time of public calamities, or of thanksgiving in the time of national deliverance. As an illustration and indubitable proof of the Christian character and aims of the people in one of these "dark conventicles," we give, literatim, the covenant of the Church at Olney : "THE CHURCH COVENANT. Church Covenant at Olney. "We whose names are under writen, having as we hope obtained mercy of the Lord and found grace in his sight, been made pertakers of the heavenly calling, and experienced the power and efficacy of divine grace in our hearts in turning us from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to the living God; own and acknowledge that by nature we are exceeding vile and sinful, and by our repeated acts of Sin and rebellion against God have Exposed ourselves to inevitable ruin and destruction. But God who is rich in mercy and abundant in Goodness hath in love to our Souls condescended to lay help on one that is mighty, he exalted Christ with his right hand to be a prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Isarell and remission of Sins. "We being brought thro' grace and Everlasting love to look unto him who is the Compleate Saviour of Sinners, renounce our own righteousness as filthy rags, give up all hopes of being saved by the law or Covenant of works under which we were, and lay aside all claim to heaven and happiness on the foot of our own obedience, and depend entirely and alone on the Sure foundation of Christ, his grace, blood, righteousness, Satisfaction, and intercession, for Salvation, Justification, and acceptance with God, takeing Shame to our Selves, loath and abhor our Selves in our own sight because of our Exceeding Sinfullness under a Sence of which we mourn and repent before the Lordand do hereby openly and in the awefull presence of God, Angels, and men, resign and give up our Selves wholly unto the Lord Jesus Christ in Church fellowship and communion, promising and resolving in his strenght to walk together in the faith and order of the Gospel, to serve him and Each other according to all the laws, Statutes, and ordinances of his house as directed and assisted by his Spirit. "We therefore the members of this Church of the particular Baptist denomination, holding the Doctrines of free grace, &c., believing all things writen in the law and the prophets, having given our selves up to the Lord and to one another by the will of God, to walk together in a vissible Church State, laying the foundation thereof on the person, office, authority, Spirit, aud word of Christ, have in the fear of God, with a view to the glory of Christ, the mutual comfort and Eddification of Each other, and the Encrease of the Redeemer's kingdom, covenanted together and agreed as follows, Solemnly promising and Engageing in the Strenght of the Lord and by the assistance of his Spirit, "I.-To walk by the rule of God's word, makeing the Scriptures of truth contained in the Old and New Testaments, our only rule and constant guide in all matters of religion both of faith and practice, Endeavouring in all respects to give heed unto that more sure word of prophesy as unto a light which shineth in a dark place. "II.—To be maintaining in every manner of way, and in the face of all oppossition whatever, the Doctrines of free grace or the faith once delivered to the Saints, standing up for Christ, contending earnestly for the faith and order of the Gospel against all opposers, bareing a faithfull and becoming testimony for God against all human inventions and traditions of men, all false Doctrins, ways and mode of Worship contrary to his word derogating from the honour and dignity of Christ, or that shall any ways infringe upon the authority of our great and glorious Lord and lawgiver, Seperating our Selves from all Idollatry, Superstition, and will-worship, determining to follow no man. farther than he himself is a follower of Christ, being taught to call no man master on Earth, for Christ is our Lord and him only as helped will we serve "III. To submit to the discipline, Government, and authority of Christ in his Church, yielding willing obedience and subjection to him our only head and husband, to harken to his voice in his word, obey his precepts, and observe all his laws, ordinances, Statutes, forms and fashions of his house, keeping the ordinances as they are delivered unto us particularly Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. "IIII. To receive into our Communion such and only such who have upon the Judgement of charity believed thro' Grace in the Lord Jesus, having a conversation answerable thereunto, professing subjection to the Gospel and promising in the strenght of the Lord to walk with us in the faith and order thereof, giving themselves first to the Lord and unto us by the will of God. "V.—To be performing all relative duties incumbant on us in this Church or house of God, filling up our places in a becoming way, constantly attending on the publick worship of God and the word preached on the Lord's Day, and to frequent our monthly Church meetings and all meetings of prayer appointed by the advice of and with the consent of the Church, except lawfully detained, bareing proportionally to our Several abilities our part of the necessary Expenses attending the worship of God amongst us, labouring by all ways and means to promote the kingdom and interest of Christ, the peace and prosperity of the Church, and each other's Edification in the ways of God, walking in love one towards another, bareing the infirmities of the weak, vissiting and comforting the afflicted, warning the unrulely, ministring to the necessities of the poor, pitying and sympathising with such as are in distress, bareing as the Lord shall help us one another's burdens and so help the law of Christ, keeping the secrets of the Church, and avoiding as much as possible all such as cause divissions, Endeavouring to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, watching over each other in the Lord and as occassion shall require Exhort, reprove, correct, and admonish one another meekly yet faithfully without respect to persons. “VI.