would take a room and begin; he was a Yorkshireman who told me all the circumstances, and you know they are rather long-headed; he said, They want to begin a new cause here, and want to drag me into it, but, says he, I sat down and counted the cost, and thought their supplies must be kept, and their expenses paid. There were some, however, that rallied round the man, but their conduct was very immoral." Such is the statement of John Kershaw, now let us see what it is worth. He (Mr. Wells) forced himself to Bradford, so says John Kershaw. Now the truth of the matter is that in August, 1846, Mr. W. was invited to preach at Manchester, at a chapel taken for him in Green Street, Salford, three week evenings, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, omitting Tuesday, that being the evening at St. George's Road, and this evening was omitted to avoid drawing the St George's Road people away from their own place. A person, who knew Mr. W. was coming to Manchester, wrote to the cause at Bradford, for Mr. W. to preach there on the Tuesday evening, and it was settled for him so to do; he went, and a friend, Mr. Currie, went with him, to Bradford. Mr. W. preached, and he and his friend returned the next day to Manchester. So that his going to Bradford was not of his own seeking, and as to his conduct at Bradford, he can defy every mortal in Bradford, to charge him, justly, with one impropriety, in word or deed. Mr. Kershaw says, Mr. W.'s conduct was such they would not have him ; but the parties, or rather party, who rejected him, assigned another reason; namely, that Mr. W. had been an enemy to the late Mr. Gadsby, and this (as will hereafter, D. V., be proved) like many more things, is utterly false. Mr. W. having thus preached at Bradford, and not having the most remote idea of there being anything contrary to good feeling towards him, he, the next year, 1847, being invited to Manchester, and wishing to make the best of his time, wrote in a friendly way to the friends at Bradford to say that, as he was coming to Manchester, he would, if agreeable, pay them another visit; but he received an answer from the deacon, saying he had better not come to Bradford, but assigning no reason why he should not come. The question with Mr. W. now was, whether he was rejected merely by one or two influential parties, or by the church and people generally; he soon ascertained that he was rejected, not by the church and people, but by one or two individuals, and chiefly by the beautiful deacon referred to in the subjoined letters. Mr. W. then saw that the people were deprived of their liberty, and felt determined, if the Lord would open a way, to go to Bradford: the Lord did open a way, and Mr. W. went to Bradford, and preached two evenings in a very commodious chapel, lent gratuitously, by the generosity of its proprietor. But previously to going, Mr. W. sent a sharp letter to Bradford, assuring them that he would come to Bradford, and if he could form another cause he would do so rather than the people should be deprived of the services of any minister they wished to hear, and when Mr. W. was at Bradford he aimed at no end but that which an honest conscience could say Amen to. John Kershaw, then, has in this matter made falsehood his refuge, and to such refuge he is quite welcome. "But some rallied round the man, but their conduct was very immoral." Rallied round the man-what man?-we can hardly tell here whether John means the Yorkshireman or the London - man, but be it which it may, "their conduct was very immoral." Oh, of course, who, dare to suppose there can be any morality, or salvation, or anything else that is good, anywhere but within the pale of - "We are, and none else?" Ask John his opinion of persons not within the pale, he will dance his knee, or knees, and give a significant move of the head, and in half-muttered words convey an insinuation as keen as the sharpest piece of cutlery in Sheffield. But, were those who rallied round the man immoral? John K. says they were, and surely John is an "honourable" man, and yet the men, whom John declares immoral, give their names to the public, and challenge the universe to prove them immoral, and yet John says they are, and surely John is an "honourable" man. should demand a doubt. Pity this But John Kershaw says Mr. W. wished to show what a great man he was. Well, if he had such a wish he has no doubt failed, but if Mr. W. has failed in his supposed wish, certainly if Mr. Kershaw has not made himself a great man, he has in this matter made himself a great something else. Since Mr. Kershaw preached the sermon, now under notice, Mr. W. has written to Bradford twice, and sent in the second letter the extract above given. The following are the answers, with the names attached, of the immoral men who rallied round the man. It will be perceived that Mr. K. has not said a word against the deacon, the dear soul, who, about the time he refused the people the liberty of hearing Mr. W., lost (dear tried soul) several pounds at gambling. Zoar is the name of the chapel at Bradford. Bradford, Feb. 7, 1848. DEAR MR. WELLS,-I received yours, and we will endeavour to answer it. We are sorry to hear that Mr. Kershaw has been so indiscreet in his sermon at Manchester. We are not aware of any inconsistency that we have manifested since you were last here, excepting the publishing an address you have here inclosed, with a view of producing some better effect, but it has not produced the desired end. Instead of that, Mr. Kershaw took an occasion to make some personal remarks when preaching in Zoar Chapel. Dear Sir, we are happy to state that your last visit here had a very good effect for the time being, not only with us, but with the church generally at Zoar, and caused them to convene a meeting that the officers should give an account why they refused you the use of the pulpit; and they, the officers, finding themselves in an error, promised never to do the like again, without consulting the church. N.B. It is with regret that we hear that Mr. Kershaw has made any remarks relative to you in the sermon you refer to; but we do not wonder at