Kingston and the towns adjacent on the west side of the Hudson river, about 100 miles above the city of New York. A short time after the union of the two churches, brother Black returned, his time having expired; when he gave us an account of his missionary labours, by stating that he had met with much opposition, and many things to discourage him at first, but, by a patient perseverance in holding forth the original Gospel to his fellow-men, and endeavouring to manifest its spirit of love and meekness toward the gainsayers, had a tendency in a good measure to overcome the prejudice of the people; so that now many come out to hear, although few as yet manifest a disposition to obey the Gospel by immersion, for remission of their sins; but that instead of empty benches, as at first, there are full houses and attentive audiences, and a prospect of much good being done this season in that region of country. We therefore requested brother Black to continue his labours there as a missionary for 12 months longer, which he cheerfully accepted, and immediately entered upon it, (taking his wife with him, a most amiable sister,) intending to labour with his hands, so much as his time will allow, in the full confidence of the brethren that he will do the work of the Lord faithfully, praying to the great Head of the church that his labours of love may be abundantly blessed to the conversion of sinners, and in assisting in the establishing of the saints in the primitive order of worship. May favour, mercy, and peace, be multiplied to all the holy brethren throughout the world, through the knowledge of, and obedience to, our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. Signed in behalf of the church of Christ, meeting for worship, No. 138, Laurens-street, near Prince-street. BENJ. S. HENDRICKSON. DANL. MONROE. New York, June 1, 1835. RELIGION. JONATHAN HAtfield. Like snow that falls where waters glide, They rest on time's resistless tide, And but a moment stay. But joys that from Religion flow, His heart may break 'neath sorrow's stroke, Like diamouds shining when they're broke THAT RAY WILL LIGHT IT STILL. ON THE DUTY OF SUPPORTING THOSE WHO PREACH THE GOSPEL. [The following observations are quoted from The Quarterly Christian Magazine,' June, 1835, published under the editorship of Mr. JAMES ALEXANDER HALDANE, to whose able pen we owe them. The Journal from which the article is extracted is less known in England than it merits to be, and that must plead my excuse for here introducing the remarks. They comprise the editor's reflections on a copious and well-written paper in defence of the duty of the churches of Christ extending support to their pastors.-W. J.] 66 6 The subject of the above communication is highly important. While poverty does not prevent a church of Christ having elders, Acts xx. 34, 35, it is the Lord's express commandment, that those who labour in word and doctrine should be remunerated, 1 Tim. v. 17, 18; 1 Cor. ix. 4, 17; Gal. vi. 6, 7. Where this precept is disregarded, like every other act of disobedience, it brings its own punishment. The Lord could have supplied the wants of the priests of old, without requiring the payment of tithes. Had the tribe of Levi obtained an inheritance in the land, they would have been independent of this source of supply; but, by declaring himself to be their inheritance, the Lord took their support upon himself, and therefore charged those who withheld their tithes with robbing God, Mal. iii. 3. We live under a very different dispensation; but, as the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel,' the disciples should be careful that they do not contravene his will. The advantage of a man being able to give himself wholly to these things, I Tim. iv. 15, without being entangled with the things of this life, is obvious. Much has been said of late of the importance of observing all the apostolic ordinances, but too many appear to look with indifference upon the ordinance of elders, than which none is more inseparably connected with the welfare of a church of Christ. And even, where this ordinance has not been altogether overlooked, some appear to be more anxious about the name than about procuring an efficient eldership, and causing the Gospel to sound out from them. To this, in a great measure, may be ascribed the low state of the churches. May the Lord stir up his people to abound in liberality and in every other grace! may they all be led to consider their ways! The language of God to Israel is very striking,-Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink! ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes,' Hag. i. 6. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive,' Mal. iii. 10. Let us remember that he is God, and changeth not. J. A. H." TO MR. WM. JONES, OF LONDON. DEAR SIR, Halifax, Nova Scotia, August 6, 1835. Perceiving from the Millennial Harbinger,' edited by Mr. Alexander Campbell, that you are interested in whatever is connected with the apostolic Gospel and order of things, and also having imbibed a Christian respect and kindness towards yourself from the knowledge I have of your character and principles, gathered from your own writings, with which I have been familiar, I am now induced to avail myself of the opportunity of Lieut. M'Kenzie, a baptist brother of the 96th Regt., who is returning to Europe, to write you a few lines, the object of which is to give you a brief sketch of a church of Christ in this place, which has been led, in the dealings of Providence, practically to adopt the apostolic order of things. I shall for that purpose subjoin a few extracts from a sketch of the proceedings of the church I allude to. It was drawn up by a brother in the church, now removed to New York. "The church of Christ, usually denominated the Second Baptist church in Halifax, has passed through a variety of trying circumstances, which they can now look back upon, and perceive that they were all under the direction of God, leading them to greater simplicity of views in religious matters, and a more scriptural observance of the ordinances of the Gospel. They have been led, gradually, to renounce human systems in religion, speculations of men, whether in relation to doctrine or practice, and to adopt, as their only directory in both, the New Testament-requiring for every thing to be believed, as the truth of God, a plain unequivocal statement of that truth by our Lord, or his Apostles, and believing that they cannot, without disobedience to the divine lawgiver, neglect any religious observance for which they have either precept or example in the New Testament. A practical adoption of such principles has caused them to be much misrepresented, and to become very unpopular, and even shunned by the religious world, especially of their own denomination. A