[Correction - For G.F. Green in article No. 1; read Z.F. Green].

The role of the Christian Conference referred to in my last article threw matters back to their original position. My friends and I clearly saw that all the union we could expect, was individual; that they as a body would never come into the reformation, and they never did. My course was clear before me, to stay with them, be insulted and do nothing, violate my conscience, or leave their connexion and work for the lost as best I could. I chose the latter, tendered my resignation to the church at Bradley Hollow, where I held membership, which was very reluctantly accepted. I was dismissed with honor, and so recorded on their church book. I was then as a christian out in the world alone. Most of those who sympathised with me in the reformation lived in Darlington, and Whitby, over forty miles from me and they all kept their old membership. I cannot describe my feelings; but the Lord always helps his children when help is needed and He threw into my company an excellent young man by the name of John Ford, from Dungannon, Ireland. He was a Carson Baptist. We soon became fast friends, and interchanged ideas on all religious topics, and agreed in all save on the design of baptism, the work of the spirit, [some] Calvanism [sic], and so on; but it was not long before he embraced the reformation fully. We met on Lord's days, walked through fields and forests in lonely sadness, talked, prayed, and sang together. At length bro. Ford proposed we should commence holding meetings in the town. After talking over various difficulties about [a] house to meet in, how we should entertain those who should come, if any; neither of us had ever attempted to preach, or even hold a social or prayer meeting, we allowed our zeal to over-ride all these difficulties. and bro. Ford got a small school room and gave out an appointment for the next Lord's day. We went and found a congregation of 15 or 16 all men. We sang, Bro. Ford prayed and I was to read. I read about half a chapter in the new testament, and commented on each verse; I trembled in every limb and when I had finished, Bro. Ford read some and we sang and prayed and dismissed our first meeting, after announcing another next Lord's day. That was a transcript of the former with one exception we had a much larger audience, and two women. I think on the 4th Lord's day, at the conclusion, a fine looking man came to us and demanded baptism. He said brethren you have taught us the way of the Lord as we never knew it before; you have showed us what the Lord requires of us all, how that all penitent should be baptised (immersed); and now I want to obey that command, I want you to baptise me." We were in a fix. The demand for baptism was made and now should that demand be complied with or not. Our decision that it must be done was quickly made. Bro. Ford said, well Bro. Ash it must be done, and I cannot do it. Well said I, I have never performed the act, but I have seen it done. I think I can do it and I will. It was a critical moment, two young men following our daily avocations neither of us preachers, we knew the prejudices of all men about there would be against us. For us to minister in holy things how awful! We took the precaution not to have the baptism public. Our reasons were that if we made any mistake we would bring the act into derision and make laughing stocks of ourselves.

We appointed to meet on the sandy beach of the beautiful lake Ontario on the next Wednesday evening. We met 6 or 8 in number; there we grouped together a little praying anxious band under the All Seeing Eye and the heavenly host rejoicing over the scene. O! I shall never forget, my heart swells and the big tears flow when I get back to that eventful hour. It was a beautiful evening, the sky was a little hazy, the waters were calm; a slight ripple splashed on the shore, the pale moon about half full, cast her silvery light over the waters. All nature seemed hushed into silence, while we in the silence of that hour sang a hymn and all kneeled, and with tears of rejoicing, poured out our souls to the God who knew our hearts. My trembling left me in full possession of my strength and nerves. I took his confession and led the tall, heavy man into the water to a proper depth, and then in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I baptised him for the remission of all his past sins, and raised him up to walk in newness of life. That man was a Methodist local preacher. That was my first baptism. Our meetings went on as we began, but much enlivened by the help of our newly made brother, John Hancock.

About almost every meeting some one or ones requested baptism. All our baptisms after this were public, and called out great crowds of spectators. It was a new thing, for no immersion as baptism had ever been performed there. Had we known then what we learned many years after that it was proper and perhaps necessary at the close of our meetings to give an invitation to penitent believers to come forward ("come out from among them") and publicly confess the Savior, we should have been much more successful in gaining converts. It was not long before our members ran up to 15 or 16. At the close of one of our meetings Bro. Chas. Pomeroy Sr., and indeed most of the brethren called us to stop a little, Bro. Pomeroy was chief speaker who sad "brethren you have taught us the way of the Lord more perfectly than we ever heard it, most of us have left the Methodist church and can never go back again. We now think it is right we should be set in order, as a church and have the Lord supper every Lords day." Next Lords day was appointed to consider the matter. The day came and all the brethren were present when we had solemn exercising and by an united choice, Bro. Ford and myself were chosen Elders, and Bro. Pomeroy Sr., deacon. We were then in a position to show to the world the Lord's death till he come. Our audiences increased so we were compelled to procure a larger house. Our membership increased so rapidly that it was not a long time before we numbered 40. I was sent for to go to Robt. Wades, a wealthy farmer and a leading member of the Methodists who lived about 3 miles east of Port Hope. I went and baptised him and a Wm. Jeckell, I went again and again, and baptised others of the Wade family, also, a Bro. Murdock McDonald of Port Hope, who had been educated in Scotland for the Presbyterian ministry but would never officiate as a minister. After a time Bro. Ford and myself met them by request some 10 or 12 and set them in order as a church. It was called Port Hope or Hamilton Gordens Church.

In 1833 I succeeded after a good many efforts in getting Jas. Radcliffe then editor of "the Cobourg Reformer" a very ably conducted secular paper to read a number of the Millennial Harbinger [;] his objection to reading was that he was "sick of the writings of the times all over the world." After he hard [sic] read the number I gave him, he gladly became a subscriber for the work the reading of which my many talks with him laid the foundation of his conversion from Methodism to the ancient Gospel. He was a man of education and great oratoral powers and had been a preacher among the Methodists in England and Canada for many years. After we had got our church in order he was baptised and united with us and became our principal preacher for some time untill he removed to Philadelphia w[h]ere he was very useful to one of the churches of Christ. Perhaps it may be news to some readers to know that Bro. Radcliffe was the father-in-law of the present Judge Boswell of Cobourg, and grandfather to the present Mayor Boswell of Toronto, as I understand Mayor Boswell is a son of Judge Boswell, one of our church members in Cobourg Church was a young man not long out from England whose father was a baptist preacher. His name is Thos. Holman now and for many years (over 40) a citizen of New York City. He is the great tract publisher and was printer for the Bible Union Society for several years. He has an extensive printing establishment on the corner of 3rd and White sts. Bro Holmans father was a Baptist preacher in England, and when he removed to Canada he found his son with us and met with us, broke bread with and preached for the Church about 6 months. We were hopeful he would put in membership, but we were not enough Calvanistic [sic] to suit his ideas and finding out Baptists in Haldimont, he removed and preached for them. My health don't allow me to write any more now but hope to be able to write No. 3 for next month.

Joseph Ash.