to prevail upon them to leave the island; but, conscious of their innocence, and also of their duty, they steadily declined. To save their lives, however, from the fury of the whites, they sought refuge on board a King's ship, from which, nevertheless, they were repulsed on the miserable pretence of want of accommodation. In February, Mr. Knibb was released, his enemies being constrained to admit that there was no evidence to support a criminal prosecution. In March, however, such a prosecution was instituted against him; and, although every attempt had been made to conceal the intention till the last moment, yet, on the day of trial no fewer than 300 witnesses were assembled to prove his innocence. Need we wonder that, in the face of such an array, the Attorney-general preferred entering a nolle prosequi? Meantime the destruction of chapels and other mission premises had begun, and on the 7th of February, Mr. Knibb's chapel at Falmouth was razed to the ground, by the men of St. Ann's regiment; and on his return, Mr. Knibb himself was assailed in his lodgings, and threatened with extreme personal violence. Shortly after his liberation, Mr. Knibb assisted General Miller, at his own request, in an examination of the prisoners at Montego Bay. The result was to make it more evident than ever, that the missionaries, so far from having instigated the insurgents, had done their utmost to restrain them, to prevent an outbreak, and afterwards to moderate its fury and curtail its dura tion. The other missionaries agreed that Mr. Knibb should proceed to England, and, in unison with Mr. Burchell, lay a correct representation of the state of the mission before the British public. Mr. Knibb accordingly sailed with his family on the 26th of April, 1832, and reached this country in the beginning of June, attending the annual meeting of the Baptist Missionary Society, at Spafields chapel, on the 21st of June. Most memorable day! Hitherto, the committee had strictly enjoined upon their missionary agents the entire avoidance of all questions of a political nature-an injunction not more rigidly enforced than consistently obeyed. Mr. Knibb, however, now boldly declared that the Society's missionary stations could no longer exist in Jamaica without the entire and immediate abolition of slavery. The secretary had given him a previous admonition to be moderate; and just as he had assured the audience, already excited to a pitch of enthusiastic indignation, by his woeful tale of slaughtered negroes, imprisoned missionaries, and ruined chapels, that the negroes would never be allowed to worship God in peace till slavery was entirely abolished, the same worthy brother and one or more others, apprehensive lest the Society should be involved in the question of abolition, significantly plucked the tail of the speaker's coat. He paused, gave a lightning glance at the atrocities of the past, the glorious possibilities of the future, and the terrible responsibilities of his own position; and then concentrat ing all his energies of thought, feeling, and voice, he exclaimed," Whatever may be the consequence, I WILL SPEAK. At the risk of my connexion with the Society, and all I hold dear, I will avow this; and if the friends of missions will not hear me, I will turn and tell it to my God; nor will I desist till their greatest of crimes, slavery, is removed, and Glory to God in the highest,' inscribed as it were upon the British flag!" The resolution was decisive. Then sounded the knell of slavery. Mr. Knibb carried the meeting, and subsequently the whole country with him, and in May, 1833, Mr. (now Lord) Stanley introduced to the House of Commons his celebrated bill for the abolition of slavery throughout the British colonies. Mr. Knibb's appeals to the public and to the government on behalf of the mission were responded to by both; the former nobly answering to the claims of Christian charity, and the latter to those of simple justice. In the autumn of 1834, Mr. Knibb and Mr. Burchell returned to Jamaica, where they were welcomed with exceeding joy. On the 14th of February, the foundation stone of the new chapel at Falmouth was laid. Mr. Knibb now applied himself with renewed assiduity to the promotion of education; and on the 26th of September, 1835, began to build a Lancasterian school in Trelawney for children of all denominations. His 66 land. new chapel was opened on the 16th of | was the second time Mr. Knibb had April, 1836, under circumstances of un- brought the subject under the notice paralleled interest. So large was the of the friends of missions in Engattendance, that six preachers were sim- | He had, on his visit to this ultaneously engaged in addressing as country in 1840, induced the committee many sections of the gathered multitude. to entertain the design; and, in point The premature termination of that of fact, the mission was commenced by transition state, -negro apprentice- | the embarkation of Messrs. Clarke and ship," was foreshadowed by the volun- Prince, for