notions and schemes of interpretation which have, more or less, ap peared in every century since the age of Justin Martyr till now.

There is still, however, among some of us too much emphasis placed on the importance of the restoration of the unconverted Jews to their own land. Some seem to regard a restoration of Israel according to the flesh, to the land of Judea, not merely as a consummation most devoutly to be wished, but as the consummation of the predictions of the Prophets. It becomes us not to question, at this time, the return of the Jews to Palestine. Such an event is, to a certain extent, probable. But were it to take place to-morrow, it would not fulfil the prophecies of the restoration of Israel.

The xith to the Romans opens brighter scenes to our vision. A thorough conversion and restoration of Israel to the rank of being once more the people of God in common with the Gentiles-a restoration of them to "their own olive tree," to a covenant relation to God, in virtue of the Messiah's triumph, is the burthen of the prophecy.

That the return of Israel to Canaan is not a matter in which the Christian church is much interested, any more than the Jews themselves, we infer from the following considerations and facts:

1. The return or restoration of Israel to Canaan, is neither promised nor intimated in any form in the whole New Testament.

2. Unless their ancient temple and religion should be restored, and the ancient wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles were to be rebuilt, we can discover no great blessing that it could be to the present Jews to take possession of the desolations of many generations, the ruined and dilapidated cities, and the poor impoverished valleys and rocky eminences of Judea. Besides, such blessings as the land of Canaan contained in its best days, so far from being any part of the New Covenant promise, they are rather contrary to its genius and design. What have rich hills and valleys, floods of wine and oil, rivers of milk and honey, to do with the new covenant with the house of Israel!! It would then be true that "there is Jew and Greek in the kingdom of God and of Christ—a state of things no where contemplated; nay, rather, every where discountenanced in the New Testa

ment.

3. Again, if returned to their own land in the style of some of the interpreters, they must have a government and national privileges of their own-a new monarchy or theocracy, or the Lord Messiah in person. David was to be their king politically, when a restored people. Are we Gentiles prepared for this? Have we not proved already that he will never revisit the earth till the last day of all time! And were he to come in person, as the Son of David to reign in Jeru

salem over the Jews, would we think the Gentiles were at all blessed by such an event? Would we then be "all one in Christ Jesus," as Paul has taught us?

4. But, in the fourth place, we are taught to expect their conversion. to the Lord to occur rather in their dispersion, than when seated in their own land: for it is through the mercy of the Gentiles that they are hereafter to obtain mercy: for, says Paul in this chapter, "as you in time past have not believed, yet now have obtained mercy through their unbelief, even so have these also now not obtained mercy, through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." that cate that the Jews are to be converted through the interposition of the Does not this indiGentiles? Again, says Paul, "I would not have you ignorant of this mystery, that blindness in part has happened to Ismael till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved;" for "out of Zion shall come the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."

The passage now quoted from Isaiah lix. 20, 21, is translated by Paul neither according to the Hebrew nor the Greek of the commonly received texts. According to the Hebrew it reads, com. ver., “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob." the sake of Zion the Deliverer will come and turn away ungodliness But according to the Septuagint it reads, "For from Jacob." Paul follows the latter rather than the former, yet makes the Redeemer come not to, but out of Zion. Well, we reeoncile them thus: He was to come out of Zion (the gospel church,) and to Zion (the old covenanted people)—and thus receive again such of the Jews as turn to him; for in his providences and by his Spirit "he will take away their sins" according to an ancient covenant, a specification of which we have, Hosea iii 3, 4. "For the children of Israel shall continue many days without a king, and without a chief, and without a sacrifice, and without an altar, and without a priesthood, and without manifestations; and afterwards the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David (the beloved) their king, and will be amazed at the Lord and his goodness in the last days." Put these predictions from Isaiah lix. and Hosea iii. together, with the words of Paul, Rom. xi. 23. "And even they (the Jews) when they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in (to their own olive tree:) for God is able to graft them in again."

