and exclusive HEAD of the church; for God hath put all things under his feet, and given him to be head over all things to the church."

They are one united and indivisible body" for as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one," so also is the church of God.

Their members possess an equality of rights, no one being permitted to arrogate to himself religious titles and distinctious, or to call any man master on earth -" for one is your Master, even the Christ, and all ye are brethren "

They reject all hired or exclusive teachers, and in their assemblies "admonish one another," and "edify one another" according to the Scriptures "for ye may all teach, one by one, that all may learn and all may be comforted." They "choose out of themselves" certain officers for the regulation of their affairs, that "all things" may "be done decently and in order."

These officers of the Church are Bishops (i. e. overseers) or elders, and deacons, (i. e. servants,) who are to serve and to take" the oversight thereof-not by coutraint, but willingly ;-not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock."

Your petitioners further submit to your Honourable House, that where God hath fully revealed his will to mau, all rites, ceremonies, and acts of worship, in order to be acceptable to God, must be appointed by him; and believing that, since the abolition of the Mosaic ritual and Temple worship, no rites, ceremonies, or public social prayer and worship, have ever been appointed by Divine authority, they, as the disciples of Jesus, and, in obedience to his commands, 66 pray in secret to the Father," and as "the true worshipers," "worship the Father in spirit and in truth."

That rejecting, like the Jewish people of old, the pretensions of every church whose doctrines, discipline and worship are not founded on the laws of God without any admixture of human authority, and required as they are, by law, to conform to the Established Church in the instance of marriage, your petitioners declare and avow that the Church of England, whose religious worship they are thus called upon to sanction, they know only as a church "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men ;"-as a church professing a religion which has no other claim than that of being "by law established;"-as a church whose

laws have no earlier date than Popery, no higher authority than Acts of Parlia ment;-as a church whose only head is an earthly potentate, fallible in all cases; corrupt and wicked in the instance of its founder, Henry VIII., yet, nevertheless, by law" vested with all power to exercise all manner of ecclesiastical jurisdiction;"-as a church whose ministers and pastors are the servants of the State only, possessing "no manner of jurisdiction ecclesiastical, but by and under the King or Queen's Majesty ;"-as a church whose rites and ceremonies, whether of Baptism, the Lord's Supper, or for the solemnization of Marriage, are maintained only by a self-asserted authority" to decree rites and ceremonies;"-as a church whose lordly prelates and aspiring priesthood retain their office, titles and privileges in opposition to the clear and express commands of Jesus;-as a church whose tithes aud revenues constitute a violation at once of the rights of property and of the laws of God;-as a church whose unrighteous claims are supported by an appeal to the hopes and fears of men, profanely asserting" that every priest of this church hath power and authority from Almighty God, in the name of the Holy Trinity, to forgive or to retain the sins of men ;”— as a church whose unscriptural faith is fulminated by means of a creed which is at the same time intolerant in its spirit, and coutradictory in its assertions; "which faith," it is impiously avowed, "except every one doth keep whole and undefiled, he shall, without doubt, pe. rish everlastingly;" '-as a church whose canons denounce curses and excommunication upou all who, following the dictates of conscience, shall, like your petitioners, " affirm that the form of God's worship, contained in the Common Prayer," is unscriptural; "that any of its Thirty-nine Articles are in any part superstitious," or "that the government of the Church of England under his or her Majesty, by archbishops, bishops, deans, &c., is repugnant to the word of God;"-as a church whose alliance with the State hath produced that cruel and oppressive "Act of Uniformity," yet unrepealed, by which any one who shall speak any thing to the derogation of the Book of Common Prayer, or any thing therein contained, "shall, for the first offence, forfeit a hundred marks; for the second, four hundred marks; and for the third, all his goods and chattels, and SHALL SUFFER IMPRISONMENT DURING LIFE"!!

That this church having its foundation

in Rome, being a superstructure of Ignorauce and Mystery, of Heathenism and Popery, maintained by worldly riches and power, and guarded by the sword of persecution, is, by your petitioners, regarded as part and parcel of that city shadowed forth in prophecy, that great city which hath made merchandise of men's souls, by whose "sorceries all nations were deceived," in which was "found the blood of the prophets and the saints," but which God, by his judgments, hath threatened to destroy. That in this spiritual Babylon your petitioners can, as the true worshipers of God, have no lot nor inheritance. Yea, rather than partake of its abominations, they are prepared to suffer on the altar of its idolatry, mingling their lives with "the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held."

Viewing the Church of England as part of such a system of political religion and corrupt spiritual power, regarding the form of marriage, as contained in the Book of Common Prayer, as one of the rites of such a church, how can your petitioners conform thereunto? "How" (in the language of Scripture) can they do this thing and sin against God?" And if, haply, on the grounds of false doctrines and corrupt practices, no objection existed against the Established Church, yet will it be evident to your Honourable House that, denying as they do the authority of any established religion, rejecting the claims of any priest hood, refusing assent to all public social worship, your petitioners stand too widely separated from the Established Church, and, indeed, from all other religious bodies, to join in any religious act with any party, other than their own, the true church of God.