Fernando Po, on the 13th of tary arrangements of Mr. Knibb's own | October, 1840. flock. After due reflection, he mentioned to them his own conviction of the sinfulness of holding apprentices, who were in reality slaves, and desired those of them who were in that predicament to think upon the subject. Excepting three persons only, all promised to free their apprentices, and their noble example was extensively followed. On the 1st of August, 1838, all the slaves were declared by law entirely free. Mr. Knibb congregated his people the night before, and as the clock began to strike twelve called upon them to enter. As the twelfth stroke vibrated on their ears, he exclaimed, "The monster is dead! The negro is free! Three cheers | for the Queen!" The call was promptly obeyed; and as morning dawned, the monster, under the appropriate emblems of whips and fetters, collected in a coffin, appropriately inscribed, was ceremo- | niously buried amid suitable rejoicings. Thus did Mr. Knibb live to realise the happiest result of the resolution he expressed in Spafields chapel. In the spring of 1845, he once more visited his native land, and then for the last time. The scene had again changed. Once more he was destined to be the bearer of evil tidings. The disposition to tyrannise and oppress had, in spite of abolition, found new means of indulgence. Taxation furnished the cords of a new scourge; and Mr. Knibb's mission was to obtain pecuniary aid for the oppressed and exhausted churches. He succeeded. On the 1st of July he again bade a public farewell to his friends in England; and a few days after returned to his adopted country. On Lord's-day, Nov. 9th, he baptized 45 persons, and preached in the evening, apparently in the enjoyment of his usual health; but after the service he returned home in the rain, and on Tuesday was smitten with the fatal fever which terminated his career. The editor of the Nonconformist says of him, "Philanthropy mourns, in his departure, the loss of her most undaunted champion— religion, the extinction of one of her brightest lights. Without undervaluing the worth of other missionaries in the island of Jamaica, William Knibb appear Mr. Knibb's next measure for the benefit of the negro, was the purchase, by the aid of friends in England, of a tract of ground, with a view of furnish-ed to us to be the genius and the soul of ing independent residence and occupation hereafter for the peasantry, who might thus find their own subsistence, and strengthen the interests of the colony. He also formed a Normal school | at the village of Kettering, in Trelawney, for the training of native and other school-mistresses both for Jamaica and Africa. In January, 1842, the missionaries resolved to detach themselves from the funds of the parent society, after the 1st of August then next ensuing. On this occasion, Mr. Knibb was once more deputed to visit England, to give a statement of the condition of the churches, and also to promote the native African mission, and the establishment of a theological seminary, as auxiliary to that object. This Negro freedom. The glowing earnestness of his heart lighted his way to the happiest and most successful plans for elevating the people of his adoption to freedom, civilization, and piety....All honor to his memory! Many have done well, but he excelled them all....We cannot see such a man--so earnest, yet withal so radiant with love-so highminded, yet so bitterly maligned-so superior to the blandishments of false friends, and so unflinching in the presence of the sternest foes-pass away from amongst us without a momentary outburst of feeling....He was the best instance we have met with of Christian love on fire." to prevail upon them to leave the island; however, now act in the matter as their but, conscious of their innocence, and | Society's misor hearts will dictate, every also of their duty, they steadily declined. longer exist take the responsibility of sayTo save their lives, however, from the tire and ether he is included in this fury of the whites, they sought refuge The sec description ;" that is, whether he on board a King's ship, from which, admo evangelical views" on the leadnevertheless, they were repulsed on the doctrines and ordinances of the gosmiserable pretence of want of accom- el; men are to meet "on the footing of modation. recognising not one another's churchmanship, but one another's chris In February, Mr. Knibb was released his enemies being constrained to adr he e that there was no evidence to supp Pse churches or of denominations, but of But have It is to be "not an alliance of alone, and not for his body, and each churches to individuals; each answering for himself All these recognizing his brother only, and not beyond this is each to know that those whom he and love of his brother's denomination."" knowing criminal prosecution. In March ment; ? himself and t' viole Mr hi t) clothing, but who are christian inwardly are But how thus recognizes are brethren in Christ? Are they known