the spread of the gospel; but that we have long since opposed education" such as yours, for I perceive that you have drawn largely from the distilleries of scholastic divinity.

I feel confident you will not deny that you made a sermon on the Lord's day alluded to, from the text quoted, and that you both inade a prayer to the Holy Spirit, and sang the hymn quoted. And whether I have or have not made good my promise, I leave the public to decide.

Before I bid you adieu, I beg you never again to offer such an insult to the word of God as you did in your sermon. The time has been, when the unwarrantable dissections of an ungodly and supercilious priesthood were endured without a murmur; but remember that that Virgin of the Skies which heretofore has bourne with their sacrilegious innovations, is now appearing in her heavenly power and majesty; and what she has gently suffered she will endure no more; but being living and effectual, and more cutting than any two-edged sword," she will pierce "even to the parting both of animal life and spirit, and the joints also and marrow;" and thus satiate her vengeance in their destruction, if they reform not.

A WESTERN BAPTIST.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER

From a young gentleman in Lexington, Ky. to his friend in Bethany, Va. dated February, 1829.

FRIEND J

ALTHOUGH I am not an intimate acquaintance, yet I have taken the liberty of writing to you, believing that we are fellowtravellers in the road to the New Jerusalem, and laborers for the restoration of the true and apostolic worship of Jehovah. I have very lately read Bishop Campbell's publication, the "Christian Baptist," and have received much gratification therefrom; particu. larly his essays under the bead of "A Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things." You know that violent prejudices against him exist in this section; and, in fact, against all that he says, or writes. They are so wedded to human inventions and traditions, that he who has the boldness to stand up in opposition to their popish practices, and acknowledge Christ only as he is revealed to us in the scriptures, is liable to be assailed by all that malignity can invent;~~ vituperation and slander are hurled from a thousand engines, and he may count himself fortunate if he escape with his garments whole! But I thank God, that the Babylonish chains are every day becoming weakened; and I believe the period is near at hand when the last remains of the Great Beast shall be scattered before the winds; when her strong holds shall be broken down, and the saints march forward to Jerusalem victorious, "terrible as an army with banners." The scales are falling from the eyes of professors of the religion of Christ, and the priesthood begin to tremble; for they see that the end of their reign is at hand. "Creeds," "Confessions of Faith," "Disciplines," "Covenants," "Decorums," &c. &c. are beginning to yield, and give place to the only Creed and

Confession of Faith acknowledged by the true followers of Jesus Christ-the New Testament.

I am inclined to believe that ignorance is the greatest friend to human inventions that exists in our community. To support and illustrate my opinion, I will relate an occurrence that happened a few days since, in which I was a party concerned. A friend, and intimate acquaintance of mine, and a member of the Baptist church in this place, had commenced reading the Presbyterian Confession of Faith, and being struck with the absurdity of some of the doctrines contained in it, commenced a heavy cannonade against all creeds, ccnfessions, &c. save the one good old Book. He said he was astonished when he reflected on the immense number of persons, of apparently good sense and sound minds, who were bowing in obedience to the unscriptural sentiments and laws contained in that book. After he had cooled a little, I asked him the following questions, and received the answers subjoined:-How is the church or congregation of which you are a member, governed? Answer. By the New Testament." How do you receive members? "By the New Testament." How do you discipline disorderly members? "By the New Testament." Do you do all your business according to, and under the laws there laid down, and by those only? "Yes." Are you not assisted in your government by laws of human invention? "No." I then asked him if they had not something which they called a "Covenant," or some such name, asi le from the New Testament? He hesitatingly replied, "Yes, I believe we have; but it is a thing of no force; only two or three little articles-three, I think." I replied, However small or short it might be, the principle was the same; and it mattered not if it contained two hundred clauses, or only three little ones; and it was to all intents and purposes "a conspiracy against the kingdom of Christ, and a presumptuous sin;" and that it was directly accusing our Saviour of leaving his work unfinished. He contended for a length of time in favor of the extreme littleness of the sin; and then stated in positive terms, that he "could not and would not be a member of a church that was ruled by so much human wisdom and invention, and that contained such Calvinistic and unscriptural doctrines as the Presbyterian church." And we parted,

