It is not his duty to read the Scriptures, to go to the house of God, or to pray. How can it be my duty to read the Scripturés, if it be not my duty to believe them? How my duty to hear the preached Word, if it be not my duty to believe it? If it be not my duty to seek an end, it is not my duty to use any means for the attainment of that end. If Duty-Faith be ridiculed, why not duty-repentance, duty-reading, duty-hearing, dutySabbath-keeping, and religious duty of every kind? All religion is now given with a view to faith in Christ, and if that be not a duty, all that leads to it ceases to be a duty.

7. That there are no Christian duties. If faith be not a duty, we are exempted from all duty. If the first act of faith be not a duty, neither can any other be, according to No-Duty-Faith. Consequently, faith is not to be reckoned amongst the duties of the Christian. But his whole life is a life of faith; he walks by faith; the life which he lives in the flesh, is by faith in the Son of God; and if faith be not a duty, that which results from faith is not a duty; and, therefore, the Christian has none. All other Christian graces spring from faith, as love, humility, obedience, patience, zeal, hope, joy. If these are duties, so must that be which gives life to them all. "Giving all diligence," says Peter, "add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity.” As these graces are to be added to one another, so they are to begin with faith, and to be founded upon it. Faith is the root from which they spring, but the root is of the same nature as the branches. If there be duty in the branches, there is duty in the root also. It is the duty of the root to do its part towards the tree, as well as the branches. If faith is not a duty, neither is prayer, for it must be the prayer of faith; neither is conflict, for it must be the good fight of faith; neither is inward purification, for it must be faith that purifies the heart; neither are outward works, for they are the work of faith. "Take the shield of faith," says an apostle, "and take the sword of the Spirit." If one be a duty, so is the other. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, we are reminded of some of the exploits of faith, what by faith Abel did, and Noah did, and Abraham did, and Moses did, and others did; but, according to No-Duty-Faith, they did what it was not their duty to do. If, in proportion to the faith in good works, they cease to be duties, they would then be duties in proportion as they are destitute of it. An apostle says, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." If, therefore, whatsoever is of faith is not duty, no place for active duty remains, except it be a duty to sin. As love fulfils the law, so faith fulfils the gospel. As the duties of the law are included in love, so the duties of the gospel are included in faith.

8. That it is the duty of men to disbelieve the gospel, or to treat it with indifference. The gospel is addressed to them as men; if designed for some more than to others, it is proclaimed alike in the hearing of all. It comes to them, not they to it. It is impossible in most instances where it is proclaimed, to avoid its being made known to them. In this case, three courses of action respecting it, and three only, are open before them. These are to believe it, to disbelieve it, or to disregard it altogether. The third very nearly resolves itself into the second. To be indifferent to it is the result of will, and an act of unbelief. Man, therefore, must believe or disbelieve the gospel; and if it be not his duty to believe it, then it is his

duty to disbelieve it. Some duty must be incurred by the very fact of hearing a revelation from God, to whomsoever it is addressed. Duty is incurred by everything we hear, to believe it, or reject it, or ignore it altogether; but when it comes from God, to reject or to ignore it, must be highly criminal in his creatures; and yet, as some duty must result from it, if that duty be not faith, it must be unbelief or indifference, which amounts to the same thing. We hold, therefore, that if it be not the duty of man to believe the gospel, it is his duty to disbelieve it.

These are some of the consequences necessarily resulting from the sentiment, that it is not the duty of all who hear the gospel to believe it; which cannot, we think, have been sufficiently considered by those who maintain that opinion; and which, it is hoped, may serve in some degree to correct or modify their views upon the subject. Let them consider whether their jealousy for the sovereignty of God on the one hand, does not militate against his equity on the other. Our aim, we hope, is one, and that, whether we strive together or in opposition to each other, it is for the faith of the gospel. May the Spirit of truth lead us into all truth!

A

William Carter and his Converts.

BY EDWARD LEACH.