to have given evidence minister of Christ. He it is enough that they consider themhe professes to be so, or of conversion to God? By no means: one of those who come in selves to hold evangelical views. But ring wolves. If a meeting be held oneself a christian is far from being with a view to cherish among christians evidence of true piety; so that this Say that those who meet should be as the standard of christian brotherfeeling of brotherly love, it is neces- basis of "Christian Union," will adopt by each individual to be so, either hood, not a certified possession of faith, to hold evangelical views and think personally, or on Otherwise, he has no credible testimony. but the mere profession of it, associated scriptural reasons with certain evangelical views. The of to believe them to be christians, and proceedings of such a body would unesteem for them as such; but on the its members, and lead to their closer cannot therefore exercise an intelligent doubtedly manifest the piety of many o will be giving his testimony to union and more fervent love, but nothing the piety of numbers, whose self-decep- has ever been more fatal to the progress the Pell thereby be most injuriously of true christianity, than the union of the sanctioned, to the misrepresentation of people of God with mere worldly pro contrary sane piety, and perhaps to their own fessors as true disciples. To unite with eternal ruin. them in that character instead of being The proposed terms therefore on which The meeting convened at Exeter christian union, is the union of the Hall, in 1843, consisted of ، stated com - | church with the world. municants" in the various protestant bodies; thus recognising as true chris-individuals are to be recognized as christians all who are eligible to attend the tians, involves similar evils as the recog Lord's-supper, even in the churches of nition of bodies which include no small England and Scotland, where evidence of portion of worldly members, as chrisa change is not essential to communion. tian churches. The only means of avoid That involved the recognition of the ing it seems to be, either to receive none mere formalist or moralist as a true into a professed union of christians, but christian, and of churches which em- those who are known on credible testibrace large masses of the ungodly as mony to be converted men; or else not churches of Christ. The basis adopted to attempt a union of christians as such at the late conference at Liverpool for at all, but simply to propose certain convening a meeting at London during common objects, the very prosecution of the present year is thus stated by Dr. which, while it does not involve the Candlish in an excellent speech deli- formal recognition of all who are vered by him at Glasgow. " The | engaged in it as christians, will have general rule will be not to invite parties, the natural tendency to promote love hy among the people of God, | for this spirit of compliance is sure to se of the Bible and Reli- deteriorate the system which it seeks to cieties. As Dr. Cox has extend, and to confirm the prejudices in a recent article on which it seeks to overthrow. The issue "If our charity be of the process is ever the same:" pp. le, it will be des- 43, 44. And yet there are some even They labour for now who plead that the surest way to ruth....All love advance truth is to accommodate primilove for the tive christianity to the existence of modern errors. To such an argument the history of early corruptions emphatically replies, that such a course of declension is sure in the end to confirm the very errors it is designed to overthrow. ESULT OF ACCOMMODATING CHRISTIANITY TO CORRUPT PRAC TICES. THE well-informed author of a little work just published by the Tract Society, "The Dark Ages," speaking of the accommodation of christianity to heathen practices with a view to its more easy extension, says, "The Jews were forbidden to compromise the character of their religion by accommodating themselves to heathen practices; and an inspired apostle, indignant at the thought of amalgamating christianity with paganism, exclaims, 'What communion hath light with darkness? what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?'....The result of such mistaken policy might have been foreseen, THE TRUTH MUST NOT BE BOUND. THE truth, the whole truth, must be told, and repeatedly told. The whole counsel of God must be declared. People must be informed in a kind, affectionate and firm way, what is wrong as well as what is right. Union is good if it grow out of superior piety, and is based on truth. Bnt we must not agree to be silent on great principles which affect the kingdom of Jesus in order to be praised as kind, liberal, and destitute of sectarianism. J. BATES. History. THE EPISTLE BY CLEMENT FROM THE, PROBABLY the first, certainly the best of the writers conversant with the apostles, are Clement of Rome, and the unknown author of the epistle to Diognetus. The epistle to Diognetus was not discovered and published