314

THE "NEW TESTAMENT DISCIPLES."

sentation of myself and the cause I advo-
cate, I doubt not your willingness to afford
opportunity to correct the same.
I un-
derstand that your correspondent is an out-
of-place missionary, looking for employ-
ment in Brighton, and it seems he has
thought that an exhibition of his zeal in
attacking a people of whom he knows no-
thing, (not even the name by which they
are designated) would gain the approba-
tion of the chief men of your denomina-
tions. After observing the very contemp.
tuous way in which he writes of myself
and the cause I represent, your readers
will hardly expect to learn that J. R. G.
having learned my views upon baptism de-
clared himself of the same mind, and not
only so, but that on Lord's day afternoon
he heard my views in full and tendered his
service to procure for us an influential gen.
tleman to take the chair in the Town-hall,
which offer was declined upon the ground
that we could not accept the service of
gentlemen not fully committed to our posi-
tion. But more than this! After my lec-
ture in the Town-hall Mr. Paul Foskett
proposed a vote of thanks to the lecturer,
and J. R. G. begged to second it. Com-
ment here is uncalled for what the man
is the readers of his letter and this will
easily perceive. My purpose, however, is
not to quarrel with him, but to correct
his false statements. "This sect," he says,
"is called the New Testament Disciples.'
I know no sect so called, and no such name
is taken by those with whom I am identi-
fied. We are as much Old Testament Dis-
ciples as New Testament Disciples-we,
in common with all Christians, are learn
ers from both the Old and the New Testa-
ments, but we take the name of neither-
we are Christians, Disciples of Christ, and
nothing else. You were also informed that
we reject a paid ministry." We hold
that those who preach the Gospel may live
of the Gospel, and that the Lord has so or-
dained, and our preaching brethren are
supported by the church as the first preach
ers were, and like them they ask nothing
of the unconverted. J. R. G. reports me
to have said that the "new birth must be
received whilst being immersed," but my
lecture contained no such unmeaning non-
sense. I distinctly stated that before baptism
the subject must be begotten again. Nei.
ther did I say "having a local church
with which all branches must be connect-
el." I know nothing about churches as
branches. Christ is the vine, his disciples
are the branches. Then you are told that
"There are Mr. King's superiors, who do
not only hold the baptism of infants to be
scriptural, that there are also scholars of
the first Christian eminence who now ask
what use is baptism at all ?" True, there
are eminent scholars who teach all kinds of

Harbinger, Sept. 1, '63.

errors, even denying the Lord that bought
them, and there are Mr. King's superiors
who ask all manner of foolish questions,
and the eminent men who ask what is the
use of an ordinance commanded by Christ
are about as wise as the leper of old who
refused to wash in the Jordan.
I wish,
Sir, your correspondent were half as wise
as that man's servant, who taught his emi-
nence to obey the Lord and thus remove his
leprosy. But perhaps J. R. G. would in
clude among the men superior to my hum-
ble self Dr. Miller, Rector of St. Martin's,
Birmingham, and the far-famed Dr. Ne-
ander. Dr. Miller, speaking of those who
immerse believers, says-" I am bound to
admit that theirs is scriptural baptism,
whilst infant baptism is but a scriptural
inference”—and Dr. Neander says,
"It is
certain that infant baptism was not insti-
tuted by Christ or his Apostles." Church
government, according to J. R. G. is a mere
nothing-we make too much of it. But if
it be a mere nothing, why have nearly all
the sects in this country come into exist
ence upon matters of church government?
In faith they are mostly one-about church
government they split and keep apart, and
that because they say each church has a
right to do as it pleases, and the one is not
pleased with what the other does. We say
give up your self-pleasing and keep to the
apostolic plan, for you know that so long
as their order was observed there were not
two denominations of Christians upon
earth. Let us then go back to the ancient
unity and union.

In conclusion I regret the want of soul
which J. R. G. displays in seeking to de-
fame persons of whom he knows nothing,
He says, Most of these zealots originated
with the Wesleyan body, who, through
early marriage, or some other cause, were
incompetent as travelling preachers with
that connexion, so they were on the look-
out to find a field of usefulness, where 'pro-
vidence might open the way.' Sometimes
they procure an editorship for the maga-
zine of a new sect, and if they are men of
mental ability, they will make their preach-
ing and editorial work to coöperate very
well together." Now, Sir, this sentence,
if it be false, will cover the writer with dis-
grace, and I affirm it to be wholly untrue.
Among the preachers supported by us in
the United Kingdom, from the first till ||
now, there has not been one who by early
marriage or other cause was deemed in-
competent, as a travelling preacher, in the
Wesleyan Connexion. Nor do I know of
one (and I believe I have the history of
each) who ever was, or ever sought to be,
a travelling preacher in that connexion.
Neither have we one preacher who has
taken to literature for support, or derived
support therefrom. Now, Sir, permit me

Harbinger, Sept. 1, '63.

