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and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain : that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.

APPEAL

TO

THE CHRISTIAN PUBLIC,

IN DEFENCE OF THE

"PRECEPTS OF JESUS."

BY

A FRIEND TO TRUTH.

Ramsn

FROM THE LONDON EDITION.

NEW-YORK:

PUBLISHED BY B. BATES, 380 BROADWAY.

AN APPEAL,
&c. &c.

IN perusing the twentieth number of "The Friend of India," I felt as much surprised as disappointed at some remarks made in that magazine, by a gentleman under the signature of "A Christian Missionary," on a late publication, entitled, "The Precepts of Jesus;" and also at some observations of a similar nature on the same subject by the editor of that publication. Before, however, I attempt to inquire into the ground upon which their objections to the work in question are founded, I humbly beg to appeal to the public against the unchristianlike, as well as uncivil manner in which the Editor has adduced his objections to the compilation, by introducing personality, and applying the term of heathen to the Compiler. I say unchristianlike manner, because the Editor, by making use of the term heathen, has, I presume, violated truth, charity, and liberality, which are essential to Christianity in every sense of the word. For there are only two methods by which the character of the Compiler as a heathen, or as a believer in one true and living God, can be satisfactorily inferred. The most reasonable of the

cumstances.

two modes is to confine such inquiries to the evidence contained in the subject of review, no mention of the name of the Compiler being made in the publication itself. Another mode, which is obviously inapplicable in such discussions, is to guess at the real author, and to infer his opinions from a knowledge of his education or other cirWith respect to the first source of evidence, the following expressions of the Compiler's sentiments, are found in the Introduction. "A notion of the existence of a Supreme Superintending Power, the author and preserver of the harmonious system, who has organized, and who regulates such an infinity of celestial and terrestrial objects, and a due estimation of that law which teaches that man should do to others as he would wish to be done by, reconcile us to human nature," &c. "This simple code of religion and morality, (meaning the Precepts of Jesus,) is so admirably calculated to elevate men's ideas to high and liberal notions of one God," &c. "so well fitted to regulate the conduct of the human race in the discharge of their various duties to God, to themselves, and to society," and "so conformable to the dictates of human reason and divine revelation," &c. These expressions are calculated, in my humble opinion, to convince every mind not biassed by prejudice, that the Compiler believed not only in one God, whose nature and essence is beyond human comprehension, but in the truths revealed in the Christian system. I should

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