—To be maintaining the kingly authority of Christ, the order of his house, and a regular discipline there, keeping it clean and pure by executeing his laws against offenders, Endeavouring first of all in the Spirit of meekness to restore and reclaim such as are turned aside, and then if after all due means used for their restoration they persist in sin and disorder, to withdraw from them, and deal with them according to the rules of the Gospel. “VII.—And for the peace of the church, and to prevent all quarrells for the futer, we have agreed, judging it our duty to submitt to a majority, in the choise of church officers or any other act of the church, provided they are agreeable to the anallogy of faith, the order of the gospel, having no tendency to overthrow the constitution of the church, but may be submitted or yielded unto without sin: so that after a matter had been duly debated by the Brethren (during which time the sisters, being present, are to learn in silence), it shall be put to the vote for determination; and if at least the majority do concur, and agree in the affirmative, it shall be accounted a church act (but not else), and the lesser part of the Church, after they have discharged their consciences by entering their dissent, submitt to the greater without making any uneasiness, faction, or schism in the Church. “VIII.—To act uprightly in our families ordering our conversations aright, performing all relative duties according to the different relations we sustain there, particularly to set up an alter for God in our houses, causing the sound of the word and the voice of prayer daily to be heard there. “IX.—To walk honestly, orderly, and becomingly in the world and amongst men, endeavouring to have our conversation every ways as becomes the gospel of Christ, labouring to have a conscience void of offence both towards God and man, and in all respects to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, giving none offence neither to Jew nor Gentile, nor to the Church of God, but so to demean ourselves, that we might stop the mouths of gainsayers, and put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, that they may be ashamed who falsely accuse our good conversation in Christ Jesus. "X.-To hold communion with sister churches of the same faith and order, love their ministers and members, praying for their peace and prosperity, holding a correspondence by messengers and letters as shall be thought most expedient, and as to other churches who are not all together of the same faith and order with us, but differ from us in some circumstantial things and lesser points of doctrine, yet provided they consist of visible saints by profession, are sound in the faith, regular in their lives and conversations, are upon the same foundation, and agree with us in the most momentous truths and fundamental doctrines of religion, serving the Lord Christ in sincerity, we own them as true Churches of Christ, both with respect to matter and form, love their ministers, and esteem them highly for their works' sake, and, as opportunity serves, most gladly hear them. "XI.-For the spread and furtherance of the gospel, and encrease of the knowledge of Christ in the world, we have agreed to encourage spiritual gifts; and if it appears after due trial, in the use and exercise of them, any brother is called to, gifted, and qualified for ministerial work, to set him apart thereunto, and send him forth in the Lord's name. to preach the gospel wherever God, in the course of divine providence, opens a door for him, praying for his success, and wishing him God-speed. "XII.-Though in some respects a woman is allowed to speak in the church, yet not in such sort as caries in it direction, instruction, government, and authority, for, she must be in subjection under obedience, not to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man (1 Cor. xiv. 34, 35'; 1 Tim. ii. 11, 12), but to be and learn in silence. We therefore have agreed that no sister shall be permitted to speak in the church, except it be in a way of submission or subjection, or in answer to any question proposed to her by the church; and that order might be observed, and confusion be prevented at our church-meetings, the Brethren are not to speak above one at a time in any matter of debate there. "XIII.—These things, and whatever else may from the Word of God appear to be our duty, we shall endeavour under divine assistance to observe; but knowing our own weakness, inability, and insufficiency to think or do anything as of ourselves, our dependence is entirely on the Lord for strenght and every supply of grace, absolutely necessary to the right performance of every duty, both towards God and one another, desiring that wherein we fail to be duly humbled in the account thereof before the Lord, and to repent in dust and ashes. "And now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen."* French A wave of fanaticism of the most extraordinary kind passed over various religious communities at the beginning of the century in connection with the French prophets. These strange Prophete. people were known as Camisards, a remnant of Protestants in Cevennes, who were engaged in guerilla Copied by Mr. John Taylor, of Northampton, from the Church records at Olney. |