till 1592, but the internal evidence of its high antiquity is so decisive, that it is generally acknowledged to have been written in or near the apostolic age. The latter part of the epistle, however, to the extent of a chapter and a half (as now divided,) has various evidences of being part of it interpolated, or altogether a spurious addition made at a much later date. The earlier parts of the epistle are free from the spirit of allegory so prevalent in following ages; but the part referred to is not only allegorical, and inferior in its cast of thought, but as Dr. Bennett says, in his Lectures on the Theology of the Ancient Christian Church, "its date and design are betrayed by a charge CHRISTIANITY ESSENTIAL TO CHRIS- but for men to act in the matter as their TIAN UNION. consciences or hearts will dictate, every man shall take the responsibility of sayTo love Christ, is to love his people, ing whether he is included in this but his people must be known in order general description;" that is, whether he to be loved. With some men we are holds "evangelical views" on the leadsufficiently familiar, either in public or ing doctrines and ordinances of the gosprivate life, to have personal evidence pel; men are to meet "on the footing of that the spirit of God dwells in them; recognising not one another's churchof the piety of others we have credible manship, but one another's christestimony, either from friends on whose tianity." It is to be "not an alliance of judgment we can rely, or from the fact churches or of denominations, but of that they are members of churches to individuals; each answering for himself which those only are received who have alone, and not for his body, and each given evidence of true piety. All these recognizing his brother only, and not claim from us the esteem and love of his brother's denomination."" 'But how brethren in Christ. But beyond this is each to know that those whom he we have no means of knowing who are thus recognizes are brethren in Christ? Christ's. A person is not a christian Are they known to have given evidence merely because he professes to be so, or of conversion to God? By no means: even to be a minister of Christ. He it is enough that they consider themmay be one of those who come in selves to hold evangelical views. But sheep's clothing, but inwardly are to hold evangelical views and think ravening wolves. If a meeting be held oneself a christian is far from being with a view to cherish among christians evidence of true piety; so that this a feeling of brotherly love, it is neces-basis of "Christian Union," will adopt sary that those who meet should be as the standard of christian brotherknown by each individual to be so, either personally, or on credible testimony. Otherwise, he has no scriptural reasons to believe them to be christians, and cannot therefore exercise an intelligent esteem for them as such; but on the contrary will be giving his testimony to the piety of numbers, whose self-deception will thereby be most injuriously sanctioned, to the misrepresentation of true piety, and perhaps to their own eternal ruin. The meeting convened at Exeter Hall, in 1843, consisted of "stated communicants" in the various protestant bodies; thus recognising as true christians all who are eligible to attend the Lord's-supper, even in the churches of England and Scotland, where evidence of a change is not essential to communion. That involved the recognition of the mere formalist or moralist as a true christian, and of churches which embrace large masses of the ungodly as churches of Christ. The basis adopted at the late conference at Liverpool for convening a meeting at London during the present year is thus stated by Dr. Candlish in an excellent speech delivered by him at Glasgow. "The general rule will be not to invite parties, hood, not a certified possession of faith, but the mere profession of it, associated with certain evangelical views. The proceedings of such a body would undoubtedly manifest the piety of many of its members, and lead to their closer union and more fervent love, but nothing has ever been more fatal to the progress of true christianity,than the union of the people of God with mere worldly professors as true disciples. To unite with them in that character instead of being christian union, is the union of the church with the world. The proposed terms therefore on which individuals are to be recognized as christians, involves similar evils as the recog nition of bodies which include no small portion of worldly members, as christian churches. The only means of avoiding it seems to be, either to receive none into a professed union of christians, but those who are known on credible testimony to be converted men; or else not to attempt a union of christians as such at all, but simply to propose certain common objects, the very prosecution of which, while it does not involve the formal recognition of all who are engaged in it as christians, will have the natural tendency to promote love |