Having some curiosity to see these three little articles, I applied to their keeper, and requested leave to read them. He handed me a large folio volume; (I shall have a tedious search to find them, thought 1;) I opened it; when, lo! instead of a pigmy a very giant greeted my wondering eyes. Now, how many articles do you Suppose there are? Three diminutive sentences? No, sir; no less than FORTY-ONE long and copious laws, spread over no less than fifteen pages of a huge folio; and scarcely one of which could boast of a "thus saith the Lord" for its authority. I was amazed, and studied for some time endeavoring to find the how or the why my friend had made such a mistake; and at length supposed it must have occurred from the "little" thing being divided into three general divisions, respectively headed "Covenant," "Discipline," and Decorum." Without comment I state, that his name was subscribed to it in common with that of every member of the

church. The latter part of the first article reads thus, after a short preamble, that they (the makers of the little creed, together with all who are members of that body,) "agree to the following as the BASIS of our union." I should conclude from that, that they had very little to do with the scriptures, for they are only mentioned three times, if I mistake not, in the whole "creed"-Deuteronomy is quoted once, and Corinthians once.

I met with my friend a few days after; told him the circumstance, and he appeared to be thunderstruck; said it was ignorance in him; that he would examine the book, and read for himself. I reminded him of his expression, "never would live under such laws;" that the "little" thing abounded with Calvinism and antiscriptural sentiments, and left him. This man's case, and the manner of "making converts," induces me to believe that if the professors of religion knew the actual state of the churches at the time of their connecting themselves with them, that Babylon would soon yield. A Doctor of Divinity goes on tolerably quiet until he supposes it is time for a "revival" to take place in his church; when he musters as many Reverends and D. D's. as possible; and, by dint of stamping, passionate declamation, threatening, and persuasion, he raises an excitement among, his own members, and then among "the reprobate," who are sometimes wrought almost to frenzy, readily agree to any thing they propose in order to obtain their consent to become followers of the Messiah, as they say.

But you have no doubt become tired of this long epistle, and it is time to come to a close. However, I cannot do it, without relating to you an anecdote which happened a week or so since. You are aware that the sentiments of Bishop Campbell are greatly misrepresented in this place, and that whatever comes from him is shunned by the "orthodox" as they would shun a pestilence. A lady Paido in this town, who once severely reprimanded another for allowing her children to hear Bishop Campbell preach when he was here-went a few evenings since to hear Jacob Creath, jun. explain the scriptures. On her return she said, that she had been told Alexander Campbell had ruined Creath, but that she was rejoiced to see that he had not hurt a hair of his head, for he had that day preached the best sermon she had ever heard him deliver; that he advanced none of Campbell's heretical doctrines. Now, the truth is, that the sermon delivered by brother Creath on that day was just such a one as Bishop Campbell would have delivered himself had he been here. It abounded with his views from beginning to end. So much for prejudice.

I believe there are many who now deprecate creeds, &c. with their lips, who, if they were put to the test, would still cling to the "summary exhibitions, as Dr. Noel would call them. However, an opportunity will soon be offered for all who are disposed to acknowledge the word of God as all-sufficient for the government of his household, to bid a final adieu to Babylon, and press onward to Jerusalem. The royal proclamation is sounded in their ears; and with a fervent prayer that all may obey, I subscribe myself,

A FRIEND TO ANCIENT ORDER.

P. S. Dr. F and his folks have the subject of breaking bread every Lord's day, under consideration; and the Doctor says he is convinced of the necessity of so doing. Elder V- declares that he believes the "old shute" to be the best one yet-that is, the usages of the modern clergy. Brother J. C has been, we think, soundly converted to the ancient order of things, and appears to be laboring for no other object. To conclude: be it known onto thee, that I have labored for one year to build up the walls of Babel, having enlisted in the legion designated by the terms Paidobaptist. and Presbyterian; in which cause I labored zealously until a short time past, when, finding that its laws differed from "he perfect law of liberty," and that its ordinances were not such as were ap proved by the Grand Commander in Chief of the Christian Armies, i concluded to take a discharge and join his body guard.

THE HAPPY NEW YEAR.

