18 DR. CHALMERS ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION OF 1830. It is a title given by the Lord Jesus to twelve of his disciples whom he selected from others and commissioned to proclaim the approach of the reign of heaven. "He chose twelve, whom also he named apostles." Luke vi. 13. It designates, according to Paul, the chief officers of the Christian church: God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers." 1 Corinthians xii. 28. The number of these apostles is in the Apoca foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." Rev. xxi. 14. It is used also respecting persons chosen by the churches in Macedonia to convey to Jerusalem contributions for the poor; dróσтoλo EKKλíjσv, “messengers of the churches." 2 Cor. viii. 23. It is applied by the historian to lypso restricted to twelve: "Twelve Barnabas and Paul. Acts xiv. 14. It is claimed by Paul as a distinction to which he was entitled. "Am I not an apostle?" 1 Cor. ix. 1. One sent to them, at all events, whether to others or not, of which evidence was furnished by their history. 1 Cor. ix. 2. "I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles." 2 Tim. i. 11. Deriving his appointment not from men but from Christ. Our an' ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλά διά Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ Otou Tarpos, Galatians i. 1; emphatically, The apostle of the Gentiles, siu ¿y εθνῶν ἀπόστολος. Romans xi. 13. The distinctive tokens of an apostle, according to Paul, were "signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds." 2 Cor. xii. 12. So also Matt. x. 1. "He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." It is used by Paul respecting Epaphroditus who had been sent by the Philippians to him with a present: “Your messenger.” ὑμῶν δὲ ἀπόστολος. Phil. ii. 25. In the English Testament, this word is transferred instead of being translated, in every instance, except the three following: John xiii. 16..... Neither is he that is sent greater 2 Cor. viii. 23...The messengers of the churches. Phil. ii. 25....... Your messenger. DR. CHALMERS ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION OF 1830. us good reason to believe that the ultimate diffusion of pure Christianity in the world must be preceded by com ABOUT a month after the French revolution, Mr. J. J. Gurney was in Edinburgh, where, during a period of confinement, he had almost daily inter-motion and confusion and distress of course with Dr. Chalmers. "I have found his visits," he writes, "like two things of which I have lately experienced the vast importance-a tonic for the faint, and a crutch for the lame. The new revolution in France, and the commotions which have since taken place in other parts of Europe, have of course been the subject of daily thought, meditation, and converse. 'I think,' said Dr. Chalmers, the scriptures afford nations. Look at the new French revolution-there is much that one approves at present both in its tendency and its results. But you see it has been effected by the growth of merely human intelligence-by the working of the unregenerate mind without a particle of Christian principle. It is just the striving of the natural wisdom and pride of man after that which we are apt to conceive to be the consummation of our happiness-a condition of in-viduals or to nations. I am prepared dependence. I am not one of those who to expect, that on the efforts which are underrate the value of civil and political now making in the world to regenerate liberty; but I am well assured that it our species, without religion, God will is only the principles of Christianity impress the stamp of a solemn and exwhich can impart true security, pros-pressive mockery." perity, and happiness, either to indi- Chalmers, Vol. III. -- Memoirs of Dr. THE LAST DAYS OF PALEY. In a conversation with Dr. Chalmers Mr. J. J. Gurney mentioned an anecdote which he had heard of Paley in his last illness. When not far from his end, Paley, in conversing with some of his family or friends, took a calm review of his several works. He expressed the deep regret and dissatisfaction which at that awful time he felt in the recollection of his "Moral Philosophy." He was happy to believe that his "Natural Theology" and "Evidences of Christianity" were sound and useful works; but the book on which his mind then dwelt with the greatest pleasure was his "Hore Paulinæ." Chalmers replied, "I am not surprised at this. It is an admirable statement of evidence, and displays a more masterly hand than any of his other works." Our Lord has declared, that except we are 'converted, and become as little children,' we shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven.' I have heard that this lucid and powerful writer became a little child, in the best sense of the terms, before he died. I have also heard it stated, on what appeared to be good authority, that had his posthumous sermons been chronologically arranged, they would have displayed a gradually progressive change from a sort of semiPelagianism, to a sound and evangelical view of Christianity. It is delightful to be able to ascribe such a man as Paley to the company of true believers in a crucified Redeemer."-Memoirs of Dr. Chalmers, Vol. III. ONE OF SOLOMON'S SAYINGS. How true is this! "I could not be angry," it is often said, "he received me so mildly." Nothing quenches the fiery darts of an infuriated opponent so readily as kindness; while irritating replies kindle a flame that can with difficulty be extinguished. Are we not chargeable with sin then, for having excited anger in others? Some take pleasure in saying the most provoking things with perfect coolness, and calmly expecting the result. The man who is made angry, in such a case, is not blameless, but the greater part of the guilt is chargeable on the cruel, cold, malignant tempter-the utterer of the "grievous words." How admirably are the lessons of scripture adapted to promote the welfare of society! How important it is to imitate His example who "when he was reviled reviled not again, when he suffered threatened not, but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously!" Oh for more of "the meekness and gentleness of Christ." 