nation, and the tyranny of the multitude. Mutual rights and privileges, such as in the New Testament are found to be the birthright of all in Christ's church, clearly defined, and well understood, are the surest guarantees of peace and concord in any religious community; and especially so, when all concerned combine to make a religious use of them, and seek only the glory of God in the prosperity of his church.

Whilst then it is clearly our right and duty, as members of the church, to adopt all proper means to protect ourselves from oppression, we may at the same time rely upon it, that even if we would preserve our own privileges, the fair and reasonable claims of our itinerant ministers, as an important class of officers in Christ's church, must be equally regarded by us. For, where a spirit of suspicion or selfishness is permitted to usurp the place of kindly consideration towards ministers entirely given up to the work, nothing that is good or valuable is likely long to exist, either in reference to ministers or members.

In conclusion, I feel that I am only advocating the interests of our entire Connexion, and doing some little to promote its stability and permanence, as well as its true respectability, in giving publicity to sentiments which observation and experience have led me to adopt; and in urging upon my brethren at large, the duty of cordially uniting to give to our itinerant preachers that place in our respective societies, which their office and duties seem most clearly to indicate-and in perfect accordance with our Rules-as their proper position among us. And it is no ordinary satisfaction to me to know, that the views now put forth are generally entertained in the Association. The practice which I now venture to recommend to all our circuits has, I am fully aware, long been followed by most; and at the present time perhaps by every large circuit in the Connexion. If in any instance, without necessity, a contrary mode prevails, I am quite confident a little calm reflection is all that is required to the adoption of "a more excellent way."

A Local Preacher of Twenty-seven Years' Standing.

LEEDS, November 4th, 1843.

THE CHRISTIAN UNION COMMITTEE AND WESLEYAN METHODIST ASSOCIATION.

FROM the communication, with which we were favoured, in November last, by the Rev. J. Sherman, and which appeared in our December Magazine, our readers will now expect to receive further information on the matter to which that communication refers. We cannot convey this in any way more satisfactorily, than by laying before them a copy of a letter which we sent to the Patriot Newspaper, and which was kindly and promptly inserted, on the 21st of December. As that valuable paper has a large circulation among evangelical Protestant dissenters, the facts contained in our letter, will thereby become extensively known and we are of opinion that it will promote the interests of our connexion to give those facts the most extensive circulation. Our readers will be gratified in learning, that notwithstanding the hostility manifested, by the Rev. W. M. Bunting, towards the Association, the just claim, of the ministers and members of the Association, to be recognized, equally with those other

ministers and members belonging to those sections of the church of Christ, to which the members of the Christian Union Committee belong, is now fully admitted, and their co-operation "gladly accepted" by the Committee. We shall not now make any further observations-but at once lay before our readers our letter, to the Editor of the Patriot, containing the recent correspondence which we have had with the Committee.

SIR,-Five months since, you were kind enough to insert, in your valuable paper, a communication which I sent to you, containing some correspondence of mine with the Rev. J. Sherman, the Secretary of the Christian Union Committee. Many of your readers have long been looking for further information on the topics referred to in that correspondence. That information, however, could not be given earlier than the present time, as will appear from the documents which I shall now lay before you.

In the month of August last, the Annual Assembly of the Wesleyan Methodist Association held its sittings, when the proceedings of the Christian Union Committee were noticed, and the following resolutions adopted, printed in its "Minutes," and advertised in your paper:

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Resolved, 1. That this Annual Assembly, regarding it as the duty of all Christians to manifest and cultivate towards each other fraternal regard and affection, unrestrained by sectarianism, it rejoices in the measures recently taken in London for promoting Christian Union; and hereby expresses its earnest desire, that all our ministers and members avail themselves of every opportunity of manifesting, and cultivating, affection towards, and union with, all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

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Resolved, 2. That our entire connexion has been placed under great obligation to our highly-esteemed brother, Mr. Robert Eckett, by the welltimed, Christain, and irresistible claim made by him on behalf of our section of the Christian church, to take its part, with the other sections of the church, in the manifestation of Christian Union; and Mr. Eckett is respectfully requested to represent the views of this Annual Assembly to the London Christian Union Committee."

In September last, I forwarded to Mr. Sherman a printed copy of the "Minutes of the Assembly," with a note, requesting that the above resolutions might be laid before the committee at its next meeting.

On the 20th of November, my letter, of the 15th of July, was laid before the committee, and I was favoured with the following note from Mr. Sherman :

Surrey Parsonage, Nov. 20, 1843.