This fully intimates their conversion. It is still more clear in the original than in the common version. It is ean, when, (and not ei, if,) sometimes an adverb of time, and not a conjunction. Many examples can be given, such as 1 John iii. 2., "When he shall appear," not "if

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he shall appear,' &c. &c. But the common version if implies this; for the connexion-the promise of a Redeemer, turning away ungodliness from Jacob, and promising the taking away of their sins nationally indicates their general conversion. "And so all Israel shall be saved" is Paul's own construction of it. I believe Paul, and wait for the restoration of all Israel to their covenanted rights, amongst which their adoption to be a portion of God's heritage is one.

This is again farther intimated in another promise still more plain, because spoken in the New Testament. Jesus says by Luke, "The Jews shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Were this the city merely, and not the people that are trodden down, it would be difficult to reconcile it with the facts of history ancient and modern. But that the people, the commonwealth of Israel, has been so trodden down, all the world knows and attests. But the close of this period shall come: for blindness in part, has happened to Israel (only) until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and then "all Israel shall be saved." But yet there is room for farther light.

A. C.

A PROPOSITION TO THE DENOMINATIONS.
Dear brother Campbell,

As it is so difficult to get any thing like justice done us at the hands of the sects, in this land of free investigation and inquiry, in correcting the numerous misrepresentations of us and our sentiments, with which their periodicals abound, I have a proposition to make them, to which I do not think that they can rationally object; and which, if acceded to, will secure all the parties concerned an equal chance and a fair hearing throughout the length and breadth of the land.

The proposition is this:-For the four most prominent parties, at least in the great valley of the Mississippi, the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and ourselves, to unite in publishing at some central point, say Louisville or Cincinnati, a weekly mammoth sheet, of the largest kind, to be devoted to the propagation and defence of the views of each, and to be free from all advertisements and secular matters. As there would be just four pages, the Methodists could have one; the Baptists, one; the Presbyterians, one; and ourselves, one. be called by some general name-say, Banner of the Denominations;. and each page designated on top by the name of the denomination; as It could Methodist Department-Baptist Department-Presbyterian Department-Disciples' or Reformers' Department. Each one could take the first, second, third, and fourth page in succession and rotation, placing the name of the Editor of each at the top. Let each party select an Editor of ability, and competent to the task, which I expect conld be easily done at either of the two places referred to above.

That such a paper would be well sustained I have not the least doubt. 1 expect it would receive as much patronage as any two or three of any one party; as it would be patronized by all. From its peculiar character, many would take it that would not take any other religious paper. It would be a paper that all of all parties could recommend. In fine, shall we have such a paper?

Yours in the Lord,

DISCIPULUS.

ORIGIN OF THE PURITANS.

A MAJORITY of the Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, who died in 1603, were in favor of the Reformation and opposed to Popery. But the Protestants of that age were not agreed among themselves how far the work of reform should be carried. In 1559 Parliament passed two acts which had an important bearing on this subject: the first was "The Supremacy of the Sovereign," by which the Queen and her successors were invested with supreme power in all cases, temporal and ecclesiastical; and the Church of England was declared to be independent of the Church of Rome. By this act power was given to the Queen to appoint a certain number of individuals, to whom jurisdiction was committed in such matters of a spiritual nature as she was pleased to entrust to them. The individuals thus appointed formed what was called The Court of High Commission, to which court Elizabeth entrusted the work of reforming errors, heresies, schisms, and enormities of every kind. This court, in respect to the Puritans, became a sort of Inquisition.

The second act of Parliament, which had much influence upon the interests of religion, was called "The Uniformity of Common Prayer." This act was designed to bring all to the observance of the same rites and ceremonies, and by it the Queen was empowered to ordain and publish such rites and ceremonies as she might think were fitted to advance the interest of religion.

Elizabeth, for a Protestant, was very fond of many of the Catholic ceremonies, especially those which were showy and pompous. She desired to retain in the churches images of crucifixes. She decreed that the liturgy should be used, and that the clergy should wear square caps, tippets, robes, &c., such as had been worn by the Catholic priests. The clergy were also required to make the sign of the cross in baptism, and to observe the feasts and holy days of the Church of Rome. The Queen, by this decree, aimed to conciliate the Catholics, who were a large minority of her subjects.

