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this period, we will briefly describe its constitution and form of worship, together with its leading characteristics and customs, gathering our information on these points from the best and most trusted authorities.

The primitive form of Church-government has been a subject of perpetual dispute from a very early age down to the present day. Episcopalians say that the number of presbyters or pastors contained in one city or district was superintended and ruled by a single person called a Bishop. Presbyterians say that these Pastors formed a council of elders, having a president or ruling elder, but all having equal rank and equal rights. In this they say, the precedent of the Jewish Synagogue was strictly followed.

Con

gregationalists (including both Independents and Baptists) say that there was neither bishop nor conncil of elders placed over the churches of a given district, but that the bishop of those days was simply the pastor or presiding elder of each individual church, which was complete in itself, and free from any control from without; and that this bishop or pastor was chosen by the church itself. In support of this latter view, besides the uniform tenor of the New Testament on the subject, may be cited the admission of nearly all writers on Church history, including Episcopalians, like Milner and Dean Waddington, that the term "bishop, and presbyter or elder were in the first instance used synonymously, and applied indiscriminately to the same order in the ministry." Also, that at first and for some time, church governors consisted of two ranks-presbyters and deacons.* It

is for those who admit that there were no bishops, or synods of elders in the modern sense of the words, in the primitive church, to justify if they can their introduction at any subsequent period.

The form of worship of this early age was very similar to our own; but there were certain things peculiar to those days, as the assembling in private houses; the free scope given to the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit bestowed on individual members, the brotherly meal or love feast, and the holy kiss of salvation. The latter custom, which bespeaks at once its Eastern origin and local character, lingered in the church till it began to give rise to abuses which

Waddington's History of the Church, Chap. 2, p. 21. Milner's Church History, vol. 1, p. 161.

deprived it of all its original simplicity and beauty. At particular times, as when the newly baptized were received into the communion of the church, when a brother or sister from a distant church brought letters of commendation; and when, in times of persecution, the members parted and dispersed, not knowing whether they might not be called to torture and to death on the morrow,-the "holy kiss" must have had peculiar and touching significance.*

The Agape or love-feast probably had its origin in the last supper of our Lord with his disciples. It is only once referred to in Scripture, in Jude ver. 12.-" these are spots in your feasts of charity" or love. They were simple meals of brotherly love, answering somewhat to modern teameetings, but much more interesting and earnest, in which all members of the church, of whatever rank or condition, partook together upon terms of perfect equality as fellow members of the same household. Before eating the guests washed their hands; public prayer was then offered up, and after the meal a portion of Scripture was read and free conference thereupon allowed; then letters of information, sympathy, or advice from other churches were read. Hymns and psalms were sung, and last of all a collection was made for the poor, the bereaved, and the persecuted. None but the full members of the church were allowed to be present, and it may easily be imagined that this social meal of the church derived special interest from the state of suffering, persecution and trial, which was its constant lot in those early

*With regard to the meeting of the Christians on the Lord's day,-Justyn Martyr gives the following account:-(A.D. 150.)

"On the day called Sunday there is an assembling together of all who dwell in the cities or country, when the memoirs of the Evangelists and the writings of the Apostles are read, as long as circumstances permit. Then when the elder has ceased, the president delivers a discourse, in which he admonishes all to the imitation of these things. Then we all rise together and pray, and prayer being ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president offers prayers and thanksgivings according to his ability, and the people express their assent by saying Amen; and then the distribution of that over which the thanksgiving has been pronounced takes place to each, and each partakes, and a portion is sent to the absent by the Deacons." they who are wealthy give as much as they deem fit, and whatever is collected is deposited 'with the president,' to succour the orphans and widows, those who are in bonds and in want. We meet together on Sunday because it is the first day of the week, and on this day Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead."

And

times. As the number of Christians increased and persecution lessened, various irregularities and abuses in this feast made their appearance, which called for public censure, and at length the custom was altogether abolished.