Your petitioners, in addition to these their broad and general grounds of objection against the religion established by law, of which the marriage ceremony forms a part, further and especially object against that particular ceremony:

That it makes a religious rite where God has made none; marriage being a natural and civil right, which is nowhere appointed in the Scriptures to be entered upon by means of a religious solemnization.

That it is a Popish rite, first rendered compulsory in the church by a corrupt pontiff, as a means of increasing the revenue of the clergy; and that, though nominally not regarded by the Established Church as a sacrament, or mystery, it is in substance, and even in

terms, made such in the present Church Liturgy.

That, by reason of its origin from the Popish Mass Book, together with the obsoleteness of certain of its terms, its forms are superstitious, its meaning has, in some instances, become obscure, its assertions false, and its allusions indelicate, offensive, and revolting.

to

That the worship connected with this ceremony is idolatrous, the language of prayer being therein addressed "Christ," who, as the Christ, that is, the Anointed or Messiah, is in Scripture expressly called "the Man Jesus," "the Son of Man," and who hath himself proclaimed, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

That it is open and avowed Polytheism, a plurality of gods being expressly worshiped and separately invoked therein, as "God the Father," "God the Son," and "God the Holy Ghost," such Polytheism being contrary both to the laws of God and of our country; to the laws of God by the declaration of the apostle, that "to us there is but one God, even the Father, of whom are all things;" to the laws of our country by the 9th and 10th of William III. cap. 32, as amended by the 53d George III. cap. 160, which alteration of the law still leaves exposed to civil disabilities and imprisonment all persons who shall "maintain that there are more Gods than one."

That your Petitioners, with these views of the Church marriage ceremony, and of the Established Religion, of which it is a part, have ever held it impossible for their members to submit and to subscribe thereunto on occasion of their marriages, without publicly, and in the face of the Established Church, protesting against the same.

That the delivery of such protests by your petitioners, together with their refusal to kneel at "the altar," and repeat certain parts of the marriage service deemed by them to be idolatrous, have exposed your petitioners to great and serious pain and inconvenience. That the marriages of members of their body have been, in consequence, sometimes refused-sometimes delayed-sometimes broken off, when partly celebrated, and, on one occasion, adjourned till a future day. That the members of their body have, in some instances, been kept in the Church several hours waiting the completion of the marriage; that in others they have been threatened to be expelled therefrom by civil force, or be hauded over to the terrors of the eccle

siastical courts-those hateful remnants of spiritual tyranny and Popish oppression; whilst, upon some occasious indeed, the liberality of the officiating minister hath rendered the situation of your petitioners even the more painful and embarrassing.

That your petitioners implore your Honourable House to put an end to a state of things painful to all the parties concerned therein-necessary to no existing interest of the country-compelled by no avowed object or policy of the laws and affording neither support nor the appearance of support, to the religion established by law.

That whereas the right to contract marriages before their own congregations being by law allowed to Jews and Quakers, your petitioners trust it will appear to your Honourable House, from the above statement of their doctrines and principles, that their scruples against conformity with the Established Religion are as serious and as valid as those entertained by Jews or Quakers; whilst, from the statement of their discipline and church government, it will appear that they are as closely united and as distinct a body as Jews or Quakers, thus offering to the Legislature equal securities against the performance of clandestine or unlawful marriages. That further evidence can, if required, be offered at the bar of your Honourable House, as to the unity and identity of your petitioners as a body, so as fully to justify and superinduce the conclusion, that, with reference to all the objects of civil society, touching the marriage contract, such contracts may be entered into before the people known as "Freethinking Christians," with the same security as those contracted among the people called Quakers, or the members of the Jewish persuasion.

That whilst your petitioners will not renture to dictate to your Honourable House the mode of relief now prayed for, they take leave to state, that, as far as their own body is concerned, the extending to their members the same exemption from the operation of the Marriage Act as that which is enjoyed by Jews and Quakers, and upon the same principle, or the permitting them to contract marriages before the justices of the peace, as in the days of the Commonwealth, would be a simple process of legislation, and that the same would be satisfactory to your petitioners.

That regarding marriage as a civil rite, your petitioners seek only to obtain

a legal sanction thereto, without a violation of their consciences; that they ask this as the free citizens of a free state-as Protestants_resisting all spiri tual domination, and appealing to the Bible as the great charter of their liberties as Dissenters denying the right of the civil magistrate to interfere in religion or usurp authority over the consciences of men-as the Church of God, bound, like its Master and Head, to "bear witness of the truth;" and appealing, in the language of the apostles, to the rulers of this world," whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God-judge ye."

