ordinances, and making void the law through uninspired traditions, or, by otherwise taking the government of the church from the shoulders of the Redeemer. All who love the Saviour are bound to return to the "good old paths" of Primitive Christianity.

PROTESTANTISM may be Christian

the exhortations of their brethren. Nothing is more unfounded than the notion, that we cannot be benefited, except when we learn something which we did not know before."

NO. III. DIATHEEKEE.

--

CHRISTIANITY invites the union of all believers upon the one and only foundation, promised by Jehovah (Isa. xxviii. 16,) acknowledged by Christ (Mat. xvi. 16-18) declared by the Apostles (1 Cor. iii. 11, 1 Peter ii. 6)and in the one and only bond of union, one Body, one Spirit, one Hope, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father, (Eph. iv. 3-6.) It presents the New Testament as the only rule of faith and practice, admits no human creed, no claim to inspiration since the days of the Apostles, and protests against the leaven of the apostacy wherever found.

EXHORTATION.

"THIS ordinance of Exhortation, as it has the most abundant Scripture evidence, so also it eminently commends itself by its superlative advantages. What progress is that church like to make, in which all are engaged, according to their different talents and opportunities, in searching the Scriptures, and in which they have the privilege of communicating to each other the result of their inquiries! In this way the churches may have a kind of community of goods. The knowledge of individuals becomes part of a common stock. The community has advantages peculiar to itself. All are enriched by it. The most advanced in a church may not only be refreshed, but informed by those much upon the whole their inferiors in knowledge. Paul expected to be refreshed by the church of Corinth. Well, then, may the most learned bishops receive refreshment from

THE Bible Union has just issued its revision of the Epistle to the Hebrews, concerning which A. Campbell writes-" We have hastily examined every page of it, and pronounce it to be a careful, learned, and greatly improved version of the second greatest epistle ever written by the greatest Apostle, the most learned writer, as well as the largest author of the Christian Scriptures. The Epistle to the Romans is emphatically the most theological letter, and that to the Hebrews the most christological ever vouchsafed to man. The justification of a sinner-an ungodly man-and the sacerdotal dignity and splendour of the Great High Priest of our profession, are the twin themes of the greatest man-the chief of all the Apostolic dignitaries, and the most gifted writer amongst the scribes of Holy Writ. We are happy in seeing it in a dress greatly improved, and in a style much more appreciable and popular than any version of it we have seen.

We have but one important question at present to tender to its learned and judicious translator; and this, too, on the most pregnant word in the Christian Scriptures, excepting always the word Christ-the most august official title in the entire area of human speech. I have in my eye the word dialŋŋ— diatheekee. It is found thirty-three times in the Christian Scriptures, and more than the half of these is found in this single epistle? It is thirteen times, Common Version, represented by testament; and twenty times by covenant, neither of which properly represents it. Testament is an attested will of a dying man, while covenant is an agreement between two or more living parties on certain equally stipulated terms. The parties meet as equals with power to stipulate and re-stipulate till agreement is consummated. The parties may be in-equal in rank or position, but equally

covenanters and covenantees, as in the case of a misunderstanding between a king and his subjects. But with whom does Jehovah stipulate, and who dare restipulate with him terms of conciliation or reconciliation! Besides God alone is omniscient, inhabits eternity, and comprehends immensity. Man is now an infant compared to the years of a dying Methuselah, and knows not what he wants. Man in certain cases dares not to sign a blank bond with his fellow man; but he always can, and sometimes of necessity must, sign a blank bond with God.

An institution and a constitution are not grammatically, logically, legally, or religiously one and the same. But in the vague and indistinct verbiage of men, words are tolerated against law and reason. But with an infallible oracle of God in our hands, we are in duty, honour and safety, obliged to acquiesce in it.

Evvonk-in Latin, is represented by pactum foedus, consensus.-Díaðýkη by testamentum, dispositio foedus, Robertson's Thesaurus, Ed. A.D. 1676. And according to Crit. Sacra Testamentum, corresponds with the Hebrew Berith. It signifies, in general, any institution or declaration of will, purpose, or promise-whether by a majority, or by one person. Ed. A.D. 1650.