Of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, there is no need to speak. -Multitudes of extracts from the writings of the most learned and able advocates of Infant sprinkling might be given to show that they freely admit that immersion was the only primitive and ancient

SATURDAY

Ir was once said by a beloved minister,"It is well to have short reckonings with Christ." It is so; and that servant is happy who closes each day with the assurance that all things are graciously made right between him and his master. We cannot too often go over our affairs with Jesus, and there is no joy like the consciousness that we have gained his ear, even if the burden of our communication be, of sins for him to pardon, of infirmities for him to cover, of mistakes for him to rectify. Rutherford said truly, "I am always making wounds for Christ to heal" and again, "I give Christ a lap full of broken bones to set." Yet at special reckoning seasons the believer has other things to mention,―mercies, service, desires and wants.

A quiet Saturday evening has often seemed a fitting time for profitable meditation, and sometimes it has been a season of sweet communion. Another week of the wilderness journey is past, and the promised land is nearer. During the week sorrows may have been the portion, or joys may have been cast into the cup. They are alike nothing, while we remember that "the time is short."

"When we stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o'er life's finished story,"

Then the things of time will appear of no account in themselves, only important as the out-workings of our Father's purpose.

With mercy and with judgment
My web of time he wove,

And aye the dews of sorrow
Were lustred with his love.

I'll bless the hand that guided,

I'll bless the heart that planned,
When throned, were glory dwellet'ı
In Immanuel's land.

Well, the week with its discipline of joy or sorrow is past. We need to ask that

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present profit may be derived, and the heart, by all, be drawn nearer to God.

In reviewing the days how much sin is to be confessed. What want of conformity to the requirement-supreme love to God, and sincere love to our neighbour. In whatever forms this contrariety to the Lord has been manifested, it may be confessed to him with whom alone it is possible to cover sin righteously.

Then it is well afresh to offer unto Jesus the service which may have occupied the hands. We have sought to do something for him. The effort may have been feeble, the work very imperfect; but we may remind our Lord that it was for him, and ask that it may not be lost.

These are some of the thoughts on the past week; but it is the eve of a blissful day, designed to call to mind the resurrection of our Surety. We love to have the day devoted to him, and for this we need his love manifested to our souls as we breathe the prayer

"On this day, the first of seven,
Sinners we, through grace forgiven,
Meet before the God of heaven;

Saviour let us hear thy voice!
From our hearts remove all sadness,
Fill our souls with holy gladness,
All the worlding's mirth is madness,
But thy people may rejoice."

We have many desires for the day to be
laid before God, who will never leave his
children to ask, "What profit should we
have if we pray unto the Almighty?"
Our own souls need feeding and teaching,
the church needs strengthening and re-
freshing, and there are many wanderers
within hearing of the word for whose
salvation we should plead. The fervent
pleaders for Lord's-day blessings shall
often say, from heart-felt experience, "How
beautiful are the feet of them that preach
the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings
of good things."
M. A. B.

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"I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.” -SONG vi. 11.

THESE are the words of Jesus, and declare how deep is the interest which he takes in his church. He comes down into his "garden," that he may observe the growth and fruit of his saints. "Nuts" are nowhere else used in scripture emblematically. Doubtless they are here employed to represent the hidden riches of grace in the word-the sweet and nutritious kernel beneath the hard shell. It is generally thought that the walnut is here intended, with its bitter outer husk, its hard shell, and sweet kernel. The word of God is distasteful to the careless. The soul when awakened by the Holy Spirit finds the letter of scripture to be hard, until receiving farther light, he perceives its sweet inner spirit.

"Electing love-vicarious sacrifice-
Eternal union-grace invincible,

Are "nuts" which Pharisees could never crack;
They only see the shell, and that despise
As hard, repulsive, indigestible!

But to the saints these gospel "nuts" afford
An oily kernel, sweet, nutritious fare-
Faith breaks the shell, and then the soul can feed
On covenant settlements and fix'd decrees.
Not like the wayside, hedge-row, free will "nuts"
Of creature righteousness-all shell-
Which those who pluck can never feed upon;
But solid, full, substantial fruits are found
In gospel doctrines-Zion's 'garden nuts.""

