Observer, Feb. 1, 72.

B. And when the English parliament abolished slavery in the West Indies and elsewhere ?

This ended the discussion, leaving each very much in their previous sentiments."

Here we must leave our author, trusting he may be led to make reparation for the waste of time and injury consequent upon his going into and remaining so long with a church so widely opposed to the Christianity of the New Testament.

THE LOADSTONE OF CULTURE.

"THAT it is desirable that some effort be made to attract to New Testament ground, more than as hitherto been done, men of education and culture."

Ar the time when the above resolution was passed, by the Annual Meeting, at Huddersfield, the desire was very strong upon my mind to say something concerning it through the pages of the E. O.; but a counterfeeling of inability overcame that desire; since then, however, having read in the E. O. the articles of two brethren on the subject, the desire has returned, and, hereby, shall be in some feeble measure gratified.

The brother who proposed the resolution indicated some of the means by which its object might be attained, among others I remember one or

two.

1. The employment of educated evangelists: men not only versed in sacred and profane history, but also knowing ancient and modern philosophy and positive science, in crder that they might meet philosophical objections on philosophic ground, and battle with them.

2. The employment of talented brethren to write able and scholarly articles in our popular, first-class periodicals, such as fall into the hands, and lie on the tables, of the educated and cultivated classes.

I do not pretend that the sample given above is in the exact words of the proposer of the resolution, but I vouch for it being the substance. I submit here, as I did at the Annual Meeting, that such a resolution, supported by such arguments, is unworthy of us as a people holding the broad and wisely-defined principle-THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE ONLY as our sole authority in matters of faith, doctrine and holiness. I venture also to say that it is in antagonism with the Divine order of things. "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which ere mighty; and the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence." Strange language this for the most educated and cultured apostle to use in writing to the polite and philosophic Corinthians. Foolish Paul, when the Jews would have been pleased with a sign, and the Greeks with wisdom, to be so obstinate as to preach unto them Christ crucified. Why not use the

Observer, Feb. 1, '72.

learning of the schools-the wisdom of the times? Why? "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." The pains taken by this inspired messenger of heaven to eliminate all human admixtures from the simple story is impressive. Hear him again: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

Setting the above quotations from the first and second chapters of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians side by side with similar declarations to people of other nations, and looking at the whole in the light of the illustrious life and labours of the great apostle and High Priest of the Christian profession, Christ Jesus, we have an unanswerable refutation of the whole ground covered by the resolution. Christ, by birth and by association, belongs to the masses; among them He laboured, with them He lived, sympathized, wept and loved; to them He proclaimed healing and deliverance: and, in view of the impartial and universal nature of His great commission, I here propose an amendment to the resolution, which (amendment) was rejected by the Annual Meeting: "That it is desirable that some effort be made to attract to New Testament ground, more than has hitherto been done, men of all classes;" and I humbly claim for the amendment an universal show of hands, as being more in conformity with the Spirit of Christ, and the genius of our holy and gloriously impartial religion. Let us glance at the resolution itself and see what it implies, and ask if it be a fair representation of the efforts of the churches. It implies that little or no effort has been made hitherto of a nature calculated to draw the educated and cultured; and I answer that by affirming that for nearly forty years able and true men have been, by the tongue and the pen, contending earnestly and politely for the faith once delivered to the saints; and to-day the truth is painted in rainbow tints, and recorded in pithy and practical observations in the pages of the E. O., and other periodicals and books published and circulated by the brethren; also in public discussions with philosophic sceptics, and surrounded with divines and ears polite, our soldiers have been the champions of Gospel Truth, and many disinterested witnesses testify to the efficiency of their advocacy, though their eulogies remind me very forcibly of the language of the 33rd chapter of Ezekiel, 31st and 32nd verses: "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song, of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not." Our meeting houses also have been open and free to all: the language of our practice has always been in harmony with our preaching. None are excluded thence, but those Who do themselves exclude; Welcome the learned and polite, The ignorant and rude.

