were not free from error, except so far churches in the first ages as containing as they were under the immediate in-nothing but what was agreeable to spiration of the Holy Spirit; for Paul sound doctrine. For these reasons, says that when Peter came to Antioch, their writings are undoubtedly entitled he" withstood him to his face, because to very high consideration as uninspired he was to be blamed," and that Bar- works; but Archbishop Wake goes so nabas was carried away with his dissi- far as to say that they were "in some mulation: Gal. ii. 11-13. Archbishop measure inspired too," although he Wake therefore, expresses himself too admits that by the common consent of strongly when he says that we cannot the churches of the first ages, they were doubt" that what these early writers not ranked with the inspired writings deliver is "without controversy the pure of the evangelists and apostles. This doctrine of the gospel." Whether it be view he founds on evidence altogether so or not, can be decided only by com- insufficient, deriving it partly from the paring it with the words of the Holy probability that men of such piety and Spirit in the inspired writings, and in station, were not destitute of those excase of any difference between them, it traordinary spiritual gifts which were is certain that the uninspired writers then imparted to so many by the aposare in error. They may have been tles, and partly from testimony that faithful in delivering what they under- they possessed them. But supposing this stood to be the meaning of the apostles, to have been true, all these gifts did not and yet may have mistaken it, or they consist of divine revelations, and as may have recorded incidental parts of even inspired men are not in all things the practices of some of the first inspired, nothing can be received as of churches, which the apostles would divine authority unless it both professes have condemned. They are not, there- to be so, and is attested to be so by suffore, on any account, to be made stand- ficient proof. A work must either be ards of divine truth. They had how-received as wholly inspired, or it must ever, so favourable an opportunity of be treated in every respect as the work knowing what was taught by the apos- of man; for supposing it possible for a tles, and what was practised with their work to be partially inspired, it would sanction, that so far as the writings we be impossible to know what parts were now possess can be proved to be their inspired; and such kind of inspiragenuine compositions, there is the same tion would therefore be useless. But reason to rely on their general accu- while some have exalted these christian racy, that there is to depend on the writings to an unauthorised and dantestimony of pious and well informed gerous eminence, there are others who men of other ages, and the help of their have too much neglected them; and the testimony in illustrating various parts writer, acknowledging himself to be of the New Testament, may therefore, among the number, hopes to select from be expected to be of great value. Arch- them without tediousness, some passages bishop Wake remarks that they had which will commend themselves to not only the advantage of living in others as of service to the interests of apostolical times, of hearing the apos- truth. tles and conversing with them, but were most of them persons of very eminent piety; that they were judged worthy by the apostles to govern some of the most eminent churches in the "ONE thing is certain, that there have world; that they were zealous both in seldom appeared men so disinterested, as instructing these churches in the true Carey, Marshman, and Ward. Carey faith and doctrine of Christ, and in pre-received, for upwards of thirty years, serving them from the contagion of more than 500 dollars a month, [more heresies which even then began to cor- than £100,] as professor to the college rupt the gospel; that their great courage and constancy in the defence of it, proves their integrity, and that their writings were generally received by the

CAREY, MARSHMAN, AND WARD.

of Fort William and Bengalee translator to government. Ward earned equally large sums in the printing office, as did Mr. and Mrs. Marshman by

butchers of Paris,-but, I believe, not always the same. The procession perambulates Paris, and presents itself at half-past one in the Place de Carousel, under the windows of the Tuilleries. It consists of a small detachment of mount