The "garden of nuts," and "the fruits of

the valley," may also refer to the matured experience of believers. These are the fruits of autumn, not to be seen in the young and inexperienced child of God; but only in matured, experienced, and deeply tried saints. "The fruits of the valley" are the fruits of humiliation. A precious saint of God, now in glory, says, "The nuts' and 'fruits of the valley' represent the fathers in Christ; the flourishing vines, the young men; and the budding pomegranates, the babes. Thus the Lord has his eye upon each; looking for fruit in the long tried christian, for a flourishing state in his vineyard, and in the pomegranates for the early buds. "Fruit in his season,' psalm i. 3."

All

From this verse we may observe that Christ takes particular care of all believers. He watches over all, and misses none. He takes notice of the greatest, but does not pass by the meanest. Jesus has a variety of plants in the gospel church, and He looks for fruit from each. saints have gifts and graces differing the one from the other; some bear ripe fruit, others are full of blossoms, and others are but just putting forth buds; but the observant eye of Jesus looks with pleasure on each. If Christ is concerned that we should bear much fruit, and that our fruit should remain, let us seek grace that we may be filled with the peaceable fruits of righteousnesss.

words which it is not lawful (not possible) for a man to utter." (2 Cor. xii. 2-4.) "When Christ comes down amidst His 'garden nuts,'

And bids His faithful gard'ners break the shell
Of doctrines, by proclaiming all His truth;
Babes, men, and fathers, find the kernel sweet,
And joy pervades the family of God.

Each heav'n-born soul admitted to the feast,
And favour'd with the presence of the Lord,
Is overwhelm'd with love-and with surprise
Exclaims, 'My Lord is come, I feel His power.'
Jesus, or ever' I could be 'aware,'
Call'd all His graces into exercise,
And made my soul so lively in His ways,
That, like the chariots of Ammin-adib,'
Swiftly propell'd, I moved along the road-
A WILLING subject of triumphant grace.

Such visits of King Jesus to His Church,
Where gospel truths and gospel fruits abound,
Make all the graces active-draw the soul,
Ere it's aware,' with might invincible,
Out-running chariots of Ammin-adib;'
'MADE WILLING' in Jehovah's day of 'power,'

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Onward propell'd by grace omnipotent-
In full assurance of the Saviour's love-
With joy and peace created by His smile,
The soul aspires, as if half glorified,
And gains a foretaste of eternal bliss."
JOSEPH IRONS.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I thank you and your dear sister for every token of kindness, and rejoice if I am rendering any real benefit to your edification in divine things; and, indeed, they are the only things we can long enjoy, and must ever lay claim to our highest affections.

As to my seeing you on some particular exercise to which you seem to refer, I shall always be ready to do so when opportunity is presented. I hope nothing very serious occasioned your writing; as to exercises of mind, you will find time, prayer, faith, hope, and patience bring you through them, the Lord having engaged to work in them and by them.

As to being attacked in new forms, that need not alarm you. Wisdom is above subtilty, and you are to learn to use your armour and weapons in all ways, and to stand by faith in the truth, part of which truth is, that greater is he that is in you

than he that is in the world. Going by a way you knew not before, is only the fulfilment of scripture. (Isa. xlii. 16.) For a mind to be "devilish" is bad indeed. (James iii. 15.) It seems to be connected with envy and strife, and is opposed to the wisdom that descends from above. Hold fast your profession; keep your eye upon the character and achievements of your Leader; call forth patience and courage, and you will find the enemy flee. The enemy is always limited as to time, and by the power to which you commit your safety. Grace be multiplied unto you, and peace, through the knowledge of Christ Jesus, our exalted and victorious Lord.

Your affectionate pastor,

JOHN STEVENS.

Respecting sanctity, it has its degrees, and even where there is no sin, it may not be had in the highest degree.

DEAR MR. EDITOR,

Permit me to ask your correspondent, George Peake, a few questions through the medium of your valuable pages, and

First,-What is baptism? If we cannot speak of it as the door of admission to the church, yet surely it is an indispensable pre-requisite to church membership.

