Foreign Secretary was such as to give every assurance that the British Government would exert itself to put an end to those atrocities of which the deputations and others had met that day to consider." Mr. Cohen concluded by moving the second resolution.

Baron L. De Rothschild seconded the resolution, which was put by the chairman, and carried unanimously.

Sir Moses Montefiore then rose and said, -"Gentlemen, this is not an occasion for paying or receiving compliments. * ** I feel, I deeply feel, the immense importance to our nation of the steps I may take; nor is my anxiety on this point relieved, except by one reflection, that I shall be accompanied by Mons. Cremieux, a gentleman of the highest eminence, who is deputed by our brethren in France, who will go with me to assist in accomplishing the objects of this mission. These objects, gentlemen, I fully understand. We go to vindicate the claims of humanity, outraged in the persons of our persecuted and suffering brethren. We go to unravel, if possible, the dark mazes of this diabolical transaction; to discover the plot, and to bring, if we can, the plotters to shame; to remove from our brethren in the east the foul stain attempted to be cast on our nation by the bigotry and intolérance, the fraud and rapacity of unprincipled persecutors. We go to attempt more than this-to infuse into the governments of the east more enlightened principles of legislation and judicial procedure, and, in particular, to prevail on those governments to abolish the use of torture, and to establish the supremacy of law over undefined and arbitrary power; and, gentlemen, I trust that these objects will be accomplished. * Gentlemen, farewell; I pray the God of our fathers to direct my proceedings, while I trust my safety entirely to His almighty protection. Thus defended, I look forward to my return, with a fervent hope of being able to tell you, that he who is the JUDGE of the whole earth, has vindicated our cause, and made kings and rulers bow to his will; and so, in conclusion, I join with you in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem-in ardent supplication that the blessing of the HOLY ONE of Israel may rest upon her." The conclusion of the remarks of Sir Moses were received with great emotion.

* *

Mr. Louis Lucas moved the next re

solution, which was to the effect, that the meeting, deeply impressed with the generosity, humanity, zeal, and selfdevotedness displayed by Sir Moses Montefiore, do offer to him their grateful thanks in token of their admiration of his conduct. The humanity and highmindedness of Sir Moses Montefiore all present were fully acquainted with. Of the events at Damascus, it might be said, with Lord Bacon, that "when the fuel of revolution was once spread, no one can tell where the spark came from to set it on fire." So with the persecutions of the Jews, there was no knowing where they would stop, unless measures were taken to arrest their progress. The trial to which Sir Moses Montefiore had consented to be put, had entitled him to the esteem of the whole community. Here was a man possessed of all the blessings of life, wealth and rank, station in society, about to leave the country, and take up the cause of humanity; and he would have the consolation of knowing, that his endeavour was to do his duty to God, his country, and to the community to which he belongs.

Mr. S. J. Waley most confidently presented himself to second the resolution, as it must be in conformity with the feelings not only of all present, but of their brethren in this or any other part of Europe. It could not be surprising that the Jewish nation were alarmed at the proceedings at Damascus, as the atrocities which had been perpetrated in the east might be extended to the west, and dire oppression, if not speedily put down, might extend to every part of the uncivilised world. There was not a man living in a civilised state, who would participate in the cruelties which have been inflicted on their brethren in Damascus. He anticipated the greatest good from the sacrifices made by Sir Moses Montefiore to the cause of humanity, and all would join heart and hand in expressing their fervent prayers, that the great God will shower down upon him his blessing in the work he had undertaken.

The Chairman, in acknowledging this compliment, said, "I very much regret that I am unable, at present, to thank you as I ought. I hope, however, to meet you again in a few months, and that I shall then be in better spirits to address you than I now am."

Mr. Lucas here said, "The mission

that Sir Moses Montefiore is about to undertake, will be attended with expense. I trust that all present will do their duty to themselves, and to their religion, on the present occasion-that every one will do his utmost to promote the object which we have in view."

Mr. A. Mocatta moved a resolution to the following effect :-"That the meeting acknowledged with gratitude the prompt interference of the British government on behalf of their brethren in the east."

