hearts of the indigent and afflicted, will remain unknown un. til He, who is not unrighteous to forget the work of faith and labor of love," shall say to his people, "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Whatever social and moral virtues decorated Mr. Newton's character, it would be a serious omission not to observe, that his unfeigned and fervent piety gave a polish to every other excellence. Deep was the veneration which he felt for the word of God; and sedulously did he cultivate an experimental acquaintance with its hallowed contents. The writer of these lines will never forget the fervor of his devotion in prayer, nor the heavenly spirit which he discovered in acts of worship. conscience was exquisitely tender; and, like a fine enamel, would not bear without injury the slightest collisions of sin. In the varied walks of life, he exemplified the consistency of the christian; so that even his enemies could not bring any criminal charge against his practice. He was serious without dulness, devout without enthusiasm, zealous without bigotry, and in a word, "holy in all manner of conversation and godliness." His The praise of our venerable friend, as an author, is in all the churches. Most of his works, which have already been noticed, will long continue to "edify the body of Christ." The ease and simplicity of his style, and The following character of Mr. Newton's writings, from the incomparable pen of Cowper, will weigh with the public far more than any thing we can offer :-Speaking of his the warmth of affection which breathes in his published letters to his correspondents, can never fail to afford a rich repast to all, who can relish the familiar pleasures, and prize the delicate fidelity of christian friendship. In the pulpit, his whole soul appeared to flow out in ardent concern for their spiritual wel. fare, so that all might perceive his principal design was to "win souls to Jesus Christ." Nor was his labor in vain. There are many living witnesses to the success of his ministrations, in persons who were once darkness, but are become light in the Lord;" aud, it cannot be doubted, but he has lately joined a numerous band of disembodied and perfected spirits within the Ecclesiastical History, Mr. C. says, "The facts [are] incontestible,-the grand observations upon them all irrefragable, and the style, in my judgment, incomparably better than that of Robertson or Gibbon. I would give you my reasons for thinking so, if I had not a very urgent one for declining it." Hayley's Cowper, vol. ii. p. 91. In another letter, however he thus explains himself: "That you may not suspect me of having said more than my real opinion will warrant, I will tell you why. In your style, I see no affectation in every line of theirs, nothing else. They disgust and his strut, and Gibbon with his fi me always: Robertson with his pomp nical and French manners. You are as correct as they. You express yourself with as much precision. Your words are arranged with as much propriety; but you do not set your periods to a tune. They discover a perpetual desire to exhibit themselves to advantage; whereas your subject ingrosses you; they sing, and you say; which, as history is a thing to be said,and not sung, is in my judgment very much to your advantage." Ibid. p.101. veil, whom he was made instrumental in raising to an inherit. ance among the sanctified. The seed which he cast on the watered furrows, will be seen too after many days; and to him the church will long feel herself greatly indebted, for the stores which he gathered into her sacred garner. To conclude :-He was esteemed and beloved in life, honored and deplored in death; and now he rests from his labors, with "the goodly fellowship of the prophets and of the apostles !" RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. APOCRYPHAL BOOKS. FROM the best authority we are assured, that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." The whole scripture is of divine inspiration, and is profitable for the highest purposes. It is fitted for doctrine, as it places the fundamental principles of religion in the view, it gives us of the divine nature and perfections; it is fitted to correct and reprove all errors in opinion and practice, correctly instructing in the principles of righteousness, and effectually leading those, who truly submit to it, from one degree of holiness to another, (which will continually advance) in proportion to the regard, which is paid to this blessed book of God. The book, which we call the Bible, is of supreme and divine authority, written by men specially inspired for that purpose by the spirit of God. By the same authority and by the same men it has been published and delivered, as worthy of all acceptation, for the use and improvement of men to the end of time. Hence all men are bound to regulate their faith and conduct by the doctrines and rules therein contained. These several things, with respect to the Bible, have hundreds of times been clearly illustrated and established; and the cavils, urged against them by in. fidel writers, have been fully exposed and refuted. To enter the list of controversy with deists is not the ob ject of the writer; nor is it his object to attempt a defence of our holy religion, but to remark on those books, contained in some editions of the Holy Bible, called the Apocrypha. That these books, although they contain much useful and important instruction, constitute no part of canonical scripture, we shall attempt to prove from several topics of argument. Those books, which we receive as inspired scripture, are called canonical, to distinguish them from books called apocry phal, and from other uninspired writings. They are so denomi nated from the Greek word kanōn a rule or measure; for as the civil law how fitly may be termed the rule of a commonwealth, because the citizens ought to live conformably to it; so is divine scripture the rule of the church, according to which its members are to regulate their faith and practice. The word Apocrypha signifies hidden, secret or doubtful, and the several books, included in this name, are called apocryphal because, 1. Their authority has always been doubted or denied by the church; nor were they ever acknowledged or received by the ancient church as books divinely inspired. 2. Because none of them were contained in the ark of the cov. enant, where the Jews deposited their sacred writings. 3. Because they are of uncertain and concealed original; and, 4. Because, for these reasons, it was not allowable publicly to read them in the assemblies of God's people. These particulars are substantiated by such authorities as to preclude, it is it is believed, all reasonable doubt. That the books contained in the Apocrypha, are not of divine inspiration, and therefore ought not to be received as canonical scripture, it will now be attempted more fully to prove by the following arguments, which the writer has collected in the course of his reading on the subject. 