HALSTEAD, Essex-Mr Clements, the pastor of the Baptist church here, writes, March 3,—"The visit of Mr Pulsford, the Evangelist, has been of signal benefit to our church, and the town at large. The revival services commenced about the middle of December and continued through a week.
Our morning meetings were at the early hour of five o'clock, and for the most part encouragingly attended. Our evening meetings, however, were the chief; when our spacious chapel was generally well filled - often overflowing. These meetings were continued every day and increased in interest even to their close, and many were the lamentations when the final service arrived. By the simple scriptural energetic preaching of the Evangelist, very great attention was excited; persons flocked from all quarters, and numbers were led to cry out 'What must we do to be saved!' After a very powerful sermon on one Sabbath evening 'on decision,' it was delightful to witness the determination of many who had been standing on the borders of the church for years, to come at once and avow themselves on the Lord's side. And after some weeks, many more, some of whom had been awakened during the revival, were baptized and added to the church. Altogether, we have baptized sixty-seven, and I have on my list for baptism, from which we select decided cases as we are satisfied with them, nearly fifty others; and besides these, a goodly number of anxious inquirers.
On baptizing occasions, our friend, Mr Palsford, preached some very clear, convincing, scriptural sermons in defence of our views. Many were compelled to yield to his arguments; some of whom have been baptized. Our pedobaptist brethren have begun to cry out against us terribly, especially about the tracts you so kindly supplied us with. And for the offence of circulating them I do not know if we shall ever be forgiven. However, I imagine they are too plain and too cogent, and exhibit the subject in too clear and convincing a light, to be easily put down by them. And if we cannot retain our union without concealing our principles on this point, we must be content to walk alone.
From, "The Baptist Reporter," April 1845, page 140.
The current church did not come to the town until the 1960s so I do not know where the church was in 1845.
I hesitated including this and on in Manchester because the revival seems to have come from an evangelist, not a sovereign move of God. I do not usually include evangelist's work unless there is a revival going on more widely locally or nationally. I have given these the benefit of the doubt as the numbers baptised were significant and I assume many came to the Lord who did not believe in baptism.