e connected with the
lot, such as cards or dice; their elders are chosen from amongst them on
account of their piety and character, and are ordained by prayer and
fasting, and laying on of hands. A deacon is elected in the same way,
minus the fasting. Any one who appears to understand and believe the
truth may be admitted into their fellowship. When a person is
excommunicated the act takes place in the presence of the whole church.
Two elders must be present at every act of discipline. It may be further
stated that in every church transaction, whether it be receiving,
censuring, or expelling members, or choosing officers, or in performing
any other business, unanimity is deemed indispensable. If there is a
dissenting brother, after the reasons of the dissent have been stated,
and judged unscriptural by the church, he is expelled. The Sandemanians
allow neither government by a majority nor a representation of
minorities.

As an outsider I should say nothing was ever more uninteresting, nothing
ever more calculated to alienate from religion intelligent young people,
than the services conducted by the Sandemanians. The elders and deacons,
excellent men undoubtedly, are singularly deficient in oratorical
ability. I think the worst sermon I ever heard in my life was preached
by one of them. They cannot even read the Bible in an impressive and
edifying manner, nor is their psalmody much better. They have a literal
version of the Psalms, and they sing them through, a couple of verses or
so at a time. I give one specimen I heard, not the last time I attended
there:--

"Moab I will My Wash-pot make,
O'er Edom cast my shoe;
Do thou, O land of Palestine,
Triumph, because of Me."

The modern hymnology, of which all sections of the Church are justly
proud, exists in vain for them. Their church seems utterly destitute of
intellectual vigour; and when, as in these days, brains are beginning to
rule, the piety that rejects or ignores them is in danger. There is a
relation between the Bible and modern thought of which the good people
who preach dull sermons and make dull prayers up in Barnsbury have no
idea.

THE SOUTHCOTTIANS.

Incredible as it may seem, there are, in these days of penny newspapers
and universal enlightenment, Southcottians in London. They may be met
with in the neighbourhood of Kennington Common, and in one of the
forlornest spots in Islington, Elder Walk, Essex Road.