brethren, that our Lord Jesus Christ, whose servants we are, has, by his apostles, commanded his churches that they withdraw themselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and that, according to the traditions received from them, that they mark those that cause scandals among them; and if any obey not the word, that they note that man, and have no fellowship with him, that he may be ashamed; and that if any brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or railer, or drunkard, or extortioner, (and, upon the same principles, if he be a liar, or one that defrauds others) they should not eat with such an one, but that (though such as are without are to be referred to the judgment of God) they judge those that are within to put away from themselves such wicked persons. These, brethren, are the precepts of Christ, according to which, by our entering into church fellowship, we engaged to walk, and we apprehend that a neglect of these precepts, and the discipline of the Church of Christ, which should be founded upon them, is a great evil, which often provokes God to withdraw from his people, and hinder the success of other ordinances while this is neglected. "We do, therefore, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, beseech you that you would attend to these precepts, and would consent to proper measures for the regular exercise of discipline amongst us; and, as we have observed that several have withdrawn themselves from the table of the Lord, though their names stand as members among us, we desire the church would take it into consideration, and that if it shall be found, as we fear it will, that some have withdrawn on account of such irregularities in their behaviour as have given scandal and offence, we can not think the matter ought to rest merely in their withdrawing from us, but that it is our duty, as a church, solemnly to admonish them, and where the offence has been great and public, to separate them from our communion till God shall give them repentance to the acknowledgment of their sin, after which it is our undoubted duty, on a suitable time of trial, with proper declarations of their repentance, to admit them again in the spirit of love and rejoicing in their recovery. "We do, therefore, in concurrence with our pastor, by whose approbation we write these things, exhort you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you enter into a serious disquisition of these things, and advise that you appoint a day on which they may be solemnly discussed, at which the members of the church shall be present, and such only; at which time we, the elders, are ready to exhibit a list of several persons absenting themselves from communion, of whose cases the church will do well to judge, that such measures may be taken concerning them as the precepts of our common Lord direct; and we desire that the elders may now be commissioned, in the name of the church, to give notice to such persons as they shall think proper to attend at that meeting, that if they have any thing to offer in favour of themselves, and their own conduct, they may be heard, and all due regard may be paid to their defence; they being also, in the name of the church, informed that if they do not attend, their absenting themselves, without special reason assigned, will be taken as a confession of their being incapable of offering any excuse, so that the church will accordingly proceed against them. To this, as our unanimous advice to the church, we have here set our hands, that if any of us then should be absent, our approbation of these measures may be evidently declared; and we pray that God may guide you in all your deliberations and resolutions to the glory of his name, and the honour and edification of this Society." Signed by the four elders and six deacons. The special meeting which this admirable letter recommended was accordingly held, and amongst other painful cases, were several failures in credit amongst the members, which led to the adoption of the following resolution, which deserves to be transcribed into every congregational church-book throughout the kingdom. "On this sad occasion, the following order was unanimously agreed to by the church. It is the unanimous judgment of this church, that the frequent acts of bankruptcy which have happened in dissenting congregations, as well as elsewhere, have brought so great a dishonour on religion, and occasioned so much mischief and reproach, that we think ourselves obliged in duty to enter our public protest and caution on this head; and we do hereby declare, that if any person in stated communion with us shall become a bankrupt, or, as it is commonly expressed, fail in the world, he must expect to be cut off from our body, unless he do within two months give to the church, by the elders, either in word or writing, such an account of his affairs as shall convince us that his fall was owing not to his own sin or folly, but to the afflicting hand of God upon him; in which case, far from adding affliction to the afflicted, we hope that as God shall enable us, we shall be able to vindicate, comfort and assist him, as his friends and brethren in Christ." Signed in the In the same year Job