were not able to join. This I have known to be no unfrequent occurrence, and the reason assigned-" a desire to improve the congregational singing!" Then, how seldom do we find any standard selection of tunes amongst our congregations! and I conceive this is one very great reason why our singing is so bad. And how often do we find a number of tunes which are indeed rubbish, and have no attraction beyond that of enabling the people to make a noise! Would it not be better, too, if we had fixed tunes for our hymns, instead of leaving it to the .conductor to choose one often on the spur of the moment, and thus frequently choosing tunes the most unsuited? This would prevent so much of that display which many of our conductors are so fond of. How often do we find that noble instrument, the organ, so well calculated to add solemnity and effect to our worship, deprived of its beauty, and turned to an improper use, by those who play it, who, instead of solemnly accompanying the singing, display their knowledge and ability by introducing modulations and symphonies into the psalm tunes, and by playing so loud that those who are singing can scarcely hear themselves; in order, I suppose, as I heard one say, not long ago, to "pull them anywhere!" And thus, I presume, he meant the praises of God to be "pulled" by himself and his organ, not sung by the congregation! These things ought not to be so; and I trust you will not let the subject rest until you have awakened our churches to their duty in this respect. Yours truly, A CONGREGATIONALIST. Manchester, 18th July, 1844. TO GALLERY SINGERS. The praise of our most holy King, With such a heart and such a tongue! Essays, Extracts, and Correspondence. THE DUTY OF CHURCH MEMBERS TO ATTEND CHURCH MEETINGS. For the Christian Witness. A CHURCH meeting is a meeting composed of persons who are united in Christian fellowship, or who constitute a church of Christ; not a meeting of a few, or of many of these persons, in a promiscuous manner, or for any object, but a meeting convened for religious purposes, and constituted on scriptural authority. There might be a meeting of the members of a church, which could not strictly be called a church meeting, as the objects and the sanction necessary to constitute it of this character might be wanting, and attendance at such meeting could not be enforced on scriptural ground. A church meeting is a meeting of the members of a church, for the worship of God, for mutual edification, for conference and prayer, and in short, for the objects designed in their organization. The duty of believers on the Lord Jesus Christ to assemble in their church capacity is implied in their union, as this union was not intended to be merely nominal, but practical, and effective; and as the union of Christians is of Divine authority, (which is admitted by church members,) their assembling for the objects of their union, is, by undeniable inference, also of Divine authority. It is not necessary to enter upon the question, what day a church meeting should be held, whether on the sabbath or on another day, as this is not material to the subject proposed, which is not the observance of days, but the duty of the members of a church to assemble, to carry out the design of their union. A church without church meetings would be a church merely in name. If church meetings ought to be held, which none can deny who admit the Divine origin of churches, it is the duty of the members to attend, and the duty not merely of a few, but of all the members. One has no more ground for absence than another, except from some unavoidable circumstance; and persons who negligently absent themselves have only to suppose all to be guilty of the same omission, to discover the error of their conduct. If all were to give up attendance, the Divine institution of a Christian church would be made void, or of none effect; and consequently a member who habitually absents himself is chargeable, not merely with slighting, but, as far as he himself is concerned, with destroying an appointment of God, of the highest importance, and of incalculable benefit to mankind; and surely none can hesitate to declare, that it is a duty to avoid a sin so flagraut in its nature, and disastrous in its consequences. In reply to these remarks, some persons may say, we admit the truth of the statements advanced, in cases of total absence from the meetings of a church, but we do not entirely dissever ourselves from the brethren, we meet with them in the public means of grace, and at the table of the Lord; and as to other meetings, we do not see that attendance upon them is strictly binding. The persons who thus reply do not certainly go the full length of destroying a Divine institution, but they fail to carry out its full design, and as far as their conduct limits its development, are guilty of retarding the cause of Jesus Christ. They perform a part, but not the whole of their duty, and to the extent of their omission are unfaithful. Besides, every man who joins a Christian church binds himself, by the act of union, to discharge the duties arising out of it, and to fill up his place among the members; but if he neglects to attend the meetings of the church, he breaks the obligation into which he voluntarily entered, and incurs the guilt of unfaithfulness to his own vows, to the brethren whom he pledged himself to sustain by his presence and co-operation, and to the Saviour whose interests he undertook to promote. If the existence of a church was ordained for certain purposes, the means necessary to the accomplishment of such purposes are binding upon the members; they are laid under obligation to do whatever may be indispensably requisite to promote the objects of their union; and if they have duties to perform, it is incumbent upon them to attend to the things by which these duties may be discharged, and to avoid whatever might operate against their fulfilment. Many duties devolve upon the members of a church besides the duty of attendance at a place of worship, and at the Lord's table, on the sabbath,-duties which cannot be fulfilled except by the church in its collective capacity; and consequently it devolves upon the members to assemble, that these duties may be discharged, and at the time which may, by mutual consent, be determined; for as none can claim exemption from church duties, none are free to forsake the assembling of themselves together. A Christian church is constituted subject to laws and rules of