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Origin of Christianity.-Nor could Christianity originate în a love of power. The love of power is the last principle to be charged upon the Founder of our religion, Christianity is distinguished by nothing more than its earnest enforcement of a meek and humble spirit, and by its uncompromising reprobation of that passion for dominion which had in all ages made the many the prey of the few, and had been worshipped as the attribute and the impulse of the greatest minds. Its tone on this subject was original, and altogether its own. Jesus felt as none had felt before him, and as few feel now, the baseness of selfish ambition, and the grandeur of that benevolence which waives every mark of superiority, that it may more effectually bless mankind. He taught this lesson, not only in the boldest language, but, accommodating himself to the emblematical mode of instruction prevalent in the East, he set before his disciples a little child as their pattern, and himself washed their feet. His whole life was a commentary on his teaching. Not a trace of the passion for distinction and sway can be detected in the artless narratives of his historians. He wore no badge of superiority, exacted no signs of homage, coveted no attentions, resented no neglect. He dis. couraged the ruler who prostrated himself before him with flattering salutations, but received with affectionate sensibility the penitent who bathed his feet with her tears. He lived with his obscure disciples as a friend, and mixed freely with all ranks of the community. He placed himself in the way of scorn, and ad. vanced to meet a death more suited than any other imaginable event to entail infamy on his name. Stronger marks of an infinite superiority to what the world calls glory cannot be conceived, than we meet in the history of Jesus.-W. E. C.

The ultimate Triumph of the Gospel.--Whenever the hour shall come, I hope I shall be able to leave the world in peace. I have now no further doubts of the final triumph of religion, and of the regeneration and happiness of the human race. The wonders which the Gospel has accomplished already, convince me that it will at length effect the entire salvation of our race. It has already renewed and made happy the hearts of millions, and it has sown the seeds of all improvement in every quarter of the globe. It has formed such characters as were never seen before; it has raised multitudes to the bright and glorious image of the Deity. The gospel will be more read and more studied every year, and men cannot read and study it without becoming wise and good and happy. The inventions of men, the creeds and forms of sects, the selfish interests of all ranks, and the earthly policy of nations, must all give way before its illuminating and sanctifying power. The world has advanced too far to go back; its continued progress is certain; its ultimate felicity is sure, and it is enough.

Published by I. DAVIS, 22, Grosvenor-street, Stalybridge; Bancks and Co., Exchange-street; Heywood, Oldham-street, Manchester; R. Groombridge, 6, Panyer Alley, Paternoster Row, London; and may be had of all Booksellers.

[CAVE and SEVER, Printers, Manchester.]

EVANGELICAL REFORMER,

AND YOUNG MAN'S GUIDE.

BY JOSEPH

BARKER.

Published every Fortnight.-Price One Penny, or in Monthly Parts, price Two-pence.

No. 22.

SATURDAY, Nov. 2, 1839.

VOL. III.

ADVICE.

Do not form your opinion of what a Christian ought to be, from what you see in professing Christians around you, but from the example and teaching of Jesus Christ, and his Apostles. If you form your opinions of what is right and wrong from the conduct of professors, you will be led into many and serious errors. There are many precepts of Christ and his Apostles, which professors generally appear to overlook, and there are other precepts which are but very partially reduced to practice. If you follow the examples of the generality of professors, you will leave undone a great many things which you ought to do, and you will do many other things which you ought not to do. The character of professors generally is at present very low. Even among Methodists, who have for a length of time been regarded as unusually strict, there is a very great laxity. Many things are practised among us which are plainly forbidden in the New Testament, and which one would suppose are generally known to be forbidden; and other things which are plainly commended are left almost altogether unnoticed. I will give you a few particulars.