F. D. Goldsmid, Esq., seconded the resolution, and it was carried unanimously.

In our

Mr. J. Raphael said, the subject now under consideration is one that deeply concerns every one of us-not alone on account of the charge that has been brought against us, but that we are charged with being assassins, because our religion commands us to be so-that our religion requires that we should make human sacrifices. How easily is that charge refuted. Our religion neither requires nor allows any thing of the kind. The laws, as they were delivered to our forefathers on Mount Sinai, declare "Thou shalt do no murder." religious forms and ceremonies we implore not the mercy of GOD, at the same time lifting up our hands embrued with the blood of our fellow-creatures. With regard to the persecutions to which we have been subjected, it is known, that within the last three years, attempts have been made to get up a persecution against us in Germany; and that in one place, had it not been for the interference of the police, there would have been enacted the same disgusting proceedings that have taken place in Damascus. is our duty, therefore, to be firm; that we be united one and all on the present occasion, and display that high moral character which is calculated to ensure success. The charge now brought against us has been frequently made, and as often refuted. We have repeatedly shown, that so far from our religion requiring a sacrifice of blood, we abhor it; but, I regret to say, those representations have, in this case, been made in vain, as any statement to men whose minds were warped by bigotry, and whose hearts were steeled by fanaticism, would be ineffectual. By the blessing of GOD, I hope we shall even yet be enabled to defeat our enemies.

It

I am encouraged in this hope, by the

fact that the British government has nobly responded to our appeal, and that the public press has generously taken up our cause. The Archbishop of Vienna has publicly expressed from the pulpit, his conviction that the Jews are not guilty of the charges that have been alleged against them." He (Mr. Raphael) concluded, by moving a resolution of thanks to such non-Israelites, as have stood forward to vindicate the cause of the Jews.

The Chairman announced that Baron Rothschild would receive subscriptions and communications.

At the conclusion of the meeting, a liberal subscription for the furtherance of the object in view was immediately entered into, and the business of the day terminated with a prayer offered up by the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Hirschel, to the effect, that" He who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, may bless, preserve, and help Sir Moses Montefiore, whose heart generously urges him to go upon a far distant journey, in order to plead the cause, and vindicate the innocence of our afflicted and persecuted brethren, the children of Israel, who, in the city of Damascus and its environs, are given up to the most cruel oppression and captivity." This prayer was most fervently responded to by the whole of the Jewish community present at the meeting.

THE AITKENITES.

"THE Aitkenites" are now a sect of which we hear a good deal in Liverpool and London. Some account of their opinions and "Church-order" may convey useful instruction to those who are, or ever have been, entangled in the occupation of sect-making.

The Rev. R. Aitken was, we believe, originally a Presbyterian minister in the north; but left the Presbyterians to receive episcopal ordination in the Church of England. For some time he officiated as a non-evangelical clergyman near Sunderland; he then became an evangelical clergyman, and in that character attracted some notice in the Isle of Man, which was his next location. From evangelical preaching, in clerical order, he then made some advances into uncanonical practices, preaching in

methodist chapels and other places. His affairs having become embarrassed, he left the Isle of Man, and gave in his adhesion to the Wesleyan Methodists; by whom he was received, not as one of the preachers of conference, but as a sort of general revivalist, with letters of recommendation, as a powerful preacher, to all parts of the kingdom. About five years ago, his fame was high in the north as a most successful revivalist in all the Wesleyan societies, and the conversions through his ministry were said to be very numerous. It is, however, well known that the idea of permanency is by no means necessarily attached to the word "conversion" in Wesleyan theology. The forgiveness of sins, and joy and peace in believing, are considered, in this school, privileges of a very uncertain and precarious tenure: they may be lost the day they have been obtained; they may never again be recovered; or they may be recovered and lost again very frequently; and yet, after all, lost for ever: justification by faith is with them a great blessing as long as it lasts; and all this should be remembered when we hear of Wesleyan "conversions."

After a year or two's occupation as an itinerant revivalist, Mr. Aitken offended Conference by writing a letter to that high clerical court, couched in terms too friendly towards those remonstrants who were following Dr. Warren as their leader. Conference at that time were battling it out with Dr. Warren and his party; and therefore Mr. Aitken fell at once into disgrace by countenancing, however faintly, the complaints and expostulations of the remonstrants. From that time Mr. Aitken lost the countenance of the clerical rulers of the sect, and was by degrees elbowed out of his former position. Significant hints conveyed to stewards of chapels, had the effect of excluding him from the pulpits in which he not long ago worked wonders; and his fame as a revivalist died away with unusual rapidity.