REPORT OF THE ANNUAL MEETING.

to demand the names of the persons to whom J. R. G. alludes, or such informa tion as to enable us to know their where

315

abouts, or let him stand convicted of gra-
tuitous slander. Yours truly,
DAVID KING.

REPORT OF THE ANNUAL MEETING,
HELD IN HUDDERSFIELD AUGUST 11, 12, AND 13, 1863.

THE filling up of the schedules forwarded about the beginning of August reminds the churches that another year has nearly passed into eternity, that a time of reckoning has arrived, and that the result of the labors in which they have been engaged will shortly be contrasted with the work and labor of other churches. As the time draws on the sympathetic mind of the brethren is directed to the town at which the meeting is to be held, and towards which friends and messengers are hastening, where former friendships are renewed, new acquaintances formed, and the heart gladdened by the sight of fresh faces who have received the truth. It is peculiarly gratifying to arrive by a strange route at a strange place, and there find a kind brother waiting to welcome you, offering hospitality, and anticipating every want. An additional charm is lent to the occasion by the continued renewal of former friend

All Good for his protecting care, and implored his guiding hand for that wisdom which alone would carry out to a profitable end the business for which we had met together. Bro. Timothy Coop, of Wigan, was requested to take the chair, and Bros. Edmund Fraser and Walter Ludbrook to act as secretaries. It was determined that the business should be taken in the following order :

1. Read statistical information contained in the schedules.

contained in schedules.
2. Read propositions and suggestions

3. Read the resolutions passed at the
meeting held in Liverpool last August.
4. Receive Report from the Evangelist
Committee

5. Appoint Committee for the ensuing year.

6. Consider the propositions already read from the schedules and letters.

7. Consider suggestions and propositions not contained in the letters, if any.

8. Appoint place and time for next meeting.

ships, and exchanging with venerable brethren those congratulations and ideas which in many instances are remembered with profit for a lifetime.- The returns contained in schedules Preliminary to the meeting a lecture from the several churches were read, was delivered in the Christian meeting together with schedules from new orgahouse, Bradford-road, on Lord's day, nizations, viz. Blackrod, Brighton, the 9th August, by Bro. Henry Exley, Earlstown near Warrington, Limeof Wakefield, on The Great Redemp- house in the Eastern part of the metrotion." On Monday Bro. King was ad-polis, Bristol, Portsoy, and Findochty vertised to deliver a lecture at the same near Banff, Scotland. These, on moplace, but detention on the railway tion, were recognized as sister churches, prevented his attendance. A telegram and directed to be placed upon the list was dispatched from Stockport, and of churches. Bro. Exley again addressed an attentive audience.

66

On Tuesday evening, the 11th, at 7.30 at the same place, the friends who had been gradually coming in all day assembled for the transaction of business. Again familiar well-loved faces appeared, some who were hitherto unknown to be henceforth well-known. The warm greeting announced that old ties were renewed, and in a short time the room was comfortably filled. Bro. William Turner, of Leigh, gave out a hymn-a brother in prayer thanked the Giver of

The resolutions passed at Liverpool in August, 1862, were then read, and after soul-comforting devotion the meeting adjourned.

On Wednesday, the 12th, at 9 A.M. the meeting was resumed. Letters were read from Glasgow and Mollington, and also the following from Bro. George Greenwell, resigning his office as General Evangelist :

Dear Brethren, My health has failed me considerably during the last year, so that to a large extent I have been warring

would gladly have retained his services during the remainder of the year, assured from personal intercourse, from the testimony of churches, and from the ample fruit of his labors, that a good servant of Jesus Christ would have been thereby added to the number already engaged. Assured that this commendation will be amply endorsed by other testimony, we once more call the attention of the brethren to our altered circumstances as an association of churches for the spread of the gospel. We cannot say now that our greatest need is qualified preachers. Bro. Earl and Bro. Exley, both of them well accredited as such, are, we presume, ready to devote themselves to this work, and in thus calling your attention to these brethren we thus transfer to the proper quarter a question which has been often proposed to the secretary during the past year: "Will the Committee engage Bros. Earl and Exley for the coming year?" Our reply the only one that became us-has ever been, "We are not the Committee for the coming year. Had we means in hand or in sight, we would gladly engage them both this year."

