that each church should have 1 vote, whether represented by messenger or letter. To test this, say the meeting represents 21 churches, one of whom contributes £100, and the remaining twenty 1s. each. Each church having one vote, the twenty would decide what should be done with the whole £101, the messenger who brought the £100 having no available voice in the matter. B says the voting should be according to the number of members. Now of 21 churches, say one has 201 members, and the remaining twenty have ten members each. In this case the messenger of one church has the whole affair in his hands by a majority of one. C says the voting should be in proportion to the contributions. If then 20 messengers bring £5 each, and one messenger bring £101, the whole is again in one hand. May we not regard these cases as the extreme points of a three-rayed star, and perceive that just ce and propriety are at its centre, equally distant from the extremes; and may we not fairly come to the conclusion that the rule for voting should not be, one vote for each church, nor in the ratio of members, nor in proportion to the contributions, but it should be a just combination of the three, which might also represent the Christian intelligence and wisdom of the churches.

It is not easy to arrive at this just combination, but we may be assisted in an approximation by Divine help. The principle laid down by the Holy Spirit to guide in "collections for the saints," (1 Cor. xvi. 2) is as God hath prospered:" and as it is on this principle we contribute to send forth proclaimers, it follows that, in fact, the funds are the Lord's through the hands of his faithful stewards, and ought to be applied according to his will and as under his eye. There are no divine rules for conducting co-operation or other meetings, beyond general commands for "decency" and "order," all details being left to the wisdom of the churches. According to the divine principle, then, the brethren should, as the Lord's stewards,

sense,

furnish funds AS GOD HAS PROSPERED THEM; and, according to their own good should confide those funds to faithful and discreet messengers, or forward them by letter to the treasurer, to be applied as may

seem best to- the collective wisdom of the meeting, aided by the suggestions contained in the letters, and under and subject to appropriate regulations.

our esteemed Treasurer, or send it by mesenger to the meeting.

2nd. That the meeting judge as to the reception of objectionable messengers, and express non-reception of them by non-acceptance of their contributions.

3rd. That whenever it shall be found ne

cessary that a question shall be put to the vote, the voting shall be in the following proportions of the sums contributed, namely, £1 and under £2 one vote.

2 and under 5 two votes. 5 and under 10 three votes. 10 and under 20 four votes, and an additional vote for every full £10 above the first £10.

Doubtless cases of inequality may occur under this, as under any scale devised by man; but, upon the whole it may probably be found satisfactory, as holding the balance of intellect, numbers, and ability pretty influence to the smaller sums, and by emboequally, by giving the largest proportionate dying the advantages of the three extremes

without their disadvantages.

One result of these regulations would, I trust, be, to do away, almost entirely, with motion-and-amendment-making and voting in our meetings; and, in an earnest desire to promote, if not secure in them, "unity, peace, and concord," I humbly but seriously ask the churches in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, to adopt these rules for our meeting in Whitsun-week next; and to signify the same by letter to our committee at Nottingham, under cover to Mr. Wallis. The judiciousness of them can be tested at that meeting, and such improvements be made in them as experience may dictate.

J. D.

[We hope the brethren will not slightly pass over the suggestions of Brother Davis, which are, to say the least, worthy of serious consideration. The idea of a large family of children and servants, or of redeemed subjects, placed under one King and Head, governing themselves by motion-and-amendment making, appears to us too much out of place to be entertained even on matters of expendiency. To vote on matters of faith, piety, and morality, or to make laws in the kingdom of Jesus, are not permitted under any circumstances. He has left on record, for his people, a perfect code of laws-which, happily, is understood by the brethren, at least, to a considerable extent. Still, in af

1st. That each congregation contribute as God has prospered," and either send the amount, before the meeting, by letter to

and therefore we express our obligation to J. D. for the above candid and well-intended suggestions, and commend them to the attention of all the brethren.-J. W.}

CORRESPONDENCE.

