Nor did he

did he refute and put to shame his accusers. act on the defensive merely in this matter. Finding corruptions in existence, he volunteered their condemnation. He charged those corruptions on their chief abettors, whom he classified, singled out, and exposed. These things he did everywhere by the sea-shore, in the temple-courts, 'in the chief places of concourse.' No real Bible reader needs proof of this. Those who are not such, we refer to Matthew xxi., xxii., and xxiii., and John vi., viii., and x.

Second: The Apostles and first Christians imitated the example of their Lord and Master. The Apostles Peter and John nobly debated their cause with the Jewish Sanhedrim. Stephen discussed the Lord's claims most effectively: Then there arose certain of the synagogue which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, and of Asia, DISPUTING with Stephen. And they were not able to RESIST the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake,' Acts vi. 9, 10. So with the apostle Paul: But Saul increased the more in strength, and coNFOUNDED the Jews which dwelt in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ,' ix. 22. So again in Antioch of Pisidia, 'When the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and SPAKE AGAINST those things which were spoken by Paul, CONTRADICTING and blaspheming (REPROACHING). Then Paul and Barnabas WAXED BOLD and SAID, It was necessary,' &c. xiii. 45, 46. Again, in Antioch of Syria, before the false teaching of the Judaizers was referred to the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas had no small DISSENSION and DISPUTATION with' those errorists, xv. 2. Observe Paul, again, in the Jewish synagogue at Thessalonica. Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days REASONED (dialego=" to speak to and fro, i. e., alternately; to dispute, to discuss;" Robinson) with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging (opening it up, and laying it down) that the Christ behoved to suffer and to rise again from the dead, &c.' xvii. 2, 3. See the same brave champion of the cross in Athens! Therefore DISPUTED he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market DAILY with them that met with him.' xvii. 17. Further on, in Corinth: And he REASONED (dialego-to discuss, or dispute) in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks,' xviii. 4. Precisely similar was the conduct of the eloquent Apollos:

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And he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ;' a passage which may be more exactly rendered thus-' for he powerfully CONFUTED the Jews IN PUBLIC DISPUTATION through the scriptures exhibiting Jesus to be the Christ!' xviii. 28. Finally, we have Paul's example in Ephesus: And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, DISPUTING and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God!' Subsequently, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, DISPUTING DAILY in the school of one Tyrannus. And THIS CONTINUED by the space of two years, SO THAT all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks!' xix. 8, 10.

With these facts before us, we may ask,-Where would the christian faith have been, had it not been for the repeated, protracted, persevering discussions of its first promulgators! So far as we can discover, would it, otherwise, have spread though Asia, or penetrated Europe?

Third: Let the insubmissive mind add to the above examples the following commands :—

'Prove all things: hold fast that which is good.' 1 Thess. v. 21.

Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready ALWAYS to give an answer to EVERY man that asketh you a REASON of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Peter iii. 15.

'It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should EARNESTLY CONTEND for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,' Jude 3.

We might add the example of the noble Reformers of the sixteenth century, and name some of their numerous discussions. Every student of ecclesiastical history knows how greatly those discussions assisted in throwing off the yoke of the Papacy.

But we may safely pause here. For, if those who are alarmed at the prospect of discussions, 'hear not Christ and his Apostles, neither would they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead,' though that one were Martin Luther himself.

We have only to say in conclusion, let the reader well consider the scriptural evidence in favour of public discussions now submitted, and then he will know how to estimate the policy of those who do anything, even to the breaking of their

s, rather than pass this time-honoured, heaven-appeople-enlightening ordeal. Are the Watchmen of › longer upon, but rather behind, her walls?

non.

J. B. R.

CREED-MAKING.

y, bishop of Poictiers, who flourished in the fourth speaks as follows of the spirit of creed-making in which was but a few years after its rise :— a thing equally deplorable and dangerous, that there any creeds as there are opinions among men, as many as inclinations, and as many sources of blasphemy are faults among us; because we make creeds arbind explain them as arbitrarily. And as there is but , so there is but one only God, one Lord, and one We remove this one faith when we make so many creeds; and that diversity is the reason why we have ith among us. We cannot be ignorant, that since the of Nice we have done nothing but made creeds. And O fight against words, litigate about new questions, bout equivocal terms, complain of authors, that every make his own party triumph; while we cannot ile we anathematize one another, there is hardly one eres to Jesus Christ. What change was there not eed last year! The first Council ordained a silence homoousion; the second established it, and would peak; the third excuses the fathers of the Council, ends they took the word ousia simply; the fourth them, instead of excusing them. With respect to ess of the Son of God to the Father, which is the ur deplorable times, they dispute whether he is like or in part. These are rare folks to unravel the ? Heaven! Nevertheless it is for these creeds about mysteries, that we calumniate each other, and not elief in God. We make creeds every year; nay, on we repent of what we have done; we defend t repent of what we have done; we defend those nt; we anathematize those that we defended. mn either the doctrine of others in ourselves, or our at of others; and reciprocally tearing one another we have been the cause of each other's ruin.'