1. All the books of the Old Testament were written by prophets, or persons divinely inspired; but none of the apocry. phal books were written by such persons; therefore they are not to be acknowledged and received as canonical. The several VOL. 1. New Series. parts of this argument, it will be attempted briefly to illustrate and establish. The first pro. position is evident from several express declarations of canonical scripture, The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake, as they were mov. ed by the Holy Ghost." Hence they are called "the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith." The great Inspirer of scripture hath assured us that "He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began." But, These passages prove that the books of the Old Testament were written by prophets, or persons divinely inspired. An elaborate proof of this position is not intended, nor will it be expected by the christian reader. should he consider the proof as deficient, it is hoped that the deficiency will be supplied before the subject is dismissed. The stamp of divine inspiration, which we find on the books of the Old Testament, is not to be found on the books of the Apocrypha. None of these were written by men, "moved by the Holy Ghost." This position admits satisfactory proof. Malachi is universally ac knowledged by believers in revelation to have been the last of the Jewish prophets under the legal dispensation. Between him and John the Baptist no prophet existed. But the apocryphal books were written after the time of Malachi's prophecy. This, if not universally, is generally acknowledged by writers on the P subject. Hence it is evident, that these books could not have been written by any of the prophets. With much propriety and pertinence it may farther be observ. ed, that had the apocryphal books been written by the ancient prophets of God, Jesus Christ would unquestionably have used them as witnesses that he was indeed the Messiah, and that his doctrines were divine, as he employed the prophetic writings to these pur. poses. But, as neither Christ, nor his apostles made this use of the apocryphal books, the evidence is very forcible; and, it is believed, must be satisfactory to the reflecting mind, that these books were not written by the prophets or men divinely inspired. 2. The Jewish church acknowledged and received, as canonical scripture, all the books of the Old Testament, but never thus acknowledged and received the apocryphal books. From this circumstance it is believed, that much and even conclusive evidence is deducible, that these books are not of divine inspiration. Had the Jewish church rejected any part of canonical scripture, Christ and his apostles would undoubtedly have censur. ed and condemned them for so doing. But for this, it does not appear, that they ever merited any censure. Although Christ reproved them for unjust interpretation of their sacred writings, yet he does not charge them with the rejection of any part of ca'nonical scripture; nor does the a'postle Paul, when speaking of the oracles of God, as having been committed unto them, intimate that they had ever been guilty of this crime. Indeed we find them no where, in the New Testament accused of having concealed or disowned any portion of their scriptures. From this circumstance it may be safely inferred, that they faithfully preserved and explicitly acknowledged all the books of the Old Testament as canonical scripture. But it is certain, that they never acknowledged the apocryphal books, as of divine inspiration. Is it not therefore an obvious consequence that these books were not writ. ten by inspiration of the Spirit of God? 3. Our Saviour gave his testimony to the books of the Old Testament, as of divine original, by quoting from them, and by declaring that they alluded to him as the Messiah. He thus addressed his disciples after his resurrection, "These are the words, which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me, &c." In this passage are summarily comprised all the books in the Old Testament scriptures, in these three classes, the law, the prophets, and the psalms. As this testimony of our Saviour confirms the writings of the Old Testamentas canonical scripture, so it seems evidently to exclude from the sacred canon all the apocry. phal books. 4. It will further contribute to the establishment of our object, to observe that the fathers in the christian church unite in implicit testimony, that the apocryphal books never received a place among the books either of the Old or New Testament scriptures. The council of Laodicea, holden in the year of our Lord 368, reckoning up the books of canonical scripture, as we now have them, and which only they direct to be read pub licly in christian assemblies, make no mention of the books of the Apocrypha. From this circumstance it is reasonable to infer, that these books make no part of inspired scripture. That this is indeed the case is presumptively evident. 5. From the style and much of the matter of the apocryphal books. It requires but little acuteness of mind to discover, in the character of each, satisfactory evidence that these books are merely human compositions. Instead of the gravity and majesty, the surprising sublimity, and yet the beautiful and captivating simplicity of the scripture style, we find in them, in many instances, the characters of levity, of affectation, of idle curiosity, &c. And in their matter, there are so many things frivolous and trifling, ridiculous and absurd, false and superstitious, contra. dictory to canonical scripture, and even contradictory to themselves, that the sober enquirer must be led to reject them, as inspired writings, and to pronounce them merely human compositions. N-E. (To be continued.) ON CHURCH GOVERNMENT. THE importance of ecclesiastical councils to the order and government of churches, renders it interesting to understand clearly the authority given them in the New Testament, and its pro vision for their being convened. The apostle Paul thought it needful to vindicate his preach. ing at Corinth, as not going beyond the line marked out in his commission. Other ministers of Christ, whether evangelists or pastors of churches, are no less obligated to be able to show, that they do not stretch themselves beyond their measure; either to dispense the word, or to bear rule in the house of God. The apostle's declaration is, "We will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you." Christians, who rely on the fulness of the Bible, as the rule of their faith and practice, will trust to its sufficiency to teach the discipline of the church, as well as all gospel duties. Το this book, not to any human authority, are we to look for the guidance and justification of our actions. And here may be found the powers which Christ has entrusted to his ministers, the form of his church, the officers he employs in it, and the extent of their jurisdiction; with various. commands and examples illustrative of their work, as appointed to feed the church of God. When Christ ascended and gave gifts to men, he gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers." Pastors and teachers are the ordinary officers of his church, authorized to preach the word and bear rule. They have two distinct offices united; as rulers they are pastors; as dispensers of the word they are teachers. Hence arise the duties enjoiu |