discipline as laid down in the New Testament. The executive of these laws is the church itself, in its collective capacity, and therefore the members are bound to assemble, that scriptural organization and discipline may be maintained. By the suffrages of the church members are to be admitted, officers are to be chosen, and its affairs are to be administered; and by the voice of the church offenders are to be reproved or expelled, when their conduct may demand special cognizance: but if all the members of a church were to abstain from attendance, how could its affairs be carried on? and as one is under no greater obligation to be present than another, the persons who are habitually remiss in their attendance are, as individuals, as guilty as would be the whole church were church meetings abandoned, and organization and discipline entirely neglected. A Christian church is described in the New Testament as one body, and each member is admonished to seek the good of the whole, and this not only in a negative manner, by the cautioning of each other against sin, but in a positive manner, by the encouraging of one another to love and to good works. Every church is bound to promote its own edification, by which is meant, not. simply the advancement of some of the members in faith and holiness, but the progression of the body, as we learn in Ephesians iv. 15. That the body may be edified, the members must assemble to use the means appointed for their edification; and that they may edify one another, they must meet in their church capacity, for the purpose of building up each other on their most holy faith; and hence the apostle Paul admonishes in Hebrews x. 23, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised; and let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." If the public means of grace do not answer all the ends for which believers are united in fellowship, and if duties devolve upon them which cannot be fully discharged in public ordinances, but which demand their assembling together at other seasons, it is obvious that other meetings are necessary; and that the design of their union may be accomplished, that the duties which devolve upon them may be discharged, they are bound to attend these meetings; if they do not, they set at nought things of Divine appointment. It is admitted that all have not gifts to render them directly instrumental in the edification of the brethren; but all need to be edified, so that none who by possibility can attend have a legitimate excuse for absence. The members of a church are enjoined in the Scriptures to love one another, and to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Absence from the meet ings of the church has a tendency to destroy that unity of spirit, of purpose, and of aim, which ought ever to subsist, and to weaken that love which should bind heart to heart, and soul to soul, and all to Jesus Christ. It evinces a want of interest in the prosperity of the church, and of love to the brethren, and detracts from that complacency with which they may be desirous to regard us. It induces neglect of the "new commandment," and of the duties which arise from obedience to it; and as it is our duty to love and to obey, it is our duty to avoid that course of conduct which weakens love and prevents obedience. The duty of church members to attend church meetings might be shown by reference to the duty of the church to disseminate the gospel, and also by the evils which neglect occasions; but the length of this essay forbids further remarks. Derbyshire. T. A. IMPORTANCE ATTACHING TO OUR YOUNG MEN. OUR chief hope, under God, is in our young men. When we shall have reason to believe that 100,000 of them cherish the views and breathe the spirit of the following letter, we will reveal to them a secret, and point them to an enterprise worth embarking in. "SIR,-As one of your young men readers, I cannot refrain from returning you my thanks for your insertion of the spirited extract from the American Methodist Review, on The English Language; or, Lessons on Fine Writing.' 66 Your office as Editor of an extensively circulated periodical is one of great responsibility, and it is rendered peculiarly so by the nature of the times in which we live. The religious horizon appears dark and threatening, while the minds of all good men are filled with the liveliest anxiety concerning the future welfare of the church of Christ. The powers of darkness are already mustering their hosts for the battle, and ever and anon we hear their trumpet blasts of defiance. It is then our duty to prepare for the battle. That day may come when our fathers shall have gone to glory. How important, then, is it that those who are to constitute the future church should have a healthy tone infused into their piety! One of the most powerful instruments for the attainment of this end is a well-conducted religious periodical; one dealing with the stern realities of time and eternity, giving no quarter to the fopperies of a luxurious age, disdaining to make its pages the receptacle of 'fine writing,' and excluding from its columns all attempts at sinking the sublime down to the beautiful, in order that the graceful periods might fall sweetly and soothingly upon the ear of sickly sentimentalism. We wanted such a periodical; but now the need is supplied, and the CHRISTIAN WITNESS stands forth to the world as the advocate of truth-plain, heart-stirring truth. I "I trust, Sir, that you will ever proceed as you are now proceeding. We young folks want a great deal of stirring up; we want to hear the voice of the press raised fearlessly and constantly against all conformity to the follies of the world; we want to be made to think, to consider well the nature of our belief, and to be prepared vigorously to defend the truth. trust, Sir, that it will ever be your most strenuous aim to put the members of Christ's church in their true position-a position of determined opposition to the manners of a corrupt world; to teach them to win souls as Christ himself wishes them to be won, by love; and to this end we must be reminded that the battle is not against the men, but the manners of the world. "If I might be permitted to offer a suggestion on any one subject, it is this, that you should give us an article on working for God, and condemning the too frequent practice of sending proxy guineas, and neglecting to come ourselves 'to the help of the Lord against the mighty.' "Wishing you all good success in