their school. Yet, as Dr. Marshman assured me, they ate at a common table, and drew from the common fund the paltry sum of twelve rupees per month each! The rest went for the support of out-stations, casting types, and the translating and printing of the sacred Scrip-ed dragoons, and some infantry, in the tures. The expense of the Chinese ver- the van, followed by the royal ox, and sion alone, for pundits, types, &c. ex- by a large ornate car, with wheels like a ceeded 100,000 dollars. Never were Roman chariot, the whole colored in blue there more laborious men than the and gold. This is followed by about thirty Serampore missionaries, and never shall persons, in costumes of various periods, we see stronger temptations to amass the prevailing color, scarlet, and among wealth relinquished for the cause of them three persons in tunics, and with Christ. The arrangement for drawing fasces, like the Roman lictors. In fact, six dollars a month for personal expenses I was struck with the belief that I bewas discontinued in 1817, and each held the imitation of a Roman procession drew what he needed; but none of them leading an ox to sacrifice....I was in laid up property for himself. Carey the Place at the time appointed, and saw died without leaving his widow any-in the balcony the king, the queen, the thing. Ward left only about 5000 Compte de Paris, and other members of dollars, the proceeds of his private pro- the royal family. Thirty years ago, perty put to interest on his first leaving the maskers were in great numbers, and England. Marshman is known to be gorgeously attired; and among them poor, and his style of living, now at might be recognized scions of the noleast, is more frugal than that of almost blesse of France: now, the maskers are any other missionary I saw in Hin- reduced to thirty, and consist of the dustan. Many of his measures are lowest of the people. At Cologne the generally disapproved, but his diligence matter stands quite otherwise. and true greatness must stand confessed. year [1844] (I have seen no account of Though it has now become a mere unit this year) [1845] the carnival was one among missions, its history will ever be of the most splendid ever known:-an one of the brightest pages in the records immense procession, numbers of masks, of modern benevolence. The benefits and the whole town devoted to feasting it has produced are lasting as the world. and revelry. A society had been instiIt has been swallowed up in more dif- tuted for the express purpose of reviving fused endeavours, like the morning star this and other ceremonies of the middle giving place to day, swallowed up in ages, and its first attempt was eminently brighter light.". Howard Malcom's successful. The archbishop and digniTravels in South-Eastern Asia, 1839. taries of the church appear to have derived great satisfaction from the result."

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THE CARNIVAL AT PARIS.

COLPORTEURS FOR SCOTLAND.

DEAR SIR,-If men, well instructed

THIS fête is thus described by an eyewitness of it in the spring of last year. "It is only the wreck of what it was thirty years ago. Mardi gras is the in the bible and in ecclesiastical history, grand day (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the commencement of Lent.) The best beast at the Christmas cattle show sustains the honors of the fête. A procession takes place on the previous Sunday, but the grand procession is on the Tuesday. It is under the management of one of the principal

were appointed to travel through Scotland from house to house, reading the scriptures, conversing on subjects connected with them and having bibles, testaments, and tracts to sell, or, if needed, to give away, they would, I think, do much to increase the kingdom of our Lord. Yours,

W. Z.

Letters.

CHRISTIAN COMMUNION CHURCHES.

Walworth, Dec. 4th, 1845.

"Allow me to notice thirdly that the church is a spiritual association of men as christians. Its members are born of God. They are the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty.

"That this is their true character is

plain. The church is the body of Christ: living members of a living Head. It is a building of God, composed of spiritual stones. It is the special object of the Saviour's affection, who loved it and gave himself for it.'

DEAR SIR, I see that in the Primitive Church Magazine for December you make some remarks upon Christian Communion Churches, as they are called. These remarks are founded in part upon an address of mine delivered at the formation of the Church at High Wycombe. That address you have of course not seen. A brief abstract of it, such as is given in the Patriot cannot fairly be made the ground of any enlightened criticism. That abstract I did not see till it was in print, and though not sure that I could have made a better, for it is not easy to put in ten lines the substance of five hundred-I am not prepared to be bound by it; at all events not prepared, if words and phrases which were never used, are to be explained in a sense of which I'their fellowship in the gospel,' and 'the should never have dreamt even if I had used them.

Not doubting that you will insert the portion of the address you criticise, I venture to inclose it. Our common object is (if I may say so) the advancement of truth. And if it should be the means of calling attention to the lessons of Scripture on this question, I shall rejoice. The progress of truth is incomparably dearer to us all than is the progress of opinions we deem true. If a heathen could prefer the wreck of the universe to injustice (Fiat justitia) surely the weakest christian will prefer the triumph of divine truth to the petty self-satisfaction that might arise from the triumph of his own views. My principles are dear to me only as I believe them to be pleasing to God.

How far the honoured brethren who took part in the service, agree in my exposition of the advocated principles, I cannot say you will of course not hold them to be responsible for more than was implied in their presence and co-operation at the meeting. Yours sincerely, JOSEPH ANGUS.