statement of the circumstances and manner in which, step by step, they were led to their present views, and practice, would be interesting and might be profitable; but at present little more than the result can barely be referred to. They had originally been constituted on the usual and popular plan of the English and American Baptists; when a difficulty, connected with the choice of a pastor, arose, which, after a variety of trials, &c., resulted in the separation of the ministry, and the wealthiest and most 66 influential part to be formed into a separate church, leaving the Second Baptist Church with their pastor to proceed by themselves. Pecuniary and other difficulties next produced the necessity of their pastor quitting them. As the time of his departure approached, and when it had arrived, they were led scripturally to consider what was their duty and line of conduct to be pursued, when thus providentially left to themselves. They soon found that a specially-called and ordained minister, was not essential to the being of a church, its worship, or the observance of the ordinances of Christ's house; and, if they were authorised to observe any of the ordinances, without the limitation alluded to, it required some special limitation to prove that they were not equally bound to observe every social ordinance on the Lord's Day, in their associated capacity, when assembled together. They considered Acts ii, 42, with other passages of Scripture to learn what were the observances of the churches of our Lord, and as affording all churches, in after ages, a divine model to imitate and follow after. In consequence of these investigations, prayerfully and scripturally pursued, (and which are now merely hinted at,) certain brethren among themselves were appointed to lead or conduct, in turn, the public worship, read the Scriptures in their assemblies, explain and enforce their teaching according as God gave them ability so to do, and to preside at the observance of the Lord's Supper, till God in his providence should point out to them or provide for them pastors permanently to take the oversight of them. After some time, the Scriptures became more and more interesting; their power to teach and their authority came to be more perceived, and better appreciated, and the reading of them in course to be a duty and a privilege. The order of worship, in the morning, began with singing, then prayer, and singing again; a prayer more especially for the hearing ear, and a blessing on the reading of the word which followed, say, for instance, as was begun, the 1st chapter of Genesis, the 1st of Isaiah, and the 1st of Matthew, continuing in course this plan of reading, with little, or occasional, omission of some few parts for private reading. After the reading of the word, another prayer was offered, singing and pronouncing the benediction concluded the morning service, say from eleven to better than half-past twelve o'clock. In the afternoon at three o'clock the service began similarly to the morning, the portion read, say, the 1st Psalm and the 1st chapter of Romans, then the supper, contribution for the poor, &c. The presiding brother who reads also explains, remarks upon, and supplies the portion read in course; and almost always various other parts of the Scriptures are referred to, and read, and considered; other brethren follow with exhortation or remarks; these exercises are generally well-calculated to explain and illustrate the Scriptures, to enforce obedience to their precepts, and to proclaim to all the Gospel of the grace of God, and, by a display of the faithfulness, the love, the mercy, and the terrors of the Lord, to awaken the attention of all that may be present with them, to their eternal interests, and lead to the knowledge and belief of the truth, and to the obedience of faith. Thus various gifts possessed by the church have been brought into service for the benefit of all." I must for the present conclude this part of my letter. During the state of the church above described, I providentially met with the writings of that eminent master in Israel, Alexander Campbell, of Bethany, which tended greatly to establish me on the Bible as of supreme authority, and to enable me to distinguish between its facts (or truths) and men's inferential deductions, speculations, or opinions, about these truths. I could say much on this important subject and distinction, but time forbids. I found, wherever these writings had claimed a hearing, that prejudice and misrepresentation accompanied the claim, sometimes silencing, sometimes neutralizing their teaching. I undertook, at some loss, from a sense of the importance and value of much that he wrote, to compile a volume mostly with extracts from Mr. Campbell's writings, entitled 'The Christian Gleaner,' a copy of which I herewith send you. I was rejoiced to see that you intended, or had commenced, a British Millennial Harbinger.' Will you forward me a copy of such of the numbers as have come out, and as they proceed from the press? Should no fit opportunity occur of sending the parcel, addressed to me, thus, "Dr. Lewis Johnston, Halifax, Nova Scotia," in an envelope addressed to "J. W. Johnston Esq., Solicitor General, Halifax, Nova Scotia," send the parcel, with the latter address outside, to" Mr. William Walker, Bookseller, Strand," with a request that he would forward it to Mr. Johnston as early as possible. I may perhaps get some other subscribers for the work here, after it has been seen and read. If your time, inclination, and all other circumstances suit, I should be glad to hear from you in return. Hoping you will excuse this intrusion by a stranger, I must now conclude, with Christian respect and regard, and with best wishes, Your friend, in the best of bonds, LEWIS JOHNSTONE. POSTSCRIPT BY THE EDITOR. The preceding letter contains some things which do not meet the approbation of the Editor of the Harbinger,' and particularly that part of it which describes the disciples at Halifax as proceeding to the Lord's Supper before the church was organized with elders and deacons, without which they cannot possibly exhibit "the body of Christ," according to 1 Cor. xii. 12, 14, 27-besides that, it is a practice wholly without precept or precedent from the New Testament, and totally unknown to the Churches of Christ anterior to the time of the Lutheran Reformation.* Besides, to place the Lord's supper on the same footing with the social duties of prayer and praise, and giving instruction, is to overlook a most important distinction which exists between them. The latter are moral duties, and would have been incumbent upon us, as God's rational, intelligent, and accountable creatures, had there been no express * I here speak of churches which "kept the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."-ED. |