Orton was removed to Shrewsbury, and the letters recommending him to the church appeared lately in our Magazine. The following extracts are very interesting not only as they show the familiar acquaintance Dr. Doddridge had with the state of his church, but as the reference to the number of members and the increase of the church will furnish data for a grateful comparison between the state of that Society, which was then considered as large and important, with that of the leading congregational churches of the present day. "Some remarks which have occurred to me on the state of the church since January 1st, 1747, which I note for the instruction of any future pastor. At the time abovementioned I took a review of the number of church-members which I found more decreased since Michaelmas, 1745, than I ever knew it to be in double that time, for I found that time since we have received only 15 members, and have lost 17, and of these 17, 12 have died, or removed, this last year; and only 8 of the 15 have been admitted this year, so that our decrease since Michaelmas, 1745, is 2; and since this time twelvemonths, on the whole, 4; a very discouraging circumstance, especially considering how much I have abounded in exhortation to the Lord's table during the last year. -N.B. The omission of the names of 3 since recollected, who were admitted in 1746, made the state of affairs appear more melancholy than I afterwards found it to be. or ten nor despised by any one of them. She may be forsaken, for a time, by a prodigal son, grieved by a foolish daughter; but neither can forget her, or lightly esteem her. Her character is placed beyond the reach of scorn in their hearts. Whatever else they may shake off, they cannot shake off the memory of her maternal holiness. Even if they come to laugh at religion, they dare not laugh at her religion. HUME durst not ridicule his mother's piety. Now, even this degree of moral influence is worth securing. Could the minds of her sons be no far- R. P. ON THE BEST METHOD OF PROMOTING A GENERAL To the Editors.-ACCEPT my warmest thanks for the admirable effort, in your late Supplement, to introduce our churches and ministers to an acquaintance with each other, however variously situated in the United Kingdom. No doubt many others feel the same gratitude, and I sincerely hope that our friends will encourage you to continue this triennial register, which, as you observe must be attended with toil and expense. Could you prevail on each Secretary of the County Associations to promise a letter immediately after their autumnal meeting, once in three years, your labour would be comparatively easy, and your list far more correct; otherwise, as in this county, the names of ministers deceased, and other inaccuracies, must necessarily occur. You state," that the want of a formal union among our denomination, is its greatest bane, and most common reproach." If I cannot admit this expression in all its extent, it is chiefly because I know that our County Associations are gradually removing this evil, and wiping away this reproach. Some of them are characterized with all those features of union of which our denomination is perhaps capable; others are increasing in sympathy and energy, and new ones are forming almost every year. Indeed, any general project of union, until these provincial links are cast, would render all attempts to form an effective chain absurd and useless. Permit me also to observe, that the more we are acquainted with the origin and history of our congregational churches in England, the less we shall be surprised at the want of a formal union among earlier nonconformists. As to later periods, the struggle which many of them have had with fatal errors, lukewarmness, and particular interests, sufficiently account for the failure of various attempts at a general union. Happily a more favourable tide is setting in: we are approximating in brotherly love and benevolent exertion ; and I venture to predict, that your valuable periodical will have the up by enactments, and in the end force the measure of a new "authorized version," amidst the blaze of light which its precursor has spread abroad, and which will be the safest condition under which an "authorized translation" could be entered upon, admitting it to be right that it should be so undertaken at all. For, let me ask, why should the church refer to the secular power for such a boon? Is it because it acknowledges the right of the state to decide upon the meaning of the charter of human salvation; or is it because the united body of those who best understand the genuine import of these divine. oracles, do not possess the human literature which is necessary to effect the work. I have no doubt where the prerogative and the obligation lie-of giving to the illiterate, within the church, and the ignorant out of it, the knowledge of that Revelation which is able to make wise to salvation; and I have as little on the ques tion, as to with whom the fittest qualifications are to be found. The translation executed most closely to the spirit of the original record; the most accordant with the end for which it is given; the most free from the bias of human systems and