THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, AND Cheological Repository, DESIGNED TO PLEAD THE CAUSE OF PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY. VOL. IV. "WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE?" "SPEAK THOU THE THINGS WHICH BECOME SOUND DOCTRINE." LONDON: ARTHUR HALL AND Co., 25, PATERNOSTER ROW. BEVERLEY: JAMES EVERSON. 1852. PREFACE. We have now completed the Fourth Volume of the Christian Advocate; and we confess there is much connected with it that can give us very little satisfaction. Circumstances compelled us, in the Spring of the year, to reduce the number of pages to one third of the former quantity. This was neither gratifying to ourselves nor our readers; though, at the time, we did not intend the reduction to be permanent. We flatter ourselves, however, that there is one redeeming quality in the more recent numbers, they have been more free from things of "doubtful disputation," than the preceding ones: and in the present Volume, will be found some articles of sterling value, and of a practical bearing. Such as it is, the Editor commends it to the attention of his readers. And so far as its contents are in harmony with Divine truth, he hopes the God of all grace will make it, in some humble degree, the instrument of promoting his glory, and of instructing and edifying his people. Should his life and health be prolonged, and circumstances permit him to continue his labours, he hopes the next Volume will be superior to the present, both in matter and form. November 30th, 1852. THE EDITOR. THEOLOGY. Fast Day Sermon by Mr. M'Lean, 1, 25. The Waldenses, 6, 29. The Constitution of the Church of Christ, 8. Allen and Glas "On the Visible Unity of Christ's Disciples," 10. Retraction of an error on the terms Binding and Loosing, 13. Faith and Works; answer to the Query on On the "Last days," in reply to Stephanas, 18 On Teaching Children to Pray, 31. Answer to Stephanas from Macrobius, 59. Remarks on Philalethes on the Kingdom of God, 62. Note on Deut. xix. 15.-64. The Bible and its Rivals, 73, 83. The Gospel to the Jews and Gentiles, 75. On a false estimate of Human Character, 92 The way into the Kingdom of God, ib. Babel and the Confusion of Tongues, 102. Remarks on the dissemination of the On reading Books, 123. An Apostolic Truth, ib. A request, 125. Remarks by the Editor, ib. On the decline of the Scotch Baptist Churches, 128, 138. Remarks by the Editor, 130, 138 On the spirit in which divine truth should be defended, 132. On Clerical Dresses and Titles, 133. On laying up Money for Children, 139. Kemp's Sermon on the Second Advent, 21. Honduras, 23, 47, 79. Apostolical Succession maintained by Education of Native Females in India, 104. Protestants persecuting Protestants. 118. Political Events, France, 141. Extract from the Twelfth Report of the Bible Translation Society, 149. against the Lord their supreme King. One would have thought, that when the temple was pillaged and a number of the people carried captive, according to the predictions of Jeremiah, it would have established his veracity as a true messenger from God, and have damped the confidence, and utterly ruined the credit of these deceivers ; but as a corrupt people wish to hear, and are apt to believe what is agreeable to them, so we find the false prophets shifting their ground, and prophesying that the captives would return, and the sacred vessels be restored in the space of two And years, chap. xxviii. 1-5. with these vain hopes they encouraged Zedekiah in his revolt from Nebuchadnezzar, and deavoured to keep the captives in an impatient and unsettled state at Babylon; which brought on the total captivity of the Jews, with the destruction of their city and temple, chap. lii. Our text is part of a letter which Jeremiah sent to the captives in |