We have done so to the often setting aside our own eloquent and gifted brethren, and proclaiming to the world that we had scarcely an officer on board of sufficient skill and eloquence to assist even in launching a fishingsmack. But shall we not commit a great error in withdrawing from the ocean our own choice built and gallant ship? Shall we not give the common foe a cause for triumph? And shall we do more good on board another vessel, which has already a good crew and excellent officers, than we shall by continuing in our own vessel? I think not. In our present position we can co-operate with our brethren on all great public occasions, and by our con duct provoke them to love and good works. This power, however, to stimulate to noble deeds, will be in a great measure inefficient if we unite and form one crew. But what does Union Jack mean by union? Will he have the kindness to define what he means? It strikes me, Mr. Editor, that for all useful and valuable purposes we are already sufficiently united. •Distinct as the billows, yet one as the sea,' severance, Upon these we must agree to disagree, and I think continue to serve the cause of the Captain of our salvation in the most efficient way we can. No sir, till the five points are scattered by the winds of heaven to the uninhabited parts of the earth, we must continue to sail in our good old ship, under its glorious flag, bearing its heavenly motto, Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man.' And with our colours flying, and our will continue to zealous crew, we navigate the globe, till the whole earth is filled with the glory of God. It appears to me that we cannot take such a step as that contemplated by Union Jack. The deeds of our fore fathers forbid. They built the greater part of our chapels, and left them to the General Baptist Connexion. Shall we, then, the children and descendants of our sainted fathers, alienate the property which they have left us in trust? Can we do so legally? To me, as well as to Union Jack, it is interesting to see the liberality of sentiment and of conduct cherished by different denominations of Christians; but I have sometimes feared that this liberality is often expressed at the expense of a conscientious attachment to what I believe to be the doctrines of the cross. It must be confessed that man is prone to extremes, seldom considering how nearly they are united, and in endeavouring to please God by avoiding a bigoted party spirit, offends him in the sacrifice he makes to express his liberality. No one will deny that our love to Christ and his authority must be supreme, but to express our love to other Christians as some people would demand, involves a neglect of his authority, and would consequently incur his displeasure. Union Jack cannot be ignorant that attempts have been made to blend Christians into one body by enforcing universally the same discipline, government, and oereThis was mismouies of worship. taking uniformity for union. We can sit down with our brethren, and they with us, at the table of our common Lord, and celebrate with them the sufferings of Gethsemane, and the agonies of the cross, and rejoice with them in the resurrection and triumphant ascension of our Divine Redeemer. We can, and do, exchange pulpits with our ministerial brethren, and preach the glorious gospel to each other's congregations. And we are frequently dismissing members to the fellowship of each other's churches. Then what is to be gained by striking our denominational flag, and sailing in another ship, under Union Jack, commanded by other officers? But are there not thousands of our friends who could not conscientiously subscribe to the articles by which her crew is governed? Many could not sail under her un- May a spirit of love and holy rivalry furled banner with its five stripes animate each denomination; and while (points) flaunting in the breeze- we regret that some of the crew of Predestination-Election-Reprobation both vessels may be defective in dis - Effectual Calling-and Final Per-cipline, and others negligent in duty, Correspondence. Support of our Denominational Institutions. yet may they both push on their conquests, extend their victories, till a prostrate world shall bow to Him who is Lord of all. Yours truly, THE MASTER OF THE WATCH. SUPPORT OF OUR DÉNOMINA- To the Editor of the General Baptist 223 the disposition of the funds of such institutions respectively, nor in anywise exercise control over their affairs. 4. That it be considered part of the duty of the secretary of each institution to write from time to time to the churches, with a view to collections and contributions, as well as to obtain the services of an agent or local cor respondent in each church; and that for this service the secretaries of the College and Home Mission receive from their respective funds, in addition to expenses necessarily incurred, 24 per cent. on the amount of subscriptions and collections.' was agreed to on the supposition that we might not improbably ere long again have a united Home Mission instead of districts, as at present. MY DEAR SIR,-Many of your readers will remember that at the last Association, a committee was appointed to In explanation of so much of the consider the subject of the churches' last recommendation as relates to the support of our denominational institu-Home Mission,' I may add, that it tions, and to bring up a recommendation to the next Association. This committee met some months ago, and the following is the result of its deliberations. In accordance with the wish of the committee, I communicate their recommendations now, in order that at the forthcoming Association the brethren may be better prepared for intelligent discussion of them. (REPORT OF COMMITTEE.) 'Accepting the decision of the Wisbech Association that it is the duty of every church to support the three recognized Institutions of the Connexion, viz, the Foreign Mission, the Home I am happy to say that the members Believe me, dear Sir, W. R. STEVENSON. Nottingham, May 10th, 1861. ROTARY DEACONS. Mission, and the College, this com- To the Editor of the General Baptist mittee recommends the following practical measures : 1. That there be added to the statistics in the Minutes a tabular statement of the sum contributed by each church to the support of each institution. 