constitutions; with the most accurate knowledge of human nature; with competent stores of biblical and general literature, (though of the kind considered as classical, they were not of the profoundest order,) chastened by the grace of God in the hearts of their possessors would prove the best that could be produced, and adequate to all the wants of the church and the community. If these imperfect sketches of thought, on so important a subject, appear to you worthy of being a sequel to your former paper, I will endeavour to furnish, for your following number, some suggestions as to the means of attaining the desired benefit, and of removing from the British churches the opprobrium of having so long supinely submitted to the privation. Ἑρμηνείς. ON THE PECULIARITIES OF CHRISTIANITY RESPECTING BRITISH MOTHERS, "A mother in Israel." Deborah's Song. BRITISH maternal character wants only a larger infusion of Christian principle, in order to rival that of the mothers in Israel, which Revelation has so openly and honourably embalmed." For, if even the floating influences of our national Christianity render British mothers superior to levity, frivolity, and sentimentality; what might they not be, if fully under the special influence of all the hopes and principles of the glorious Gospel? They are not, howN. S. No. 63. ever, at large, aware of the aspect of that Gospel upon their condition and character. Its peculiarities, in their favour, are not familiar to many of them. From oversight, or humility, they mistake much of the economy of mercy in their own case. The attention of British mothers is, therefore, most respectfully solicited to the following peculiarities of Revelation, in reference to their character and duties. It is as truly, as frequently said, that women, and mothers especially, owe much to Christianity. Wherever it is not, they are de R graded and oppressed. Whereever it is, they employ their proper rank and influence. Christianity is thus the ark and the covenant of their rights. This is, however, but a small part of the special provision, which the glorious Gospel has made for their temporal and spiritual welfare. For, besides restoring them to their natural place in the scale of society, and throwing open to them, in common with men, all the fountains of grace and mercy, the Gospel employs its strongest motives to strengthen their claims upon the loving-kindness of their husbands and children. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." Thus the grand motive, which enforces and confirms all the claims of God and the Lamb, is brought to bear directly and fully upon their domestic happiness. Their husbands are solemnly bound to feed and fan conjugal affection at the high and holy altar of redeeming love. The mother, who is not struck and affected by these scriptural facts, may well blush at her own insensibility and ingratitude. For, "what more," could God or the Saviour do, to render her person sacred, and her rights inviolable? The Gospel places her, like the mother of Jesus, nearest to the cross, and commends her to the heart of her husband, as Jesus commended Mary to the care of John. It is not, therefore, the fault of Christianity, if any husband is unkind, or inattentive. He sins in the face of the bright est lights, and the strongest laws, which emanate from Calvary on earth, or from the eternal throne in heaven. His conduct ought not, therefore, to divert her attention from the claims of the Saviour on her love and obedience. These are immense and immutable, however ill her husband may act. His disregard of the sacred obligations laid upon him, will not excuse nor palliate her neglect of the great salvation. God is not unkind; the Saviour is not unfeeling, whatever her partner may be. It is not, of course, easy, under such circumstances, and whilst the heart is almost broken, and the spirits sunk or soured, to give all that attention to eternal things, which they demand and deserve. It is not, however, impossible. For one grand design of the everlasting covenant is, to furnish "consolation," when our "house is not so" as the heart wished and hoped it would be. There is balm in Gilead, and a Physician too, for the wounds of the maternal heart, however deep or inflamed these wounds may be. But, if both are neglected or trifled with, let no one wonder that such a mother is miserable. She cannot be otherwise, whilst she thus" despises her own mercies." Indeed, one chief cause of her misery is,→ her ingratitude to the God of salvation. For there is no mystery in the trials of any mother who trifles with the great salvation. They may be all utterly undeserved, so far as her character and conduct relate to her husband. He alone may deserve the whole blame of making her unhappy. But however good or strong the case which she could made out in her own behalf, and against him, her misery is no mystery, if she has never given her heart to the religion of Christ. That religion takes such an interest in mothers makes such ample and honourable provision for the comfort of mothers-opens such a field for the usefulness of mothers-and is so prepared and pledged to bless and sanctify their influence, that, if they neglect it, or withhold |