"My dear Sir,-I write this from my bed, to which I am confined. The committee met to-day, and your letter was laid before them, but from the minutes sent to me, I see they have summoned a special meeting for December 11th, to take it into consideration. I exceedingly regret this delay, but I doubt not everything will result satisfactorily to yourself. I am, my dear Sir, yours ever, "JAMES SHERMAN.

"To the Rev. Robert Eckett."

On the 13th of this month I received the following communications :"Rose-cottage, Hyde-vale, Blackheath, Dec. 12, 1843.

"My dear Sir,-I beg leave to hand to you the following resolution, passed at a meeting of the committee held yesterday. It affords me also great pleasure to add that it passed nem con.

66 Rev. R. Eckett.

"I am, my dear Sir, faithfully yours, JAMES SHERMAN, Secretary."

"CHRISTIAN UNION.

"Copy from the Minutes, Dec. 11, 1843.

"Mr. Eckett's letter having been read, the secretary was requested to inform Mr. Eckett

"That as a Christian and not an ecclesiastical union, the committee do not find themselves called upon to authenticate any particular community as a regular church of Christ, but they gladly accept the co-operation of all disciples of our common Lord, in carrying out their object, and are happy to find that that object meets Mr. Eckett's approval.

"To the Rev. R. Eckett.

F. A. Cox, Chairman.'"

Upon reading this resolution of the committee, I did not feel satisfied. I thought that it bore evidence of having been carefully worded, so as to avoid offending the sectarian prejudices of Mr. Wm. M. Bunting, and probably of some other persons belonging to the Conference Connexion, and that it did not express such an acceptance of the proffered co-operation of the ministers and members of the Association as was justly due. I therefore wrote the following letter to Mr. Sherman, the secretary, and sent a copy to Dr. Cox, the chairman of the committee:

"6, Argyle-square, Dee. 13, 1843.

"My dear Sir, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your favour, of yesterday's date, containing an extract from the Minutes of the Christian Union Committee.

"The statement preceding the resolution which you have forwarded to me is as follows: Mr. Eckett's letter having been read, the secretary was instructed to inform Mr. Eckett.'

"From this I am led to suppose that only one of my letters was read to the committee-I presume the one which I sent to you in July last. There is, however, another letter, which I sent to you, with a printed copy of the Minntes of the Annual Assembly, of the Wesleyan Methodist Association,' and in which I requested, that the resolutions of the said Assembly on Christian Union might be laid before the committee. You will oblige by informing me, whether those resolutions were read to the committee.

"In the resolution of the Christian Union Committee, passed after the reading my letter, and forwarded by you to me, there is the following statement: The committee do not find themselves called upon to authenticate any particular community as a regular church of Christ.' I beg here to remark, that I had no desire, nor have I now any desire, that the committee should authenticate' or acknowledge the Wesleyan Methodist Association, except by inviting its co-operation. This sort of authentication or acknowledgment has been afforded to those other bodies of Christians to which the members of the committee severally belong.

"I did complain that Mr. W. M. Bunting, one of the members of the committee, had, in the meetings of the committee, manifested unjustifiable hostility to the body of Christians with which I am connected, and had unwarrantably impeached its Christian character, and my character individually; and that the committee had allowed his unfounded statements to influence its proceedings, to the prejudice of that section of the church of Christ.

"The questions you put to me, concerning myself and the ministry of the Association, when I, at your request, waited upon you, were sufficiently confirmatory of the complaint, as stated in my first letter, which appeared in the Patriot, and to which you then referred.

"Without intending the least disrespect to the committee, I feel myself called upon to say, that, after what has occurred, and satisfied as, I am persuaded,

the committee now is, that Mr. W. M. Bunting's hostility to the Association is unwarranted, and results only from sectarian prejudice and narrowmindedness, it would not be improper for the committee to express, its acceptance of the proffered co-operation of the Wesleyan Methodist Association, in promoting Christian union.

"The resolution of the committee, however, states that 'they gladly accept the co-operation of all the disciples of our common Lord in carrying out their object.' From the resolution, it does not appear, whether the committee mean to, gladly accept the co-operation of all who call themselves disciples of our common Lord,' or whether the committee exercises any power of discriminating, so as to determine who are to be, recognized as disciples of our common Lord,' and, as such, allowed and accepted' to co-operate with the committee in carrying out the principles of Christian union. If the cooperation of all, who call themselves disciples of our common Lord, is gladly accepted,' then those who deny the Divinity and Atonement of Christ, and those who render allegiance to the Pope of Rome, are welcomed as co-operators. But, if this be not intended, and I cannot suppose that such extended co-operation would be gladly accepted, then it must be needful for the committee to consider, which of the communities, calling themselves Christians, it can justly recognize, as disciples of our common Lord,' and acknowledge as entitled to unite in measures for manifesting Christian union.