MR. EDITOR-Allow me to express to you the pleasure I had in reading the letter of your correspondent B. B. in the September number. Though I do not see evidence with him on all he says, such communications cannot but "instruct many," and, like angular lines, tend to that point which is so earnestly longed for by those who have "truth for their object and salvation for their end :"

"And names, and sects, and parties fall,

And Jesus Christ be all in all."

I was once a Scotch Baptist, and still venerate the names and character of the excellent men who, by their writings, first taught me the difference between a national and popular | profession of Christianity, and the good confession of Christ Jesus before Pontius Pilate, That his kingdom is not of this world. In after days, however, I had to remind my valued friends in this connexion of the well known line" Amicus Socrates, Amicus Plato, sed magis Amica Veritas ;" and to take my stand upon the Great Protestant principle-THE BIBLE ONLY AND ENTIRELY. Here, perhaps, I may introduce a paragraph from the letters of one of the "mighty men" | of that time, who to quote the words of your Manchester correspondent, B. B. " presented a more faithful representation of primitive order and discipline than could be found in any other churches of the same day, in this country. If any one has got an ear for the truth of God, and desires to have his mind established therein, let him read the history of Jesus Christ, and the Acts of the Apostles, recorded by the four Evangelists. Would he be skilful in distinguishing the ancient gospel from all counterfeits, and so expert in fighting the good fight of faith? let him read Paul's epistles. Would he know what is pure and undefiled religion before God, in distinction from idle talking about it? let him read James. Would he learn sobriety of mind, and patience in suffering for the truth, and have his veneration for the greatest names in the Anti-christian world abated? let him read Peter and Jude. Would he be satisfied, that his spiritual joys are not the joys of the hypocrite, but that they arise from fellowship with the true God, so are the sure pledges and real beginnings of eternal life ? let him read the epistles of John. Would he know the true state and appearance of the kingdom of God in this world, and the world to come, and so have his mind fortified against all modern dreams, visions, and prophecies? let him read the Revelation of the last mentioned Apostle. Would he have a safe and authentic commentary on the Old Testament, to prevent his being imposed upon by the deceitful glosses of ancient or modern Jews ? let him consult all these apostolic writings together. I need

not inform you that Mr. McLean in his writings contends, that the gospel should be preached to every creature; and the late Mr. W. Jones, his particular friend and biographer, used to tell me with what delight he has often heard his favorite master illustrate his own words, in his sermon on the doctrine of the reconciliation:-" This ministry includes in it a commission to call all men every where to repentance, and to entreat and beseech them to be reconciled to God." Yet to me there has ever appeared a strange inconsistency in this; for, as the gospel is commanded to be preached to every creature, so that "he who believeth and is haptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned," every man must need be included in this gracious commission, But the gospel is a declaration of facts, or, to give the words of Mr. McLean, on The Apostolic Manner of Preaching the Gospel, "It is a testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; God manifest in the flesh. That he came into the world to save sinners; that he died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. That having by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; that all things are put under him, and that he is appointed of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead. That to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. This is the gospel which the Apostles preached unto men, and which he sums up in the doctrine of the cross, or of Christ crucified, that being the most prominent and characteristical feature of the whole."

Now if this be so, to preach the gospel to every creature, to every man, as we have opportunity, is to declare to him that Christ died for his sins; consequently, that the death of Christ was "for the sins of the whole world." Yet, "By the world," says Mr. McLean, "we are to understand, not every individual of the human race, but all of every nation whom God had from everlasting elected to life eternal; and these are termed the world, in opposition to the Jewish limitation, who confined the salvation of God to themselves, in distinction from the Gentile nations"

