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we mingle Scripture teaching suitable for the proclamation. Since our number was increased we have had regular evening prayers, to which others were invited. At first we had a few, but the number increases, and we have sometimes to bring extra seats into the cabin Bro. Mimmersed the steward, and I brought forward the Scripture facts in the form of an address. A large sail pumped full of water formed a fine bath for the purpose."

The next letter is from Calcutta, February 22. Captain H. says, "The news I now proceed with will cause you joy, and I can call upon you to rejoice with me, and admire the wondrous power of the gospel of Christ; for I can now look upon a little band of followers of the Lamb, whose consistent walk gives me pleasure so far; and who are very earnest in their endeavors to learn and practice that good and acceptable will of God.' Our number now is twelve, having been cheered by no less than nine additions since we left Rio de Janeiro. Every night we unite in praise, reading and investigating the Sacred Word, and prayer. The opposition have watched them narrowly and prophesied their fall; but instead of that, their consistent walk has caused others to acknowledge that God is with us, and to 'put on the Lord Jesus Christ.'

"Soon after leaving Rio a fine lad came to me to ask concerning some point in the Scriptures. I saw what was up, and chided him for not obeying what he did know, and

I exalted obedient belief above mere knowledge. That brought him out, and he declared his entire surrender. I knew the

sailmaker to have been in the balance' for some time, so I spoke to him and they both were baptized, and next Lord's day joined the church in the ordinances. Soon another lad came forward, and he and one of the seamen, (the 'first fruit' from the forecastle) were to have been baptized on a certain evening; but one of the men was prominent in making fun about it, and the baptism was postponed till next evening in consequence of this third one being baptized very nearly into death and hell. The ship was running furiously before a high sea and a strong wind, and this man was knocked overboard by the flap of a sail. He went right down and was astern before I knew about it. Life buoys were thrown, and the ship rounded to, and the pinnace got out. (It was off the South coast of Africa, not a pleasant time or place in which to take to one's boating or swimming resources.) The second mate, boat. swain, and a crew went in her; and being guided by Providence, which had caused some shavings which had been thrown overboard to indicate what had been the

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ship's track, found him nearly dead, and brought him on board, nearly three hours after he fell over, and two hours after I thought his case hopeless. He was soon by care and attention recovered. He had been hanging in the life buoy, and had had to defend himself with his knife against the huge sea birds that seemed to consider him their lawful prey. He had felt that he was to die, and worse than all, he felt hell a certainty to him. To suppose that fear of death converts a man to Christ is sheer folly, but it often prepares the heart for reformation; and he made vague resolves of amendment if he escaped that death. Still I am quite sure (humanly speaking) that if this man had not been nerved up to decide for baptism for the remission of sins, that he might thus be in Christ and have a tangible claim for the Holy Spirit and the fulfilment of God's promises in Christ-if he had been left to the old sectarian methods of praying, hoping, or wondering for or about what is promised on obedience to the first command, Repent and be baptized,' as a conditionhe would have been led away again. I had not long pleaded with him for Christ, these pleadings being followed up by those of the brethren, and his own obedience to the faith having resulted, when he stated joyfully-I was at the very doors of death and hell; but now thank God I AM saved -not merely that I hope to be, but I am.' He was baptized the same week, after searching the Scriptures thoroughly enough to satisfy himself that immersion is the first step in obedience to the Lord. the Lord has led us on, and as I said before,

we now number twelve."

Thus

This letter was accompanied by another, addressed to the church meeting in Hope Hall, and signed by all the members of this little band of Christian seamen.

Since then we have received another letter from Calcutta, March 8th.

Captain H. says "I was unable to find any brethren here for a long time, and hardly knew how to sow the seed of the kingdom; but I had determined that I must by some means or other serve a writ of Quo warranto? upon somebody before leaving the port. I found, however, that there is a band here of faithful men, some of whom are altogether as we are, and some are still connected with sects, and cannot see their way clear on the important subject of baptism, and together they form an 'open communion' church. On Lord's day March 5th, I enjoyed very delightful intercourse with three brethren (baptized) and I have the pleasure of handing you a letter for the church from one of them on behalf of the others, a very excellent man, in excellent position. He re

quests some pamphlets, &c. I do wish you could do something to confirm the brethren here, and consolidate the church, and great results would follow; for I rejoice to say that in scores of places throughout India and China there are zealous men, both British and native, pleading for the one faith, so far as their knowledge goes; and they seem generally to have open communion notions, which must destroy their union, work mischief and fetter the gospel."

Calcutta, 7th March, 1865. "To the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ and the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Hope Hall, Liverpool. Grace be unto you, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. "In the absence of my brethren in the Lord, who contend for the faith once delivered to the saints, I have taken upon myself to address you, with the view to acquaint you that our spirits have been much refreshed by the happy meeting with captain H. through whom we have been made acquainted with the Lord's work amongst yourselves. I and the brethren on whose part this letter is written, belong to no known sect or denomination, but declare ourselves servants and follow. ers of the blessed God and Saviour Jesus Christ, making his written word our only will and guide; and we strive in all godly sincerity to render to him faithful obedience in all things set before us in his word of truth. Owing to various circumstances we have no regularly constituted church, but meet together to break bread and for worship when opportunity offers. To explain the several causes which have hitherto prevented the formation of a church in this place, with the different officers, &c.

