In no case whatever do they feel themselves warranted to resist those in authority over them; for whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation,' or judgment. Were any thing enjoined upon them which they conceived to be opposite to the will of God, after trying the effect of a peaceable and manly remonstrance, without obtaining redress, they should then have no alternative but to suffer patiently, or to flee from their oppressors.”

WORSHIP, DISCIPLINE, &c.

The order, worship, and discipline of the Scottish Baptist Churches are extremely simple; as they endeavour to imitate the pattern exhibited in the history of those churches which were planted by the Apostles, without regard to human systems, creeds, or liturgies.

The religion of Christ, they say, cannot innocently be accommodated to the circumstances of the times, because when that is done, it never fails to be corrupted. According to them, it is now the same in all respects as it was in the apostolic age; during which period they affirm that there were no presbyteries, except the elderships of distinct and independent churches; no bishops, except presbyters, who were all in an equal degree bishops, or overseers, as the word translated bishop literally signifies; no decision with respect to church matters, without the suffrage of the brethren; nor any attempt to establish Christ's religion by human laws, or to render it palatable to the world, who love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil." While, on the other hand, it was the constant endeavour of those who propagated that religion, "to give no" just ground of "offence, neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." They pleased all men in all lawful “ things, not seeking their own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saved;" and recommended this amiable conduct to all the followers of Christ.

The public ordinances in which they "continue stedfastly," are, the Apostles' doctrine, or hearing the word of God read and preached; the fellowship, or contribution for the poor, and for other necessary purposes; the breaking of bread, or the Lord's Supper; the prayers which accompany all those ordinances; and singing the praises of God. They observe the Lord's Supper, as well as all the other Divine ordinances, every first day of the week, esteeming obedience to their Lord's commandment, "Do this in remembrance of me,"

one principal thing which the first churches had in view, when they assembled together on that day (Acts xx. 7); and they confine the observance of it to that day. The prayers and exhortations of the brethren form a part of their church order, under the direction and controul of the elders, pastors, or overseers of the flock, to whom it exclusively belongs to preside in conducting the worship, to rule in cases of discipline, and to preach the Gospel, in distinction from the brethren exhorting one another; excepting only when persons qualified for preaching the word are approved by the church of which they are members, and regularly called to exercise their talents in that way. Such persons may preach the Gospel, and baptize; but they have no official charge in any particular church.

It may be proper to remark, that the elders of the churches here described are all laymen; chosen from among the brethren, by the rules laid down in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus; and not distinguished by any religious titles, or peculiar garb. They are generally persons who are engaged in worldly business, and continue after their appointment to the elder's office, to follow their respective callings, regarding the example of the Apostle Paul, which be emphatically urged upon the elders of the church at Ephesus. (Acts xx.) They who are taught, however, esteem it their indispensable duty to support those who labour in the word and doctrine, when it is needful, on account of the inability of the latter to earn a comfortable livelihood, or when circumstances require that they should be entirely devoted to the work of the ministry; for "the labourer is worthy of his reward," and "the Lord hath ordained that they who preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel."

Their teachers claim no dominion over the consciences of their brethren, among whom they are still ranked, without attempting to form themselves into a separate class. And the official character which they sustain, gives them no preeminence whatever in a worldly point of view. Nor is their any exception in favour of those who have formerly been clergymen, or in a state of preparation for ecclesiastical preferment.

They admit indeed the usefulness of some branches of human learning, when these are not abused to serve the purposes of pride and vain jangling. To say otherwise, they conceive, would be to carry the matter to an unreasonable extreme; for even he who can read and write is not altogether unlearned. And suppose a person has been taught to arrange

and simplify his ideas, and to speak and write with fluency, correctness, and perspicuity, and has likewise gained some knowledge of the languages in which the holy Scriptures were originally written, without neglecting a competent understanding of his native tongue, can it be thought that such attainments are evil in themselves, or that they may not be useful, when sanctified to him who possesses them? But they are fully aware that no improvement of a man's intellectual powers can enable him to understand "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," which the Sovereign "Lord of heaven and earth bath hidden from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed to babes ;" and that those theological and philosophical studies which are generally thought necessary, rather tend to increase the natural enmity of man's heart against "the preaching of the Cross," which was "a stumbling block to the Jews, who required a sign, and foolishness to the Greeks, who sought after wisdom."

They cannot add to the qualifications of a Christian teacher laid down in the word of God; and they deny that a liberal education is essential to his character and office; while they reckon it absolutely necessary, that he should, with great diligence study the holy Scriptures, which are able to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished to all good

works."

