almost invariably been either denied, or perverted and misrepresented, in a manner that was equivalent to a denial. The order of our church has been disregarded-All who chose have become exhorters and leaders in social worship-not, in some places and on some occasions, to the exclusion of women, even in promiscuous assemblies. The eldership of the churches, and indeed all church discipline, and all church judicatures have been disregarded, if they attempted to restrain or censure the intemperate zeal of those who considered themselves as more enlightened, and more endowed with spiritual gifts and graces, than men, however long might have been their standing in the church, and eminent their piety, previously to the period of excitement. It has even happened that a minister who has led others into extravagance, has at length found himself left behind them, and been considered and treated as a mere formalist, for whose conversion prayer needed to be made, and has been made accordingly, in the social meetings of his former disciples. I have neither time nor inclination to specify the almost innumerable acts, of imprudence in speech and action-the harsh language addressed to individuals, privately and publicly, the disregard of decorum, and the introduction of novel and ostentatious practices, in the sanctuary itself-which have characterized the advocates and leaders of new measures, in times of great religious excitement in our country. But there is one measure which seems to be pre-eminently new-for I have not heard of its ever having been adopted in our church, till very recently-of which I must take a little particular notice-It is the measure of admitting to the full communion of the church, persons whose supposed conversion has happened but a day or two; or perhaps but a few hours, before their admission-persons, too, who had previously manifested no serious regard to religion, and who in some instances, had been even dissolute and profane. I can scarcely conceive of a practice more evidently calculated than this, eventually to bring dishonor on religion, by filling the church with unsound professors, who will ultimately become open apostates, or at best demonstrate that they have never possessed a spark of vital piety. Who that has ever seen a general awakening of a congregation to the concerns of the soul, but has had to lament, that numbers whose exercises, for a time, seemed to be as hopeful,

perhaps even more hopeful, than those of almost any others, eventually lost all their religious impressions, and became as careless as they ever had been, and often far more hard and unimpressible, than in their former unsanctified state? Now, these individuals who thus lost their impressions, would assuredly have been taken into the communion of the church, if the new measure under consideration had been in use, in the places where these instances have occurred. And what reason have we to believe that sudden and hopeful impressions, and the appearance and profession of having experienced a change of heart, which now occur, will prove more solid and lasting than those of former times? It is admitted, that there may be, and will be, some false professors, after all the care and pains that can be taken to keep them out of the church. But they will be multiplied to an awful and reproachful extent, if some period of probation, and a good deal of sifting and close examination, be not employed to prevent the evil. The plea that is made, in favor of the mischievous practice in question, derived from what was done by the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, is, in my apprehension, of no avail. The cases supposed to be similar, are very unlike. A profession of Christianity, at that time, could not be made, but at the imminent risk of all earthly possessions, and of life itself. Besides, there was, among other extraordinary bestowments at that time, the gift of "discerning of spirits," and I have not heard that the new measure men have, as yet, pretended to this gift. Indeed the whole dispensation of the Holy Spirit, at that period, was extraordinary and miraculous; and to draw a parallel between the occurrences then, and those which now take place a parallel extending to all the circumstances of the two cases-seems to me utterly unwarrantable and exceedingly presumptuous.

Numerous are the lamentable consequences of the errors and abuses which arise in times of religious revival-They stop the progress of revivals, as well as prevent the blessed results which might otherwise appear; they bring revivals themselves into suspicion and reproach. Many think, that if they begin to yield to any serious impressions which they may feel when a revival begins, they will be carried away into all the excesses and delusions of which they have heard so much, and they shake off their seri

ousness, and harden their hearts against all warnings and exhortations. One of the worst consequences of the errors and abuses contemplated is, that they lead unsanctified men, especially worldly wise men, to think that all vital piety is delusive; and that some decent regard to religious institutions and observances, with moral conduct, is religion enough, and indeed all the religion which is worthy of the name-Of this consequence of these errors and abuses the examples are multitudinous and most deplorable. New measure men, reproach us with being enemies to revivals, but they are themselves the greatest real enemies to those displays of God's special mercy, that they ever have. Those who openly oppose and blaspheme them are recognised at once as enemies, treated as such, and injure but few beside themselves. But these indiscreet and mistaken men, who claim to be, and are believed to be, the warmest friends to revivals of religion, are in the camp, are identified with the cause, and all that they advise and do is considered as belonging to the cause; and they make it the subject of reproach and aversion to the world at large. Now, if the world is to be converted to God by revivals of religion-which I fully believe, and think must be evident to reflecting minds-those who abuse and pervert revivals, whatever may be their pretensions or intentions, are really opposing the plan and purposes of God. They are therefore to be withstood, with decision and firmness, yet with meekness and prudence. Now and then, an individual of them, like Davenport in the time of Whitfield, and Marshall in Kentucky may come out, and confess and bemoan their errors publicly-as every truly pious man who has been deluded, as they were, ought to do but the instances of this frank and public acknowledgment of error, are rare; and if they were not rare, the mischief done, is done irreparably, before those who renounce their error, are brought to bewail and repent of the share which they have had in producing it. We must oppose them, therefore, openly, and without fear or hesitation, and the sooner it is done after their operations have commenced, the better; for after the delusion has proceeded to a certain length, it becomes like a resistless torrent, which nothing can stop, till it has spent its force. You have therefore, in my judgment, done well, in preaching and publishing discourses intended to have an effect in correcting the er

rors and abuses to which I have referred; and on the evening of my ministerial life, I willingly bear my solemn testimony against them, and am glad of an opportunity to record it, as here I do May the Lord assist and bless you, in all your endeavors to plead his precious cause, and extend his blessed kingdom. So prays your friend and brother in the gospel of our dear and adored Redeemer. ASHBEL GREEN.

REV. W. B. Sprague. D. D.

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LETTER XIX.

FROM THE REVEREND MOSES WADDEL

Late President of Franklin College, Athens, Georgia.

Willington, South-Carolina, Feb. 25, 1832. REVEREND AND DEAR SIR,

Your letter of 26th ult. is received, in which you request me to communicate to you some general account of the revivals of religion which have occurred under my observation, or within the sphere of my labors; and also my opinion on some other subjects connected with them.

Shortly after the Revolutionary war ended, during the year 1784, there was a very solemn attention to religion excited in the minds of many persons in the congregation of Concord, where I was born, and in the adjacent churches of Bethany and FourthCreek; which were then under the pastoral care of that zealous, indefatigable and faithful Minister of the Gospel, the late Rev. James Hall, D. D. He then resided in Iredell county, NorthCarolina, where he also died a few years ago. This revival was brought about by no other means apparently than the divine blessing which attended the evangelical, experimental and practical preaching of the pastor, together with his untiring attention to public catechising and family visitation of the churches under his care. In these two last mentioned duties, he was in labors more abundant than any pastor I have ever known. This period was marked with no noise or sensible disorder; but a visible solemnity seemed to pervade the congregations, and a number were added to those churches of such as, I trust, have been and shall be saved. Sacramental occasions, I think, were attended with more reverential solemnity than any I have ever witnessed.

During the years 1788 and 1789, there was a considerable attention to religion in the (then) upper parts of Georgia, including the present counties of Wilkes, Elbert, Oglethorpe, Taliaferro, Hancock and Greene, in which last I then resided. The Baptist churches partook largely of it, by the ministry of the Rev. Silas Mercer and Abraham Marshall. The Methodist churches were