66 preparatory to their reception into "the fellowship of a Christian church. "Emblematically, it is a sign of the sanctifying influence of the truths in "which they are instructed. According "to this exposition Jesus made and "baptized disciples in the sense of "learners not of converts. The design "of this Lecture is to show that learners are to be still designated by the rite "of baptism." THE writer of an able article in the "Eclectic Review" for last month commences his observations with these words:" As the Eclectic Review' is conducted on principles common to the 'baptist' and other nonconformist churches, we could not notice in this journal Dr. Halley's former volume; and for the same reason, we are pre- In this passage it is evidently the cluded from noticing those parts of the purpose of Dr. Halley to teach that no first lecture in the second volume which other qualification for the rite of baptouch on the same controversy." If tism is necessary than a willingness to be this gentleman will turn to the Eclectic instructed. Subsequently, he asserts Review for February, 1845, he will find this in other unmistakeable language; there a critique on Dr. Halley's former saying, "Since his resurrection, the volume occupying more than thirty great truth announced to the world pages; but as he assigns this reason for "is, that Jesus the Christ is crucified passing over the first sixty-seven pages "for our sins, and raised for our justiof this volume, we may suppose that it "fication. All who hearing this truth, will be thought by intelligent men that "are willing to become learners of the these sixty-seven pages have special "Christian doctrine, ought to be placed claims on the attention of such journals" under the elementary instruction of as our own. This, and other consider-" the church and to be designated by ations, among which may be reckoned "the initiatory rite of baptism. When our sincere respect for the author, have" these learners understand the doctrine, induced us to read these sixty-seven "furnish satisfactory evidence of subpages carefully, to endeavour to form a just estimate of their contents, and to determine to present to our readers an early report. The opening paragraph contains the author's statement of his design. It is this: mission to its power, and correctly "appreciate the responsibilities of "church fellowship, they ought to be received, as disciples indeed, not as "learners, but as converts, to the fellow"ship of the church, and the communion of the Lord's supper." p. 2. "Baptism, as it has been explained Having argued for this theory at very "in preceding Lectures, is an ordinance | considerable length, Dr. Halley proceeds "of Christ, by which all persons re- "to inquire what influence this opinion "ceived under Christian instruction" ought to have upon the practice of 66 that objection to the baptism of infants which is derived from their want of scriptural qualification for the rite. Here then we might terminate this article, were we mere controvertists; but as lovers of truth, willing to hear and to increase learning, we are ready to attend to Dr. Halley's reasoning with openness and candour. It may be the more easy to examine them impartially inasmuch as we see that the admission of their truth would not affect the great practical question respecting the baptism of those who are not yet old enough to be "applicants" or in any way to evince their willingness to learn. Is it so then that baptism is "a registration " of those who are admitted to a course "of instruction preparatory to their "reception into the fellowship of a Chris"tian church?" Has Christ, or have any of his inspired servants taught us this? "infant baptism." In proving, to his own satisfaction, that neither faith nor a profession of faith, neither repentance nor a profession of repentance is necessary to entitle to baptism, he evidently thinks that he has removed formidable objections to that practice. "If enough "has been said to prove that baptism 66 was not restricted to accredited be"lievers, but administered to other applicants as disciples or learners, "these remarks may be sufficient to "show that the children of believers are entitled to the same recognition as belonging to the kingdom of God." But in this part of the lecture he seems to us to lose sight of his own doctrine, and to proceed upon the supposition of something very different from that for which he had been arguing. Apparently it never occurred to him that so long as he admitted that the recipients of baptism were to be previously those who "hearing this truth," that Jesus the Christ was crucified for our sins and raised for our justification-were willing to become learners of the "Christian doctrine," or, according to the phraseology of the last quotation, "ap-reserving any mysteries for a select "plicants," so long he had done nothing at all to vindicate the baptism of an unconscious babe. The child of six weeks old, though it be the child of members of a Christian church, is no more an "applicant" than it is "a believer;" such infants, of whomsoever born, are no more "willing to become "learners of the Christian doctrine" than they are professors of the truth; and can no more be "baptized disciples in "the sense of learners" than in the sense "of converts." We are not saying that Dr. Halley has brought forward no arguments in favour of infant baptism: he has produced some, though none that appear to us to be weighty; but we do say that if he had demonstrated the truth of his principal position, he would have effected nothing towards removing Dr. Halley must forgive us if we stumble at the outset. This word "admitted" produces perplexity in our minds. It has been our practice to give instruction freely to all comers, not class. Can Dr. Halley mean that he admits to a course of instruction of a certain kind, only the baptized? Is he so rigid a strict communionist as this? Does he not only repel from the fellowship of a Christian church, the unbaptized among his devout acquaintance, but even repel them from preparatory instruction? If not, in what sense can baptism be practically, a registration of those who are admitted to a course of instruction preparatory to their reception into the fellowship of a Christian church? What is there, we wonder, that he would be unwilling to teach our children, which he would readily consent to make known to the baptized children, of his own flock? What is there in the Christian system which he would have concealed from the late |