n religious agencies at work--by them people are being strengthened
in the Christian life, trained to Christian work, in their way promoting
the welfare of man, and glorifying God. I may affect a superior piety, I
may refuse to associate with common Christians, I may leave them; but
what is the result? That as far as I can I put hindrances in their way.
Ignorant people look up to me as a saint, and the church and the minister
where I have any influence are to the extent of that influence damaged.
A gentleman writes to me--"Those who now represent the London Ecclesia,
in recognition of the constitution and order of its organization, are, in
this metropolis, myself and three others;" and then quotes--"'Strait is
the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be
that find it.'" It is in Peckham this new religious body meets. At such
meetings they do not admit strangers, in fulfilment of the ordinance of
the Lord which enjoins us to assemble "ourselves together to worship God
in spirit and in truth," and commands us--"If there come any unto you and
bring not this doctrine (the doctrine of the Christ), receive him not
into your house, neither bid him God speed."

For the doctrines of this new sect I must refer the inquirer to a
pamphlet published at 22, Paternoster Row, called "The Truth as it is in
Jesus, defined in the Constitution and Order of the London Ecclesia, or
immersed believers of the things of the Kingdom of God and the name of
Jesus Christ." In this pamphlet we have a summary of the faith delivered
to the saints contrasted with the erroneous dogmas of popular theology,
and also the apostolic rules for an ecclesiastical organization. In
America, and many parts of England, Ecclesias, as they call them, exist.
The document to which they subscribe their names is an exceedingly
lengthy one, nor is it very intelligible. I should say that wherein they
differ from other Christians in point of doctrine is this, that
"everlasting life is the gracious gift of God through our Lord Jesus the
Christ--the clothing upon the living soul or mortal body of life of a
justified believer, with the quickening spirit or house which is from
heaven, or the swallowing up of his death nature in the life of the
Divine nature, so that this corruptible puts on incorruption, and this
mortal puts on immortality by an impartation of spirit-life energy into
every fibre of its organism, in a moment, in the twinkling of