But, if" the redemption which is in Christ Jesus," mentioned in Rom. iii. 24, has not the meaning that it most commonly has in the scriptures, namely, actual deliverance from evil through the payment of a price, but that here it refers to the price itself which was paid, which is the death of Christ, as the context shows; we may also see that this redemption is not the redemption of persons, but the redemption of sins, according to the expression used in Heb. ix. 15, The redemption of the transgressions that were un

der the first testament;" so that Christ did not suffer so much for your sins, so much for mine, but that he endured "once for all" the whole penalty of sin contained in death, properly and literally, or the giving up of the ghost, and also "the curse of the law," as we read Gal. iii. 13. We may quickly discover from hence, that the erroneous idea of Christ suffering so much for this person, and so much for that sin, is the foundation of all the errors that are maintained upon the subject; such as Christ bearing the sins of the elect, and not of the non-elect; of his standing in the place of some as a substitute, so that those instead of whom he died, must go free, or else God in the character of a creditor would be unjust to require twice over the payment of the same debt. If we consider that all these expressions are of human invention, and not one of them in the scriptures, this alone may well cause us to stand in doubt of their conveying any true idea, as indeed they do not; and should teach us to fear to adopt unscriptural expressions, as we may be sure that sayings not found in the scriptures will sooner or later lead us from the truth, as the writer himself and many others have proved in former times. The things of God should be spoken in the words of God; or as you, sir, and your brethren of the Reformation say," Let Bible things be declared in Bible words." It is true that we are not able to express our thoughts in nothing else but direct quotations from the scriptures, but we ought to be aware of the danger of certain sayings passing current among believers to express (as they think) the doctrine of Christ, and which becoming familiar to men's ears, very soon become a sort of creed which is laid on every one to believe as truth with as much authority as if it was God's own word, though it is no where written. It would be well, therefore, for persons of circumcised ears not to say that Christ was a substitute for his people-that he stood in their place or stead; that in dying for sin he paid their debts, &c. Such words should not be used, first and chiefly, because there are no such words in the scriptures, as assuredly there would have been, if they had expressed the truth so excellently as men think they do; and secondly, because they do not express the truth even badly, but express that which is not true at all.

(To be concluded in our next.)

DEAR BROTHER WALLIS-Your controversy with a Scotch Baptist induces me to make a few remarks relative thereto. He is influenced by that Calvinistic notion that when Christ offered himself for us all, sin was then done away, atonement was made, God was satisfied; and therefore, to think of baptism being for remission of sin, to him is almost blasphemy. But has he ever enquired or examined if this is in accordance with

God's word? Is there a word in the book intimating any way of removing sin from the sinner otherwise than by the exercise of the sovereign mercy of God? Are we at a loss for testimony to show this? The Bible is full in setting forth God's readiness to forgive. Under the law there was the yearly sacrifice offered for the sins of the nation; the scape-goat sent into the wilderness, bearing the sins of the people; and in cases of particular sins, Levit. iv. and v. are most clear to show what Paul so fully applies, without the shedding of blood there is no remission-- meaning, evidently, that in all cases of the exercise of Divine forgiveness, sacrifice was uniformly connected, not to appease, but to show that sin had separated between them and God, and that spotless purity could have no immediate communion with sinful man. How fully does this accord with the Christian constitution! One sentence from Him who spake as never man spake, may suffice-" If ye from the heart forgive not one another, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you." Rom. iii. 25, "God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his (God's) righteousness, for remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." This language is so clear that comment is almost superfluous, but we may first note the particulars. Jesus is constituted the propitiatory, where God can meet with the sinner and forgive his sins. Hence Eph. iv. 32, as "God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." We are then debtors to divine mercy, but the medium through which it flows is Christ. Eph. i. 7, "We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of the grace (of God)." From which it is clear that the Scotch Baptist flounders on a preconceived notion that never can be reconciled with the current of scripture doctrine. But we have a word for you also. You have said that baptism represented a washing away of sins by the blood of Christ. Peter clearly shows that the salvation of Noah and his family, out of the world which was destroyed, was a type of baptism, by which the believing penitent sinner is translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. It is, therefore, the antitype, and not typical- a positive institution for remission of sins. As, then, we have before seen, that to remove sin from the sinner --or, in other words- to remit all the consequences of sin, and relieve from punishment in future, is an act of sovereign mercy on the part of God, washing, cleansing, and sanctifying wholly, must mean something else. Hence John i. 7, clearly shows the distinction, "If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us (Christians) from all sin." No such language is, or can be, ad

dressed to the sinner. The gospel only, and for such is one constituted way only, Eph. v. 25," that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of the water and the word." Jesus prays, 66 Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth." Now all this shows that we are to understand, that after the forgiveness of sin has taken place, there yet remains the dross, or old habit of sin, to

be cleansed from us, which is to be accom

plished by the truth; by the means established in a church state; by looking unto Jesus, who gave himself for us. What is the influence that should be effected in us by such considerations, as being bought with a price, his precious blood? We, then, are not our own; and as he gave himself for us, we ought also to surrender body, soul, and spirit to his service.

