BIBMDAoL. )'. ; " . ! i" i . , . I IE Ji JJJiiijj '- , i - J - .. v- i If! -. ' - - - : i !- - ; ' DEVOTED TO It i L, l g 1 0 X, MOKALITV, L1TCUATURE, AND GENEHAL INTELLIGUICE m . a ItJt. VI a Aicreuiui. Auiiur. i VOL. IV.-No. 23. r . f ' - i- ' " f i : , 1 T K ft 51 S. Tn& Uecprder & Watcuman ispubl.shed every Sat urday, at Si 50 per annuru.il" paul wiihio six inooths. -or o" it paid stitwequeutly to that jeriod. . . if Any person who win become responsible fur; six copies, or who wjll foi ward the names of, six subscri bers, shail be entitled toa sbvk.nth coi-v gratis, j No subsojiption will! be leceived for less than'oNE "tear, uules paid in advance; and no discontinuance "will te alio ved until arrearages are paid. j f Persoiisw ishinif to discontinue will be expected ta rgi ve notice o that eftVci prior to the commencement of m ge year otuerwise mey will be considered as! e po.wlte loi the ensuing twelve months. H All coiTJinuaications except those of agents who act giatuitoujjy, lo secure aiienuou, must be post PAiD.fi All remittances reularlv made to our addresisibv iAit., shail lie at our risk. . v fj Anv person orderiuj 10 copies, and paving the-ino- ey is ADiricB, hail have lae same for j-jriO. I K Aiv -mse uents not incompatible with the obiecw of the Ketoi del, will be iuser.ed ou the usual term. I f .J ... T ..i.A. t " .I-. DJif Brbiher Me redith, 'Vhr fbllowiug' Report to the Chowan As nciation Irbtn thfir: Com.niitef, was rtad and jre cri-u vviti jrt-at satisfaction. 'In obfdiencf lo a subj.Jit ed resolution, the Association paused itwhile anu allowed the agent, our esteemed Br. H. VVilrotj lu take fubi-rriptiotis in aid of the Institute, wjhich amounted to about 8800., 1i Committee on the Wake Furest Intiiutebfg Uacc to Report, Tnai atttr la kin the subject j.uo as lull consideration as lime and circuuitan ces would adiiiit, they can but deeui it oiie of vast iiiiportance ; strongly clfiiinin the most serious consideration and the deepest interest of thU bo dy", and of all the real friends of iiiiprovenienl tbroiihout: ihe State. Iris very desiraMejthat Correct inf.ujrriiation should bejjennaliv drfTdsed. But we cat n.iw refer only to a few considera tifuiS to sht vv its claims upon us. The Wake tuie h .s been in successful operation f.ur yc.rs. It was eitiblis ud and .more tha thus far sua staineu almost exclusively by Baptlsls. I; is pr p r y the chiid of the Convention of Uie Baptist ! diuuiiuatinn in tbisState as such, ih rej;utdt!on a nd honor of thederiornination areultt . unateSy couiiected with its prosperity ami s'uecits besides, i s not the parent uuuer strong oblika .tioti on acc.iunt of the rel ilbuship which eitc between thetn. to foster and support the chilj? A id on the success of the Wake F. Institute tjt ,peuds very much the prosperity of the Baptist Cause, and ufthe cause of knowledge, iuipioTe'; ineut,and correct principles anionic us. Jtide'et itiii:iy'be s; id to be the hope of these causes'in this Siate. Lt the Institute fall and they Will languish' a id droop and die. How itupoitant then that it should be sustained. t - ';" Tne pres ut condition of the Wake F. Insti tute is nut sa fljurishinsj as it has been, though it is by no means disheartening The present till nhnr nf .sludniits is not I:i rfif n ir nrwt f.r which fact, several satisfactory roasons, sucn as change $i limes, &.C., miht oe assigned jh deed ill I .is might naturally have beet expec ted from th circutustanees of the case. Every other institution has suffered similar leverses. nni why should this be expected to be exempt ? It is projier to say here that some groundleS! prJ idk'es have been excited against tht lusll t ue ly (ilsf eports "uch, howeverati aicquain t.ioce with. U would destroy. We hope there fare that & will take measures to ascertain lt real fid-, tKforelhey suffer tht-tnse!ves to admit oifv pnj idiije against t:e Institution. We should be exceeuiu;ly cautious how we jive credence ii publicity in jauy tliincr we may hear against l, uiil we know the fads. It is the determina 't.iju of the Trustees and Faculty of the Institute 59 remove jevery real cause of dissatisfaction vith trie I'isiituie as soon as it is discorered.