seeing that circumcision and baptism represented different things among the Jews and were both practiced by them-it is a very unlikely thing indeed that the one should now take the place of the other. I give you that argument for what it is worth, feeling that it is not a very valuable one. "Another and more weighty consideration I derive from this circumstance, that, whenever the question of circumcision was discussed, no reference whatever was made to baptism. There were certain Judaising teachers who went out to the Christian church at Antioch among the Gentiles, and there they taught that believers should be circumcised. Paul was there, and you will all remember how Paul and Barnabas had no small disputation with these men, and how they found it exceedingly difficult | to bring them to a confession of the truth on the subject. So it was agreed that the brethren should consult the church at Jerusalem respecting this question of circumcision. A kind of council was held, and this was stated as its basis, that there were those who taught, 'except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved.' Is that true? That was the point for the apostles and the brethren to consider. Was that true? Well, on the supposition that baptism takes the place of circumcision, what more natural than this reply, 'except a man be circumcised after the manner of Moses he cannot be saved.' 'What, circumcision is done away.' If baptism was circumcision's substitute, no answer could be more natural. But did the apostles say anything of the kind? No, this is all they say, 'It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things, that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication, from which if ye keep yourselves ye shall do well. Fare ye well.' No reference to baptism, no allusion to it from first to last. And why? Because baptism had nothing at all to do with circumcision. Now if an individual were to come to Dr. BAYLEE and say "Christians must be circumcised;" Dr. BAYLEE's answer would be, No, they must not, for baptism is instead of circumcision.' But seeing that the apostles made no such answer, one would think that they held together a different opinion. neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter.' It is evident, therefore, that circumcision was a type of a spiritual state, and not the type of a ceremonial ordinance. Listen again to Paul, writing to the Colossians, 2nd chapter, 2nd verse, the passage that Dr. BAYLEE has quoted, 'In whom (that is in Christ) ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ." But does baptism answer to that description? Baptism is not an ordinance administered without hands-baptism is something that takes place in the flesh, not in the spirit; and how circumcision which was thus held to be the type of a spiritual state, can now be made the forerunner and the type of a carnal ordinance, I cannot understand, except it be simply because infants were circumcised, and some proof is needed for infant baptism. My point is simply this that there is not one passage in Scripture connecting baptism and circumcision together; that it is, I won't say antiscriptural, but I say it is non-scriptural, for any one to connect those two ordinances as though they were! allied, and as though they represented one another. In the Epistle to the Colossians you have circumcision typifying a spiritual state, and you have baptism also typifying a spiritual state, the like carnal ordinances representing distinct truths, and not thus related to each other. So, my friends, we shall need, I am sure, all of us, much greater proof that baptism takes the place of circumcision, before we hence can infer that infants should be baptized." Q. Very good. If so, is any individual who has been baptized, afterwards excluded from that kingdom on earth? A. There is no exclusion from that kingdom on earth. Q. Do you understand by that kingdom a visible organized church? A. I understand by that kingdom a visible organized church. Q. And is that church in England your church? A. That church in England is the Church of England, with some stray sheep outside of it. Q. I think it is a pity for the church that the stray sheep won't be visible to her; they are visible; and the clergy would be very glad to have them visible inside the church, but they are not; but they all belong to the Church of England, for that is the Doctor's opinion, inasmuch as it is the Church of England with a few stray sheep, and you know stray sheep belong unto the fold that are inside. Well then, Doctor, do you reckon as members of your church all prostitutes, all criminals, all workers of iniquity that have been baptized? A. I reckon as members of my church all prostitutes, all criminals, and all workers of iniquity that have been baptized, and so does God, and so does St. Paul; but I would not be allowed to give an explana tion. Q. The Doctor may give his explanation in his own time, not in mine. I will, how ever, make way for the Doctor to explain. A. Indeed, my dear friends, we are not a bit ashamed of acknowledging the publicans and sinners as fellow-members of the church along with ourselves; and God forbid that a clergyman of the Church of England should now stand in this place and deny it. There was a better man than any clergyman that was found sitting with publicans and sinners, and he said, They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick,' and we are not ashamed that we acknowledge the sick members of our church. In 2 Thes. iii. 14 and 15, the Holy Ghost tells us this about all these unhappy members of the church, 'If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed, yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother;" and we do. Q. Then, Doctor, I conclude that you think that these wicked men ought not