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was left that shed many tears o'er the past, and wept for the sister who had twined the wreaths of flowers, who had danced in fairy rings, who had lightly skipped through the garlands, singing more sweetly than the birds, but who now was vanished. She wept, but she was blessed; for there was spread over her spirit the love of her Maker.

The

The garden once more heard the praises of His name. sisters could glorify Him in the works of His hand. They traced His goodness in the beauties of Paradise. Each insect, each flower, showed His wisdom and might. New zest was given to the actions of the sisters, and they felt they could worship the Almighty for ever.

Celestina had lost her uneasy doubts, her deep melancholy feelings. With pure humility she bowed before Infinite Perfection; with unvarying hope she leaned on the word of the Most High; with fervent constancy her soul aspired to the blessed period when her Father should call her to His presence, and she should be satisfied with His likeness.

The months passed away, and it might have been thought that two angels walked in Paradise. At length their Father was pleased to summon them from their distant resting-place. He guided their steps to the brink of the chasm; they heard the heavenly command to enter that untried passage-the passage from Time to Eternity. Celestina held the hand of her sister. Fear was lost in Hope. In unshaken faith these children of God smiled on each other, and sank into the gulf, now terrible and mysterious no longer, and they were no more on earth;they were in Heaven.

INTELLIGENCE.

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE CHURCH OF GOD KNOWN AS FREE-THINKING CHRISTIANS: ALSO, AN ABSTRACT OF THE PRINCIPLES WHICH THEY BELIEVE, and THE LAWS OF CHURCH

HAVE ADOPTED.

FELLOWSHIP THEY

THE first members of this Church were part of the congregation of Mr. Winchester, the celebrated advocate of the doctrine of the "Universal Restoration;" but it was during the ministry of his successor, Mr. Vidler, that they were led to deny the doctrine of the Trinity, and the correctness of having paid or exclusive teachers in the Church. This produced a separation, and those who seceded held their first meetings in the year 1798.

The object which these seceders proposed to themselves, as stated in a declaration published at the time, was, "to make the conduct and example of the first Christians, so far as they followed the commands of Jesus Christ and his apostles, their only rule." In furtherance of this object they held many meetings, which they devoted to the reading and examination of the new Testament, 'for the purpose," as they leave on record," of collecting and arranging the laws, form of government, discipline, and essential principles of the Church of God, as set forth by the apostles of Christ."

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The result of these meetings was, that on the 24th day of March 1799, a special meeting was held, at which, "after solemn preparation and prayer," those present resolved themselves into a Church, elected an elder and deacons, and agreed upon the place and times of meeting, and the religious exercises in which they should in future engage. In the following year they published a book, entitled, "The true design of the Church of God, and the government thereof, exhibited by a succession of laws founded upon the authority of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, faithfully extracted from the New Testament. Published for the Church meeting in Old Change, London, 1800."

The name first chosen by this Church, to distinguish themselves from the rest of the religious world, was, HUMBLE ENQUIRERS AFTER TRUTH ; they afterwards adopted that of FREE-THINKING CHRISTIANS. This latter name was chosen to imply at once their conviction that the free exercise of reason is essential to a correct understanding and appreciation of divine truth, and their belief in Jesus Christ, as the messenger of God. But as a Church founded solely upon the laws and authority of the scriptures, they consider their proper and scriptural designation to be CHURCH of GOD.

The foregoing statement will show the esteem in which the members of this Church have ever held those great principles, emphatically called

Protestant, the right of private judgment, and the sufficiency of the Scriptures. In accordance with these principles they maintain the utmost freedom of inquiry and freedom of speech in their religious association; and they feel bound to reject, as contrary to the will of God, any doctrine concerning religion, whether of faith or practice, which does not agree with the Scriptures correctly interpreted. To the question, who is to judge concerning religious doctrine and scripture interpretation? they reply-every man, individually and for himself, not as a right merely, but as a most imperative duty. It is impossible one man can be another's substitute in matters of religion, or that the responsibility attached to the duty of individual judgment can be evaded.

In submitting the following statement, the formation of a creed or of articles of faith is not intended. Any such attempt would be in evident contradiction to the principles just stated. Neither do this Church profess to advance new truths-for those things cannot be new which the Scriptures taught so many ages since-nor yet, strange and unheardof opinions concerning revealed religion, for they hold no opinion which may not be found amongst one or other of the Churches of the religious world, either as cherished truths or as distinguishing principles: but what follows is presented as an abstract of the views of revealed truth, both in religious doctrine and church organization, to which the members of this Church have been led. They have long possessed these views, they prize them highly, and, desiring their furtherance, submit them to the consideration of others.

There is one God, and only one, the sole Creator and sovereign disposer of all things, material and spiritual,-the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God revealed his being and his will to the first families of the earth, providing thus for the moral and religious necessities of his rational creatures, as he had already provided for the physical wants and necessities of all creation.

Abraham and his posterity were, subsequently, chosen to be the depositaries of revealed truth, and the Jewish people were instituted the people and the Church of God, Moses and the prophets promulgating and enforcing the law of God. But, perfect as this dispensation was, in respect of the objects proposed, and the circumstances of its recipients, it always pointed to a more perfect dispensation when the Messiah should come, and the gospel should be proclaimed, first to the Jews, and afterwards to all the nations of the earth.