--la i this wotic tiiey candidly ask their brethren and friends to. lend them their counsels and aid some i nportant improvements in their plan of operations, have recently been m;ide and oth ers will doubtless soon beefTected. Indeed they are determined if their brethren will give the "i neessurv support, that as good advantages for education sball be aff 'rded here as al any other mtitution in our country. And it should not be f r:rolten that the expenses uf students here are niciUss t.iU'i at any si.nilar Ltstiiuiion in the Jand. j -(" . - ; ' The.pecuni jry afftirs of the Institution were at the beginning of the present year, nearly as fillows:; The subscriptions Liken somc year s nee for the purpose of erecting buildings a inou.sted to about Si 1 000, of this sum, about $ 1 3 000 have now been collected, leaving aboni 83 0JJ yet unpaid. Of ihe money collected part had been paid out fur improvements before the? College . building was erected. This building cost about 15,033 of whichaboutSSOOOis paid i ;lraving yet junpaid about 7 000. It will be seeij therelore thawthe amount ot subscriptions yet uni paid exceeds the debt nowowinj for ihe b ii!d-j ings by abejul $1000. But it is probable ihfej yili be a loss on the subscriptions of at least 83-1 -00J. It wiif then fall shon of paying the debt by about 82000. Besides this Ihere is a debt on the I nstitut4. separate from the buildin? depart- -mentof .bojit 81S00, making the whole debt of the lustituteL which has not the probably availa-b-e means n( paying about 83800. Besides this, 83 003 or 87,003 are to he advanced by brethren C. V. Skitifier.and A.J. Battle, for the erection; of Uo dwelling houses, which are now nearly; completed, and for which they are lo receive in terest until the trustees are able" to refund the principal such are the important! ami present condition df this institution, so far as ii can now be stated. iPermit your committee to suggest some thing. which we think, Jiiust be done in order that jhe institution my be gustainedit must be relieve i of Decuniarv embarrasmenL-- Thisrnone is now due to the creditors of the :Iisttiutel "It must be paid and that soon, as the credit of: the Institute., of the denomination to which it belongs,will materially suffer and sun? L ly tW taxn.ll uui required cao easily b raised RALEKill AND fc-w r i -kti - - -r j by the Bapl;is of ISTorth Carolina. Again, the BaptistSj in the State must - manifest their confi dence and interest in the Institute by di-couutr-nancing falsef reports in n gurd' to if.'aud bv sen ding their oyn sons to it for educaiion. "Like all other instjtutions.that at Wruke Foe-t cannot be sustained without students. It has no funds with which to pay its teachers and defray its o ther annual expenses. It is thought that with eighty students it would sustain itself; and surely inure than ifys number of Ihe sons of Baptits 'living in this I State, are at school sosnewhere why are they) not at the Wake Foiest Institute t Toe Institute now possessed good accommoda tions lor more than the aboxe named number of Mudetits. Aiid should the instim n.be wellsus- j taitn d, ihere'ean be no doubtful it would speedily iifc-T-Ktu me Huiirs ana expectations ol its pa lronsr snd rise to distinction and great useful nfss. 1'hat this may be the'ease, your committee would recommend thadoptiou of the following resulu tiors : I " - Resolved. That the Wake Forest Institute is the fibpe of sound learning in the Baptist deno mination and:comniunity of North Carolina. Resolved, ! That as such, every possible exer tion uuid bt made by the friends of knowledge and improvement, io sustain lhis.Intituticn. Resolcfd, Th..t ince the Wake F. Institute is the child oftheB iplist Couienitonand denomina tion in this State the reputation and he nor of Baptits as individuals and as a people are inti mately connected with its success j Resolved, Thatth.is Institution Requires for its advancement jtlie friendly co-operation and pio'mpt and general patronage of tne Baptist deri1tininaiion and the friends of improvement, learnmg.and fiberality in ihe State, to dtstroylhe ungrounded pi rj -id ices which "may exist against it, mid lo furnish it with students to yield it a support. I . - Resolved, That the Wj F. Institue, with its prestiit accomiiiodations and board of instruct ion, presents superior ad vantages for "ducatioti, and is a school highly w-oithy of the patronage ol an enlightened public. j ResolvedViiil iistbe W. F. Institute does