The discipline and government of the Scottish Baptist Churches are strictly Congregational. Members are received, after making a public profession of their faith, with the consent of the whole church, expressed, when the body is numerous, by the show of hands; and every case of discipline is determined in the same manner. They esteem a conscientious regard to the law of discipline, instituted by the great Head of the Church (Matt. xviii.), absolutely necessary for the safety of the whole body, and for maintaining purity of communion, and the due exercise of brotherly love.

"While they understand the commandments and sayings of Christ in their plain and obvious meaning, they reckon it their bounden duty to obey all the positive, as well as the moral, precepts which were delivered by himself and by his inspired Apostles; although many of those precepts appear highly absurd to worldly men, and must expose the followers of Christ to much ridicule and contempt. A few examples may be given.-They refrain from eating blood, as having been always prohibited, not only under the Law of Moses, but at a former period, when animal food was given to man; and under the New Testament, by the solemn decree of the

Apostles and Elders, and the whole church at Jerusalem, infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit of God. (Acts xv.) They observe, on proper occasions, the kiss of charity, frequently enjoined upon the first churches, as a natural expression of Christian love. They likewise imitate those churches with respect to their feasts of charity another expression of brotherly love, and the means of promoting it; accounting the approved example of the first churches, an authority of equal obligation with the commandments of the Lord *. And they avow, and endeavour to exemplify a complete equality among the brethren, in every thing that relates to the kingdom of Christ, and their connection together as Christians. High and low, rich and poor, in their estimation, as well as " Barbarian, Scythian, bond and free, are all one in Christ Jesus."

Besides the tracts mentioned above, many others have been published by Mr. M'Lean of which his "Illustration of the Commission given by Jesus Christ to his Apostles," is the most comprehensive and important; and an edition of his whole works was lately published, consisting of seven or eight volumes. Of those published by other elders in this connection, the following are most worthy of notice." Two Letters to the Public, on the Grace of God, occasioned by the Conversion of William Mills, a condemned Felon," by Henry David Inglis; "Parental Duties;" "Purity of Christian Communion, recommended as an Antidote against the Perils of the latter Days;" and "Letters on a variety of subjects, relating chiefly to Christian Fellowship and Church Order," by William Braidwood, in which the author has discussed some of the points of difference between them and other Independents and Baptists.

There are fifteen Baptist Churches in Scotland of the class above described, and some small societies, and scattered individuals, amounting in all to about 1000 members. And although in some places they have been stationary, or on the decline, yet, upon the whole, their members of late years have considerably increased. In England and Wales there are a few churches and smaller societies, who are of the same faith and order, consequently distinct from the two great bodies known by the names of General and Particular Baptists.

But the agapæ of the ancient church took place after the sacrament, whereas those of the Baptists, &c. are observed before it.

THE BEREANS.

NAME.

THE Bereans form a sect of Protestant Dissenters from the Church of Scotland, and one of that significance in modern Church History that, like the preceding and some others both at home and abroad, it just rises above the horizon of observation in a work of this nature. Mr. Barclay, the founder of this new appropriating scheme, whose modesty, we are told, was such, "that he did not wish his friends to be called by his name, thought, with them, the name Bereans as expressive and suited to the Christian character as any other, seeing the believers of the Gospel at Berea were highly commended for their Christian conduct, in daily searching the Scriptures, which is the duty and interest of all believers of the Gospel *."

RISE AND PROGRESS.

The Bereans first assembled as a separate body of Christians in Edinburgh, in 1773, and soon after in the parish of Fettercairn, and county of Kincardine.

The opponents of the Berean doctrines allege, that this new system of faith would never have been heard of, had not Mr. Barclay been disappointed of a settlement in the Church of Scotland. A respectable clergyman of the Established Church has hinted something to this purpose, in Sir John Sinclair's "Statistical Account of Scotland" (vol. ix. p. 599), under the article "Parish of Crieff," of which Mr. Barclay was a native. But the Bereans, in answer to this charge, appeal not only to Mr. Barclay's doctrine uniformly preached in the church of Fettercairn, and many other places in that neighbourhood, for fourteen years before that benefice became vacant; but likewise to two different treatises, containing

* And I may be allowed to add, that it is peculiarly the duty of the members of this denomination; for to entitle them to the honourable appellation which they have thus adopted, they ought, doubtless, of all professing Christians, to let their light shine before men in this respect, or to hold forth a good example to others, in searching the Scriptures daily, (an example much wanted in our days,) otherwise the name of Thessalonians or Athenians might be equally appropriate with that by which they wish to be distinguished from others. But instead of searching the Scriptures, &c. even their pastors engage in worldly business.