ing out, or together, is by authoritative call or summons. The word evocation or ecclesia itself would express this, and be as good English as the derivatives, ecclesiastic and ecclesiastical. Christians are the called '-as such they are called out from the world; they are, therefore, a separated people; in their baptism they have had the name of the Lord called upon them, and in this their peculiar standing they are enjoined to come out and be separate, and walk worthy of their high calling or vocation in Christ Jesus. As our brother well remarks, the phrase ' Church and Congregation ' is quite unscriptural, and is suitable only to Churches of the apostacy, which, instead of demonstrating their separation from the world by obedience to the call and ordinances of the Lord, recognise the world as participators with them in what they are pleased to call 'divine service;' albeit they know that said service accords not with the divine appointment, but with the rules of 'The directory of public worship,' and other such human imposts.-Ed.)

CHURCH, PROVOST WYND, CUPAR.

To the Editor of the Christian Advocate.

DEAR SIR,-I have just seen the first number of your Magazine, and find in it much to instruct as well as edify; but am not pleased with a notice you have inserted about the Provost Wynd Church, Cupar-Fife. You say, 'in the language of English Baptist ecclesiastical literature this is at present a destitute Church;' and in a certain sense you are not far wrong, for this Church lately was deprived of the services of one of its ablest and most talented members, in the person of Mr Grant. Of all the Church, he was the most apt to teach, having been a good number of years at College; and since then, having had access to a large and extensive library, which proved to him a rich mine of intellectual food. And Mr G. having been enabled to devote his whole time in digging after knowledge, he was found to be 'far ahead' of any in the Church with regard to qualifications for exhorting. The Church, then, having been accustomed to get rich repasts on the Lord's day from Mr G., cannot be expected to relish so well the homely fare which the other members produce; and unless we have the aid of an able divine we may now be quite correctly termed 'a destitute Church.' You next say, the Church has been compassing sea and land for preachers.' "Here you have been misinformed. The Church did not accept the half of the offers which were made by preachers, preferring to take the use of the home-made material as often as possible, feeling, if not the best, it was the cheapest. And now about the sonorous thing called a Harmonium.' The brother was quite right when he said we got it to please ourselves. On visiting some congregations I have been very much displeased with their music. A beautiful tune has been started, and the brethren are all out of tune; one brother singing, one 'roaring,' on quite a different key from the rest, and all making most wretched sounds. Could I join in such worship? Impossible. I would turn away vexed beyond measure. Well, then, to please myself,' I got a Harmonium, and find, that by keeping all in tune, my affections and my whole soul enter more into the sentiment expressed, and my

whole being is absorbed in the worship of the Redeemer. The Harmonium, then, we are pleased with, because it tends to prevent that discord so very prevalent in the worship of a great number of our congregations; and by producing good music to work on our feelings, it enables us to praise the Lord more from the heart than we would otherwise do. But then it does not matter what good effects it may produce; if the Apostles did not have a Harmonium, the Church now can never be allowed the use of one. With this sentiment I cannot concur, inasmuch as although I believe it to be the duty of the Church to imitate the Apostles with regard to the ordinances, &c., yet I think there are other things, in the performing of which we may and do improve upon. For instance, we may have a comfortable, commodious chapel in which we can sit, and the preacher can speak with great ease and comfort. Again, we may have the aid of science to light our places of worship, and also an elegant font in the chapel; besides, we may use music books and a pitch-fork, all of which are great improvements, and which the Apostles would have been much the better of, and for which we have neither precept nor example. Does the writer of this note believe we should sing at all? if so, whether is it right to have good or bad singing? It may be said, it is the heart that God looks at. If so, then do not sing at all, it will be as effective in God's sight to hum the hymns over to ourselves; but if we are to attempt to sing, by all means let us have the best music possible; and the very fact that there is no injunction in the New Testament telling us how to sing, shews that it is an open question, and that we are to adopt the best means in our power to raise the music to a higher state of perfection, and thereby indirectly glorify our heavenly Master.

Newtown, Cupar-Fife.

REMARKS BY THE EDITOR.