Jesus of Nazareth was that Messiah-that son of God-that beloved Son, concerning whom the heavens declared, "hear ye him,”—a man, not a supernal being. To do good and to teach the truths of religion in simplicity and perfection, were his meat and his drink. The love of God, and love or benevolence towards mankind, were declared, by him, to be the sum of all religion; he denounced that profession of religion which consists in mere faith or apparent sanctity, without fruits; he taught that the true worshippers should worship God in spirit and in truth; he taught the forgiveness of sins upon repentance; the resurrection of the dead; and the future righteous judgment of all mankind.

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This same Jesús suffered death at the hands of the Jewish people, and was raised from the dead by the mighty power of God-the reward of his own perfect obedience, and the certain confirmation of the truth of every thing which he had taught.

After his resurrection from the dead, he was with his apostles many days, and fully instructed them in all things pertaining to his kingdom. He commanded them to preach the glad tidings of this kingdom to all nations of the earth, beginning at Jerusalem; for this great work they were endued with power from on high, and in obeying this command their lives were spent.

The labours of the apostles were realized in a two-fold result,-the conversion of unbelievers; and the establishment of the Church of God under Jesus Christ, as the head and chief of a new dispensation. Neither of these objects was attained without the accomplishment of the other, and, therefore, in whatever city or place their testimony was received, all who believed were united together, and organized as assemblies, or parts of the Church of God, and these churches now became the depositaries of the truths of divine revelation, and occupied that place in the dispensations of Providence which had been previously occupied by the descendants of Abraham, and the Church under Moses.

The Church of God is thus a continuous institution, and one and the same Church in all ages. Unity is its distinguishing feature. All who complied with the conditions which the messengers of God required, were united with those of like faith; and, whatever assembly obeyed the laws of God, without any admixture of human authority, however separated by time or place, were parts of his Church.

Under this new dispensation, of which Jesus and the apostles were the agents, the distinction of Jew and Gentile, slave and freeman, man and woman, secures no peculiar or spiritual privileges in the sight of God, or in his Church; descent from Abraham, and national consanguinity, are overruled by the relationship and brotherhood of a common faith, and common obedience to one Lord and master. Equality, therefore, is the condition of members of the Church of God.

In order to become a member of the Church of God, the apostles required those who believed in Jesus to repent of their past sins, and resolve in future to obey the revealed will of God. As the messengers of God, they proposed no other conditions; and those who complied with these conditions, are declared to have received justification, that is, forgiveness from God of all past sin; to be accepted by him, that is, received into his Church; and to be his elect, that is, chosen by him for a life of religion and holiness. These are the only scriptural doctrines of salvation, justification, and election.

To this Church, the apostles prescribed the form of Church government under which it should exist; the mode of religious improvement and instruction which it should adopt; and the nature and kind of religious worship which, as a Church, it should render to God.

THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT or CHURCH ESTABLISHMENT, instituted by the apostles, was as simple as it was perfect. It consisted of elders, that is, overscers; of deacons, that is, servants; and of messengers.

An elder was ordained in each assembly of the Church of God, not as a lord over God's heritage-not for the purpose of personal gain, or as a means of livelihood, or for worldly influence-neither as constrained to an irksome duty,-but as a brother among brethren, to preserve the order of the meetings, and, by example and precept, induce and secure a willing obedience to the laws of God. Deacons were appointed, either as aids to the elder, or when any affairs were to be transacted, to which the whole body could not attend; and messengers were chosen when it was necessary, to communicate, personally, with distant churches. Such is the Church Establishment of the New Testament. All that system of spiritual domination, which has exercised, and still exercises, so much influence in the Christian world, is wholly, and avowedly, without the authority of the apostles of Jesus: and though essential for the support and influence of a class, is utterly subversive of the rights of believers, and the constitution of the Church God.

THE METHOD OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION, and means of increase in the knowledge of religious truth, established by the apostles in the Church of God, consisted, mainly, in private converse, and mutual admonition and exhortation; but, when assembled in one place, as a Church, the speakers were to speak two or three, and the rest to judge. Paid or exclusive teachers, under any name or guise, were unheard of;-the distinction of clergy and laity, priest and people, was unknown; no such orders or distinctions existed in the apostolic Churches, nor can they now exist in the Church without the entire destruction of those principles upon which it was founded.

THE RELIGIOUS WORSHIP Commanded by Jesus, and instituted by his apostles, in the Church of God, under the gospel dispensation, was equally consistent with the attributes of the divine Being, and the rational nature of his offspring. It consists in obedience to God, uninfluenced by temporary considerations; in faithfulness to the commands of Jesus, however tempted to swerve from them; in care and disinterested labour for the preservation of the principles and the purity of the Church, purchased by the sufferings and sacrifices of the holy servants of God; in benevolence, forbearance, meekness, integrity; in an open profession of the truth, and conduct emanating from faith in the promises of God;-such is the worship, and such are the spiritual sacrifices which the Church of God are continually to offer up. But public social prayers, Sabbaths, holy days, and all other forms and ceremonies, are devoid of sanction from the New Testament. All authorized rites and ceremonies ceased with the Jewish temple worship.

To the Church thus established, all the promises of God, and all the exhortations of the apostles to believers, are addressed, either to that Church as a whole, or to the assemblies or individuals who are part of that whole. To be united with this Church must have been the highest privilege, and the first duty of every one who believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God; for the existence of an independent, or isolated believer, or of a class of persons accepting revealed religion, and yet not united with others of like faith, is, in no one case, contemplated. The religion of Jesus, as expounded by himself and his apostles, is not, as a

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