A portion of the Protestants viewed these matters as the Queen did. They were for resorting to a scheme of worldly policy, rather than divide the church. They supposed then, a partial reform would be tolerated by the Catholics, and that the Protestants ought to be satisfied with it. But another portion of the Protestants were for renouncing all the unscriptural rites of the Romish church. They were for purifying the church, and hence were called Puritans.

Great numbers of the Puritans would not subscribe to the act of iformity They preferred to suffer whatever punishment the Court

of High Commission might inflict, rather than violate conscience They therefore came out and left the church entirely, and met for worship by themselves. They were for a time called Separatists. The great body of the Puritans, however, thought that separation from the church was a dreadful sin. The church, they said, is the body of Christ; and for a part to leave the church, was dividing the body of Christ. They considered it less sinful to subscribe the act with a mental reservation, than to divide the body of Christ.

In this way the Puritans became divided into two parties, Separatists and Non-Conformists; the latter remained in the church, but refused to conform as resolutely as the former. The non-conformity was connived at by the Bishop through fear of exciting popular odium. There were then in England four sects as bodies of professing Christians-Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Non-Conformists, and Separatists. The last two were called Puri ans.

Christian Index.

News from the Churches.

Boone County, Missouri, July 23, 1841.

In despite of the most bitter and malignant sectarian opposition, the good cause is progressing to some extent in our country. Sinners in many sections of our country are obeying the gospel, and many saints from the sects are rallying to the standard of Jinmanuel, taking their stand upon the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice, determined to enjoy and promote that union among Christians for which the Saviour prayed. Brother Thomas Smith, from Kentucky, is still with us, and has been evangelizing extensively in our state. He has just returned from a 10 or 12 days campaign in the counties of Audrain and Monroe. At Santa Fee, Florida, and Paris, he and brother Thomas obtained 44 additions; and since then brother Thomas has recruited 35 more at Santa Fee, (as I am informed.) The most of the above additions were from the world, but many of them were from the Baptists, and some from the other sects A short time. before that, brother J. Creath, jun., and brother Thomas, enlisted about 80 at Shelby. ville, some 30 miles north of Paris. Brother Creath has also recently added 13 at Monticello. Brother Samuel Rogers, from Ohio, has been evangelizing for 2 or 3 months in Franklin county, in this state, and has added to the churches there upwards of 80

In Columbia we have recently had six additions, and considerable accessions have also been made to other churches in our county, as well as in other portions of our state. On the 14th and 15th inst I had a discussion with a Methodist preacher, by the name of Johnson, on the following question, viz-"The law, the subject, the mode or action, and the design of Christian baptism." The result was satisfactory to myself and friends, so far as I have heard, and I ain certain will eventuate in much good to the cause of truth. This is, perhaps, as much as I should say. T. M. ALLEN. Lexington, Kentucky, July 30, 1841. From the awful drubbing which you have given the recruiters in the Millennial Har binger of this month, I am almost afraid to be found in such company; but I have concluded it is best to say, Lay on and score deep, while we will try and persuade sinners to turn to God, and at the same time teach, exhort, reprove and rebuke the Disciples in the fear of the Lord.

Brother Pinkerton and myself have just returned from Madison county, where we Jabored hard for ten days at three different points, in conjunction a part of the time with our esteemed brethren Collins, Stivers, Tribble, Bronson and White. The result was 22 additions-1 from the Methodists, 5 or 6 from the Baptists, and the balance from the world. During our stay brother Shannon received 3 in Richmond; brethren Collins, Stivers, and White got it at Station Camp, some 22 miles N. E. making 36.

We shall long remember the hospitality and Christian affection of the Disciples in Madison.

Brother Campbell I have given a promise to the brethren at Bowling Green, Russelville, and that region of the Green River country, to spend the coming twelve months with them as an evangelist. By the aid of my King, I hope with the brethren to do some.. thing for the cause. The prospects are very good. My friends will please direct all communications for me to Bowling Green May the bord bless you and prosper Bethany Collegel GEORGE W. ELLEY.