PASTORS.

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would take more time than I can at present spare; but I will mention that seldom are we able on the Lord's day to get to gether more than three or four brethren, owing to most of us having employment which leads us out of town frequently. One, and this the chief, object in my addressing you is, dear brethren, that I and the brethren here desire to know fully on what grounds the 'Disciples' are, as it is commonly called, 'close communionists ?' Brother H has already informed us of your views and earnestly striven from the written word to point out why 'close communion' should be observed; but I and the brethren here fail to see in any passage he has set before us any express command of our Lord or of his Apostles, which would justify us in denying the 'Lord's table' to any brother in Christ Jesus, though he be not immersed. This is the only point as far as I can learn from brother H. that we at all disagree on.

"Until I and the brethren here are made acquainted with your reasons for 'close communion,' and can judge those reasons by the written word, it would be superfluous to place before you our reasons for open communion; but we much and earnestly desire to know the scriptural grounds on which you act, the constitution of the church of the Disciples, &c, and shall be much obliged if you will favor us with any short letters, pamphlets, or tracts on these subjects. A very faithful servant of the Lord and beloved brother has lately left us named Jas Lynch. He is a passenger on the ship 'City of Paris,' and I shall desire him to wait on you, as soon after his arrival in London as he possibly can. F. MEGERS." J. C.

"MUCH is being said and written just now on this word, and it must be confessed that great confusion of ideas exists as to its true import and meaning. From all I have heard and read on the subject, nothing satisfactory has yet appeared. If I understood David King, he assumes the mon. strous position that if a congregation cannot furnish men from among its members who can successfully do the preaching, without calling to its aid what is commonly known as a pastor, it ought to become extinct! And I understand the editor of the Review as endorsing this position. W. K. Pendleton says: 'Now, a man may be an elder, and not a teacher or pastor, in the special sense of these words; but he cannot be

officially a pastor or teacher without being an elder.' Can a man be unofficially a pastor or teacher without being an elder? My position in the church must be a very anomalous one. The facts are simply these: A congregation of Christians felt that they had no man among them who could preach and look after the spiritual interests of the church in a style and manner calculated to insure the highest degree of prosperity. This congregation then held a meeting for the purpose of considering the matter. They resolved to ask me to do this particular work-i. e. preach, visit the sick, instruct the children, visit the flock generally, &c. I consented to do this work. I handed my letter of commendation to the congregation, which was асcepted, and my name was entered upon the

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enough to do without any attempt at pastoral work, or at most, with not more attention to church-members than that which devolves upon members generally, or else these converts have been brought in without due care and help in regard to mental and other difficulties common to the mixed multitude to whom we proclaim the gospel. Modern churches we know hire a man to do the work which, under the guidance of elders, should be performed by the bulk

Harbinger, June 1, '65.

of their members—making him preacher, pastor, and everything but deacon, but no man ever yet did that work, or ever will, and that, simply because no one man ever can do it. Our brother seems adapted for the work of an evangelist, let him do that work, and call himself by the name appropriated to those who do it. Then he will know what he is, and so will those who hear of his labor of love. DAVID KING.

I AM quite willing to grant that a man without logic may discern the difference between a horse-chestnut and a chestnut horse; but yet, without some training and discipline of the mind, a man engaged in argument will scarcely ever discover where the onus probandi lies, and when he makes the discovery his materials are not at hand. They lie like lumber in a warehouse, and

the unfortunate owner knows not how to

lay his hand on the article which is wanted. I have had some reason to complain both as to time and method. In regard to the first point, having waited a quarter of a year for an answer to a short article, it

strikes me that I might as well have a respondent at the Antipodes. It might have done in the world before the flood, when a hundred years was a small consideration; but it is rather unreasonable now when our days are dwindled down to such a narrow span. As to the second point, we have had simply a contrastive statement of opinon, but no collision of reason and argument-no joining issue on any vital point. In order that our readers may see clearly whether we have made any progress, it is necessary for ine to re-state the propositions which I endeavored to estab

lish:

:

•The time of the end! When is it? This discussion has been continued long enough, judging from our communications, to weary most readers. There are a few on the affirmative side who are quite ready, to go on, we almost think, "world without end." But the end ought to come sometime, and unless the boundary line is indicated, the probabillty is that we shall not live to see the end. In view of these considerations we purpose thus to close the subject for the present-1, The remainder of the reply of A. will be given next issue, with the only other paper on the affirmative of the question, out of the number to hand, which will be given - which paper would not appear but that it is a kind of outline of the ground defended by those who side with the author. 2, Then, unless C. make application for further brief hearing, our valiant Z. will be heard- that is, if not lost in looking for the stone with which to kill more than one of his friends. 3, Editorial remarks, if deemed necessary.-ED.

