of the church calling the council are read. The candidate gives a narrative of his conversion, views of the ministry, and of his call to the ministerial office, and presents a brief synopsis of the doctrines which he believes and purposes to preach. If these are satisfactory to his brethren, they resolve to proceed to his ordination. The various services are assigned to the several brethren composing the council. The candidate is set apart by prayer and laying on of hands. The minutes of the council are recorded in the churchbook, and thus the service is completed.' Mr. Hinton contends that this ordination robs the church of its independence, and hands over a strictly church transaction to others; that the New Testament gives no warrant for such an ordination; and that the entire process would be much better abandoned.' Out of the conception of ordination as the act of persons already pastors, says Mr. Hinton, seems to have arisen the collateral conception of the pastorate as an office in itself, independently of any church to which it may relate. By ordination,' says Dr. Wayland, a licentiate is admitted permanently to the pastoral office, and it is generally understood that he is to make this the great work of his life.' The church to which any young man belongs licenses him to preach for twelvemonths, on ascertaining his desire to preach, and approving of his general fitness. This license may be renewed every year.

Reference is made to the points at issue between Baptists and other denominations, and Dr. Wayland says,by our Principles and Practices we have opposed hereditary membership; we have maintained the universal priesthood of believers; the absolute right of private judgment in all matters of religion; the perfect sufficiency of the Scriptures; and that the church of Christ is distinct from every other association of men, and is wholly and absolutely independent of the civil power. In this last,' says Wayland is the peculiar glory of Baptists.'

The Puritans sought liberty of conscience only for themselves. Every one knows the treatment received at their hands by Roger Williams. Several of our

brethren from Rhode Island were fined and whipped for preaching the gospel at Lynn. And this spirit has not been allayed until within the memory of men now living. I have myself conversed with men who, in two of the New England States, have suffered the loss of goods, and even imprisonment, because they would not pay taxes for the support of Congregationalism, or, as it was then called "the standing order." ' While Baptists, however, suffered persecution at the bands of almost all the dominant sects that emerged from the Reformation, their garments have never been defiled by any violation of the rights of conscience. What Roger Williams claimed for himself he has freely granted to others. He tells us: "I desire not that liberty to myself which I would not freely and impartially weigh out to all the consciences of the world besides."'

We cannot but rejoice with the good doctor that other sects in the Western World, as here in England, have approximated so nearly to the principles once exclusively held by the Baptists. A spiritual church, an infallible and sufficient rule of faith in the Scriptures, liberty of conscience-all these are now acknowledged by tens of thousands who still differ widely from Baptists in their method of administering one solemn ordinance of the church of Christ.

Baptists in America, says Wayland, have erred by imitating other sects in church music, church architecture, the alteration of the formula of baptism, and the posture in singing and prayer. 'Italian trills' have superseded good congregational tunes; the choir' does' the singing, and the assembly listen; the same men amuse in the theatre on Saturday that make up the choir of the church on Sunday; the choir generally select such airs as can only be sung by themselves; and their inattention to the other parts of the service acts injuriously on others. We have always understood that American

churches' were unsightly in appearance, but well and comfortably arranged within; but the doctor deplores that now-a-days a taste is spreading for better-looking sanctuaries, and even for Gothic structures; that he had recently.

seen the windows of a Baptist meeting house emblazoned with a strange variety of mystical symbols, that must have puzzled the children by their grotesqueness, and sorely puzzled a plain man like himself, not deeply learned in the researches of the Ecclesiological Society;' and that we want a model of a Baptist meeting house which in future we may all adopt.' In all this we entirely dissent from the venerable professor. Trees are not all of one size and shape; God's works are full of beauty and variety; and why should men build even their dwelling houses, to say nothing of their houses of prayer, in one square, barn-like, shape, wearisome to the eye, a constant offence against that love for the manifoldness' which the Inspired Bard recognized in the works of the Great Architect, and which those works do so much to foster ?

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and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. I ask you, therefore, whether you hereby profess repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. To this question the candidates simultaneously reply, I do;' and on their profession thus made, I would baptize them.

It seems strange to an Englishman to read the following: 'In the performance of the marriage ceremony, we have always avoided everything but simply religious services. Notwithstanding this, however, I have learnt that some of our brethren are introducing the ceremony of giving a ring in marriage.' Our simple-hearted doctor would perhaps be as much surprized to hear that among us a marriage would hardly be considered valid, if a ring were not used, although it is legally left to the option of the bride and bridegroom.

The latter part of the volume contains many fatherly counsels about preachers and preaching, and in the appendix is a sermon from the author's pen on 'the apostolic ministry.'

We thank the publishers for bringing this interesting book before the English public, and heartily commend it to every reader. We are fully persuaded that it will induce those who have not yet become subscribers to the 'Bunyan Library,' to send in their names forthwith.

BODIES AND THE STATES OF THE CHURCHES.'

More particularly, then, what action for the attainment of this position is necessitated on our part, as General Baptists?

With regard to the question of doctrine, it must be recollected that, as a body, we have no authorized creed. On the origination of the New Connexion, in 1770, subscription to six articles of religion was required as a condition of union. But after a lapse of five years, this ceased to be insisted on, as we find the Association held at Hinckley, in 1775, resolving that 'subscription to a creed was not needful.'* Not that it can be supposed for a moment that the founders of our Connexion had abated one jot of their opposition to deadly error, but doubtless they found, that whereas the six articles were intended as a barrier to Arians and Socinians, they really proved a stumbling block, in minor points of expression, to truly pious and orthodox

Magazine.

DEAR SIR,-The union of the Evangelical Baptist Churches seems to me to imply, first, the obliteration of all distinctions arising out of the peculiar theological dogmas of any; and, second, association and combined action, regulated only by considerations of spiritual progress and efficiency. In accordance with previous suggestions, the primary question, I must maintain, is one of principle. On this broad basis our conclusions must rest. Hence, some of the 'generalities' of former letters appear to me to be pertinent. Not, however, to attempt a large subject with small abilities and little space, let me assume, for the moment, the desirability, at any rate, per se, of the union. What then, to all interested, is the practical aspect of the question? How is such union to be effected? I reply, by the adoption of a policy favourable to it, by the open profession of our aim, and by the cheerful proffer of our hand, whether it be at once accepted or not. This is the true position of Christian nobleness. Don't let us wait for direct official,' or any communication from

neither Calvinistie nor Arminian; practically we are, doubtless as a whole, anti-Calvinistic, but are we not antiArminian too? Moreover, we are all, or may be, independent thinkers and outspoken talkers, and many of our beliefs, probably, on these subjects are very (apparently) opposite. Let us be thankful, then, that as a denomination, we do not interpose to Christian union the barrier of subscription to a creed.

We have, however, assumed, and maintain, the distinctive appellation of General. This let us give up, as far as possible, at once and for ever. I am glad to see that the respected writer of the letter in your last subscribes to this, though I should wish it not only for the cogent reasons he assigns, but also, and chiefly, as removing a notorious badge of disunion.

Let the Hymn Book and Magazine, intrusted to a proprietary, stand upon their own merits. By no means let the Magazine be incorporated with any other, until it be fairly ascertained that its present constituency will not support it. A new name may easily be found. The Baptist Repository' would be an old friend restored.

• Wood's History, page 179,