of many old manuscripts: "For by grace are you saved through faith, (and that not from us: it is the gift of God) but not by works, so that no man can boast," Thus every thing in christendom is against the gloss of our author.

Thus we dispose of one of Mr. Jennings' censures of the new version, and of the bulwark of his theory of miraculous faith. The above defence, on philological principles, we submit, with all confidence, to every impartial linguist; being persuaded that even among learned deists there cannot be found one, versed in the Greek language, who would hazard his reputation by denying its correctness. We are of opinion that all Mr. Jennings' criticisms to which we shall object, are as futile and unfounded as this to which we have now attended. It appeared to us expedient to expose it as fully as we have done, although, intrinsically, it is but a very small matter. The reader will, no doubt, perceive how much labor an uncandid and bold opponent, hazardous of his assertions, may impose on any one who is disposed to examine all his glosses, and to dissipate the mist in which he hides the truth frequently from himself as well as from those whom he presumes to instruct. In my soul I pity those who are guided by such critics and theologians, who would vainly attempt to subvert all the established laws of language to carry a favorite opinion. EDITOR.

NEW DISCIPLINE IN VERMONT.

AN aged and venerable disciple in Rutland county, Vermont, was suspected of unsoundness in the faith of the Regular Baptist church, and accordingly a committee of the brethren was sent to labor with him and to convince him of the error of his way. The committee waited on him, and, by way of discharging the duty of admonition, wished him to show them how far he had departed from the faith, by giving them a statement, in writing, of his views. He declined, telling them he thought duty required of them to make a report for themselves, and not to require him either to write his own indictment, or to make a report of his own heresy. He wished them to become acquainted with his sentiments, and would afford them every facility of understanding them; but could not think of making out, for the use of the church, a report. They exhibited a very good spirit, however; and spoke with much tenderness and affection-which was reciprocated.

He attended the church meeting, and found they had failed to make a report in writing, but only stated a few things verbally-all in good temper. He was interrogated touching his views, and answered all their questions. The church proposed calling a council to advise them what to do. He alleged that as their fellowshipping him must depend upon their own views of his faith, sentiments, and practice, he thought it wholly unnecessary to call a council. He thought himself, moreover, unworthy of putting the brethren of other churches to so

much trouble. However, a council they would have -and the whole church besought him to prepare, for that council, a written statement of his views. To this request from the church he stated;-1st. That he thought if they had any difficulty with him, their duty was to state what it was;-2d. That he took the New Testament as it stood in its original plainness, fulness, and simplicity, as the standard of his faith, and being opposed to all human systems, he thought any such document as they required of him, wholly unnecessary. But that he might not appear stubborn and self-willed, he agreed to give them a statement, in writing, of his views, which accordingly was presented to the council in session, on the 22d of June last. He furnished his own indictment, a document equal to about eight pages of this work, on which they asked him many questions in the words of human wisdom, which he answered with all candor and simplicity, "as far as he was able," in the words of the New Testament.

He was called in to hear the report of the council, which, in substance, was;-"That he was in error; but as they hoped he was not yet fully settled in it, they advised the church not to cut him off, but to admonish and pray for him." They advised him not to spread nor propagate the sentiments he had exhibited, but to review the subject carefully and prayerfully, "lest, by any means, he had run too fast."

He replied; If God had given him any light, he required him to let it shine, and not to put it under a bushel or a bed. If he was in any error, he requested them to show it to him; but this they declined. All this was done in great good temper and courtesy, so that no complaint on this ground could be made on either side. They alleged, that if they had required the church to cut him off, they would have furnished him with a specification of his errors; but that not being the case, they could not consent to do it at that time. The whole proceedings resulted in the diffusion of light, and much good may be expected from the developments made by the investigation undertaken in behalf of popular prejudices.