to have your company? A. These wicked men ought not to have my social company, but they ought to have my ministerial admonition. Q. Did Christ give to publicans and sinners his social company when he ate and drank with them? A. He did give them his social company when he could do them good, and so do I. Q. Yes, but just now the Doctor said he would not give his social company, and now he finds that is wrong, he says he would. Was there such a thing, Doctor, as exclusion from the apostolic church? Do you hear, Doctor? A. I was noting down a remark. There was no exclusion from the church in the apostolic church. It is so in the 5th of 1st Corinthians." FAITH AND PRACTICE. A. THEN you set practice before faith! B. No, indeed, I do not, for I think that faith comes first. A. But you think practice of the more importance ! B. Which is of the most importance in an apple-tree, the root, or the apples? A. The root, to be sure: I could not myself have asked you any question more decisive or pertinent. B. Yes, the root is of more value than any small number of apples, or than the apples of any one, or of but a few, years. But I ask the question concerning the root on the one part, and, on the other part, all the apples which the tree produces as long as it lives. A. The answer is plain. The root would be of no use without the apples: and the apples could not grow without the root. made for the sake of the apples, or the B. Agreed, but whether is the root apples for the sake of the root? A. (Very unwillingly.) The root for the sake of the apples.--And so ended the conversation. PENROSE. It is a sad mistake to suppose that men and women can fill up the Christian character without faithfully discharging all the duties of the state in which they are placed. Paul teaches servants and masters, husbands and wives, parents and children, how they may adorn the teaching of God their Saviour, by faithfully discharging the full measure of their relative duties. Whatever may be our condition in life, it is our privilege and honor to adorn his doctrine by every act of our lives. CAMDEN HALL, LONDON. ITEMS OF NEWS. Since our last report to the Harbinger (August) we have added four by immersion, and three by letter. We have a numerous and attentive audience, on Lord's-day evenings especially; as also on Thursday evenings-when a series of lectures on Calvinism have been delivered, which have excited considerable interest amongst Calvinists in the neighbourhood --some of whom have, on every evening, embraced the opportunity of presenting objection and questions Some of these lectures have been reported in a local paper and by these means our audience has been increased on the Lord's-day. We hope soon to see many of these hearers of the word becoming doers of the same, and then going forth to "save others also!" W. D. HARRIS. : CROSSGATES I have much pleasure in informing you, that we have had another addition to the church in Crossgates, on Lord's day, the 14th of November The individual is a married female, who has attended our church meetings for some time past, and being convinced of the truth as revealed in the Scriptures, she obeyed the gospel call by an intelligent obedience, thereby having the sure promise of the remission of sins. May she continue faithful to her engagement, until called away from the stage of time. As a church we continue in peace. G. RAMSAY. FIFE. For some time past it has been matter of regret in the minds of many, that there has been so little of that social intercourse and mutual aid and encouragement, in carrying forward the work entrusted to them as the children of the Living God, and which should exist among a brotherhood the children of one Father, and the heirs of the same eternal inheritance. Accordingly it was suggested and approved of, that a meeting of messengers from churches in Fife and neighbourhood should be held this meeting took place at Cupar, on 1st Nov. last. There were present, brethren from Auchtermuchty, Crossgates, Cupar, Dundee, and Pathhead Kirkaldy. A letter was received from brethren in Perth, approving of the object of the meeting After calling on the name of the Lord for His presence and blessing, the brethren from the several churches then gave a statement of their present condition and prospects for usefulness, from which there appeared to be many causes of had, by our feeble instrumentality, through thanksgiving, that our Heavenly Father the power of His truth, made us the means of saving some of the sin-inured family of Adam, and at the present time, in some places, has evidently set before us an open door for spreading abroad the sweet savor of the knowledge of salvation by the Son of God. After which, a series of propositions were brought before the meeting and approved of:-That the plan of visitation, formerly in operation in Fife, by brethren approved of by the churches, as able to build up the church, and address their fellow men on the great salvation, be now adopted. That the expences of the brethfund supplied by the churches.