And, as a rule, it will not be found true that as a people we have gone

Observer, Feb. 1, 72.

from the one-man system to the all-man system. I have visited most of the leading churches, from the metropolis of England to the metropolis of Scotland, and I find those brethren best fitted for teaching and preaching engaging in those duties, almost invariably, and by common consent.

The resolution also implies that New Testament ground needs embellishing with the learning and culture of modern landscape gardeners, in order to make it attract; while the simple truth regarding the matter is that New Testament ground, or new covenant truth, is itself the attraction, and needs no human aid to make it so; and the man who knows the English language and can speak it correctly, understanding the great salvation made known by the Gospel, is as well qualified to preach the Christ to gentle and simple alike, as though he had mastered all the laws of science, and mysteries of philosophy, ancient and modern; and knew all the history of humanity from the beginning.

If we want to be able to communicate to others geological, astronomical, physical, metaphysical, mathematical or any other scientific truths, we must study these sciences, become masters of the qualities of matter and of mind, and the laws which govern them; and then we are qualified for the work. So it is with the science of redemption, we must study the law of sin and death: and the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which frees men from the law of sin and death; and since this is a science that cannot be evolved out of matter or of mind, or developed by the laws of chemistry, or demonstrated by mathematics; since the heavens cannot declare it, nor the depths reveal it, nor death nor hell can aid us in search of it, Whither shall we go? The Bible reveals it! God is its author! Christ and His mission its blessed and reviving theme; and the pardon, justification, sanctification, and glorification of the guilty race of man its, scope and design! Begone all the appendages of man the wisdom of this world avails nothing here. "To the law, and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

The resolution looks entirely in the direction of class administration, which, in all provinces, is a pernicious and destructive line of conduct. to act upon such a principle in politics, or in religion, to serve any class interest, or to show partiality for class, is the certain precursor of disunion, dis-organization and destruction; but especially is this true with regard to Christianity. All history proves, that in so far as the primitive and rugged truths of Christianity have been modified by culture, in order to attract culture, just in the same ratio have primitive simplicity and honesty vanished; the sublimely and divinely simple and impressive ritual has been bartered for something more showy, gorgeous and attractive. The order and ordinances of the New Institution have been re-modelled and exchanged, to suit the whims and fancies of education and culture, until all show even of unity has entirely passed away, and Christianity itself has become but a name; its most highly educated and accomplished advocates do but become, oft-times, centres of attraction for gaping multitudes of fashionable wordlings and men of culture and education; and let the present state of professed Christendom say to what extent New Testament ground has benefitted.

By all means, let us acquire all the true knowledge we can, and all the Christian culture, but, as a missionary people let us never forget that man in God's sight is a sinner (not separated into classes), and that the power of God for the salvation of the sinner is the Gospel; and though

Observer, Feb. 1, '72.

in its crude form it may be foolishness to modern culture, as it was to ancient, and to the self-righteous a stumbling-block, it is to all those who believe Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. As God is no respecter of persons or circumstances, neither should we be. Preach the Word; be instant, in season and out of season; call upon all men everywhere to repent, and warn all men, making no difference; seeing that God purifies all hearts by the faith, and judges the secrets of all hearts by Christ's Gospel; and if we thus do our part, determined to know nothing among men, save JESUS CHRIST, AND HIM CRUCIFIED, God will look well to all the rest. GEORGE COLLIN.

REMARKS.

We intended, last month, to be understood as closing the discussion of this question till practical measures are proposed. Perhaps, however, our intimation was not quite clear, and, therefore, the foregoing finds admission. But it must now be understood that the discussion is terminated for the present.