This venerable brother states to me, in a letter of the 27th..June, that if I thought him wrong in any expression or thought, not to spare showing it to him, for, says he,-"Truth appears to me so unspeakably precious, that it seems to me I would not take a step to save my life at the expense of it. To its mandate I mean to bow with all submission. I feel myself firm as a rock against all the arguments drawn from pride and popularity, which have been urged to prevent my searching for truth; and against those drawn from the indignation, calumny, and reproach of professing christians. I would not boast, but be humbly thankful to the Father of Mercies that he has so wedded my heart to the truth, that I can esteem reproach for it, greater riches than my reputation, or any earthly treasure."

The following sketch of his experience is worthy of comparison with the best narratives given in many churches. Reader, see what fruits grow on this Egyptian vine, planted in the vineyard of Geneva, whether sprinkled or baptized.

I have, myself, (through what now appears to me wrong instruction) been groping in darkness for thirty-five years, since I professed religion. I stumbled at the very threshold. I supposed I must have something good in me, wrought by the Spirit, before I had any right to lay hold on the hope set before me in the gospel; and on the most careful examination, I found so much that was not good in my heart, that I could not, as an honest man before God, avoid calling in question the foundation of my hope-and often have I concluded I would rest on it no longer, but would come to God as one who never had any hope. But I understood not the gospel. My eyes were blinded to the plain instructions of the word. I knew no other way than to pray that the Holy Spirit would change my heart, and try to give myself away to him. But here I found my way hedged up. I knew that prayer, to be availing, must be offered in faith-and I did not suppose that I could exercise faith, until my heart was changed. I have often looked every way to find something on which I could take hold, but there was nothing. The system I had been taught, had been so framed as to make me as helpless, with respect to my spiritual concerns, as those who are literally dead, are to animal motion; and this was done, lest the creature should attribute his salvation, in some measure, to his own doings, and, consequently, lean upon his own works, so his salvation be not wholly of grace. Thus, I say, I looked, and looked; but looked in vain. If my heart had not been renewed, I could not see that I could make one motion towards it-but must be as entirely passive as the dead in their graves. In this distressing condition the groans which have burst from my bosom no mortal tongue can tell, no heart conceive, unless it have felt the same.

"But thanks, eternal thanks, to that Almighty Being, whose truth has rent the vail, and enabled me to look at the plain, easy, and familiar instructions of his word. There I find that I am warranted, as a rational creature, yea, even as a sinner, to lay hold, by faith, on the hope set before me in the gospel, and to obey God-with the assurance that, through this faith, God will grant me that purity which I so much need. In short, that through it, in full and lively exercise, I shall have all I need for life and godliness here, and preparation for glory hereafter.

This view of the gospel, while it detaches nothing from its grace, opens a door of hope for the poor sinner, into which he may enter and lay hold on eternal life. All is consistent, harmonious, lovely, yea, beautiful and worthy of a God. No difficulties in reconciling the doctrines of divine sovereignty with free agency-no contradictions, "You can and you can't," &c.

"It is, dear sir, this view of the gospel which has lifted my soul out of the mire, where I had been bowed down for nearly twice eighteen years. Yet I acknowledge my faith weak. O when shall it be like Abraham's! I am sure my zeal and diligence will be in proportion to its strength. May the Lord increase it abundantly in all his children."

I would, were I not crowded with many similar narratives, gladly give the whole of his report, drawn out by himself. The contents must suffice at present.

1. A declaration of his belief in the existence and character of God; in the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments concerning the Messiah, his person, mission, and character; and in the erection of his kingdom by the Apostles.

2. His convictions of the evils resulting from creeds of human arrangement as bonds of christian fellowship; and the sufficiency, fulness, and intelligibility of the holy scriptures.

3. His faith in the competency of the Apostles to announce the gospel, both on, and after the day of Pentecost; and his assurance that Peter meant what his words fairly imported in his addresses to the Jews and Gentiles.

4. His objection to metaphysical and speculative divinity; and the danger and delusion of making fancy and experience tests of christian doctrine and christian character, rather than the written testimony of God.

5. Specifications of the incongruities resulting from supposing that the leaders of the sects were led by the Spirit in forming rites, ceremonies, institutions, and modes of worship, palpably repugnant and contradictory to each other-or that the members of these human establishments can be led by the Spirit in adopting any of them.