The next position which Mr. A. then assumed, was that of an independent leader of a new sect. He built chapels, organised a party, made canons ecclesiastical; and in the year 1836, convened his first conference at Liverpool, which was pretty numerously attended by his "converts" and a miscellaneous company of dissidents and fugitives from the Wesleyan Methodists. The acts of that

Conference have been published; and from that publication the following information is exclusively derived :

“ Laws, Regulations and General Polity of the Christian Society in connection with the Rev. Robert Aitken, being the substance of the Minutes of their first General Convocation, held at Liverpool on the 27th day of October, 1836. Printed for the Society by Mitchell and Heaton. Liverpool. 1836."

We are first informed that "after the blessing and direction of Almighty God had been fervently implored by several of the ministers present, the Rev. R. Aitken was unanimously chosen President."

"The President commenced the business of the meeting by giving an account of his Christian experience, and by calling upon the members of convocation, both ministers and laymen, to give a brief outline of their conversion to God, together with an explicit statement of their then actual state of grace; after which it was unanimously resolved, that it be an unalterable law in the Christian Society, that no person shall be recognised as a member of the Convocation, notwithstanding his election as the representative of any particular church, until he have first solemnly declared that he is in the enjoyment of the favour of God, and has a clear evidence of his acceptance with God."

The Convocation then agreed on the form of a solemn declaration to be taken by all the members of the Convocation of their impartiality during the sitting of Conference.

A question was then asked, "On what grounds do we consider ourselves justifiable in the sight of God, in establishing a new society, seeing there are several religious societies holding doctrinal sentiments in perfect accordance with our own." This gave opportunity to express a long disapprobation of the actual state of the Wesleyan body, as being deficient in energy, and not sufficiently striving with all its powers" to convert the whole world to God," (p. 4). Complaint is also made that "no specific laws respecting cross-bearing and self-denial are laid down or acted upon, though the scriptural view of these desiderata is acknowledged." As if some new laws were to be laid down in addition to Scripture! Here we see, in limine, the sectarian spirit owned as the primum mobile

of the Convocation; and, indeed, the whole work of convocation was nothing else than adding laws to the Word of God.

Every page of this extraordinary pamphlet is surcharged with this spirit, for not even the Council of Trent could dogmatize more confidently, or arrogate to itself higher powers, than this "first convocation of christians in connection with the Rev. R. Aitken"—for instance, we find the following sentences:-" Convocation expects, and God demands, that our ministers of every order shall be filled with the Spirit (p. 14) after the meeting has been quickened" (by what, or by whom); "let the sermon or exhortation be delivered, but under no pretence shall it exceed thirty-five, or, at the utmost, forty minutes: we know that few men have strength of body to preach energetically for more than half an hour, and a lengthened talking about good things is generally a grieving of the Holy Spirit and death to the church. At once and for ever let it be put an end to, and let every missionary or pastor who shall persist in breaking this rule be brought before the minister of the district (p. 17). Ministers of the district and missionaries shall wear gowns. No minister, of whatever order, shall attend parties, though they be composed of persons professing godliness-visit from house to house, except in their ministerial capacities-speak of the numbers converted at meetings where they have presided, as this has the appearance of boasting-relate anecdotes, though they be called religious ones-or on any account smoke tobacco."

The church government established by this convocation was as follows: Elders; whose duty is to "watch over the members of the church, and especially to look after young converts-to admonish, to exhort, to reprove them, to assist the ministers by their counsel, and see that order is observed in the church." These functionaries are to be nominated by the leaders-meeting, and elected by the church; "male and female have a right to vote"-the elder's office for life, except he be "put out of office by a vote of the quarterly meeting." The age for this office not less than 35. Pastors: they preside over particular churches, to which they have been appointed by convocation, and their ministrations are under the direction of the minister of the district. They "direct the labours and

studies of the preacher on trial-dispense the sacraments, preach twice on the Lord's day, and twice in the course of the week; pray and exhort from house to house. Ministers: their entrance into ecclesiastical life is like threading a labyrinth-"Our elders shall introduce the candidate for the ministry by their recommendation to the leaders' meeting; the leaders to the local preachers' meeting; the local preachers to the quarterly meeting; the quarterly meeting to the district meeting; and the district meeting to the general convocation: and every candidate for holy orders shall remain two years on trial, before he be fully received by the convocation as a minister of the gospel. It is further our rule, on this matter, that the elders shall not recommend any candidate for holy orders, until he have been one full quarter a member of the local preachers' meeting" (p. 23).

In this chapter a question is asked if they shall make "Apostles ?"-to which the following characteristic answer is given-" a conscious sense of unworthiness may well excuse us in declining the honour of the name; although no man, when called upon by the church, may shrink from the duties and responsibilities of the office. The persons holding the office of apostleship amongst us shall be called the ministers of the district,"that the "ministers of the district" are apostles in disguise.