It is due to the proposer of the resolution to say that he did not submit the two suggestions referred to by G. C. as propositions for adoption by the meeting. He intimated that he was not prepared to propose definite measures to accomplish the result expressed in his resolution. He referred to the employment of qualified brethren to write scholarly articles in first-class periodicals, that we might thus reach the educated classes, as having been upon his own mind, and asked whether something could not be done in that way. He certainly did not propose to employ educated evangelists, to handle ancient and modern philosophy and posi tive science, in lieu of the men we now sustain, nor to the reduction of the number we can obtain. The fact was before him, that we had not been able to find evangelists to the extent the funds at command would warrant. In that case it was certainly no indication of dangerous heresy to ask whether it might be possible to find a man among us, not adapted, owing to physical or other causes, for general evangelistic work, who might receive support while reaching the educated classes by pen or by such personal intercourse as might be open to him. If it be asked whether to accomplish this we would consent to reduce our preaching to the multitude? The answer is, Certainly not. But if something in this direction could be accomplished, not in exchange for what we now do, but in addition, then who is to say that we are doing more than our duty by endeavouring to help men who must be reached in that way or not at all. G. C. intimates that the resolution submitted to the Annual Meeting is unworthy of a people holding that the Bible is their sole authority in matters of faith, doctrine and holiness. But whoever suggested, among us, any other rule of faith, or any addition to it? If men, by false science, bring discredit upon the Bible, and shake the faith of many, is it unworthy of us and a violation of our rule of faith to say to a scholarly brother, refute, in certain first-class periodicals, that false science and show that it consists of pretended and misapplied facts?

We are told that God has chosen "the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty." Quite true! But God's "foolish things" are replete with wisdom, and His "weak things" are great in strength. Some men quote this text and preach foolish things enough to confound the wise, could they be thus confounded; but the result is not gained and

Observer, Feb. 1, '72.

the wise are merely disgusted. God's "weak things" include strong men, who so use and set forth His truth that strong philosophers are humbled. Paul was no mere ranter but a man able to lay hold of false science and turn it inside out. All preachers need not be like Paul. For the most part plain, uneducated men will suffice for effectual preaching, providing they have sense enough to preach the simple truth without affecting to be other than they are. But still there is work for other men which they cannot do ground over which they cannot walk, and which we should not allow to be untrodden, if any among us, partially disengaged, could undertake the journey. This ye should do and not leave the other undone.

We cannot admit that the resolution implies, "that New Testament ground needs embellishing to make it attractive," and G. C. must be perfectly aware that none of the brethren who voted for it would, for one moment admit any such need. We do not, however, affirm that a number of these would not readily admit, that "New Testament ground" as presented by us, in many instances, very much needs to be freed from disfigurements which bad workmen strew over its surface. Such disfigurements are repulsive to cultivated minds, and the removal of them would do much in the direction indicated by the resolution. The assertion concerning churches, from London to Edinburgh does not say much, for only the leading churches are referred to, and what proportion of the whole may be included under that head we are not able to say. Then, it is not sufficient that "those brethren best fitted for preaching and teaching engage in those duties." If in some churches there are not brethren fairly fitted to carry on preaching meetings, such meetings should not be held. Work by other means and wait till the fitted men are found. We are invited to remember, 66 that 'men, in God's sight, are sinners (and not separated into classes), and that the power of God for the salvation of the sinner is the Gospel." True, sinners are sinners, and there is but one Gospel and way of salvation. But then, why say, "Not separated into classes?" The fact is that sinners are separated into classes, and though God has not provided more than one Gospel, the Bible, by clearest example, shows that to a proper extent these class separations have been and must be regarded; only by giving them due recognition can you bring the one and only Gospel to bear upon sinners in the largest degree. For one class you provide an ordinary Sundayschool; for another class, lower down, that school is of no use and you set up a ragged school, and you do this that you may tell them of Jesus. For your general neighbours you open the chapel on Lord's day evening; a certain class of fallen ones never find their way to that service. For them you hold a midnight meeting and preach Christ, and thus save some by remembering that sinners are separated into classes. If you may thus adapt your modes of operation to the street Arab and to the fallen woman, can it be so alarming, and so unworthy of us, to suit, in some measure, certain activities to the better bringing of cultivated outcasts under the influence of the Gospel. ED.

but

MANCHESTER NONCONFORMIST CONFERENCE. WE regret having to go to press too early to notice the proceedings of this important conference. Some of its facts and lessons will be noted

next month.

ED.