6. The metaphysical and philosophical difficulties obtruding upon his efforts to imagine, with many devout people, how moral diseases are to be remedied by physical means-or the removal of depravity from man, if he can neither believe the threatenings nor the promises of God, except as a machine operates by mechanical power, or as he is compelled to believe them by the infusion of faith.

7. The incongruities of the notion of the Spirit working faith in the heart without the testimony of God-and of supposing that any man receives the Spirit before he believes in the Lord.

8. His views of the import of christian immersion-of the congre gations' duty in observing the first day of the week as did the ancient disciples of Christ-and the impropriety of assuming any other name of designation than the names by which the Lord's people were originally distinguished.

9. His willingness still to bear with all ignorance, and weakness, and difference of opinion amongst all who hold the head, and submit to Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King.

10. His renunciation of the statement which he made as containing a system obligatory upon himself, or to be propounded to others as a term of fellowship.

11. A request that, if the council should separate him, they would give him, in writing, a statement of his errors, with references to the scriptures which might convince him.

This is the outline of a very lucid, argumentative, and scriptural expose of the great elements of christian knowledge, presented in the statement submitted to the council.

The reader will be gratified to learn that this intelligent brother was, not long since, one of the proprietors, (I think) and one of the committee of superintendence of the Vermont Telegraph-in a word, that this is the production of Ebenezer Conant, of Vermont.

EDITOR.

Christian Character.

"MAKE the tree good," was a maxim of the great Teacher. The good conscience, the pure heart, the holy life, or the good character in order to eternal life. Christianity begins with the conscience, and ends in perfect purity and felicity. Guilt, pollution, and the dominion of sin destroyed, are preparatory to that peace and love and joy

on earth, the prelude of "the fulness of joy." and of the "pleasures forevermore" at the right hand of God. This arrangement explains why the re.nission of sins is the capital item in the gospel; why the Holy Spirit should be the inmate of the human heart.

But how is the christian character to be formed? and what is it when formed? The mould in which it is cast is the doctrine of the Apostles. But what is the Apostle's doctrine? It is the doctrine of relations. Christian knowledge is the knowledge of these relations, and christian character is the filling up of these relations.

Jesus Christ first opened up to human sight all the relations in which man stands to spirit and sense, to time and eternity, to God, to angels, and to men. To live in accordance with these relations is the perfection of man, and consequently of human character.This is the great lesson which christianity teaches.

Human religion divorces man from a rational regard to some one or more of these relations. The Anchorite deserts the race to which he belongs, and seeks for perfection in the neglect of all social duties. The model of perfection which he sets before himself, is the phantom of an unchastened imagination. There is no living to God in this world, but by living to men. The whole sisterhood of vestal nuns, and the whole brotherhood of cloistered monks, are a banditti leagued against nature, reason, and society; outlaws in God's government, rebels against social order, and contemners of their own race. The purest women that ever lived were wives and mothers; and the most holy and renowned men of every age were husbands and fathers.

The soldier who deserts the army lest he should prove a coward, as well deserves the honors of a brave man, as he, the christian character, who shuns the natural relations, lest he should fail in the discharge of social duties. The same may be affirmed of all deserters from political and economical relations in society which in themselves are honorable, or in other words, serviceable to the general interests of mankind.

But here is the peculiar excellence of the religion of Jesus Christ, that it makes the growth in divine favor, and the excellence of human character, to consist in filling up all relative duties. When the master fulfils the law of Christ to his servant, and the servant fulfils the law of Christ to his master, they are in the moral and religious world perfect equals perfect characters, and equally fit for the honors and bliss of heaven. But as no man or woman stands only in one relation to mankind, it behooves them to have a proper regard to all relations, in order to perfection; and as some occupy many relations, excellency of character to them is of more difficult attainment, because it calls for the discharge of so many distinct classes of duties. Hence he that is only a master, and neither a husband nor a father, and he that is both a master and a husband, and not a father, may more easily fill up the outline of his relative duties than he who is both a master, a husband, and a father. In proportion as relative duties are multiplied, both in kind and in number, this