derator, with the understanding that a meeting will be held as soon as practicable afterthe termination of this synodical meeting. -All which isrespectfully report. ed by MELANCTHON B. WILLIAMS, Philadelphia, Aug. 5, 1831. CAUSES OF A FAST. The committee on "the signs of the times" beg leave to report as follows: That upon a minute investigation of your public documents, together with their own observation upon the state of the church, they believe that there exist causes for humiliation and of thankfulness. When God is about to bestow any special benefit upon his people, he first brings them to a deep sense of sin, and then to a hum. ble and godly confession-" He that covereth his sins shall not prosper." Great and many are the sins that abound; of them we select a few as causes of fasting and humiliation before God. Teachers of error are continu. ally on the increase. Their exertions to extensively circulate erroneous sentiments, pollute the streams of gospel ordinances, and bring into disrepute, both the doctrines and standards of the reformation church, are unparalleled. Weekly and monthly periodicals, either in direct opposition to all religion, or in sup. port of systems at war with the doctrines of the Bible, and the faith of our godly fathers, are ex. tensively circulated, eagerly read, and sinfully retailed. Nor is this all. Corruptions, both in doctrine and order, are generally introduced among our sister churches in this, and in other lands. As children of the same mother, we deplore their apostasy from the elevated station which they once occupied, in the days of the reformation, in behalf of purity, both in principle and practice. While we would not magnify ourselves against them, or boast of our own purity or piety, we would nevertheless lament their defection from the faith, whether in rejecting from their standards any reformation attainment: or permitting, with impunity, men to minister at the altar of God, who mislead the ignorant, and trample under foot the doctrines which they had covenanted to maintain. We may not say concerning them as did wicked Cain, " Am I my brother's keeper?" No, we would sigh and cry for all their abominations; carry their case with us to the throne of God-entreat that he would send out his light and his truth to be their guides, and recognize them, as belonging to that visible community, the spiritual bride of Christ Jesus of whom it is said, "My dove, my undefiled, is one, she is the only one of her mother." A Laodicean spirit prevails among our members. The love of many is waxing cold. There is little of that fervent zeal that used to characterize our fathers, in the early settlement of the church in this land; and, perhaps, our zeal can still less compare with that of those men who were the instru. ments in the hands of God, in * raising the church from the sinks of popery. We have but too much reason to fear that Jehovah may say of us, as of the Laodi. cean church, "I would thou wert cold or hot." Among Christians there seems to be no little want of brotherly love and Christian forbearance. An observer would hardly be disposed to say, "Behold these Christians how they love one ano. ther." Too little is the injunction of the Spirit of God regarded, "forbearing one another and forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Nor-is this limited to church members in their individual character. Alas! too frequently the same evils are exemplified among the officers of the house of God; though united in one common cause, under the same holy obligations, and accountable to the Prince of peace. It is also a cause of sorrow, that some of our youth, born and educated in the church, and who once bade fair to take from their fathers' hands, the white, though blood-stained flag of the covenant, and unfurl it in defiance of all the enemies of a covenanted reformation, find it convenient to abandon the unpopular testimony of a witnessing church. Unthankfulness to the Lord for all his bounties bestowed upon us, as individuals, and as a church, is a prevailing sin. The immoralities of our highly favored land demand our grief, and call for deep, sincere, and godly repentance. Profance swearing; -sabbath breaking;--drunkenness;--hatred of, and opposition to, religious associations; -together with a misrepresentation of the motives actuating religious persons in their efforts to reform society;-continued unwillingness to acknow. ledge Jesus' headship over the nations, and take his Bible as the supreme rule to regulate all their political deliberations and enactments, and the existence of slavery in many of our states, especially in the district of Columbia, under the immediate jurisdiction of the federal government, are so many items in the long black list of our national crimes. While we acknowledge the justice of God in bathing his sword in blood, that it may come down upon sinful nations, devoted to destruction; yet, we do sin. cerely lament the numerous, and highly aggravated sins, that have constrained the Almighty to come out of his place to take vengeance upon his enemies and we mourn over the miseries that ungodly men have brought upon themselves by their wickedness and impenitence. For the above reasons, your committee respectfully recommend, that the first Thursday of March, 1832, be set apart as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer; and that all the congre. gations, societies, families, and individuals under your charge, be called upon conscientiously to observe the same. Your committee farther report, that notwithstanding all the evils that abound, there is abundant cause of thankfulness to the God and Rock of our salvation. By the good hand of our God upon us, we enjoy the necessaries, and even the luxuries, of life;"Bread has been given us, and our water has been sure." Wicked as the nation is in which we dwell, we enjoy liberty to worship God in agreeableness to his holy law; we enjoy civil liberty, and national peace, at a time when the old world is torn by internal faction and foreign invasion. As to us, "the bow is broken, the spear is cut asunder, and the chariot of war is burned in the fire." Some of our statesmen have had the magnanimity to urge upon the constituted authorities the obser vance of the sabbath; and some have even gone so far as to urge the immorality of keeping the sons of Africa in bondage, and the consequent degradation of this great and increasing empire. It is also a cause of thankfulness, that there is now so laudable an opposition to freemasonry, in this and in other lands. Thus we are encouraged to hope, that the day is not far distant when our land shall abandon her iniquities, and turn to the Lord. We enjoy many spiritual advantages, for which it becomes us to be grateful. The Bible in our own language, gospel ordinances, an increasing ministry, new