2. That the resolution of the Wisbech Association, viz, 'that the Association regards it as the duty of all the churches in the body to support the three recognized Institutions of the Connexion," be printed in the Minutes year by year, as a permanent heading to the statistics. Magazine. DEAR SIR,-In our church it recently became necessary to appoint additional deacons. This is always a momentous concern. It is sometimes difficult, with the Epistle to Timothy in one's eye, to find persons at all fit to be called by that serious name. Not unfrequently the election is attended with sad manifestations of human depravity, and Christian (or unchristian) imperfection. The appointment is always followed by grave results; and many a time by disastrous consequences. 3. That the ministers and repre- While the approaching event was sentatives of those churches which being revolved in my mind, two little do not make an annual collection or facts came, mercifully and providenticontribution on behalf of these institually, to my knowledge. One was, that tions, shall have no power to vote in in some of the congregational churches in America, the deacon's office is 'ROTARY, (see Beecher's Life Thoughts, page 250.) The other was, that the minister of a neighbouring Independent church told me, that his people elected or re-elected all their deacons fresh every three years. The light thus cast on the subject was, to me, equally new. opportune, and relieving; and, as it seems to me both true and serviceable, I venture, through your kindness, to present it to others. I think it, dear Sir, impossible, to over-estimate the importance of the diaconal office, or the value of such as use it well. They are the bones and sinew, the hands, the head, the very face of the church. They are, as the word signifies, the 'work-doers' of the church. Worthy deacons are model men, sample Christians, proofs of what the gospel of Christ can do to assimilate men to God. When the minister is telling of the beauty and glory of the Christian character, his hearers ought to be thinking of the deacons, and saying in their hearts- All that the preacher is saying is quite true.' And not only the minister, but every member of the church, rich and poor, old and young, ought to be able to look up to them, as their exemplars, their advisers, and their comforters. Their influence ought to be ubiquitous in and around the church; and, dear Sir, it will be so, whether for good or for evil. As are the deacons, so almost inevitably will the church be. If those be self-willed, self-satisfied, contented with an unlaborious respect ability; formal as well as regular in duty, cold as well as respectful in manner, so will the rest be. The church will not get on if the deacons be of the stand-still family. One man who will not move on may stop a crowd. The very meetings will have little interest if the deacons feel no interest. Feeling is, to a great extent, contagious; and woe to the church if the deacons be not men of feeling. The operations of the church will be languid, if the deacons do not infuse life into them; and, of course, if the deacons, do not derive that life from above, it is not worth having. To an office of such vital and awful importance, it seems unreasonable and almost monstrous to appoint any per. son for the term of his natural life; and yet, if this is not done in so many words, it is so generally in point of fact. There exists in most of our congregationally governed churches no appliance, no readily available means for the removal of an unworthy or inefficient, a high-minded or low-minded deacon. You can get rid of a useless minister pretty easily, but how can you free yourselves from a disaffected, cold, formal, respectable, effete, or 'cantankerous' deacon? On our usual system not even old age, remote residence, hypochondriasis, lameness, deafness, or other infirmity of body, mind, or temper, relieves the church from the incubus; and the work which should be done by every church is either done without the guidance of the proper officers, or it is not done at all. The very consciousness also that he is in for life, has a tendency, (such, alas, is human nature,) to embue a man with a sense of self-importance and independency unbefitting his relation to Christ, the church, or the world. Let him only avoid everything scandalous; let him be generally there to handle the collections, and carry about the bread and wine at the supper; let him be now and then at a prayer meeting, and for the most part at the monthly church meeting; and though even his first love (however cool that was) is now chilled; though all the more spiritual duties of a deacon or a church member are neglected, and he does nothing to promote the blessedness, the purity, or the philanthropy of the church; there he sits, a deacon, and who shall put him down?—an obstruction, but who shall remove him out of the way? Nay, I have heard of cases in which a deacon, especially if he be made or left sole deacon, contrives even in congregational churches to render himself despotic. He has the deeds; he has the keys; he has the purse; he has the very church book; at the meetings he has the 'say,' and if opposed, he has the temper; and the poor minister, miserably dependent, gets through as civilly as he can; and the dumb church acquiesces, faintly hoping for happier days.. Correspondence.