not po sse, at preseut, the available means of cancel ling at! its debts, and since those debts must soon ( be paid or the? character of; the Institution must suffer a few thousand dollars ought immediate ly to be raised for the purpose; and this object is earnestly :rVom.iiended to the consideration of the liberates one well worthy of their generous contributions.1 , Resolved, That in order lhat the character and rondition of the Institute may be more filly known, the chjirches comprising this body, are respectfully requested to Send i delegation to be present at the riext meeting of the Board of Trus tees which will occur about ihe last veek in June next, where investigations will be made and important measures must be adopted fur its support and;advancement. Resolved, That it is expedient to open a sub ciipuon at ihij meeting for the relief of the W. F. Institute arid that the agent be requested to do it immediately. All which is respectfully submitted. I Chas. W. Skinner, CA. Report of. the fccard oj the A m and Foreign Bi ble Society for the year 1837. The Board of Managers in presenting their Annual Ilepori.are grateful to God forthe favors which have continued to advance the prosperity of the America'n and Foreign Bible Society, du ring the past y j ar. ! In performing the duties assigned them, they have experienced great pleasure in the n fl -etiou, that this is an enterprise in which, not only Bap lists, but christians of all denominations may meet on consecrated ground, and unite in pro moting the kingdom of their Redeemer. The volume which they distribute contains nothing but ihej truth, flowing from a s.;ered foun tain, the stream's wheieof shall make glad the na tions of the earih.. The simple majesty of such a cause 'should ai once disarm opposition, silence every objection,, jnd quicken the most tardy. Youi Board; rf' Managers hope, that the minds of brethren now connected with other denomina tions, will be dr wn to a prayerful consideration of tne circumstances which led lo the formation ofthe American and Foreign Bible Society. The necessity for such an Institution in addi tion to previously existing Bible Societies, admits not of a treasonable doubt, lfthe population of the globe be estimated at 903,000.000. then, the rate at which Bibles have been circulated durintr the pasttverity-six(years, would require Upwards of four thousand years bef are" every member of the human family could be fuinished with a copy ofthe sacred wiiiings.j A view offacta like this, indueed a few pious minislers in Paris to form the French and Foreign Bible Society, several years after ihelforinalion of the Paris Bible So ciety. I he same opinion, mm a an uhsj uejnc w circulate the rahst faithful versions of the scrip- .. . : r.u.. r.i:., . lures Tgave rise! to ine separate acuon i me jjum burgh Bible Society,: although the British and Foreign Bible Society hid been about fourteen years enjaued jnthe work of Bible distribution. Since lhat event, the labours and usefulness of the Edinburgh -'Society hive been greatly increa sed As a denomination, therefore, we deserve no censure, bv ihe formation of ihe A.nerican and Foreign Bible Society, which does not equal lv apply to the Edinburgh, and to the Fxench and Foreign Bible aocieiy. , It has been i frequently inMnuated, that our chief concern was to contend for the translation of the word baptizo ; but, this certainly is not ou main design. Although we believe that this like every other word ln the Bible, ought to be translated ; yet.' as Barists, we are wntend.og for a great principle, i. that the whole of Qod word should be faithfully translated, and given to all manklad. CHARLESTON, SATURDAY, : t i ,,,,, Against ibis important principle, the resolu liou of the American Bible Society is pai ticu lariy directed ; and that is the reason w hy we have, as a denomination, protested against their proceedings, and formed a seperate organization to meet the exigency. j i That it is thedeieriiiination ofthe Baptists.faith fully to translate the w hole Bible j and on the other hand, ihat the American Bible Socitty hat passed a resolution w hich veils a paitofthut Bi bit in the obscurity of a languigo junknown to the heathen.Swill b! apparent to every impartial reader of the f. Mowing resolutions:; Resolution of the Bird of M miners of the American Bible Sociily, passed 17 ih Ftbrua- ' uiy, I83G: I :'" :! uRtsoleed Thit in appropriating money for the trHn.latsn, printing or distributing of the Sacre I S.