraham. We rejoice, therefore, to know that one or more societies have been formed for the purpose of illustrating the history of the Baptists in this country. We believe that this history is worthy of record and preservation; and even if in some cases the record should commemorate errors and sins on the part of our ecclesiastical fathers, we will hope that naught will be set down in målice, or tend to the hindrance of the truth as it is in Jesus.

The books before us have a limited range. The first indeed is just what its title indicates-notes of such matters in the history of the Baptists in the town of Norwich as seemed worthy of presentation. Some ninety pages 12mo. are thus well occupied, though in glancing our eyes over them, we have noted one or two passages which seemed to us to indicate a misconception of Congregational principles and practices. The second of these volumes is a duodecimo of three hundred and sixty-nine pages, containing not only an account of Mr. Backus,

but such notices of contemporaneous events as throw light upon the history of the Baptist churches. The work was undertaken at the request of the Backus Historical Society, and may be considered as introductory to a proposed new edition of Mr. Backus's Church History. The subjects with which Dr. Hovey deals are not matters of fancy, nor do his pages glow with the splendor of some modern biographers and historians. Perhaps, however, his plain and serious manner is in keeping with the character of the man whom he portrays. We have certainly felt in following his narrative the satisfaction arising from confidence in the sincerity and honesty of the writer.

The perusal of these books has recalled to our minds the interest with which a few years since we studied the brief but instructive history of the Separatists in Connecticut. In the eleventh volume of this Quarterly, (pp. 195 et seq.,) the curious reader may find a succinct statement of the results of our investigations. We there mentioned the fact, which is more fully developed in these books, that a part of the Separate churches went over to the Baptist ranks, either bodily or as individuals. We say a part of those churches, for another considerable part returned to the denomination from which they had separated. It may be interesting to view at greater length the relation of these events to one another. For this purpose, we shall draw freely on the works before us, supplying some facts from other sources.

It may be premised that Connecticut was planted almost exclusively by Congregationalists. Probably at an early date a few Episcopalians were found in the seaports of New Haven and New London; but no provision for Episcopal worship in the latter place can be traced back of 1721, the year before Rector Cutler avowed his predilection for the Church of England. A single Presbyterian church was formed in 1723, composed in considerable part of emigrants from the north of Ireland, who had settled in Voluntown, on the eastern border of the colony. The pastor of this church, Rev. Samuel Dorrance, being also of Scotch-Irish birth and education, encountered some opposition at first from the native American portion of the congregation, but continued in charge there for many

years, conducting the local affairs of his church after the Presbyterian fashion, but joining his ministerial neighbors in their county association. Somewhat before these dates, a few Quakers and Baptists appeared within Connecticut. In 1680, the the magistrates, writing to the Lords of Trade and Plantations, say, "Our people in this colony are some strict Congregational men, others more large Congregational men, and some moderate Presbyterians, &c. There are four or six Seventh-day men, and about as many more Quakers." These Quakers and Seventh-day men were probably all in the town of New London, and mostly in the Rogers family, from whom sprang the troublesome local sect of the Rogerenes, who were half Baptists, half Quakers, and wholly enthusiasts and fanatics. From this early date, there was a slow growth of Baptist ideas and professors in the eastern part of Connecticut. At first, those who were immersed by Baptist preachers from Rhode Island were enrolled as members of churches in Newport, in Kingston, or in Westerly. But soon after 1705, the first Baptist church in Connecticut was formed in the town of Groton, at that time just separated from New London. This was soon followed by one in the western part of New London, (now Waterford.) A third arose in Wallingford in 1735, and three more in 1743, in Stonington, Lyme, and Colchester.

The location of these churches points to the influence under which they sprung up. The colony of Rhode Island had never that homogeneous character, which Connecticut at first enjoyed. The noble proclamation of Roger Williams's doctrine of soul-liberty had invited thither men of every faith, and some doubtless without faith. Thither, as a natural consequence, resorted for asylum from the other colonies "every one that was in distress and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented." There Quakers of every variety, orderly or disorderly, found the largest liberty, with no man to make them afraid. There Baptists, First day and Seventh day, Six Principles, and perhaps of other kinds still, flourished and filled the land. Thence, guided by the law that directs American emigration in right lines Westward, has flowed a steady current of men and thoughts into the adjoining parts of Connecticut.