There are chapters about "class leaders". -a leader is to "gather in souls from the world, and to go before his class in advances of piety"-he is to put questions to his class, such as "How long do you pray every day, and how often-do you get into the spirit of wrestling-have you, during the week, received any particular manifestation of the Spirit ?" Chapters follow about "deacons," "prayer leaders," exhorters," quarterly meetings," "district meetings," &c., &c. The chapter on the " general convocation" decrees that this august synod shall consist of an equal number of" clergymen and laymen" and it should be observed that the pastors, ministers, missionaries, ministers of districts, &c., are ordained by imposition of hands.

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The deacons are to be "full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom"- there are to be four in every district- they are to pay the pastor's salary, and elect their own chairman and treasurer. (p. 34).

And thus, in solemn trifling, are these puerilities settled with all the gravity of a Lateran Council.

The doctrines of the sect are ultraArminian. "We believe that it is God's will that all men should be saved; that the whole world should be converted to God. We believe that the supineness and unfaithfulness of the churches is the chief cause that the world lieth in ignorance and sin- with regard to the mem bers of the Church of England who are converted to God, their Calvinistic sentiments shall in no degree lessen our affection for them. The doctrinal views of Mr. Wesley are the received standards for all our societies (not the word of God?); to the correctness of Mr. Wesley's views of doctrinal truth we most unreservedly subscribe-the people of the world are rebels against God; their hearts and minds are enmity against God; they may be awakened, saved, sanctified, glorified.

We

believe that God is now saying to us, All that is needful is provided; the Spirit is yours, Christ is yours, the word is yours; I too am with you; go forth and convert the world; and if we have not success God is not to blame" (p. 12).

"Ministers must convert souls, else they cannot continue to minister amongst us (p. 13). Unless leaders and prayingmen be kept constantly at work in the prayer meetings, the fear of man and shame will steal in upon them, and it will require an extraordinary excitement, and much private covenanting with God, to replace them in the position from which they have receded (p. 15). Singing ought never to be resorted to in a penitent meeting, unless the work be extremely slow and heavy (p. 19). Mr. Wesley's sermons, and notes on the New Testament, contain our sentiments of doctrinal truth most fully and explicitly, and we hereby adopt them as our legal and scriptural standard of doctrine, to which reference shall be made in all matters of disputation that may in future arise, affecting either the peace of our church or the safety of our chapels: and this our law shall be unalterable" (p. 20). And yet this law was virtually, if not formally, set aside in the "fourth annual convocation, in September, 1839," as we shall presently see.

Their ideas of complete sanctification are thus set forth in a catalogue of negative virtues. "It is expected of all who continue members of the christian socie

ty, that they shall continue to evidence their determination to work out their final salvation, by the help of the Holy Spirit of God-first, by doing no harm, and by avoiding evil in every kind, especially that which is most generally prac tised: such as taking the name of God in vain; the profaning the day of the Lord, either by doing ordinary work thereon, or by buying and selling; drunkenness, buying or selling spirituous liquors, or drinking them, unless in cases of extreme necessity; fighting, quarrelling, brawling; brother going to law with brother; returning evil for evil, or railing for railing; using many words in buying or selling; the giving or taking things on unlawful usury; uncharitable or unprofitable conversation, particularly speaking evil of magistrates or ministers; doing to others as we would not they should do unto us; doing what we know is not for the glory of God, as the putting on of gold or costly apparel, or conforming to the fashions of the world; the taking such diversions as cannot be used in the name of Jesus; the singing those songs or reading those books which do not tend to the knowledge or love of God; softness, and needless self-indulgence; laying up treasure upon earth; borrowing without a probability of repaying” (p. 38).

In other words, keep the whole law of God, do nothing wrong, and do every thing that is right, and then you will "work out your final salvation." The finished work of Christ, and the righteousness which is by faith-the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus-and the grace and peace which is through the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in believers, as it testifies to their union with the Lord their righteousness, all these are forgotten; and instead of the salvation that is by grace, we have these miserable minute laws, every one of which is a mere negation, so that in their ignorant zeal for justification by works, the convocation had forgotten to insert in their catalogue one single grace which shews the power of love, and without which all this sobriety, honesty, abstinence, and plainness of apparel, would be but sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. In short, it may with confidence be said, that doctrine farther from the grace of God was never devised by any convocation that ever met to pervert the truth with forms of piety, and words of godliness.