-nj tures, in foreign languages, the Man agers feel at liberty to encourage only such ver sions as coulorin in the principles ot their trans lation to the common English cersionHl leat so laras that all religious dniomiuaiions represen ted in this S.H'icty, cm consisteiitlyjuse and cir culate 5 tid versions in their aeveral schools and cuuimuuitiet." Resolution of the American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, passrd in April, lfc3b. Resolved, I Tim; all tne Missionaries .of the Board, who are, or who shall be.j engaged in translating the Sciiptures, be imtruad lo n deavor, by ejruet prayer, and diligent study, to ascertain the exact meaning of the original text : to express that meaning as exactly as the nature of the lanuaces into which they shall translate the Bible will 'permit; and to transfer no words which are capable'of being literally translated." The first,1 is a resolution passed by the Ameii cau Bibte Society, virtually concealing a part of he Hly Scrij.tures.. The second, a resolution passed by the B i ptists.on the contrary, gives spe cial instructions to their Missioiiories lo pray for the direction of the Holy Spirit, and to give to the: heal hen,'a faithful .translation of every : word in the Biblei Willi these facts beire them, h i Ohristiaus of every oenominaiuin pruy-riuny in quire: Which of these societies is entitled to ou t patronaiie Ni Christian would be willinir to strike out one ieord of ihe divine revelation. . But so far as thej healhen are concerned, is there , any differ ence between it iking out lhat one icord, or prin ting it in a language which the reader does not understand 1 H Cpon this point, your board of Managers can mo-it cordially ado; t the language 'of the Hon. Joo'. Coiton S oith, President ot the American Bible Society, in the annual addres before lhat society in May, 1837. "He w ho is'employrd in translerring'the messages of HeaveuVrom their originals to another language, is bound to exer cise the same accuracy and fidelity in rendering, thai the inspired penmen were, in recording the communications of the Most Hiih."j To this may be added the equally scriptural opinions of .... i ' la thej Uev. Mr. Calhoun, Agent ol tne American Bible Society, now .n Greece. Speaking of ihe Greek Church, he remarks : " They hear ihe Scriptures, indeed, occasionally, in their church es, but they hear them in an viikmncn tongue. VVhat a cunning device ofHheiireat adversary has'this been, to shutout the Jighlof truth by locking up God's holy ico rd in a dt ad language. Never could these, churches have become .what they have become, de id branches, had the scrip- ... . tures been read in a tongue that could be under stood." In another place Mr. Calhoun says, "In order to true devotion, ihero must . be a distinct perception f-f the truth ; the language in which it is uttered, must br intelligible." This: is ull the Baptists have ever demanded I ! I Mnrethari fjrty years have elapsed since Bap tist Missionaiies in the East, commenced the jreai work of j publishing the sacjed writings. Aii single station, on Ihe banks of jlhe Hoogly, translations into several !anguaies were. comple ted about ten years before the British and For eign Bible Society came iliio existe'nce; and the same important work is kl preseut! carried fr wartl with great .success in regions beyond the Ganges. t Hindoos, Burmans, I Talings, Kerens, and jChinamen, are now reading, . in their own tongues, the wonderful works of God." In reeard lo ihe Chinese, we havejthe uni ted testimony of the learned, that ihero has not been given to them a belter version of ihe Bible thati that which was commenced in lSOG.and has since been completed by Df. Mrtrsbman, ihe cel ebrated author 'of, Clayis Sinjca. : With the exception ofthe Persian, and a few others, all the first translations of the Scriptures intoEastern languages, were made by Baptist Missionaries;; comprehending ihe'jlanguages of more than half the population of the world. It is particularly gratifying that the whole of.this work has been executed upon a principle which commends itself to the heart of e?ery Christian. They prayed and labored to find .out the true