-A Voice from a Poor Church. In many social and civil institutions, and in most of the religious societies of the day, these evils are guarded against by the periodical and even annual election of officers. In Bible, Tract, and Missionary Societies; in hospitals, and other charitable foundations, purity and efficiency are secured in proportion to the frequency of official appoint. ments. Members of Burial Boards, Guardians of the poor, and Town Councillors, are chosen every year; and there is a new Parliament every few years. We all perceive what ruin and enslavement would ensure were all those officers appointed for life. The same advantages, and more would be secured by a periodical election of deacons. It would be a valuable means of preserving liberty in the church. The church is the fountain of freedom for the world. But if the church itself be enthralled, as it often has been, whether by alliance with the state and the court, or by subjection to a minister, a deacon, or any other person or persons, the poor world will be in the dungeon. 'Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty with which Christ has made you free;' and contend for the periodical fresh election of your deacons. Though this frequency would in no degree diminish the solemnity of the appointment, it would free it from the fearfulness of an investiture for life. The prospect of a re-election would operate favourably on the diligence and devotion of the deacons to the work of their office. 225 this and other important offices; persons, by the now prevailing custom, kept quite out of view, because they are not in demand to fill the places, now perhaps choked with some selfsatisfied drone, or dignified Diotrephes. All such as had worthily obtained this distinction, even when no longer in office, would still retain their excellent qualities, and still diffuse their gracious influence. What an accession would this be to the beneficent power of the church in doing good to the needy world! The plan I propose, or rather adopt, has this further recommendation, that it affords an easy opportunity without any painful explanations, to any one who is tired of the office of quietly laying it down; as well as to the church, without any painful censure or division of sentiment, of putting into this very important service men more fitted, in their opinion, to discharge the trust. I may add, that in this paper it is supposed that the election is by ballot, without nomination, each member writing the names of those he or she may think most suitable for the office. Also, that in our church we have deaconesses, not indeed so called, but under the name of Sisters' Committee,' and they are elected annually. I am, dear Mr. Editor, your's and the churches' faithful friend and servant, M. D. A VOICE FROM A POOR CHURCH. To the Editor of the General Baptist While the church is thus reminded from time to time of what deacons ought to be, the members can hardly fail to think of what they ought to be DEAR SIR,-Will you allow a small themselves; and 'to examine themselves space in your pages for a few remarks whether they really be in the faith;' in favour of one church, amongst others, and stir themselves up to fresh dili- that is supposed to be doing nothing gence in the service of Christ. All for our denominational institutions? this, together with special prayer for The church of which I am a member, well qualified deacons, and gratitude is not doing anything towards the for them as precious gifts from the support of the College, or the Home Head of the church, would render these Mission, still, she hath done what she periodical elections and ordinations could.' We are a poor people, very eminent means of grace to the body of poor; but we have a good chapel, free Christ. from debt. A short time since we added a piece of land to our burying ground, which was very much needed, but to raise the money to pay for it we Another concomitant advantage would be, the actual multiplication in the church of persons competent for find difficult. The silver and gold are the Lord's,' and I trust it will be forthcoming. We have a large Sabbathschool, and both teachers and scholars take an interest in the Foreign Mission. It is very hard to be so censured when we are doing what we can. I think a little sympathy for the poor churches would produce a great deal more love and zeal for the Saviour's cause; and I hope, when the subject is discussed at the approaching Association, there will be some with kind loving hearts that will speak on our behalf, and not seek to exclude us from the interests of the denomination. JUBILEE. To the Editor of the General Baptist DEAR MR. EDITOR,-Permit me, through the medium of your pages, to inform To the Editor of the General Baptist your readers that the Lord's-day school Magazine. DEAR SIR,-On the 26th of last month, I was with a clergyman, looking over his church, its antiquities and its beauties. Coming to the capacious old font, I said, 'Here is room enough to dip a child over head.' 'Indeed,' said he, it is only a few weeks since I did, at the request of one of my parishioners, dip his little boy three times under the water in this font,-first in the name of the Father, then in the name of the Son, and then in the name of the Holy connected with the General Baptist chapel, Fleet, having now been formed fifty years, it is intended to celebrate the event on July 10th, by holding special jubilee services, and to invite all who have been in the school since its formation, either to attend or write to the teachers, if possible. Letters will be thankfully received and add peculiar interest to the day's proceedings. Letters should be forwarded to E. R. Kemp, Post Office, Fleet, via Wisbech. Yours truly, E. R. KEMP. Obituary. MRS. JANE FLAVEL for many years a useful and consistent member of the Baptist Church, Market Harborough, fell asleep in Jesus, January 29th, aged 71 years. During her long connection with the church of Christ, her outward manifest ation of the inner and spiritual life evinced her sincerity as a follower of the Redeemer, and her constant submission to the will of God in numerous and protracted afflictions testified to the power of divine grace to sustain her mind and comfort her soul. She was a humble, unostentatious, and devout Christian. Her regard for the house of God, and her appreciation of the means of grace were visibly displayed in the regularity of her attendance, not only on the Lord's-day but on the week-evenings also. She possessed a mild, gentle, and truly generous spirit, which was evinced in her sympathy with all those who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity. We feel that as a church we have |