J. G.

OUR worthy correspondent pleads guilty to the first charge. Unless,' says he, we get the aid of an able divine, we may be quite correctly termed a destitute Church.' Such, then, is the result of that aptness to teach, which 'years at College,'' an extensive library,' 'a rich mine of intellectual food,' served up in 'rich repasts' by 'an able divine,' produces. It is thus clear that high living in the spiritual world, as well as in the material, leads to destitution. We are quite sure that the fare commended, 2 Tim. iii. 15-17, would have a very different effect. But the pity is, that many are contented to remain so much longer children than the Lord intended, that they cannot help themselves even to their food-an able divine must do it, or they perish of hunger. Compare 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4, with Eph. iv. 11-16. But second, Though thus destitute, the Church did not compass sea and land for preachers. What then? Supply has been had from Kilconquer, St Andrews, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, and the able divine on whom so much depends is called from Ireland! Such is our information, in view of which, we think the plea of guilty should have included this count also. But third, The Harmonium was got, as we said, not to please the Lord but themselves. And now a plea of justification is put on record. "Some Congregations' sing badly; if one person sings, another roars, and he who roars does so on the wrong key, and the results are wretched sounds,'' vexation," and

refusing to 'join such worship.' But the point is not whether some congregations so deport themselves, but whether the congregation for which the Harmonium has been provided do so. J. G. knows he cannot apply the argument to the congregation in question, whose singing, we are aware, has long been, perhaps, just too well 'performed. Now if he wishes to become reformer, why not apply the remedy in the right quarter? Not the whole, but the sick need a physician. But J. G. argues thus-some men are sick, therefore I take physic. We allow he takes it with a benevolent design, and with wonderful effect, if we are to believe in the powers of his remedy as he states them, for, says he, 'The Harmonium we are pleased with, because it tends to prevent that discord so very prevalent in the worship of a great number of congregations.' How this Harmonium prevents discord in any other congregation than that of Provost Wynd, we are not told. We quite doubt, however, its supposed powers, even in the congregation in which its potency is displayed. How does it prevent the roaring? How does it confine to the right key those whose ear is deficient in the perception of harmony? We have had such faith in the handiwork of him by whom man is fearfully and wonderfully made, as to believe that man himself is gifted with the most perfect instrument of music on earth. But no, God made man upright, but he has sought out many inventions; and could we only believe it, one of these far excels the Creator's own workmanship, insomuch, that those who profess to 'worship God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,' conduct their worship by a thing graven by art and man's device! We have little doubt such worship must displease the Lord much more than it pleases the worshippers. We see no good effects possible from such a cause. But supposing himself to have made out some, our correspondent enters his dissent from the idea, that if the Apostles had no Harmonium, neither should the Church use one. Yet he believes it the duty of the Church to imitate the Apostles with regard to the ordinances. Is praise not an ordinance? If it be, we ought to imitate the Apostles regarding it. Strange imitation. 'But,' continues he, there are other things on which we may improve, for which we have neither precept nor example.' Things not within the range of Apostolic precept and example-things, not the ordinances-things that do not affect our faithful keeping of the ordinances as the Apostles delivered them'-things, in the use of which, no violence is done to the faith and conscience of the weakest of the brethren-things that involve no principle of the faith-things necessary, not to the pleasing of the flesh or an itching ear, but to the comfort and edification of the Lord's people, or the forth-carrying of his work. Against these things there is no law. But are musical instruments, in the conduct of Christian praise, such things? Are they not rather an attempt at improving the ordinance of praise as delivered once for all? Calvin, on Acts viii., respecting the substitution of baby sprinkling for believer immersion, says, the Church did, since the beginning, grant liberty unto herself to change the ordinance somewhat, except in substance.' Is there more change in that case than in the working of some sound from wood and metal by mere mechanical contrivance, instead of being satisfied with what God has ordained—the fruit of the lips, the melody of grateful hearts?