—That ren visiting the churches, be paid from a Brother HARROW of Dysart, be Treasurer, and Brother BROWN of Dysart, Secretary of the co-operation. After making various arrangements for carrying out the above plan, it was agreed to hold the next meetingat Pathhead Kirkaldy, on Tuesday, Jan. 4th, 1859. Having commended themselves to the guidance, care, and keeping of our God and Father, the meeting separated. NEWTOWN, WALES. A. F. We are happy to report one or two encouraging facts in connection with our proceedings in this town during the past month. One female, the wife of a beloved brother, has been immersed; another has been added who was formally connected with the Baptists in Llanfair. Besides these additions, we know of other persons who are seriously investigating the truth; in some instances not without good hope of further results. Many brethren will rejoice in the additional encouragement we derive from the fact that our beloved brother, Samuel OWEN, of Wrexham, has determined to commence, on his own account, the printing business in this town. We expect him to join us in a week or two. Such of your readers as can appreciate our position in a town of this description, will concur with us in regarding it as an altogether hopeful sign that, almost for the first time, and for the truth's sake, our name is now being cast out as evil, by both ministers and people. Our tracts are both borrowed, read, feared, and destroyed; and clergymen are called in to extract the poison they have communicated. As for our confidence that we have the truth-our offers to prove it by tongue or pen-our presumption in thinking everybody wrong but ourselves-these are sins which many will never forgive. The last Lord's day (October 17th) we spent in our old meeting-house was on many accounts a pleasant season. Morning and evening it was filled with worshippers and hearers. And best of all, the brethren seemed full of profitable reflections on the past of their history-"the days of small things" the manifold and blessed evidence that the Lord had not despised these days-the two's and three's worshipping in the lowly cellar, issuing in an increase emboldening them to build the school and meeting-house-the good hand of the Lord upholding them in all their weaknesses, pardoning all their faults, succeeding their feeble attempts to serve him in the Gospel of His Son with signal blessing, and now, opening a clear path for a larger place of worship and a more effective position. Humility and gratitude flowed apace from every lip, and from many tearful eyes. And to crown all, the last exhibition made by the brethren in the old place of the saving love of God in His Christ, was met with a full and earnest response in the confession of His name by two men, one in his maturity, the other a youth, who were straightway baptized into Him, according to their desire and the Word of God. On Lord's day, Oct. 24, at seven in the morning, we opened our new meetinghouse in Rodney-street, by prayer to the Father of all our mercies. Upward of sixty brethren were present, and at half-past ten it was comfortably filled. Worship, reading the Divine Word, and the reception of the brethren baptized the preceding Lord's day, occupied the whole of the time. In the afternoon upward of 200 brethren and friends took tea together in the school-room. There were brethren from Manchester, St. Helens, and Huddersfield. The churches at Newton, Bolton, and Leigh closed their doors that day, to express their hearty fellowship in our joy. After tea tokens of the church's esteem, love, and gratitude for the character and services of Pastors Corf and Coop, were presented, to the former in a noble copy of the noblest of books, and to the latter in that of one of the best assistants to its literature, Kitto's Cyclopedia, &c. - In the evening a crowded audience listened to our faithful and highly esteemed Brother Sinclair, from Whitehaven, (whose glad welcome among his old companions in the Gospel it was good to see) and to our much-loved Brother Tickle, of Liverpool. On Tuesday evening, Oct. 20, more than sixty persons were present at our usual Bible conference, and three men have presented themselves as inquirers after the right ways of the Lord. Subsequently, seven persons have confessed their faith in Jesus, the Christ-five men and two women. Our Lord's day and two week evening meetings continue to be well attended. We bow our heads in thankful praise, and take fresh courage. W. McDougall. OBITUARY. ALEXANDER REA. On Wednesday, October 13th, 1858, our venerable and beloved brother in the Lord, ALEXANDER REA, fell asleep in Jesus, in the 76th year of his age, and the 52nd year of his pilgrimage as a Christian. He was for upwards of thirty years a pastor in the church at Ford Forge, along with two others, he being the last of the three, the others having gone to their rest before him. He conducted the services of the house of God, exactly three weeks previous to his death. The Gospel of Christ was his favorite theme, having been the subject matter of his three last addresses. The Bible was his daily text-book, and his mind was richly stored with its sacred truths. He was always ready at conversation on religious subjects; and his sufferings were borne with the resignation of the Christian, fer the hope of immortality supported him in his last moments. The fear of death was taken away by a risen and exalted Saviour, and his end was peace. He went down to the grave like a shock of corn, fully ripe; therefore, we fondly hope that he has gone into the presence of Him— "Where the saints of all ages in harmony meet, Their Saviour and brethren transported to greet; While the anthems of rapture unceasingly roll, And the smile of the Lord is the feast of the soul.” Our departed brother has been a constant reader of the Harbinger since its commencement, having began with Wm. Jones' edition in the year 1835, and continued to do so until the close of life. CONCLUSION OF THE VOLUME. WITH our present number we complete another volume of the Harbinger, and, by the help of the Lord, we intend to retain our armour on for the coming year. The past must speak for the future Our resources for securing interesting and valuable essays are on the increase, and therefore we suggest that every exertion should be used to increase our circle of readers for 1859. Will the brethren endeave, not only to fill up the vacancies caused by death and emigration, but also to augment our list of subscribers? We trust they will do so, and therefore leave the matter in their hands. |