Secondly,-What constitutes a church of Christ according to New Testament order? Not simply a body of believers who have first given themselves to the Lord, and afterwards to one another; but a body of baptized believers: therefore every

society that admits to its fellowship unbaptized (i.e. not immersed) members, cannot be a church according to New Testament order. We do not insinuate for a minute they are not christians; neither is it in us to detract from or ignore their many christian excellencies, or affirm they are not of the church of Christ, but simply state they do not observe New Testament order.

Thirdly,-What is the Lord's supper? From every scriptural mention thereof tho only legitimato conclusion we can come to is, that it is a church ordinance, and none but church members have a right to partake thereof.

Fourthly, Should we, as strict Baptists, commune with an open communion church? Not for a moment, I say.

Fifthly,-What admitting to our communion baptized members of an unbaptized society (ie. where members are not all baptized) involves?

I answer,

I. The administration of the ordinance to those who are not church members according to New Testament order.

II. A practical recognition and approval of the open communionists: for admit to your table those who are with them in membership and sentiment, and you at once acknowledge them as members of a gospel church, seeing none but such have a right to partake of the Lord's supper. Should those we admit be with the open communionists only in membership, disagreeing with them in sentiment, yet so long as they continue their membership with them and commune with them, they practically signify their approval of the order; and admitting them to our table, we join in that approval. Then again

III. The sacrifice of our peculiar principles is involved; for in thus practically recognising and approving of the open communionists, with what ground and argument can we any longer contend for our peculiarities as strict Baptists. By all means we wish to recognise our brethren of all denominations as brethren in Christ, and christians with many excellencies; but while they contiuue in their present practice we cannot recognise them as gospel churches without sacrificing our own principles. Also

Just

IV. Should we admit baptized members of open churches to our table, I cannot see where we shall have much consistency, in these matters at least, left to us. imagine a minister ascending his pulpit and preaching that baptism is an indispensable pre-requisite to church membership, denying that any society receiving unbaptized persons to membership is a church of Christ according to New Testament order; affirming the Lord's supper to be strictly a church ordinance; and refusing to commune with all who differ from him in these matters; and then, descending the pulpit, he immediately invites to commune with him the very persons he has only just now been declaring to be no members of a New Testament church. Alas, for the consistency of such an one! Your correspondent asks, "How can I, consistently with that charity which

is kind' and is 'not puffed up,' exclude him whom Christ has not excluded ?" (from the communion table, I suppose G. P. means.)

But will he produce a single scripture that warrants our doing the least thing that may amount to an approval of these things in our brethren (or at least a conniving at them), wherein they impeach the wisdom and set aside the legislative authority of Christ, and rob him of his honour as King in Zion? All which open communionism does; and in which we also become partial accomplices immediately upon our encouraging the open communionists in the communion question. Surely open communionism is no "minor matter;' "and though imperfect ourselves, yet we are in nowise on that account to overlook palpable and very pernicious errors in others. The analogy produced has no just bearing upon the subject; for a man may be of the most ungodly family living, and yet in every respect a very consistent member of the church of Christ; and in the absence of all scripture "bearing directly upon the matter before us," we are not to be guided by a misconceived charity, but by a scriptural regard for the maintenance of all gospel institutions, the purity and distinctive features of the church, and the authority and honour of Jesus as King in Zion. To conclude, the whole question at issue may be thus defined: Is open communionism so unscriptural and pernicious as to justify our setting our faces entirely against it, even to the refusing to recognise at the communion table those who practice open communionism? Upon this question let the wise and thoughtful ponder. If we admit members of open churches to our table, it will not be very difficult to get our members to join them at theirs, and the next step will be for us all to become open communionists. Some may regard these apprehensions as the result of weakness, and it is easy to imagine the kind of arguments that will be brought forth in opposition to them. Be that as it may, from a candid and impartial survey of the whole subject, I am necessitated to give a negative reply to the query of your "Constant Reader,"

And remain, dear Mr. Editor, Yours (as a watchman on Zion's walls) faithfully,

Over, Cambs., May, 1866.

FREDERICK SHAW.