PATERNUS had been accustomed to call together his descendants to celebrate the anniversary of his birth, which happened to be on the first day of the year. On these occasions he was wont to recite to his children and grand children the most interesting inci dents of his life, and to deduce such moral lessons as the occasions suggested and the exigencies of the times required. He was now entering upon his eightieth year, and the wife of his youth had more than completed her seventy-sixth. He had assembled the eight families of his sons and daughters, and two families of his grand sons, amounting in all to seventy-five souls, and all residents of the county in which he lived. The old mansion of his grandfather and the large dining hall, the scene of this happy new year, was filled with the prattling objects of his parental solicitude and affection. The affectionate greetings of the little cousins, uncles, and aunts, and the little exploits of the young talkers and walkers imparted much gaiety and cheerfulness to the scene. After they had all refreshed themselves with the liberal collations which the season afforded, and had retired from the festive table, they were arranged, according to seniority, around the cheerful fire, which a fierce north wind had made most comfortable. Meanwhile the prattling of the little ones had been fulled to repose, and all who had not capacity for rational entertainment were found at rest in the arms of sleep. Paternus sat in the old-fashioned arm-chair, in which his own grand father had sat, and the fondest object of his youthful affection, and the comfort of his old age, sat by his side, in the very chair on which she had often sung to repose her first born son. Thus placed, they all sang a hymn of thanksgiving, after which the old patriarch with a clear and tremulous voice thus began:

"Kind and indulgent Heaven has once more brought us all together under the roof of our ancestors, and surrounded us with his guardian arms, and with favors more than we can tell. I have yesterday completed my seventy-ninth year, hallowed be his name! and yet continue to enjoy both health of body and vigor of mind. But my withered face and hoary locks admonish me that soon I must go the way of all the earth and sleep with my good forefathers. I am glad vol. vii.

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to see my children and my grand children all around me on this my birth day; and now that I am permitted to see and salute so many of the objects of my dearest affection, I wish to make this opportunity an occasion of inculcating one lesson upon all of you, which I have often suggested to you before, but now from new considerations and more mature reflections. But to do this with the most advantage, I will give you the history of our family for three generations, which is as far back as I am able to trace it. This I have often purposed to do, and have occasionally given to some of you some sketches of it, but have never done it fully, nor even partially, to all of you. I do this not to gratify your pride, nor to inflame your worldly ambition; for in our history there is nothing, or very little, adapted to cherish the former or augment the latter. 'Tis true that both my father and my grand father attained to the distinction of a good name, and left to me the rich inheritance of an unspotted integrity, which I have endeavored to transmit unimpaired to you. They were respected in their day for their virtues; and their industry and christian morality obtained a patrimony which afforded themselves a competence, and gave to their children a good and useful, though not a learned education. I had two brothers and one sister who shared my father's inheritance with ne; and I, being the eldest, inherited this farm and the old mansion, which, for the same reason, my father inherited from my grand father, who obtained it by his own industry and some little aids which a distant relative extended to him. Our family has, indeed, become numerous. My sister left behind her eleven children, and my two brothers have together more descendants than I have. But it is neither the number, wealth, nor political respectability of our family on which I have any desire to expatiate; but the moral virtue and christian excellence of many of your relatives which I desire to lay before you for the purpose which I have supremely in view. Of my grand father's family seven brothers and three sisters lived and died members of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. My grand mother was reputed to be the most eminent christian in her vicinity in her day, and is said to have been a sort of mother to the whole church in Hellensborough on the banks of the Humber. My grandfather was proverbially a just and pious man, and some of you have seen and known both my father and mother. Their virtues are known, and, I trust, appreciated by the elder branches of my family, and are yet alive in the memory of many of our neighbors in this vicinity. Sixty-three persons of our family, including my grand father and grand mother, my own father and mother, uncles, aunts, and cousins, are enrolled in the church books of our parish, as having lived and died members of the family of God; and there are yet living, including those here present, of our family, eighty-five persons professing godliness. But why, you will ask me, do I make these enumerations and go into these details? I will answer you. It is to open to your view the instrument and source of all this good, from which I am to draw my Inoral, and which I am about to present to you all as my new year's gift and, perhaps, my last new year's gift to my dear offspring, All the christian excellence and christian happiness possessed and enjoyed in our family can be traced to the mother of my grand father, and through her to another disciple of our glorious Master and Re