your honourable work, and that you may be strengthened thereunto with power from on high, Borough, May 13. HUMILITY. "H." THE bird that soars on highest wing STATISTICS OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES IN THE BOROUGH OF LEEDS. COMPILED FOR THE CHRISTIAN WITNESS, JUNE 2, 1845. Pastors and Date of Settlement. Sabbath-school Sabbath-school Contributions to Mis-Name of Chapel and when built. Debt. Population in 1841. VOL. II. a Prior to the erection of Belgrave Chapel, Dr. Hamilton occupied Albion Chapel, formerly the Scotch Kirk Meeting-house. b Mr. Scales removed from Wolverhampton to Leeds, and succeeded Mr. Eccles, at the White c Mr. Hudswell's father was for many years minister of the Old Meeting-house, at Morley, d Mr. Ely removed from Rochdale, and succeeded the late Mr. Parsons, at Salem Chapel. g There is in connection with the Leeds churches an Itinerant Lay Preachers' Society, which j The contributions of the churches to the London Missionary Society, to Home and British k Previous to the erection of Queen-street Chapel, the congregation assembled in the White Antinomianism. He died on the 17th of February, 1785, aged 71 years. To Mr. Edwards suc- Salem Chapel was occupied by Mr. Ely's church and congregation from 1793 to 1840, at which m This handsome chapel was erected at a cost of about £15,000, and its entire debt was liqui- n To this chapel is attached a good burial-ground and school-house. o The interest at Potter Newton was principally established by the agency of lay preachers. q The Wesleyan Methodists having built a new chapel at Hunslet, their old one was purchased N.B. Officers of Congregational Institutions:-Dr. Hamilton, Secretary of the Leeds Branch K MIXED MARRIAGES. For the Christian Witness. MUCH has been said, but not too much, against the alliance of the church with the State. It is justly denounced as incongruous, fruitful of the most serious evils, and a violation of the spirit and precepts of the New Testament. But the very objections apply, at least with equal force, to another kind of alliance of frequent occurrence, and to a great extent tolerated among Christians, the marriage of believers with unbelievers. If so, to be consistent, ought we not to condemn the latter as well as the former? It is admitted that the former may and ought to be dissolved, but that the latter is for life. This, however, only strengthens the argument against it. Such an alliance is incongruous, for "what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness?" Its consequences are evil, and a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit." It is a violation of the Divine command, and the transgression of the law is sin. The parties thus united disagree in principle and practice; their opinions and feelings do not harmonize, and there is a want of sympathy on subjects of all others most deeply interesting to the Christian. Religion so alters the views and modifies the tastes and feelings of those who embrace it, that, however similar in other respects, a pious person cannot find a companion in one who is a stranger to it. "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" Their attachment may be mutual, and in secular business they may act together, but here their co-operation ceases, at this point the parties separate; and the Christian is left to pursue alone the path to heaven. However desirable the sympathy and assistance of a friend, in those affairs which are at once the most momentous and the most difficult, they are sought in vain from one, who perhaps in every other respect, is all that could be desired. This disadvantage must be painfully felt, and the grief augmented, by a recollection of the spiritual condition of the individual so closely allied. Perhaps the kindest admonitions and the gentlest counsels are heard in silence, or meet with an angry reply; and the conscientious discharge of duty, instead of being encouraged, is obstructed. The chosen company of one is no society for the other, and the wish to gratify becomes a snare. In the conjugal relation, especially, example has an irresistible influence. That influence may be imperceptible, but its power and success are so much the greater. An example of indifference, to say nothing of hostility to religion, constantly before the eyes, is likely to have the most baneful effect, and to place even piety itself in jeopardy. Many who did run well have been hindered, have deserted the ranks of the pious, and left vacant their place at the table of the Lord. And what has been the cause? The influence of this unhallowed union. And is this to be wondered at, when even Solomon himself was enticed to idolatry and vice by an intimate association with the enemies of religion? Happy would it be, if the evil were confined to the parties themselves, but others are deeply involved. It is felt in the rising family. The parents being divided on the subject of religion, the fulfilment of the precept, "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," is all but impossible. The efforts of one are weakened and neutralized by the opposition or indifference of the other; and the education being in consequence defective and powerless, the children are ruined. It is felt in the church, and operates as a blight on its prosperity. Though avowedly separate from the world, its members uniting themselves with the ungodly, it becomes really blended with it. The effect is to lower its character and paralyze its energies. Separation from the world in one sense, is more than coupterbalanced by a union with it in another, The consequence is not merely a loss to the church, but a positive injury. How often have the interests of the church been betrayed to its enemies, by its members communicating to their unfriendly partners what ought to have been concealed; but what, in so intimate a relation, it was quite natural to divulge! Hence it has been assailed by scandal, prejudice, and persecution; inquirers have been checked, and the progress of religion retarded. But its greatest mischief is, in opening a door to worldly and corrupt influence, and affording a facility for its ascendancy. Why has the church so often been carnal in spirit, lax in disci pline, and formal in worship? May it not be traced to its connection with the world, through the medium of the intimate relationship of its members, as one cause? It is seen in the old world: the sons of God took unto them wives of the daughters of men; the consequence was, |