Christian truth and freedom. The whole assembly simultaneously rose, once and again, in response to Mr. Martineau's sentiment; nor satisfied with these expressions of their respect and affection, "one cheer more" was given, on the suggestion of Mr. Madge, with such unanimous good will, as to leave no doubt on any mind, of its being the unbought suffrage of sincere attachment. It was under the influence of no slight emotion manifestly, that Mr. Harris expressed his acknowledgments to his friends. In an address of considerable length, he illustrated the moral power, and loveliness, and truth of Christian Unitarianism; every varied point, as he proceeded, eliciting loud and repeated expressions of applause; but having already extended our notice of this meeting, much beyond our usual limits, we cannot follow out that address in its details. At its close, midnight having nearly arrived, Mr. Harris gave out a striking hymn of Milton's, from Mr. Martineau's admirable collection "for the Christian Church and Home," which being sung by the company, the proceedings of this most interesting, instructive, and happy Anniversary, were concluded by the Lord's Prayer and a benediction. OLD MEETING, BIRMINGHAM.-The Twenty-second Annual Report of the Committee of the Old Meeting Fellowship Fund, Birmingham, was presented to the Subscribers, August 16, 1840, and is as follows: On retiring from their office, the Committee beg leave to present before the General Meeting of Subscribers, the following Report of the operations of the Society for the past year. These operations have been necessarily kept within very contracted bounds, not by any dearth of applications for assistance, but by the extremely limited amount of the funds. The Committee have however the satisfaction of believing, that their recommendations of grants, which were afterwards sanctioned with the approbation of the special meetings of Subscribers, have been instrumental in rendering essential service to the cause of truth and righteousness in different places. The annual subscription, due last year, of £3, to the British and Foreign Unitarian Association, has been paid; as has also the concluding donation of £5:58. to the Midland Unitarian Association. To the New Unitarian Society, Newhall-Hill, a grant was made of £10 in aid of their Building Fund, accompanied with an expression of our sympathy with them in their strenuous labours for the support of religious worship and the diffusion of education among the poor. A grant of £5 was voted to the newly formed congregation of Unitarian Christians at Aberdeen, to assist them in the erection of a place of worship. This congregation, though few in number, have struggled with Christian firmness and integrity through a series of difficulties and persecutions, and have had the joy of beholding one great object of their struggles and hopes accomplished, in the completion of a temple erected to the worship of the only living and true God, the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ. Their chapel was opened on Sunday last, the 9th instant, by the Rev. Henry Montgomery, LL. D. of Belfast, and the Rev. George Harris of Glasgow. The only other grant which was voted, was made to a Unitarian minister, whose case was represented as being one of great and urgent distress; the sum of £1 was voted for his immediate relief. The sums thus disbursed, together with the allowance to the Collector of £1:58.6d., the expense of new locks to the donation-boxes of 3s. 6d. and the balance in the hands of the Treasurer of £1 10s. 44d. make up the amount of £ 27: 4s. 42d. The Committee have to regret, that the low state of the funds did not allow them to bring before special meetings of the Subscribers, more of the interesting cases which have been submitted to their consideration. They have, however, recorded in their Minutes, their approbation of a few which they believe to be well deserving of the earliest assistance, and to which they beg to direct the attention of the present general meeting. They conclude their Report with expressing the hope, that measures will be adopted by their successors, to increase the number of subscribers and donors to the Fellowship Fund, as a means of aiding in the great cause of human improvement and happiness, by extending among our fellow-men the knowledge of the simple doctrine of the Gospel, and the practice of that piety, temperance, and charity, which are the foundations of peace and comfort here, and of joyful hope for eternity. KINGSWOOD, NEAR BIRMINGHAM.