congregations in our cities, and in the wilderness, the growth of almost every congregation belonging to us in the land, whether settled or vacant, a continued adherence (at least in profession) to the law and the testimony, together with the efforts of the different denominations of Christians, to send the Bible to the heathen nations, that they may be taught their duties to God, and each other; thereby, • in fact, acting upon our own avowed sentiment, long since embodied in our standards, and main- * tained, that the Bible is the supremerule to regulate our conduct in all the relations which we may sustain in the providence of God. Added to this, the respect paid to the Reformed Presbyterian church by several of the most respectable and large associations of Christians in our land, and a formal acknowledgment of our religious standing. And last, not least, the kind friendship and unity subsisting between us and our European brethren of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, the descendants of the martyrs, and inheritors of our faith-of which kindness and unity we have a confirmation in the presence of a beloved brother, as their delegate, to sit with us in our supreme ecclesiastical judi. catory, and consult with us on all important matters, that affect our mutual faith or practice, but especially concerning a holy bond of brotherhood, by which they and we may be connected in a covenant not to be forgotten. For these, and other reasons, your committee respectfully recommend, that the last Thursday of December be set apart as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God, for all his benefits bestowed upon us, and, that the congregations under your charge, be called upon to spend it in the public and private exercises of God's worship. All of which is repectfully submitted. The synod adopt the above. SAM.W. CRAWFORD, Mod. To the Editor of the American Christian Ex- tism by a Romish priest valid?" positor. REV. SIR, Through the medium of the Christian Expositor, I beg leave to return my sincere thanks to the members of the Reformed This subject was sent up to the highest judicatory, by the Synod of New York, and they postponed the consideration thereof. The synod in consequence of this postponement again resumed the subPresbyterian Synod, for the very ject at their sessions in October friendly and respectful manner in last. A few of the members which they received me, at the last urged a dismission of the subject: meeting of synod in Philadelphia. To the Rev. J. Gibson, and to the Rev. Drs. Wylie and Willson, and their congregations, as also to the congregations of the Rev. R. Gibson and M. Roney, I have much pleasure in returning my sincere thanks, for granting pecuniary aid to the mission in the British pro vinces. To yourself, more thanks for your unmerited friendship to me, and exertions in raising aid among your people and friends, in behalf of the same mission. To you, mere thanks are an empty compliment. I am in your debt, and I count it an honor to be in debt to the man to whom the church herself is so much indebted. The kind, the Christian, and gentlemanly attention of the Rev. Dr. McMaster to me, while on a visit to his place, will long be gratefully remembered by Yours, in the ministry To the Editor of the American Christian Ex REV. AND DEAR SIR, A grave subject has, I am informed, been under discussion for some time in the Synod of New York, and in the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, viz. "Is bap. and they finally prevailed. It was urged in debate, that the ministry of the Catholic church was valid; and by consequence, that their administrations were valid. On the other hand it was said that the Roman church had lost its visibility, and therefore that administrations by her officers were invalid! The subject is familiar to you: and I have no doubt it would gratify many in this com. munity, to ascertain your views upon this abstract question proposed to synod: and to receive from a mind so abundantly furnished with the recollections of authentic ecclesiastical record, the true ac. count of the manner in which Luther and other Reformers treated the administrations of Roman priests. Did they recognize the administration of baptism by po. pish priests as valid? Should we in this day so recognize that ad. minstration? I am aware of the connections of the Roman church and their addenda, to the form of administration prescribed by our Lord. These I wave as having in my estimation no bearing on the merits of the question. I wish your views on the abstract principle above stated, with all the historical facts, and inductions therefrom, which may bear upon the subject. This tax upon your time by one of the constant read. ers of your valuable journal, will I trust be fully paid, when you consider that the subject has as. sumed an interest in the public mind, and that it is important to lead that mind to scriptural and sound results. With the greatest respect, GENERAL SYNOD Σ. Has divided the former Northern Of these, the Northernmost, organized 12th September. The Western, 14th October. Dr. McMaster moderator. John worldly politics. Besides Wic. lards endured much in the Savior's The Southern Presbytery, will Sawtre, was burnt at London, in constitute on Tuesday, 8th Nov. 1831, in Chambers street, New York, at ten A. M. PERSECUTION OF THE LOLLARDS 1400. The Lollards often met It has been supposed that Wic. liffe and his followers received some light of Christian know. ledge from the Albigenses or Wal. tyr. John Claydon and his books denses; since, at the time that were burnt in London. John the English occupied Guienne Brown, of Ashford, Kent, was in France for 300 years, they burnt. Six men and a woman were burnt at Coventry, for teaching their children the creed, the Lord's prayer, and the ten com. mandments in the English tongue. Thomas Basley and Richard Wick, priests, suffered as Lollards, in London: the latter was a remarkably eminent Christian. In 1440, some persons of rank were imprisoned for life, because Lollards; and amongst them was the Duchess of Gloucester. In 1494, a lady, Joan Boughton, aged 80 years, was burnt in London. Her daughter, Lady Young, suffered death likewise afterwards. were in the immediate neighborhood of the Albigenses. Besides, Renaud Lollard is said to have come to England as a preacher, as early as the year 1217. The Lollards therefore preceded the Wicliffites, though the latter are usually called Lollards-a German word signifying psalm-sing. ers. Wicliffe, an Englishman, was educated at Oxford. About the year 1387, he ended his life at his parish of Lutterworth, in Leicestershire, of the palsy. He wrote and preached, with great boldness, against the errors in the church of Rome; but is thought In 1506, William Tilfrey was to have engaged too much in burnt at Amersham, and his |