But σvvoŋên in ecclesiastical usage does not signify anything more than an agreement of two parties naturally or politically equal, upon the principal of stipulation and restipulation. Ilence σvvonkη is not once found in the Greek New Testament. All the acts of an absolute sovereign are expressed by διαθήκη, never by συνθηκη. Hence all the institutions of Christ are designated by Siaonkη. The Patriarch Abraham could not enter into a covenant with Isaac when eight days old, much less could God enter into a covenant with him, in the import of a σvveŋên; but on the principle of a diaonan he could, provided only he could find for him a guardian. But suppose the absolute idea, or metaphysical conception of a Siaonin were debateable, its currency in the Christian Scripture must be settled by a strict analysis of every case; and when these are fully explored, it must appear that they are all acts of sovereignty--that God stipulates everything and man nothing.

Again, should God so condescend as to hear a proposition from a sinful man, who could make it with as much safety to man as could, or as did, his Creator, Guardian, and Father!

We, therefore affirm, that the remedial system, in its inception, progress and consummation, is all of grace, not of free grace, for there is no antithetical grace. All grace is sovereign, and, therefore, we can never conceive of legal or constrained grace. We should never encumber grace with the prefixes sovereign and free: for there is no grace conceivable in the eye of educated reason that is not both sovereign and free. We have no word that exactly represents diatheekee. Institution is its most appropriate representative in our vernacular.

99 66

MUTUALITY.

THE great principle of mutuality is impressed on almost every page of the New Testament records-we are to call no man master-to submit to rabbis no longer-the preachers of truth are not to be "lords over God's heritage," but as brethren we are to help each other, to "teach one another," 66 warn one another," admonish one another," and "love one another." The church was to present itself to the world as a model of a brotherhood, in which, without presumption or jealousy, each using the talent which the Father of all had given him in trust for the good of all, and devoting his time and his wealth to the best and noblest of objects, would thus consecrate all he was and all he had to the increase of the joint-stock fund, which constituted the treasury of the church for the temporal and spiritual good of all its members. There is no room for monopoly or self-aggrandizement in this divinely-framed machinery. The rights of property are not overturned, but consecrated. The talents of the more gifted are to be made serviceable in bringing out the powers of the humblest of the brotherhood. The Christian church is based on the theory that every one in it can do some good, and its organization is complete when every one is called upon and urged to do his own appropriate work, and not till

then.

which were more numerous than usual, were next read, and ordered to stand over. The annexed Report from the Nottingham Committee was read and ordered to be printed.

REPORT OF EVANGELIST FUND. In presenting the Report of the General Committee for the past year, the brethren must be aware that there is nothing particularly important or novel to introduce to the notice of the meeting. At the close of last Annual Meeting, Brother ROTHERHAM, as agreed upon, returned to labor at Newtown for a few weeks, and, at the termination of that period, removed, with his family, to Huddersfield, for the purpose of discharging the obligations of an evangelist in connection with the church in that place, the brethren there very liberally meeting all expenses incurred. Very similar remarks apply to Brother KING and his labors. By mutual arrangement between the churches in London and Mauchester, Brother KING left the latter place in the month of February, to devote his services to the churches in the metropolis, and up to the present time all expenses connected with his labors there have been provided by the London District Committee. The Committee in Nottingham, therefore, with our two brethren thus engaged, have had little or nothing to do with the pecuniary affairs of the brethren during the remaining part of the year. A small sum has been appropriated to the service of Brother CORRIE, on the recommendation of the London District Committee; and a smaller amount still to Brother Pryce JONES, of New town, Wales, who was well recommended the churches in that district. These instances are all that your Committee have to report. That our efforts have been of a very limited character, compared with the necessities of the times, and with what was effected in the primitive age of the church in proclaiming the gospel to a perishing world and in planting churches in every city, cannot be denied. With these brief observations, your Committee present to the Meeting a Statement of the Evangelist Fund for the year.

by

5 14 64

July 31. By balance in hand
Sept.21. Brethren at Nottingham 13 13

Aug.13. Brother John Davis

13. Brethren at Chester
19. T. M. per J. Wallis

19. M. Abbott

...

44

0 0

...

0 12

50

...

0

6

0

0 5 0 0 4 5

The communications set forth that

the truth, by a number of conversions in that city, has proved its efficiency, and that, too, when those who planted the church in Manchester, and upon whom, in a great measure, it depended, have been removed. The present number of members is 69, and of that number 23 have been immersed since the last Annual Meeting. Several have been transferred to sister churches, and it is highly pleasing to be able to add, that though considerable attention is given to discipline, only three have left the church as unworthy members. It was also communicated that a very considerable portion of the number added to the church during the year are young persons, who have not before been in church fellowship. While this last fact is exceedingly pleasing and promising, it is also calculated to