it, as we know he is in the habit of doing the same to others. We conclude by assuring you of our best christian love, and may the truth of God run and be glorified by your ministration, is the earnest and sincere desire of yours in the covenant engagements of a Triune Jehovah, HENRY RAWSON, Bradford, Yorkshire, Feb. 14, 1848. DEAR BROTHER IN THE LORD,-We have received yours of the 8th, and we are happy to learn of your being well in health, and especially that the God of all grace is prospering you in his work. We are not wishful to enter into commotion or confusion with Mr. Kershaw or the people of Zoar Chapel; but generally to let them take their own course, for the Judge of all the earth will do right, He knowing the secrets of all hearts. Nevertheless, when falsehood and slander are propagated by either ministers or people, we think it our duty before men to vindicate our moral character. Dear Sir, we now come to the sermon of Mr. Kershaw, and are sorry to see the statement you give of his sermon, and believe that there is not a word of truth in it, however Mr. Kershaw may believe the Yorkshire gentleman; in your conduct of the last visit you paid to Bradford, whether in your thrusting yourself in or in attempting to raise a new interest, the contrary was the fact. For the principal part of the Church at Zoar was delighted with your ministration of the word and your deportment generally. As respects the immoral conduct of the friends that rallied round you we think that if Mr. Kershaw had applied the phrase to the thimble-rigging deacon at Zoar Chapel, which he nor any of the church will deny, that he was brought before pre the church and found guilty of gambling with the thimble-rigging gentry, and still holds his deaconship, which we cannot bear, it would have applied with greater force; Mr. Kershaw is aware of the whole case. We wish not to boast of our moral character, but we feel thankful that the God of all grace has served us from immoral conduct, and are ready to meet Mr. Kershaw, or any other individual, on that charge. We believe the Yorkshire gentleman referred to by Mr. Kershaw is the very individual that was chairman at the following meeting, and sanctioned the publishing the address we sent you in our last. At a meeting, held on 2nd day of May, 1847, at the house of Mr. Jos. Wells, Manchester Road, the following resolutions were adopted. 1st, That it is the opinion of this meeting, in consequence of the unscriptural proceedings of those who have had the management of conducting the affairs of Zoar Chapel, and the dissatisfaction that has arisen from it, even from the commencement to the present period, calls upon us to endeavour to take some steps, the Lord being our helper, for the better establishment of righteousness as contained in Paul's Epistles to the Corinthians, where the discipline of a gospel church is faithfully set forth, in doctrine, experience, and practice. 2nd, That the money paid to the officers of Zoar Chapel in shape of seat-rents be handed over to the treasurer appointed by this meeting for twelve months from this date; and if, at the expiration of that time, they (the officers) of the above chapel conduct the affairs as becometh the gospel of Christ, then the money in the hands of the treasurer be refunded. But should they continue to manifest that despotic and tyrannical spirit which has marked their proceedings heretofore,-should the Lord in his providence send any of his faithful servants who preach his discriminating truth, and be refused the pulpit in Zoar Chapel, we shall discharge his expences for preaching elsewhere out of the aforesaid funds. 3rdly, In order to carry out the above object, there shall be officers chosen, consisting of chairman, secretary, treasurer, and committee. (Signed) RICHARD LEE, Chairman. We conclude by subscribing to you our best christian regards, hoping that all will be done with christian charity, the glory of God, and the exaltation of Christ's kingdom. Yours, dear brother in the Lord, HENRY RAWSON, Jos. WELLS, GEORGE WOOD. We hope next month to show that Mr. Kershaw in one of the doctrines he denounces is as deluded as ever was any mortal in this world.-EDS. 81 "Man dieth, and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and NOTHING is more humiliating to the great and the proud, than the consideration that they must die. The Bible declares the important fact, which is perhaps one reason that its company by many is avoided, and its authority in part denied, while the truth of it cannot be overturned. To stifle and prevent the uprising of any unwelcome thoughts upon the subject, recourse is had to everything that can please the flesh, and put the evil time far away. Others, from a consciousness of the certainty of its approach, knowing that "it is appointed unto man once to die, and after death the judgment," manifest plainly their ignorance of divine teaching, by rejecting the only way, and by preferring to plead their own cause at that solemn bar, saying, "In thy name we have done many wonderful works," vainly imagining that these flimsy cobwebs, woven by human ability, can stand them good in that important crisis. Their webs, however, shall not become garments; the fire of God's wrath will consume them as in a moment; naked and ashamed will every soul stand, not found clothed with Christ. Death will come, and, prepared or otherwise, "no man hath power over the spirit, to retain the spirit, and there is no discharge in that war. All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again to dust." The greedy grave, with open mouth, is loudly crying, "Give, give!" Whilst industrious death is hourly providing the wherewithal to satisfy its craving, yet it never hath enough. Old and young, rich and poor, the rustic and the scholar, the righteous and the wicked, the beggar and the prince, are alike embraced within death's mighty grasp. Oh! the mercy to those to whom it is granted to be enabled to say, from heartfelt experience, "We look not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." But "How shocking must thy summons be, O death! GOSPEL AMBASSADOR.] E [APRIL, 1848. |