Our brief experience at committee work has served to ripen the conviction, that if the means at the disposal of a committee are in the main ascertainable at the Annual Meeting, measures ought to be taken

and the cost of the enterprise, make it plain to us that means for the year's labor are within our reach. Of the correctness of this principle your Committee have now no doubt, and stimulated by past experience and by the cheering prospect of an increase of competent and approved preachers of the gospel for the ensuing year, we have, personally and by letter, communicated our convictions to the brethren as opportunity has served, and have as the result, first, unqualified approval in each instance; and second, a very liberal contribution in aid of the labors of the year before us, as the following letter, in reply to previous letters from Bro. Coop, will shew. The writer is Bro. Archibald Dods, recently removed from Banbury to Trinity, near Edinburgh :

Mary Cottage, Trinity, Edinburgh, Aug. 7, '63. Dear Brother McDougall,-I am glad to say I am

a little better, although not able to attend the An

nual Meeting. I here enclose a cheque, value £50, payable to Mr. Coop, as my contribution to the Evangelist Fund, which I would thank you to present at the Annual Meeting, with my best wishes to all the brethren, hoping that the meeting will be a good one, and have God's blessing. Yours truly,

ARCHD. DODS.

And on Lord's day morning another contribution of £10 was received from a bro ther, whose name we may not mention, but a few words of his letter may prove interesting to the brethren :

stances have been unfavorable for me; and I cannot accomplish it this year, not for want of leisure or inclination, but I have not strength sufficient for the journey to make it agreeable. I came here about a month ago to recruit a little, this being my native place. My removal has dispersed my Harbingers, but before leaving

I observed in one of the

numbers (I think it was June), that the funds for the evangelists were likely to be deficient, I therefore send you £10 to help the good work. I did not intend to continue my subscription this year, as we have now, you are aware, an Evangelist Association in Scotland, and what I have to give goes there; but I have come into the possession of a little extra funds, and I purpose giving them as first-fruits to the Lord (Prov. iii. 9), and therefore this £10 is sent as a portion thereof."

to make them known, as a necessary pre"I have not been at the Anuual Meeting of brethliminary to a prudent decision as to the ren since I was in Wigan. Many a time have I purnumber called to the field of labor. Some-posed and expected to be present again, but circumthing of this kind has been done-as, for instance, at Chester, in 1847, when fourteen churches gave as their probable contribution for the year's missionary work £175. We judge that no man who has the solicitudes of evangelist work to bear, ought to have needlessly added thereto care for the honorable sustenance of his family. His responsibilities to the tradesmen with whom he deals are indisputable, his means of answering them ought to be equally so; and this not merely for his own mental quietude, but specially for the honor of the cause he pleads. Let those whom it may please cover by ambiguous phrases our real relation to those who go forth from our midst, the common sense and the moral sense of men will ever decide that those who say, 66 Go, do this work," are responsible for their support while they do it. And if those who thus accept brethren to this work are responsible for the means, is it not desirable to know who they arewhether they be brethren tendering their counsel or expressing their decision (acceptable and thankworthy so far,) unendorsed with the means of fulfilling it, or those, whether churches speaking by their chosen representatives, or brethren, who, having considered the work, the workmen,

There is, then, at the disposal of the brethren for the labors of the ensuing year, the sum of £70.

Before we close our Report, we desire most respectfully to offer to the brethren assembled a suggestion respecting the selection of a Committee for the ensuing year; and this we do with the greater freedom, because of our conviction that the adoption of our suggestion will necessitate a change of the Committee. It is based upon the conviction that the chief work of this meeting is, first, to decide who it will sustain in the work of general evangelization; second, to indicate in a general way the most likely fields of labor; and this it does as it is aided thereto by the

REPORT OF THE ANNUAL MEETING.

Bro. King having been requested to state his mind in regard to his own labors, intimated that he could not engage himself to the Meeting or to the Committee for the year ensuing-that it was his intention to continue evangelistic work that he would be willing to give further help to Birmingham, also to comply with the request from Manchester, and that in reference to other openings he would gladly receive the recommendations of the meetWM. MCDOUGALL.ing or, from time to time, the suggestions of the Committee, all of which would receive his careful and prayerful consideration, and have in the formation of his decisions considerable weight.