The Apostle James, in the second chapter of his Epistle, says, "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assemblies a man with a gold ring, and in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor

man in vile raiment, and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and to the poor, Stand thou there, or Sit here under my footstool; are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts ?" What plainer prohibition of respect of persons on account of their appearance or circumstances could we have? And yet who does not know that by professing Christians generally, this prohibition is disregarded? Nothing is more common in places of worship than to conduct the rich or gay attired to the better seats, and to point the poor to meaner places. It is not uncommon in many places to leave the poor to stand, while a person in rich raiment will have accommodation offered by several parties together. Few will shew respect to the poor, while many strive which shall be first to show respect to the rich. I was astonished, in reading Harris's Britannia, to learn that in some places of worship a poor sailor would not be allowed to have any accommodation, neither on a footstool nor in a pew. Something approaching it has come into practice in many places of late, on Anniversary occasions. In some places men are stationed at the door to refuse admission to all who are unwilling or unable to give silver. In other places tickets of admission are sold, and none are admitted but those who can buy them. And the plan of appointing persons to look after the persons who come, and give them seats according to their appear ance or wealth, is almost every where in use. Indeed the system is so common, that I should think it has been noticed by almost every one,

And many will venture to defend the practice. With the plain prohibition of the Apostle, and with the whole tenour and spirit of Christianity against them, they will' still contend that the practice is right. Is it not distressing to see the authority of God so plainly and daringly set aside by his professed disciples? Yet so it is; and thus will you be led to trample on the precepts of Christ, if you study religion as it is exhibited in professors, instead of studying it as taught by Christ and his Apostles for pious purposes.

But when religious people want money for pious purposes, ought they not to take that course which is likely to secure the largest collections? By no means. Such a principle as that would sanction all the frauds of the darkest and corruptest ages. We must not do evil that good may come. We must not disobey the law of Christ for all the world. If we cannot obtain money without doing wrong, we must trust in God, and look for help in some other way. We never can help the cause of God and charity, by doing evil; the way of duty will always prove the best at last.

But when chapels and ministers are dependent on rich people, what would you do then? I answer, chapels and ministers ought not to be dependent on rich people, and if in any case they are so, the law of God ought still to be obeyed.

But when rich people take the principal pews, or purchase a space in the chapel and fit up pews of their own, how can you do? Answer, I would always do as the religion of Christ commands me, and leave the result with God. If the letting of pews, or the selling of places for pews, make it impossible for us to do as the Gospel requires us, then letting pews and selling places ought to be given up. That which makes obedience impracticable is itself, wrong; and instead of pleading one bad thing to justify another, both should be abandoned together. If a man cannot be a soldier without killing his brethren, is he to conclude that it is right to kill his brethren? By no means. The proper conclusion for him to draw is, that it is wrong to be a soldier. That is always wrong that obliges us to do wrong: and instead of saying, The commands of Christ are wrong, for I cannot obey them without losing my situation, I ought to say, My situation is wrong, for I cannot hold it without committing sin. Every thing is wrong that is incompatible with full obedience to the will of God; and every thing is a duty which is necessary to enable us to obey the will of God. If I cannot do my duty to the poor, in places of worship where pews are let, I ought to do away, as far as I am concerned in it, with the letting of pews. If we cannot keep

Christ's words without having all the pews equal and free, then we ought to have them all equal and free. The commands of God should bend to nothing, every thing should be made to bend to them.

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But observe, we are not called upon to behave disrespectfully to the rich. We are commanded to "honour all men," not excepting the rich. Some there are that are forward to contemn and insult the rich, and this they would have us to consider as respect for the poor; but these men are either hypocrites, or they labour under a great error. If enmity towards the rich were friendship towards the poor, the poor would have many friends, but it is not. Those who truly respect the poor, will respect all men; and those who envy and insult the rich, will scarcely respect any man. Our duty is to respect all men as the offspring of God, and our own brethren,sharers of the same nature, and heirs of the same immortality. That which our religion requires of us is, that we should lose sight of all outward distinctions among men, and respect man as man. The Almighty would have us to see a child of his, and a brother of our own, in every human being, and he would have us to cherish the same feeling of affection and respect towards every human being that we cherish towards ourselves. He would not have us to measure our respect for men according to the quality of their clothes, the size of their houses, or the amount of their wealth. He would have us look on the man, and honour him as man; he would have us lose sight of appearances and circumstances, and pay respect to man as a brother man, apart from every other consideration.

If God should visibly appear by the poor man's side, if he should accompany the poor man in the streets, if he should come with him in some glorious form to our places of worship; if God should show the poor man in our presence all the attention and affection and care which an earthly father would show to his favourite but feeble child; if we should see God taking him gently by the hand, guiding him tenderly along the path, conversing with him as a friend, listening to his tale of want and

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