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And if it be said that this melody is retained, as well as that of the instrument; our answer is, that there is equal sin in adding to as in taking from the ordinances of God. Had the Church of Rome retained the baptism of believers, would she have been justified thereby in her practice of rhantising bells and horses? But the fact that there is no injunction in the New Testament telling us how to sing, shews that it is an open question.' This imagined fact shews how little the New Testament has been consulted on the subject by J. G. Let us quote two passages. Eph. v. 18, 19, Be ye filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.' Col. iii. 16, 17, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord; and whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.' We shall count the injunctions in these two quotations. 1. The disciples themselves were to be filled with the Spirit; the word of Christ was to dwell in them richly. 2. Thus prepared, they were to speak. God seeks the heart, but he knows that of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 3. In speaking, they were to teach and admonish. 5. Themselves-one another-not the unconverted were to be spoken to, taught, and admonished. 5. They were thus to instruct and exhort in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. 6. Thus they were to sing, neither to play nor be played to. 7. Their singing was to be that of grace-gratitude, and their melody from the heart. And, 8. All they said or did was to be in the name-by the authority of the Lord Jesus; nothing without that. We submit, then, that these eight specifications as effectually bar all instrumental performances' from the house of God, as it is possible for law divine to do so. If introduced at all, they are introduced rebelliously; and, as all innovations have ever done, must increase unto more ungodliness.

Entelligence.

THE TRUTH IN SWEDEN.-A most cheering work is progressing throughout the entire extent of Sweden. For years past the Bible has been quietly influencing the minds of the people. Our authority says, 'Some man in a corner finds Christ. He tells his neighbour. They get a Bible. They sit together and read it. Gradually they are led to make wider efforts, and a band of Christian people is gathered. This is the uniform testimony of the men themselves.' Again, The gospel is spread among them in the old way. "He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias; and he brought him to Jesus." Thus quietly the work goes on. May we not learn a lesson from it, that every Christian man is able to proclaim his Lord's name, that every Christian man has a congregation ready made to his hand, and that, therefore, by the concurrence of inward ability and outward opportunity, God calls every Christian man to this task? If we would take copy by these Swedish brethren, we should have the blessing which is falling upon them.' Again, 'We are further struck by the primitive aspect of

their faith and life. We seem to be brought face to face with a page out of the first history of the Church. The energy with which each seems to set about doing the special service for God to which he is adapted the simple affection which binds them together the eagerness with which meetings for worship are resorted to, as, for instance, every day in the week for three months-and the reputation for excellence in all relations of life which they have achieved, as, for instance, a landowner takes one of them for a steward, without any security, because he is "a reader"-give outlines of a picture which we can scarcely look at without a sigh.' Again, 'They read their Bibles, and discover truths about the ministry, the sacraments, the government of the Church, which they do not see embodied around them. And again, Thus one preacher records the formation of three churches in one journey. Another refers to two hundred and fifty persons, as having been immersed in a year, in the neighbourhood of the small town of Sundsvall.' As of old, it is given them not only to believe on Christ, but also to suffer for Him. The Church, by law established, as elsewhere, persecutes by fine and imprisonment. One baptist preacher is brought up sixteen times in two years, for breaches of the conventicle law, and is at last imprisoned.' Good confessions, these, from 'Evangelical Christendom,' and 'The Freeman.'

THE NEXT STEP.-We have sometimes said that if those churches which seek to attract the people by the power of choirs and organs, and justify their action by the argument that instrumental music obtained amongst the Jews were consistent, they would introduce the dance as well, and so make themselves all the more Jew-like, and their performances all the more attractive. The Weekly Register intimates that a soiree dansante was held lately in connexion with the Church of St John's, Islington. After tea the musicians were introduced, and quadrilles, country dances, jigs and reels were gone through with great spirit, by about 200 members and friends of the church. The very reverend Canon Oakely, and the Rev. W. Doban, superintended the meeting. It is an ill wind that blows no one good' says the proverb, but this wind of doctrine' in order to 'carry about' its votaries through the mazes of the dance will have thisperhaps its only redeeming qualification, that those already useful members of society called professors of dancing will find their profession elevated to one of holy orders, so that most single charges? could be made collegiate;' the duty of the Rev. professeur dansant being to teach members and adherents' 'their steps,' and the duty of the very or right reverend colleague-a most necessary distinction where there are so many irreverends and wrongreverendsbeing to generalise and moralise on the step as one altogether backwards and Romewards.

BAPTISMS.-Nicolson Street Hall, Edinburgh. Three youthful disciples made the good confession last month.-Brown Street, Glasgow. One young believer has been immersed since February report. Kirkcaldy. A young woman, having believed, put on the Lord in baptism at Pathhead on Lord's day, February 8.

Printed by J. Taylor, Edinburgh.