-The Annual Sermon in aid of the Schools at Kingswood, near Birmingham, was preached on Sunday, August 2, by the Rev. Hugh Hutton of Birmingham; and the liberal sum of £35: 1s. 6d. was afterwards collected at the doors of the chapel. The congregation at Kingswood have lately erected a neat stone in the burying-ground adjoining their chapel, in memory of their late esteemed pastor, the Rev. Rees Lloyd, who died July 7, 1839, (see Christian Reformer, p. 630, August 1839,) having diligently ministered unto them in holy things for twentynine years; on which is recorded, in faithful language, a sketch of the leading features of his character and zeal in the cause of his great Master. This congregation have also just completed the erection of two commodious rooms for the better accommodation of their increasing Daily and Sunday-schools. The Rev. Evans, of Caermarthen College, has been unanimously invited as successor to Mr. Lloyd, and has lately entered upon his duties with much prospect of success and happiness. THE REV. F. Hornblower, late of Manchester College, York, was ordained minister of the Lydiate Chapel, Holmfirth, Yorkshire, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 1840, the following ministers officiating: the Rev. R. B. Aspland of Dukinfield, the Rev. William Turner of Halifax, the Rev. C. Wicksteed of Leeds, and the Rev. R. Aspland of Hackney. THE Rev. G. W. Philp has removed from Brentford, Middlesex, to Blackwater Chapel, Rochdale, Lancashire. THE Rev. W. Duffield has removed from Stocktonon-Tees, to Doncaster. THE Rev. J. B. Bristowe has removed from Ringwood, Hants, to Sidmouth, Devonshire. TO CORRESPONDENTS. THE notice of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and of the anomalous fact-the attendance of a Unitarian at the Non-Intrusion Dinner given to the Marquis of Breadalbane, at its close, -with various other articles of intelligence, are unavoidably postponed. VERSE 6: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." This is an example of the figure of speech termed parallelism, which was the leading characteristic of the Hebrew poetry. The parallelism was such an arrangement of the poetical stanza, that one particular line was made to answer, in sense and structure, to another not immediately contiguous. Sometimes, and in that case the figure was called an introverted parallelism, the first line of the stanza was immediately connected with the last, the second with the one before the last, and so on. The verse before us is an introverted parallelism. If we consider it to be a stanza of four lines, it will read, in the ordinary prosaic arrangement, thus "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, The meaning of this injunction is not at once apparent. Some Christians offer this interpretation: "The Lord's Supper, and other holy ordinances of our religion, are not to be dispensed to the ungodly and the immoral, but are to be reserved for the genuine followers of Jesus." It is impossible to concur in the correctness of this paraphrase. The Lord's Supper is not holiness, but a means to holiness-a wisely and kindly-devised institution, for winning us from sin and strengthening our attachment to virtue. Who need such aids and appliances most, the virtuous or the vicious? Who most require a physician, the whole or the sick? Whom did the Christ call to reformation, the righteous or the sinners? And shall the wicked be excluded from any ordinance of religion, which has a tendency to redeem them from all iniquity? Jesus could never have imagined such an interpretation of his language; it is equally opposed to his feelings, his instructions, and his example. Passages similar to this one occur in the book of Proverbs:-" He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame; and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee," ix. 7, 8; and again, "Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words," xxiii. 9. These throw some light on the text. Jesus had warned his followers against unjust judgments of their brethren: he had told them that none but the pure had a right to condemn and reprove others; he now gives directions for the use of admonition::- "Reprove those only who are likely to be benefited by reproof. Avoid those who will mock at your teachings. Be silent with those who will certainly neglect your advices. Cast not the pearls of wisdom before those who trample them under their feet; offer not holy counsels to such as will turn again and rend you." If men obstinately and perseveringly reject the truths and precepts you teach, waste not your time and talents in unprofitable expenditure; but seek another portion of the vineyard, where your labour will effect a better return. By this rule, both Jesus and his apostles occasionally modulated their conduct. Thus, when Jesus came to his own country, to the city of Nazareth, and was ill received, was denied by his former fellow-citizens, it is stated in Matt. xiii. 58, "He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief." In like manner, when Paul and Barnabas preached the Gospel to the Jews in Antioch, and were only met with contradiction and blasphemy, they also, as recorded in Acts xiii. 46, acted on the precept in the text: "Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Verse 15: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are raven |