have been saved many years' painful experience, occasioned in all probability by a certain prominent teacher, who has made light of that ordinance which God has significantly appointed "for the oneness of the church." Had these dear people originally met on christian principles, this said teacher would have had no place among them, and christian love and concord would then have prevailed instead of envy and strife. Man's professed method of order has only produced the fruits of Babel's folly, namely, confusion. But obedience to God's order will, on the contrary, be the means of establishing a real and unfeigned christian union, thereby an impartial and decided testimony would be given to the world which lies in the arms of the wicked One. Only let the Word of God have free course, and His garden shall blossom as the rose shedding its fragrance throughout the length and breadth of the land, to the joy and thanksgiving of all saints to the praise and glory of a risen Jesus.

Bath.

R. D.

We have long considered that the divisions and non-success of the very estimable people calling themselves "Brethren" have arisen from their adopting human expedients instead of the word of God in its simplicity. Setting out, like many others, for conformity to the latter, they nevertheless suffered themselves to be hindered when they should have gone forward. Instead of accepting, against all consequences, the express teaching of scripture on the matter of baptism, they adopted instead the modern expedient of open communion. Discovering the neglect into which the coming of the Lord had fallen in the teaching of the apostacy, they rightly gave that great cosummation of our hope a prominence which it had not for long possessed. But here again they erred by associating it with mere dogmatic teaching, and this to such an extent as to have brought themselves to the melancholy pass of affirming and of acting on the affirmation that the church is in ruin, and that God does not wish it restored as at the first; that indeed, though it be not so said, it is not our duty to stand perfect and complete in all his will, or to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Our trust, however, is that these errors being discovered, those who really fear God and tremble at his word will discard these and all such dogmas and expedients for that-all and only that—which is written.-ED.

Intelligence.

PROOF TEXTS.-The synod of the united Presbyterian church metin the Music-hall, Edinburgh, on May 16, to celebrate the tri-centenary of the reformation when Dr. William Anderson of Glasgow speaking of its "defects," gave the following examples from the Westminster Confession of Faith and its proof texts. Quoting its language he said, The civil Magistrate may not assume to himself the administration of the word and sacraments, or the power of the keys of the kingdom, yet he hath authority, and it is his duty to take order, that unity and peace be preserved in the church, that the truth of God be kept pure and entire, that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed, all corruptions and abuses in worship and discipline pre

vented or reformed, and all the ordinances of God duly settled, administered, and observed. For the better effecting whereof he hath power to call synods, to be present at them, and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the mind of God.' What is the scriptural authority they quote for all this? Not one word of the New Testament, except at that point where they assign to the civil magistracy the power to call synods in the way of taking order for this heaven-commissioned spiritual work, they quote these words, 'And when Herod gathered all the chief priests and scribes, (laughter) together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.' (Laughter and applause). Was there ever-I do not mean subjectively as if there had been malice in their own hearts, but objectively as an idea was there ever a more perverse blaspheming of God's word? that the conduct of this tyrant, bent on the strangling of the infant Redeemer, should be instanced as an inspired authority for church supervision by the civil power. (Loud and prolonged applause.) It is indescribably horrible. And for that other point in which they assign power to him to take order that all the ordinances of religion be observed, they instance for authority these words of Chronicles xv. 13, They entered into a covenant, that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.' (Laughter and cheers.) Moderator and brethren, I shall not trifle with the powers of my own mind, nor insult yours by entering into an argument to evince the wickedness of all this."

"THEY SAY AND DO NOT."-On the occasion above referred to Dr. Anderson spoke as follows in condemnation of the priesthood, baptism and confession of the popular churches. After so committing himself with those who so heartily applauded him, action must be taken towards what is scriptural, unless the doctor and his admirers are content to bear the Saviour's scathing allusion to the priesthood of his own days-" they say and do not."` We see nothing for it but this. The unscriptural character of the standards, ministry and initiatory ordinance of the whole presbyterian worshippers of Scotland is publicly avowed, and we cannot imagine anything more deplorable in morals than that such avowal should be made and applauded while no action is taken to effect the required remedy. It is a most lamentable thing when profession is no guarantee of performance; but now that the doctor has spoken out as he has done and received the applause of his brethren for so doing; let us have the charity to believe that they intend to act. The matter must not, cannot rest where it is. The whole public press of Scotland has proclaimed the doctor's confessions and we may note in passing our intention to procure for them some hundreds of thousands of readers with such notes as the above. The doctor said, "First, then it is my opinion that our reformers brought away with them from Rome and imported into the reformation not a little of the priesthood of the apostacy. I regard ordination, and the imposition of hands as being scriptural and venerable institution, but our reformers prostituted to ends of great clerical assumption and especially so by claims of exclusive authority to limit the liberty of prophesying. Some of us are old enough to remember with what jealousy city-missions were regarded as employing unauthorised agents. Even our own synod, let me say, to show my impartiality when I am about to censure

others is not quite purged of the foul importation. (Laughter and cheers.) Secondly, our reforming ancestors imported from Rome into the reformation not a little of the doctrine of the mysterious mysical power of the sacraments as administered by the aforenamed authorised priesthood. I need simply mention in evidence not only Luther's dogma of consubstantiation, and Calvin's notions of a real presence in the ordinance, but the deliverance of the Westminster divines in the Shorter Catechism on the subject of baptism. I have never seen or heard a satisfactory attempt to vindicate that deliverance from the charge of teaching baptismal regeneration. Thirdly, our reforming ancestors multiplied the articles to be confessed, in order to ministerial and christian communion and fellowship, to a most exorbitant length. That, individually or even unitedly, men should issue testimonies of great extent and minuteness may in certain circumstances be not only proper but absolutely necessary, but that they should proceed to impose these extended testimonies as terms of church fellowship is as unwise as it is unauthorised. It has been of the most disastrous consequences, in distressing the consciences of the honest, deluging the church with hypocrisy and formalism, and, instead of promoting uniformity, producing discord divisions and separations. (Cheers.)"