That regarding the connexion of religion with the State as the primary cause of the grievance of which your petitioners complain, and deploring the same as having mainly contributed to the corruption of revealed religion, as giving occasion to the infidel and scoffer to speak evil of religion, and above all, as being denounced by the judgments and threatenings of God, as made known in the Scriptures, your petitioners, besides the relief now sought to be obtained, pray your Honourable House to put an end to the connexion between Church and State-that so the power and simplicity of divine truth may appear-that so the word of God may no longer be blasphemed that so the judgments of God may peradventure be averted from our country, when "Babylon the Great" shall be had in remembrance, and her sins shall have reached unto heaven."

a true

That all and several the allegations contained in this petition, whether as regards the grievance sustained by your petitioners - their claims as church, or all the matters and things urged against the Established Religion, and the Marriage Ceremony, to which they are by law required to conform your petitioners are prepared to support and prove at the bar of your Honourable House, or before a Convocation of the Clergy for that purpose assembled, and they pray for such alteration in the law as in the premises shall seem meet to your Honourable House.

And your petitioners will ever pray. At the same time similar petitions were presented from Dewsbury, in Yorkshire; Loughborough, Leicestershire; Battle, Sussex; and Cranbrook, Keut.

148 7 6

Leaving a balance of property to the Society of.. £387 6 4 The following gentlemen were elected into office for the year ensuing : Treasurer, JAMES ESDAILE, Esq. Secretary, Mr. GEORGE SMALLfield. Committee, Messrs. S. Bayley, J. Bowring, Rev. E. Chapman, Messrs. J. Clennell, J. Evans, J. Fernie, S. Hart, S. Hart, Jun., J. C. Means, H. Taylor, and W. Wood.

Auditors, Rev. Dr. Rees, and T. Hornby and B. Kennedy, Esqs. Collector, Mr. John Wiche.

The Subscribers and their friends afterwards dined together, JOHN WOOD, Esq., M. P., in the Chair. The prefaces to the sentiments proposed by the Chairman gave very considerable interest to the meeting, as did also the addresses of Mr. Aspland, Dr. Rees, Mr. Hardy, the Treasurer, and other gentlemen. The company was not numerous, but the excellent Chairman evinced a strong desire of contributing to its pleasure, and cordial wishes for the prosperity of the Society by becoming a life subscriber. in the course of the evening other life subscriptions and several donations were announced by the Treasurer, who appeared to feel increasing solicitude for the welfare of the Institution. Hitherto the Society has been supported chiefly by Unitarians, other denominations appearing to regard it as an Unitarian institution. But however its Tracts fail of enforcing a belief in those doctrines which are called orthodox, the primary object of the institution most certainly was, the inculcation of that moral conduct founded on motives derived from the Christian Scriptures, the necessity of which is deemed essential to the Christian character by the wise and good of all parties. While, therefore, the importance of right faith is contended for, and the indispensable necessity of a virtuous life admitted by the advocates of the most opposite creeds, all might consistently support such an institution as the Christian Tract Society. Those

Bolton District Association.

THE Second Half-yearly Meeting of the Bolton District Association was held at Bury, on Friday, April 13th. The Rev. W. Tate, of Chorley, introduced the service, and the Rev. James Whitehead, of Cockey-Moor, preached from Hebrews x. 24: "Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works."

Mr. Edmund Grundy took the Chair; and the Rev. W. Probert, of Walmsley, was appointed supporter to Mr. Tate at the next meeting of the Association, to be held at Chowbent. The Secretary reported that no progress had been made in the Missionary arrangements recommended at the last meeting, owing to some unexpected difficulties. These, it and the Association be enabled to estais hoped, will be ultimately removed, blish, at least, two stations for occasional preaching within the district.

In the course of the afternoon considerable discussion took place relative

to the repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts, and a petition on the subject ed by the Association, owing to its not was produced, which could not be adoptbeing ready for signatures, but has since

been forwarded to Parliament from Bolton.

B.

Sheffield Meeting of Ministers. ON Good Friday, the Half-yearly Meeting of the Ministers in the neighbourhood of Sheffield was held. The Sermon on the occasion was preached in the Upper Chapel by the Rev. R. Wright, who, during the course of it, made many appropriate and excellent observations; and the devotional services were conducted by the Rev. H. H. Piper. After the service, the ministers and many of their lay brethren, amounting to more than forty, dined together at the Angel Inn, the Rev. R. Wright in the Chair. The ministers present were the Rev. Dr. Philipps, Rev. I. Williams, Rev. H. H. Piper, Rev. R. Wallace, and the Rev. J. Brettell.

Considerable interest was excited by the observations made by many of the gentlemen who addressed the company,