"We, the undersigned, desirous of the privilege connected with religious fellowship and a stated ministry, having already sought the Lord, and we trust, chosen Him as our Sovereign and Friend, do hereby give ourselves afresh to each other, according to the Divine Will, that being united in a Christian Church, we may render mutual aid, as fellow-travellers from earth to heaven; and, though we firmly embrace the sentiments peculiar to the Baptists, yet, espousing with equal determination the cause of evangelical liberty, we welcome to our communion all who give evidence of a change from sin to holiness; who appear to love our Lord Jesus Christ, who are willing to be accounted learners in His school, and who wish to be enrolled in connection with us. And we hope it will be our united endeavour, and the endeavour of such as may hereafter be added to us, by all means to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; to mingle faithfulness, spirituality and affection in our intercourse; strictly to regard the Divine Ordinances--so far as we know them; and to walk before the Church, our families, and our God, worthy of our heavenly calling." Under the Rev. Joseph Hughes's ministry the work of God took deep root here and greatly flourished. By his energy, learning and eloquence, and his connexion with different local societies for the promotion of religious worship, he was brought acquainted with Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Vansittart, and Mr. Perceval, by whose aid he established the "Surrey Mission Society." At a meeting of the Religious Tract Society he afterwards promulgated the idea of an institution for supplying not only the inhabitants of the British Isles, but _the whole world_, with copies of the Holy Scriptures; and hence arose the Bible Society, of which Mr. Hughes was joint Secretary until his death. Mr. Hughes expired on Thursday evening, October 3, 1833, in the 65th year of his age. His mortal remains were interred in Bunhill Fields. "John Foster derived much spiritual benefit from his friendship with Mr. Hughes of Battersea Chapel with whom after he left Chichester he resided for a time, and it increases not a little the debt of gratitude due from the Christian community to that excellent man, that though his own authorship was limited to a few pulpit productions, and his sphere of duty was one of action rather than of meditation, he performed the noble office of stimulating the exertions and cherishing the piety of one of the most original and influential religious writers of his age."