meaning of every word in the Biblei. How could eonscienos men proceed upon any other principle! In what other way could the missionaries be faithful to the heathen, to their own consciences, to posterity, to' God Surely no Christian I will sy, that ihey! were wrong in praying to be taught the meanitis? of every part ofthe living Oracles- nor. that when thev were satisfied beyond all reasonable! doubt, mey ougni noiw nave r prefst d that tneaning in the appropriate word ofthe language iuto which their versions were made.: - ; - j." ., . i ; VNION IS STRKSOTIT, v At no former period has the truth of this axi om demanded a more careful consideration in its application to the Baptist denomination. En2a gedas we are in an enterprsts which will HlTeci the moral interests of the whole world ; duty to Se Americao Exeyclopiia Article, Mis tiest, -.'!:' :" ;. "'. t ' JUNE 16, 1838. God, and ihe destitute condhion of millions, im pel us to undivided exertion) in sending the in spired pages to every tribe! and people under the w hole heaven, until "like ii j flood of glory' ihe knowledge of Christ shall chver the earth nsthe water? cover the sea. With this as the only ob- j .jcc of our society, he Board earnestly solicit the co-operation of thejr brethren. Since ihe last Anniversary, your Board of Managers have been greatly encouraged by the increasing i I Ii UNAMM1TV OF THE BAPTISTS IN THE BIBLE ' j. CAUSE.1 ' " ' Communications received! by the Correspon ding Sevretary, Ironi Baptist Statt Conventions, and from numerous Associations, Churches and individuals in each state, saii&fictorily demon strate the correctness of this ; opinion. .Univer sally independent in principle, we rtjoice in the belief, that Baptists ever wilt be united in ac.ion, w hen called to defend or to distribute the Biole : I . i . . . . . j ! . I the charter of their common sal vation. ' i :- ! . - -. IIUMAM! KEsiPONiJIBlLITY. : - I (' i r : OF THE PROPAGATION OF TRUTH. 1 1 : - !. 7 : ' Continued If this be the fact, it w ill be evident, that in the effort io persuadej meii to believe our.opiuions, we are bound to present suttiarguiuents as God i himst. ll has presented ; that is, t use no argu ment which we do not! believe to be logically sound, and to assert ticlhii.g as fact, whicli e do not believe to be'strictly Uud literally true, ll we exaggerate, or couceal, ;or -mysiiiy, for Ihe puipose'ul advancing Kvhai; we believe to be true, we insult' the God ol ! truth whose ministers we profess to be. if. :we hltempt. to niuk'e. men feel Ifpit a couise 01 conduct is iroug, we must pre sent il in ti e moral relations which it holds in thesiht of God. 1 have rio right, for ihe sake of carrying u measure, or stirring up an excite mti.t, or svv'ayingthe popufur opinion, to urge, as a mailer, or universal obligation, u nat God has left as a matlei to be divided jy every man's conscitnee: to make that out to be a crime, 'in eery inaUuce, which Gud tlas maqe acriuie on ly uuuer special cucumsiauc.es; or lo urge as a uuly by command, w hat carronly be made out to be a duty by inference.! lnja word, Jamtoiakv ihe law cf God just as I find! rt , with ail the dis tinctness and w uh all the obscurity m which he has left it. We arelo "comuienu" this, just as u i-V wilLout increase or di:ni!iution, io men's cuuseiences, iti the sight of God." We are to it'll men what is tht -wfll itf God, as he has re vealed it, just as thcu-ih Gdd- himself were pres enl, hearing every Wuiil that we speak, while we proless lo be his representatives. To act otherwise, is, clearly, tii astime to be ourselves the lawgivers; it ii to claiuv for ourselves author ity over the consciyr.ct s ofjoiir brethren; il is to iurult the most Hih himst,lr, by. our own o:ost insufferable arrogance. l.j I. If God have commanded hie to announce his will to my fellow men, it is'thy duty to announce his wil. But this, gives meluo authority to an nounce, as his will any thing which he has not I must ui(iOuhce it, precisely it. lihaveiio discretion what- cummanded. And as he has revealed ever in the matter. If he haye plainly comniaii- ded or forbidden any thin?,! 1 may say plainly lhat he has commanded or fotbiudtn it ; ad, in doing so, i must point to the enactment, and urge it ou tiie rtuthorityjof "tnus saitn the Lord." 11 he have presciibeq one dutyi.and 1 infer another duty f ton. it, 1 muEt announce '.this second tuty, not as his command, but as my inference. 