HOME HEATHENISM, A FACT.-A young man, brought up in the Free Church of Scotland, applies to his minister as an intended communicant. Minister asks: Do you know who was the Father of Jesus Christ? Answer: John the Baptist. Asks: Had he any disciples ? Ans. Yes; he had three. Asks: Do you know what they did? Ans. Yes; they hanged Jesus. Asks: Do you know anything more about him? Ans. No; I never heard anything more after that. The minister refers the applicant to an elder, when the former swears at him, and goes off to the parish minister, who, asking no questions, receives his parishioner, and meeting his Free Church friend, upbraids him for being so particular. This promising young communicant is not the only "christened" heathen in religious Scotland.

BAPTISMS.-Dundee.

Four young persons were baptised and added to the church in Hammerman's Hall last month. Dysart. Three young men were last month added to the church in Pathhead by confession and immersion into Christ. Edinburgh. Two believers put on the Lord Jesus by baptism last month in Nicolson Street Hall. Dalkeith. Two females confessed the Lord by baptism and were added to the church meeting in Scientific Hall, end of April.

Samuel Owen, Printer, Wrexham.

THE FIRST RESURRECTION.—ART. I.

A RESURRECTION is a raising up. The word is a general term and is applicable both to men and things. With us, however, in common usage it denotes the raising of persons from the grave. A special application has become a general one. Primitively it was not so. The Greeks used the words in whose stead this word of ours stands to signify the raising up of anything. When necessary they qualified the word with other terms. To rise from one's seat or couch was to be resurrected; any up-raising was a resurrection. Hence to denote a rising from the grave, the words "from the dead" were added, if so be that the context did not otherwise mark out the speciality. Thus we find the word guarded in the style of the New Testament speakers and writers. Lazarus is dead and buried. Jesus says to Martha, "thy brother shall rise again." Here there was no need for saying "from the dead," this being, of course, understood in such a case. But when it came to Martha to reply, and express her faith in that sublime reality of the future, commonly designated amongst us by the now sufficiently expressive term "the resurrection," she was careful to express herself thus fully, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Still, though her faith was thus explicit, the Saviour had more nigh and immediate resurrection truth to communicate to her, and, therefore, he replied, "I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this ?" The Redeemer in so saying certainly sought to do more than merely confirm the faith of his auditor in the future fact of a resurrection from the grave. He did more than give her to understand that it the dead shall rise at the last day. to be alike the resurrection and the life. in him we live; so is he the resurrection, To be found in Christ is to be participant in that life, which he is, and of that resurrection which he here affirms himself to be. He is not merely the agent in giving life to the living. dead, and in raising the buried dead to life, but he is himself the resurrection and the life. We realise both by being "in Christ."

will be by him that He affirmed himself If he is our life, and and in him we rise.

As to resurrection in this its highest sense, Simeon used No. 7, Vol. IV.-July, 1860.

the word when speaking by the Spirit, he said of the new-born Saviour, "This child is set for the fall and rising again of many." To the disobedient who stumble at the word, he is a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; falling on him they are broken; fallen upon by him they are ground to powder. To drop the figure; the disobedient must sink into perdition at the instance of that very Jesus who was born to save the lost. To the believing, however, he is precious; he is an honour; he is alike a tried and sure foundation-stone, and the top-stone of the corner. In other words they alike rest on him, and are exalted and honoured in him.

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This up-raising is commensurate with the life which the believer has in Jesus. It begins with conversion, and culminates in glorification. Says Paul to the disciples in Ephesus, God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ-by grace are we saved-and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus." The fact is that from the degradation and death of sin, the gospel exalts the believer into the present enjoyment of divine and heavenly relationships, privileges, duties, and anticipations. Our translators, instead of giving us the word heavenlies, as it stands in the original of the above passage, have obscured the sense by the circumlocution 'heavenly places. The apostle did not say places, but simply heavenlies, leaving it open to the experience of all of the faithful to fill up the suggestion by recollection of those exalted benefits they enjoy as children of God, and joint heirs with his Beloved.

While, as above, it is affirmed that Christians are already raised up together, and made to sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, other passages corroborate the above, and specify, so to speak, the very act of their resurrection into the life divine. "Know ye not," says Paul to the Romans, "that so many as were baptised into Jesus Christ, were baptised into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." In baptism there is a descent and an ascent; first the former and then the latter. As the descent is in order to burial with Christ, so the ascent is, that we may walk with him in newness of life. Nor is it the mere change of bodily position that warrants such language; that is merely