Dear brethren: I have thus taken the opportunity of placing before you the mistakes on both sides of the subject. Calvinism is the root from whence both the errors spring. There is abundant scope to have enlarged in proof of what is presented; but my time is limited, and I therefore conclude by praying that you may be blessed with every needful blessing in Christ. I am, your brother,

London, October 18th, 1848.

J. BLACK.

[The blessing obtained by Noah and his family was salvation. So, in like manner, that which is obtained through the antitype, Christ and baptism, is salvation; or, in other words, the free and full forgiveness of all past sins through his name.]

THE BRITISH MILLENNIAL

HARBINGER.

SINCE the Glasgow meeting was held, we have had much thought, and some correspondence, respecting the propriety of reducing the price of this periodical, as thought advisable by the delegates assembled at that meeting. We have still some hesitation with regard to the propriety of taking such a step; for, unless the circulation could be doubled, and a large portion of the edition sent through the Post Office to the address of each pre-paid subscriber, or guaranteed by some responsible person in every church, we fear the work would not be left self-sustaining, at so low a price as fourpence. We are willing to do all in our power to promote the circulation of light and truth in the world, but Editors, any more than other men, cannot accomplish impossibilities. Supposing the editorial services and correspondence to continue, as heretofore, entirely gratuitous, still, we doubt whether the reduction in price, with all the drawbacks consequent thereupon, would not prove fatal to the most sanguine wishes and expectations of the brethren. The

following suggestions, alike discriminating and judicious, are printed for the consideration of all the brethren :

"With respect to the proposed reduction of price of the Harbinger, I have equal fears with yourself that if lowered to 4d. including the penny stamp, the sale may not be correspondingly increased. Many friends, including myself, would nearly or quite double the numbers; but if all should not, and if, as is too likely, the postwise and publisher's demand should not much increase, the concern would again become a losing one, offering only the following choice to again raise the price-to again require help, or, to be dropped altogether; all three being results to be deprecated.

"It would be wrong in me to wish to dictate in this matter, or to set my opinion against the judgment of those excellent brethren to whom a reduction in price appeared so desirable: but my vote (should I ever have one, which chairmanship forbids) would be-that as the work is now nearly self-sustaining we should let well alone; and content ourselves with requesting our Editor to enlarge and improve, and so render the work still more worthy of the cause as he may be enabled. So much, indeed, is this my leaning, that, were the sale trebled, I should plead for trebling the book, rather than for a reduction in the price. Smaller and less-priced publications there are and will be; but the British Millennial Harbinger should be regarded, not as competing with them, but as being our principal periodical and organ, to give us in greatest as well as richest variety all the newest, most interesting, elegant and thrilling papers from the American periodicals, the choicest original English essays, the most important discussions, solutions of difficulties, displays of Heavenly motives to action, exhibitions and illustrations of Christian security and enjoyment, reviews of influential works, items of church news from all parts of the earth, &c. And in my poor judgment the aim, for this one principal work amongst us should be, as already said, to make it in all respects more and more worthy of our great and glorious cause: and if it thus grow in deep interest as well as in size, I cannot but think its circulation must increase, without in the least affecting the smaller publications or diminishing their usefulness.

"I should not have ventured this opinion had you not requested it: I am willing, for peace sake, to go with the stream in such matters, yet to me the course I have chalked out seems at once that of safety, utility, and honorable brotherly feeling.

"Dear Sir, ever yours, "JOHN DAVIES. Mollington, 20th Oct. 1848."

We hope not merely to be able to keep up, but to increase the interest of the