1 have no right to urge it as a'general Command of God. This inference majyr bind iny1. coustieuce, but ill can, as my- inference, bind the conscience of urj one else. Every one must in such a case be left to his own judgment ; and Fhavtr no right to acf cuse anomer oi uisoueuience io uoq, unless ne admit thai he is for himself convinced of tbe du ty.aud ihen disregard iU Th'ps, God has com manded all mento reoent. This is an universa duly, and! 1 may urge it upon all men. ' God commands all men to use the things of this world as uoi abusing them. This I inay also urge on the same authority!. I infer that a particular kind of meat oi drink is torbiddehij Then this infef-j ence will bind me, but 1 haveno right to demand that the conscience of my'nighbor be bound by my inference. Mahomet forbade wine, under all circumstances. A Mahometan .may therefore in the same manner forbid ltjjon the auih anty oft his master. A disciple of Christ cannot so for-! bid it, on the authority of hii master, unless he can show! that Cnrist himself; or his apostles thus forbade it. if he. infer from some other pre cept, that il is to be abstained from, then the mor al obligation is contingent, or accidental ; lhat is, it binds-, in those Cases, w he f-e, the use of wine i would conflict with obedience-to that precept, and il binds in no other; and of speh case, every in dividual isto.be the judge fori himself. . . It may be said jttiat we carlnbt. cany forward the temperance reformation if Ave adopt this ptin- ciple. To this I have very! tittle to reply. If we cannot tarry forward t;e temperance, or any other reformation, without making God say what he tsas not said, and assuming a ditierent tnoraU standard fro.., that which be has eslablished, lKeason why we ihould hu' turselv LlhiiiL- Itim runM in list nil lit. rt ttt tft rw rlnriitti I . - i ... . think the cause must, at ihe ootset, be desperate. And, after all, bow is the thing1 to be helped? I may wish that God had said Idifferently ; I may seem to see that I could do much more g6od if bo had given a different command. But, if he have not giveu It, there the matter rests, and I am not responsible for the result. I B.ut, before I find fault with the laxity of the moral law of my Cre ator, would it not be wise to begin by distrusting myself ? ; Haye. 1 not reason to fear, lhat there is an error.tomevriire, when!; 1 seem to be more zealous for righteousness, than be "who is of pu rer eyes than tojook upon iniquity ?" Acraia: W wo resirictvti 83 to the mot ires WHOLE Ni. 174. which we may urge, forUhe puTpose of inducing 1 men to obey the commands of God. The facta J in the case I suppose toibe these. Gcd has ap pointed for his moral crejatures certain courses of ; conduct. To obedienceiand to disobedience to his will, he has aEi.ed such consequences as seemed meet unto himself. What these conse- ! quences should, in eachfease, be, he is the only 5 competent judge, and Ho one has a' right 19 quetion his decision Jinlich Itss to alter, to modi fy, or to reverse it. Now in urging men to obey a his will, we are bound t4 set before ihem precise- ly the consequences which he has attached both -I to obedience and to disobedience. We have no -right eiiher to create !h-$e consequences or to ) represent them to Be any other than he has orX j dained. . if we do this; -we usurp his authority.!-.: We, Ihen, not only "Judj'e" but usurp the right ; to punish "dllolhemal,,4servarrL, We assume! ; to know better than the iloi verul lawgiver, w hat is the desert! of crime; aid io be mere lnly tbtm the Holy One of Israel. I " j- J Thai I have no right tp add to, or diminish ibe motives which God hasspresented toraen, isevi-i dent.- -If the motives Which he hts presented will hot influence them; i cannot help it. It will never do for m.e to mak-eta lie about it. Iam not responsible for the resujt. I need pot, surely atTect to lovej'the souls ,f men belter than the ' Saviour himself. If th motives which he has presented, are, all thai ;ie saw fit to present, I may reasonably' conclude that no love ol mino to the souls' of men can ever improve upopi them.- : ! 