PROBLEM oft clothed with the incrustations of fancy has been frequently presented for solution to clerical audiences at Exeter Hall. "How to get at the masses is a question which everyone must be tired of hearing put. We are equally tired of listening to a variety of supposed practical measures for effecting so desirable an end. It is somewhat fortunate that, while particular hobbies are being ridden to death, a number of unphilosophical men are busily engaged in unobtrusively working out schemes for gaining the attention of the masses. Professor Teufelsdröckh, who enlivened the thinking world through Carlyle,-or Carlyle through Teufelsdröckh, which the reader pleases with his wondrous philosophy of clothes, has not advanced the social position of the semi-unclothed by his theories; neither has the lofty discussion of pet evangelising speculations resulted in one-tenth of the good which a few plain, hard-headed laymen have produced without theory or nicely-defined plan. "To get at the masses" we must, says Anglicanism, appoint more Right Reverend Fathers in God; Puseyism, in its more rampant form, would convert the unsaved by melancholy-habilitated sisterhoods, and, by the revival of the monastic orders, would induce simpletons to submit to the process of baptismal regeneration; evangelical priests would perhaps approve of the introduction of sub-diaconates and of a few addresses in parish school-rooms by loyal laymen. Respectable Dissent would employ mission-agents and Bible-women; uncultured Nonconformity would send out street preachers, tract distributors, and other voluntaries. Thus diversified are the plans proposed by those who would gain the ear of the classes who despise churches and tabernacles, and disrespect clergymen and preachers. Without disparaging any of these schemes, save those so preposterously foolish as to excite ridicule and contempt, it may observed that no method can be successful unless accompanied by a thorough knowledge and sympathy with the peculiar trials, sorrows,

be

feelings, and irresistible tendencies of the uneducated masses. With the possession of these characteristics, an earnest common-sense evangelist must, by the use of God-given recipes, be eminently successful. The secret of all approved endeavours to spiritualise the people lies primarily in God. The human constituents of missionary success are, however, various; and to arbitrarily analyse these constituents in popular preachers is not easy-perhaps impossible. A man of genius presents a multitude of striking abilities, from which it is difficult to select the most prominent; and if this were accomplished, it is doubtful whether a fair estimate of his power could be obtained. Thus it is difficult to assign any particular cause as the secret of Mr. William Carter's power with the masses. His is an intensely sympathetic soul. He speaks as though he loved his noble work, loved the souls of his hearers, entered into their wants, appreciated their virtues, and sympathised with their position. But this is not all. But this is not all. He possesses a hidden force which claims admiration, subdues opposition, and gains attention, where, without it, nought but distraction or revulsion would ensue. This power is not displayed in actions usually attributed to fanaticism. Mr. Carter can and does invariably preach without a free use of those accessories to effect so common among revivalists. At first he seems to labour for fitting words to express his thoughts: but this is no uncommon circumstance with even the most fluent of speakers. As he warms into his subject he acquires additional strength of voice, action, and thought. You soon begin to feel that he can command both your sympathies and passions; and having obtained a firm hold. upon your mind, he most skilfully retains it. His passionate appeals, his dramatic force and insinuating, though sometimes angular, expressions, will win approval from the coldest and most calculating auditor. His originality develops itself unmistakeably, so that an educated man who believed in the gospel might listen without having his most sensitive feelings shocked. It is quite a mistake to suppose that coarseness is wanted in evangelising the masses; it may be successful and pardonable with such as Mr. Carter's more illiterate assistants; but those who, albeit unpretentious with regard to scholastic skill and ultra-refinement, can make themselves understood by the use of good Saxon words, are greatly to be pitied if they choose other and less preferable language. It is this absence of coarseness on the one hand, and refinement on the other, that marks Mr. Carter as an evangelist who must of necessity gain his purpose in attracting crowds. Without faith, however, Carter and his mission would be unsuccessful. He, with iron grasp and with a giant's power, seems to shake the tree of promises and bring down God's performances. The machinery put in exercise by societies is altogether dispensed with in carrying out his worthy enterprise. "I preach the gospel," said he, on a recent occasion when opening a new preaching station at Kennington, "without collections or any assistance from the outside world; Christians only are asked for pecuniary help." Though careful in embarking in new projects, he does not hold back where duty impels him forward. "It is God's work," he tells you, "and he will see to it." "It is a work of faith, and it is written, 'My God shall supply all your need according to his riches by Christ Jesus."" How far God honours this heroic conduct I will endeavour as briefly as possible to show.

Mr. Carter is a master chimney-sweeper, is a short, thick-set, pleasant man, with small twinkling eyes that seem to preach happiness, and a high forehead indicative of abilities of no ordinary cast. Appar ently he is between forty and fifty years of age. For some years before he occupied the prominent position which he now holds amongst evangelists, he was in the habit of journeying in his trap to the outlying districts of London, preaching in season and out of season. On the Sabbath morn he would address the haymakers of several districts, returning to preach to two thousand persons on Hampstead Heath at night. His success was at that time very encouraging; and his fervour led him to yearn over the masses of the metropolis, for whom no special provision outside public places of worship was made. In his curious and most interesting little book on the results of his preaching,* he gives an eminently characteristic anecdote relative to a visit made on business to Dorset, and which he turned to great advantage. It is to this effect. Believing there were some Christians in Dorset, he resolved to find them out. "" Beginning at one end of the town, I determined to go through the whole place until I found some. I knocked at each door, and when opened asked, 'Is there any one living in this house who loves the Lord Jesus Christ?' The effect was like electricity. Some trembled, others shut the door in my face,"-conduct which, though not altogether polite, is explainable. He went over nearly half the place in this way without success until he found a godly woman who welcomed and introduced him to some Christian people, to whom he afterwards ministered the word of life. He found chapels and rooms open for him, and after leaving one building on a certain occasion, the congregation accompanied him through a wood which lay in his way home, the while singing praises to God. "When we got through the copse, the dear believers formed a ring around me. I then commended them to God in prayer, and they all lifted up their voices and wept." Such a scene and display of affection is, I fear, uncommon in England, although far from being so in Germany.

