Star.
London, England, 1825-12-01 00:00:00

then, must be blameless; he most have m an-led but one,
wife ; he snot be Sober, prudent,. grave, and modest,
loving hospitality, able to teach ; he mu.t not be given
to wine, neither violent dor hasty to stlike ; but just anef
moderate, far from disputes, disinterested; he must
govern well his own household, keeping his children in
obedience, and in all propriety.' (14) He says again,
4 Have we not power to lead about with us a wife, who
may be our sister in Jesus Cuaisr, as do the other
Apostles, and the brothers of our LORD, and Cephas
(15) And St. Clement, of Alexandria, $475 himself,
Tnere are some who condemn the Priests that marry ;
but will they not also condemn the Apostles? for Peter
and Phillip had children, and the latter had his dauvh•
tors married.' (16) The Miaisteis of the Reformed Re-
ligion follow this principle, and the example of the
Apostles; they are, like them, fathers of families, pat-
terns to their flocks; they live in simplicity, milting no
vows contrary to human nature, the precepts of Scrip-
ture, purity of manners, and the good order of society.
" I have embraced their communion, because in it
there is no prostration before wood, or stone, or old re-
lics of corpses to which corruption has paid no respect.
" I have embraced th;s communion, because in it
everything is roamed immediately to (ion the SA YIOUR
of men, and not to creatures sinful like ourselves ; tor,
saith St. Paul, There is but one Gov, and one MEDIA-
TOR between GOD and man, the man Cantsr Jesus.'
(17) And St. John: 'lf any man sin, we have au
AD VOCATS with the FATHER, Jesus CHRIST, who is
righteous.' (18) And consequently, Jssus Cnntsr be-
ing here the only hope of believers, they are entirely
and uniformly Christiaw.
4' I have embraced this communion, because it does
not enjoin upon believers to exhibit their piety in the
pomp of streets and public places—a practise which
Jesus Contsr reproves, saying, 4 Be not like the hypo-
crstes, who affect to pray standing apart in the Syna-
gogues, and at the corners of the streets, in old r to be
seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have received
their reward; but you, when you play, enter into your
closet, and the door being shut, pray unto your FATHER
in secret, and your FATHER, who seeth that which
passed' in secret, will give you its reward. When you
fast, be not sad, like the hypocrites ; for they affect to
appear with a disfigured countenance, in order that
men may know when they fast. Verily I say unto you,
they have received their reward. But you, when you
fast. anoint your head, and wash your face, that it may
not appear unto men that you fast, but to your FATHER,
who is present in the most secret place; and your
FATHER, who seeth that which passers: in secret, will
give you its reward.' (19)
" I have embraced this communion, because in it
there is no assumption that- he is a better man who
eats fish than he who eats beef; for I can never believe
that it was the design of GoD, in creating an aliment
always wholesome, to prohibit ns from using it at cer-
tain periods, unless we purchase exemption. Jesus
CHRIST speaks not thus in the following words: 6 It is
not that which enters into the mouth which defiles the
man ; but it is that which comes out of the mouth
of man which defiles him.' (20) And St. Paul says:
Eat of all that is sold at the shambles, without asking
whence it comes, for any scruple of conscience ; for the
eat th is the LORD'S, and all that therein is.' (21)
" I have embraced this communion, because in b
public service everything is understood and comp•
hended by every individual; and having never learnid
Latin, I cannot believe it to be the will of GOD that.
Ministers should edify me in Latin: The custom
is condemned by St. Paul Also, my brethren,
if I should come unto you speaking in unknown
tongues, what usefulness should I bring unto you ? I
would rather speak in the Cnurch five words which I
could understand, and which should instruct others,
than repeat ten thousand in an unknown tongue.' (22)
Pope John VIII. was as much a Protestant as toyseif
in this respect, for he said, ' Let the praises of GOD be'
sung in the native language ; and I really think that.
if what is said to us is good, useful, and euifying, it
ought to be understood ; and if, on the contrary, it is
something bad, it ought not to be said, either in Latin,
Greek, or Chinese.

" I have embraced this communion, because it does
not exclude from futere happiness p ror little children,
on account of their parents' neglect in not having them
baptized before their death. This doctrine has always
appeared to me absurd, unjust, insulting to the DEITY,
and unauthorized by a single word of Scripture.

66 I have embraced this commoni:tn, because in it the'
LORlll's Sapper is a wholly spiritual ceremony,remind-
ing us of the benefits which the SAVIOUR came to con-
fer on humanity,—a memorial of his death, in which
the bread and wine represent only the body and blood
of Jesus ; for I never could allow that a GOD wholly
spiritual, the CREATOR of the heavens and the earth,—
that GOD, whose nature alone is infinite, could be swal-
lowed like a wafer. It has ever appeared to me, that
the idea which materialized the CREATOR, was an
insult offered by us to Hilt, as it is an insult to reason.
6. Lastly, I have embraced the Christian reformed
communion, and I have embraced it with faith, con-
fidence, and-happiness, because it is not supported by
the sword of the executioner; it does nut place the
scaffolds and tertutes of the Inquisiri.,n be,ide the Cross
of Hist who came, not to destiny men, but to save them.
I acknowledge that the violence with which some of its
early members may have been reproach,d, arose from
the rem tins of human prejudice, from a habit of domi-
nation and of double power, (ecclesiastical arid civil,)
om which those men could nor at once free themselves ;
but at the present day this Church is mild andcharitable ;
it needs not rie 7orquernada to support it; it would
not receive such aid its precept is the precept of the
Seetoun: • You shall love the LORD your Gov, with all
your heart, and v:iih all your soul, and with all your
mind; 6 this is-the greatest and first commandment; and
this is the second, sOlich is lite unto it : you shall love
your neighbours as yourselves.' In these two com-
mandments are contained all the law - and the pro-
phets. (23)
".In this communion I recognize the true Chinch of
JESUS CHRIST, that primitive Church which was re-
stored by the Gospel at the time of tie ltef,rmation.
I bless Goo for haling given me thus to distinvish
his divine light; rily children will one bless olefin
having acted the pan of an honest man,, which is to.
embrace the truth of soon as he perceives it; Without
'disquieting hiinself on account of the menaces and,
'cattippies of those who shun the light, because their
deedaske evil. gibe step I have tat n were. yet to
,take, the piosi ect of tortures and of scaffolds ‘Yould be
vainly, presented in order to stop me; truth is my
molt the approbation of Goo and of my conscience
is my law. Numbers are deterred from imitai .g me
by their iudifiercnce to the troll and to religion, and