'j ; - : .'k.1- j:: But till more. I have no right to affix lo any action, any other consequences thaulhose which. God himself has afiixed?to it. To some actions he has affixed ceFtain and inevitable lesuiis. To others the results are contingent; they n;a' pc cr in one case and not In another, id I am iW able to tell in what casej they-will and will not occur. I have no rtohtito assign" as ceituin, a. cunsequcnce.to an action w hen lhat cor.sequenc is merely accidental: that is, when it may; or may1 not occur. God has deijlao-ed, that unless a man' repent he will never be saved. This is a certain' result: I may always auJ everywhere so declare it. If a man do not repent how, undel" my par ticular sermon, he. may never be sared. " Thia may be his last offer of mercy. I may so ?tal' iw But I ha ve no rig htto state thatif he do not now at this time, repehtj his soul will certainly be lost. He may be lost if he come not forward to the "anxious seats," aed he mav be caved if he do. But God has notcoinlnanded him to come for, ward to the 'anxious seits;" and though 1 may. il I think it will be useful to him, advise him, (as my advice merely,) t come forwaad, I have no right to urge it as the command of God jj much less hare I a rightjto assure him, that his1 salvation actually depends upon his doing or not doing this particular thing. 1 , Against all this, it may be objected that these,! and similar measures, have frequently been alten-i ded with good result, Were it not that 1 re sped the motive from v.bieh such an objection proceeds, I would not thjnk it worthy of a reply.1 It manifestly admits the principle, that I have a right to impose upon the; consciences of men.aa a duty commanded by God, any act whatever,1 provided 1 have reason t believe that, in partic j uiar instances, such act has been attended with a irood result. I have known swearing ar.d Sab-j bath breaking, made the jraeans of men s coiiver sion ; but have I, therefore, a riyht to command men io swear or to breakj the Sabbath ? BesidesJ jif such be the case, whefe shall liberty of. con sbtence find a resting place? This principle in volves the very essence! of Romanise, ia the 'darkest periods of its sadjexisteiice. I afTirm.it, jas historical fact, lhat the most odious auditions which the Romish Church has ever made io the commands of God, wjere, at the beginning, made upon tiiis very principle. On this very ground were monasteries, reiigious orders,-c6d auricular confession established. In fact, we may easily see, if we vil take the trouble to job? serve, that the abuses of that church, germinate, not in the bosoms of menof a particular order, but in the soil of human nature itself. Every man is liable to desire to jwield the authority of God, forthe accomplishment of bis own purpo ses.? In so far'as any man carries this desire in to action, in so far is that nan a Catholic. In the last place I remark, that, whilst we have a right to inform men of the consequences which will follow from disobedience to tbe laws of God, individuils have iio right to create these consequences themselves. If God declare that he will itiflict a particular punishment upon a transgressor of his law, we may be assured that he will do it,,; If he bids us forewarn theoffen der, we are obliged to forewarn him. But this gives us no right to punish him ourselves. Xbie latter act God reserves foij himself. We cannot assume, it without usurpiW his authority. ! Ha foretold that the children ipf Ham should be ser- vauis of servants; but thisjisa very sorry reason for enslaving the Africanf. The prophets fore told that the children of Abraham should-be "a pepple scattered and feebje, a hissing and a by word but this is a veiy boor excuse for perse- romHi. . novJrtv an(t rnvmi.. u. cutitig me jews. oo. u isa Net. lhata drunkard no reader him poor and contemptible. He who is engaged in aoy immoral iraific, will, in a heal thy state ofthe community, lose the estimation in which, he would otherwise be held by his fellow citizens. We may do all in our power to ele vete the standard of the public morals; but we have no right, by our direct act, to destroy the estimation in which this jar any other man it held. We may tell a man that such consequen ces will follow, and thus urge him to act virtu ously; but we have no right to bring in our own efforts in aid of the authority of God, and tell the man, that, if he do col obey God, we will ruia ais reputation, " ! j - i -1 i 1-