chap. vi. SCRIPTURAL BASIS OF RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES. 159 
enjoin the avowal of such as make profession of their 
faith, and the uniting in fellowship for commemorating that 
ordinance whereby the disciples of the Lord Jesus do show 
forth his death till He come, they had been accustomed in 
more than one locality to follow as closely as possible the 
few simple and affecting directions of the Saviour himself, 
and the illustration of those given by the great apostle of the 
Gentiles. They had, I was informed, at times found a dif¬ 
ficulty with regard to the elements to be used; but, so far as 
their circumstances admitted, they had followed, as their safe 
and unerring guide, the Word of inspired Truth. If, in 
relation to any of these subjects, they had not observed all 
that may be taught in the Hew Testament, they had added 
nothing thereunto. Nothing traceable to the latent influence 
of idolatry, or commended by imaginary fitness or advantage, 
had, so far as I heard, been introduced, but they had been 
content in these and other matters to adhere to the written 
Word; only too thankful when permitted peacefully to do so. 
I was informed that, although they knew the peril to which 
they were exposed, they had been accustomed to listen to 
the words of instruction and encouragement, to sing the 
praise of the Divine Eedeemer, and to draw near the mercy- 
seat in prayer. These simple services were held not only 
in the habitations of men, though chiefly at the midnight 
hour, but also on the distant mountain’s side, in the dreary 
cavern, or in the concealment of the remote and almost im¬ 
pervious forest. 
Love of life, and nature’s first great impulse, self-preserva¬ 
tion, had induced such gatherings as these, because their creed 
and their conduct had been declared by the government to 
be criminal and injurious to the nation. There did not, 
however, appear to have been the slightest foundation for 
any such conclusion, so far as the sentiments or the conduct 
of the Christians had been concerned. Many had been the 