6 Because in such restoration Israel must hold the land for ever.

7. Because in such restoration war and bloodshed are abolished through the earth.

These positions were sustained seriatim by careful quotation- not of conditional promises, but of absolute prophecy, accompanied with historical notices which proved that nothing in any way resembling such things had ever been realised. In connec tion with all the great realities of the grand age coming, the restoration of Israel stands as a constituent element in a living unity, and it cannot be wrenched away without drawing blood. This should have been the true battle-field, if there were to be any resolute conflict; but the general on the other side had no time to fight, but only time to run away. But I must do him justice-out of the seven reasons given, he tried his apparatus on one. In his present article he gives us to understand that on the strength of my own mistake I have drawn up nine formidable-looking questions. With a little patience perhaps we may discover where the mistake lies the January No. thus our friend delivers himself: "A. quotes Zechariah to prove that the great restoration of the Hebrews is still in the future. Now here he would

In

Harbinger. June 1, '65.

be materially benefitted by making use of our scientific apparatus,' as it would at once have revealed to him the place, time, and circumstances under which Zechariah prophesied, and thus have prevented his misapplication of the Scripture in question." After stating the circumstances which I knew when I was a Sunday scholar, he thus concludes-" We thus prove these prophecies of Zechariah fulfilled, and it was thus that kings became their nursing fathers." The reader will please to bear in mind that the 14th chap. of Zechariah was the only one from which I quoted. Moreover, Č. wished to show me, by the operation of his potent instrument, my misapplication and the true fulfilment of the prediction which I had misapplied. Under such circumstances it was surely natural that I should re-open the chapter from which I quoted, and point out the magnificent series of facts which are still waiting for accomplishment, from the dreadful siege of Jerusalem to the enthroning of the King of kings, including the restoration and supremacy of Israel, the gathering and vassalage of the nations. In reply to this C. innocently gives us to understand that he meant nothing. I suspected so from the first, but if he had no meaning, what was the use of wasting our time and his own by writing that article?

C. concludes that I am mistaken in supposing that he had not regarded context. Our readers must judge that matter for themselves. One context gives as a result

-THAT ISRAEL WOULD ENDURE AS A NATION WHILE THE FRAMEWORK AND ORDINANCES OF NATURE ENDURED. Another context yielded four particulars from analysis—

1. The incorporation of Israel and Judah. 2. The restoration of the monarchy in perpetuity.

3. Everlasting possession of the land. 4. Unalterable devotion and holiness of the people.

Surely was authorised in concluding there had been no careful consideration of context, when such predictions were claimed as having their fulfilment in the return from Babylon-an event so partial and narrow, and which so rapidly became ruinous in all moral and political issues.

The mistakes seem to be all gone except one in relation to the 51st of Isaiah I am sorry that I did not note specially that C. claims that as fulfilled in the days of Hezekiah. It matters nothing to the argument. I simply re-affirm that the passage, like the others, is waiting for accomplishment. Sennacherib may be there, and so may Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, but I have not been able to discover them. C. must bear in mind that it was only from courtesy, not from any argumen

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tative necessity, that I followed him in that direction. If in the room of finding two he had found fifty passages relating to the return from Babylon, my argument on the SEVEN PILLARS Would still remain intact and inviolate.

But

But having paid a little attention to my own mistakes it is time for me to look after the mistakes of our friend C. It appears that part of the difficulty and obscurity of prophecy arises from its gorgeous Oriental dress. I am not of that mind. On the contrary, I believe that from such circumstance prophecy derives both impressiveness and clearness I could identify our friend C. in the market-place, if his robes were glorious as those worn by King Solomon when he sat on the throne of audience and judgment. He could hide himself from me more securely in rags than if adorned in the vesture of Haroun Alraschid. this mistake is venial when compared with the one which I am about to notice. I could scarcely believe my own eyes when I saw the statement C. has discovered, that the crowded unfulfilled predictions are conditional. Travellers meet with strange bed-fellows, and great truths get into strange companionship as they journey through mortal fields. The sure Word of prophecy has indeed got very low and degraded when it has become a mere contingency. C. might have escaped from that shocking blunder, had he only meditated on the meaning of the old definition which he himself has adopted-viz. that 'Prophecy is history written before the facts." But, O Gracious Sir! what kind of history is it, if the facts never transpire? Holy Writ does contain conditional promises, but prophecy is always ABSOLUTE and SURE. A conditional prophecy has no more existence than that Sea Serpent, the story of which Professor Owen anatomised some time ago; but when we meet with one monster, we may expect the other to come sailing in upon us!

If it were possible to eclipse the strange story of the prophecies which are never to be fulfilled, it would be done by that accomplishment which C. has discovered in Galatians. But as the former theory cannot be dwarfed or outdone by any other abnormal production, the two things must simply stand side by side among the wonders of our age. It appears that by some kind of enchantment the Apostle has exorcised and transformed Moses and the Prophets They seemed pregnant with true historical interest and great realities for an age of coming glory; but, presto! the land vanishes in one direction, and the people in another, and with a curious feeling of incertitude we begin to rub our eyes As a help in the region of necromancy.