"If the Committee 'gladly accept the co-operation of all' who call themselves' disciples of our common Lord,' then, of course, the acceptance of the co-operation of the Wesleyan Methodist Association is included. But, as I cannot conceive that such is the meaning of the committee, the acceptance of co-operation must be restricted to those whom the committee recognises as disciples of our common Lord.' I beg, therefore, respectfully to submit, that it would be only justly explicit and satisfactory for the committee, in answer to my letter and the resolutions which I have forwarded through you, to declare that regarding the members of the Wesleyan Methodist Association as disciples of our common Lord,' the committee gladly accepts of their co-operation. I presume this is what was intended by the resolution, although it is not clearly expressed.

"Without further trespassing on your valuable time, I now solicit from you an answer to the following inquiry:-Was it the expressed intention of the committee, in agreeing to the resolution which you have forwarded to me, to to declare, its acceptance of the co-operation of the ministers and members of the Wesleyan Methodist Association, in the same way as it accepts of the co-operation of the other ministers and disciples of our common Lord,' who are connected with those different sections of the Church of Christ to which the members of the committee severally belong? I make this inquiry, because it will be requisite for me to give publicity to the resolution of the committee; and I am of opinion that, without an explanation, it will not be thought sufficiently explicit to give general satisfaction.

"In conclusion, I beg to tender my thanks to the committee for having expressed itself as deriving pleasure from my approval of their object; and also to yourself, for the courtesy which I have received from you.

"As Dr. Cox was chairman of the committee at which the resolution was passed, I shall also send him a copy of this letter, and request him also to answer the inquiry which I have proposed.

"I am, dear Sir, yours respectfully,

"Rev. J. Sherman. The following is Dr. Cox's answer to

ROBERT ECKETT."

"My dear Sir,-In reply to your question respecting the intention of the

resolution passed at the late committee meeting of the Christian Union, I have to observe, that I understand that resolution to imply,-That no body or association of Christians, as such, is recognised as forming the groundwork of our Union; that we agree to unite with all Christians who hold the Head, willing to unite with us according to the published basis of our Union: consequently that you are, or any minister of the Wesleyan Methodist Association is, eligible to election on the committee.

"To the Rev. R. Eckett.

"I am yours very truly,

"F. A. Cox,"

Dr. Cox's letter did not afford me any more satisfaction than the resolution of the Committee. I was perfectly assured that Dr. Cox was willing to give, to the Wesleyan Methodist Association, the most cordial-welcome as cooperators in the work of manifesting and promoting Christian Union; yet he had not explicitly answered my question; I supposed, therefore, that he felt himself unable to give an explicit answer in the affirmative, My conviction was, that with nothing less than an explicit answer ought the Association to be satisfied. I therefore wrote the following letter to Dr. Cox :

"My dear Sir,—I am much obliged by your prompt reply to my note, and for the measure of explanation which it affords. Permit me, however, to say, that it does not contain a full answer to my inquiry. Upon referring to my letter, you will perceive that my inquiry does not relate to the eligibility of a minister of the Wesleyan Methodist Association to be elected on the Union Committee for on this point I never felt any doubt; but, my inquiry is simply as follows: Was it the expressed intention of the committee, in agreeing to the resolution, to which your signature as chairman is affixed, and which the secretary forwarded to me, to declare its acceptance of the cooperation of the ministers and members of the Wesleyan Methodist Association, in the same way as it accepts of the co-operation of those other ministers and disciples of our common Lord,' who are connected with those different sections of the Church of Christ, to which the members of the committee severally belong?'

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'I, on the part of the Wesleyan Methodist Association, do not, in this matter, solicit any favour from the committee; but claim that, according to the published basis of the Union,' they are entitled to equal acceptance, of their proffered co-operation, with the ministers and members of any other section of the Church; and after what has passed, I cannot be satisfied without being explicitly informed that such claim is acknowledged, and the offer of co-operation accepted, by the committee.

"An answer to my inquiry will help to determine the question, whether the published basis of the Union is to be, faithfully adhered to, or, stultified by sectarian prejudice.

"To the Rev. Dr. Cox.

“I am Dear Sir, yours truly,

ROBERT ECKETT."

After I had posted the last letter to Dr. Cox, I received the following very satisfactory letter from Mr. Sherman :

Dec. 15, 1843.

"Rose Cottage, Hyde Vale, Blackheath,

"My dear Sir, I still remain a great invalid, not having left my bed or sofa since I attended the Christian Union Committee, on Monday last. You will therefore excuse a brief reply to your letter.

"I remember you having sent me the Minutes of your Annual Assembly, but I do not recollect your wish, that they should be submitted to the