He

Mr. Carter was, it appears, the first to apply for the opening of theatres for preaching. For some time he was unsuccessful. opened a "penny gaff"-which is, O exquisite reader, slang for theatre

in the Euston-road. It may be, interesting to state that Richard Weaver first preached to a London audience in that building, at the invitation of Mr. Carter. In return Weaver introduced Carter to a crowded theatre in Sheffield, where his labours were rewarded by results which read like the strange and marvellous effects produced by rare John Berridge's powerful ministratious. In September, 1860, Mr. Weaver first preached in the Victoria Theatre, which will accommodate about four thousand persons. With unaffected modesty Mr. Carter relates the circumstance of his first address in that building. "I stood on the stage and candidly confessed to the people that I was not the man to stand for Richard Weaver-for in the first place I was not a natural orator like him; and in the second place, I could not interest them with the recital of the numerous thrilling anecdotes which compose so great a part of his addresses; but I said, God helping me, I can

A book not half so well known as it deserves. Messrs. Morgan and Chase are its publishers, and the reader will do well to invest one shilling upon it,

preach Jesus and the resurrection, which I hope to do this night." No one canfeel surprised at the intimacy which existed between these two doughty champions of a free grace gospel. While each have distinctive characteristics, their one object is the same, and the method of gaining that object somewhat similar. Mr. Carter, finding his services appreciated by the attendants of the Sabbath evening meetings at the Victoria Theatre, again preached for Mr. Weaver. Other theatres were now opened for similar purposes under the sanction of a committee, of which the Earl of Shaftesbury was the moving spirit. This committee, however, perpetrated a grand mistake by the exclusion of the so-called "lay element." The blunder, though not rectified, was soon neutralised by the voluntary efforts of a few gentlemen who engaged other theatres for Reginald Radcliff, William Carter, and Richard Weaver. The addresses of these out-spoken preachers were marvellously blessed, and as Carter himself says, the last day alone will declare the wonders God wrought by their endeavours. Ever actively engaged in the work on which his heart was set, he visited various towns in the midland counties, preaching at one place to hundreds of mechanics during their dinner hours, at another to the riff-raff of the market, or in goods-sheds, and elsewhere to boarding-school ladies and merchants in drawing-rooms. His ambition, however, was to minister to the working classes of the metropolis. A cheque for £50 sent by a well-wisher to God's cause was invested in opening the Victoria Theatre for six nights. Sinners were converted in good numbers; and the interest of the people was unabated. Money flowed in after earnest prayer had been offered, and the theatre was reopened for seven months. Some of the converts were desperate and depraved characters. Their natures are now changed, their desires and passions are the antipodes of what they were prior to conversion. Mr. Carter has cause to be proud of his converts, for they are notoriously consistent Christians. He can point you to thieves, harlots, drunkards, beggars, and vagabonds who once were "the blackest sinners out of hell," but now they are washed they maintain most rigorously their profession. Indeed, he is always happy to point out some hundreds of these converts, who have for the last four years walked as becometh God's children. The seven months' engagement of the theatre having expired, "the dear young converts were most importunate in prayer to God that he would keep it open for a lighthouse for the south of London," and united prayer was heard. The building was engaged for twelve more months, and during the whole of that time the attendance was on an average about three thousand souls. Since then Mr. Carter's ministrations there and at the Victoria Hall, a contiguous but smaller building, have been continuous. The other Sunday he had nine preaching stations open in various parts of the metropolis, principally theatres and saloons, some more respectable than others. He invites only the unconverted, and says that though delighted to receive the sympathies of Christians, he does not wish them to leave their places of worship to fill the rooms opened for special services.

Mr. Carter is now the pastor of a New Testament Church. He is particularly jealous over his converts, and I have been told is sometimes a little displeased when they leave him to join other churches. The formation of a church grew out of his mission. A spiritual father cannot easily forget his children, or cease to watch over them.

The