"And this was the character of the first churches. The persons added to them were those who were being saved.' The church at Rome were the

beloved of God,' whose faith was spoken of throughout all the world. The church at Corinth were the 'sanctified in Christ Jesus.' The church in Galatia were the children of the promise.' The church at Phillippi had

good work was begun' in them. The church at Colosse were the saints in that city who had 'been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom' of God's dear Son. The church at Thessalonica were those to whom the gospel had 'come not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance.' The churches James addressed 'were begotten with the word of truth that they might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.'

"All these expressions (I need not say) serve to support the conclusions drawn from them that the Church of Christ is a spiritual association of men converted by divine grace through the truth, relying in Christ as their salvation and hope, and by virtue of their faith in him bringing forth the fruit of a holy life devoted to his cause.

"This then is the New Testament church. And such this church is intended to be. A Baptist church it is not. A Christian church of baptized believers I hope it will ever be. Let me explain and enforce this distinction.

"In a Baptist church, baptism (as wel weekly collections, are no churches at understand the term) is essential to all. And how can you answer them? membership. In a christian church the The argument goes even further than possession of true faith is alone essen- this. You say all members of the tial. A Christian church of baptized primitive churches were baptized, therebelievers therefore is a church of chris- fore no one unbaptized can be a member tians who have each felt the profession of the church.' May I not say with of faith by baptism to be Christ's ordi- equal truth, All primitive christians nance, and have therefore observed it. were baptized, therefore no one unbapThey are in church-fellowship because tized can be a christian? If, because they are Christians. They have been all members of the church were bapbaptized because they feel that bap- tized, baptism is essential to membertism is the law of Christ, binding upon ship, surely it is equally just to say that them. How obvious, and may I not say, because all christians were baptized, how just is this distinction! How con- therefore baptism is essential to chrissistent with all that has been said of the tianity.

character of the church. It is an asso- "But let us look at the consequences ciation of believers. The members of of this reasoning in actual life. That the first churches were distinguished by church (it is said) is not a christian one their faith. Other things there were which has unbaptized members. Then that were peculiar to them, but this was the great body of christians in this their grand peculiarity; this was the country are not in church fellowship. bond of their union. Hence the Co-Their churches are unscriptural associarinthian church to whom Paul addressed tions. Their deacons and pastors inthe words of the ordinance of the Lord's- truders, and they themselves, however supper are described simply as the sanc-holy, cannot be treated as christians, or tified in Christ Jesus who call, in common known as christians, or share in the with other christians, on Jesus Christ pleasures or improvement of Christian our Lord. That this is the true definition fellowship, or stand forth as avowed folof the church, a body of believers, and lowers of Christ, or commemorate his not a baptized body of believers,-will death, till they see with us on baptism. appear plain if we look for one moment All the duties of christian brotherhood at the argument by which this latter must remain unfulfilled till they disdefinition is defended. charge a duty which most of them think "All members of the primitive churches they have discharged; and which, if were baptized, it is said, therefore no undischarged, will hardly justify the one who has not been baptized can be a neglect of the rest. The members of member of the church. the Colossian church who (as Paul en

"All primitive churches were compos- joined) 'continued in prayer and watched ed of baptized members, and therefore in the same with thanksgiving,' were that church is not a christian one which baptized, for they were buried with receives as members the unbaptized. Christ in baptism, and had risen_with "This is the reasoning. Let us see him.' Will you be consistent and forto what conclusion it leads. 'That bid christians to pray and be thankful church is not a christian one which has unless they first be baptized? Is there unbaptized members,' because all mem- in truth any thing like this in the bers of the primitive church were bap- whole department of christian morals tized. Carry out this principle. Some that because I cannot see it right to do of our Scotch friends maintain (and in one particular as you, therefore other with much reason) that the primitive duties shall be left undone? churches had each several Pastors or "How then will you avert these conTeachers, that they had weekly collec- clusions? Do you say-Let such christions and no paid ministry. From tians join other churches? Nay, but these facts (which of course we are jus- those churches are not (you have said) tified in imitating) they conclude that churches of Christ. Will it atone for one even the strictest Baptist churches having sin-the non-observance of baptism-to one Pastor instead of many, and that commit another and maintain a system one supported by them, and not having which the Bible condemns? Will not