So

Cloud of Witnesses.

THEY then met together to break bread, which phrase doth signify the sacred action performed in celebration of the Holy Sacrament, which 'twas the custom of the primitive Christians to receive in all their church assemblies on the Lord's day. This the apostle intimates when he complains of his Corinthians, 1 Cor. xi., that they came together not for the better, but for the worse. Whitby.

It plainly appears from the most credible accounts of the primitive church that the Lord's supper was used much more frequently than with us; and that it made a part of their public worship every Lord's day. Dr Doddridge.

The word translated, as often as, in 1 Cor. xi. 26, so far from autho rising a latitudinarian discretion in men to fix the time at their own pleasure, does in reality determine the precise reverse. The very meaning of the word refers to some well-known, acknowledged and established rule of frequency, which can be no other than the rule above stated, viz., weekly communion. Dr Smith.

From the New Testament there is the very same evidence for the weekly observance of the supper, as for the weekly observance of the Sabbath. And when referring to Mr Brock's intention to break bread every Lord's day in Bloomsbury Chapel, he thus writes:This is a circumstance to which we attach no small moment. Fot this step we exceedingly honour him. We hope the experiment upon the principle and piety of those who shall adhere to him will be successful, for undoubtedly, beyond all controversy, such was the apostolic plan, such was the practice of the church for several cen turies, and such, when truth and love have recovered their wonted power, will be the practice yet again in the churches of Christ throughout all lands. Dr Campbell.

Though the brethren in the first age paid no regard to the seventh day Sabbath, they set apart the first day of the week for public wor ship, and for commemorating the death and resurrection of their Master by eating his supper on that day; also for private exercises of devotion. Dr Macknight.

The main end of their meeting upon the Lord's day, was not hear sermons, but to break bread. Bishop Beveridge. The early church appears, from a vast preponderence of evidence, to have practised communion weekly, on the Lord's day.

Dr F. R. Lees (in Kitto's Cyclopædia).

From whence we may gather that the Lord's day was the usual time for the whole church to assemble: and that one principal design of their assembling, on that day, was to celebrate the Lord's supper. Dr Benson.

The Christians at Jerusalem were accustomed to hold additional solemn assemblies of their own, in which, agreeably to apostolic institution, they joined in offering up general prayers, and in com memorating the death and passion of our Lord by partaking of the

per. It may be considered as not merely probable but cert the day of the week on which our Saviour arose from the expressly set apart for the holding of these solemn assemMosheim.

eans by which the unfrequent administration of this ordinears to me to have been introduced into the church, do not the God of truth. The causes that occasioned its introppear to have been pride, superstition, covetousness, and mplaisance. John Brown, of Haddington.

st day of the week, that is, the Lord's day; on this day s used to have their solemn assemblies, for public prayer, , and administration of the Lord's supper.

Baxter.

Annotations of the Assembly of Divines. ld be every Lord's day, for we have no reason to prove that es' example and appointment in this ease, were proper to es, any more than that praise and thanksgiving daily are them: and we may as well deny the obligation of other is, or apostolical orders as that. It is a part of the settled the Lord's day worship; and omitting it, maimeth and e worship of the day; and occasioneth the omission of the ing and praise, and lively commemoration of Christ, which then most performed; and so Christians, by use, grow I to sadness, and a mourning, melancholy religion, and quainted with much of the worship and spirit of the gospel. d's day is no oftener than Christians need it. Emitive Christians did very frequently use it, partaking it seems, at every time of their meeting for God's service: ch indeed was always esteemed the principal office in God's he being deprived whereof was also deemed the greatest nt and infelicity that could arrive to a Christian. If we 's displeasure; If we value our Lord and his benefits; If the life, health, and welfare of our souls, we shall not : for how can we but extremely offend God by so extreme that when he kindly invites us to his table, we are averse ng thither, or utterly refuse it? That when he calleth us resence we run from him? That when he, with his own reth us inestimable mercies and blessings, we reject them? nly the breach of God's command, who enjoined us to do direct contempt of his favour and goodness, most clearly y exhibited in this office. Dr Isaac Barrow.

mitive Christians celebrated both these institutions on day of the week, that is, the christian Sabbath, and the per. Dr Watts.

1) had instructed them in the nature and ends of gospel =, and continued at Corinth, constantly labouring in the doctrine for a long while, no less than a year and six months; ay well suppose, administered the Lord's supper among y Lord's day; for the apostle speaks of it as the manner urch to communicate at the Lord's table with such freJonathan Edwards.

ncidental allusion in Scripture to apostolic practice, shows