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JOSEPH S. BAKER— Editor.
VOLUME XII.
TEEMS PER ANNUM.
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Letters on business, or communications,
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BIBLE SOCIETY DEPARTMENT.
Pennsylvania.
State Convention—Depository of Bibles
in Philadelp.'iia—The IVinebrcnarians.
Woodstown, N. J., Nov. 14, 1843.
Dear Brother —From Philadelphia I pro
ceeded to Ilollisdaysburg, where the State
Convention inet. The meeting was a de
lightful one, and possessed peculiar inter
est. The Baptists in Pennsylvania have
done less to evangelize their own Slate,
than lias been done in any of the other ohlei
States of the Union: hut they are now
redeeming their character, and making no
ble and successful efforts for the benefit of
their own commonwealth. The employ
ment of Brother Shadrnch, to act as Sec
retary and Agent in visiting the churches
and associations in the Stale, was a wise
measure, and it lies been attended with the
most beneficial results. The plan of rais
ing a penny a week from all the members
ot the churches has very generally been
carried into effect. Every church that re
ceives aid from the Convention a contribu
tion of a penny a week is required from
each member, which has a tendency to
bring up the churches to a sense of duty,
with regard to sustaining the cause of
Christ among themselves. The Conven
tion employed last year twenty-eight mis
sionaries, whose labors were abundantly
blessed, for the salvation of precious souls.
-
iii;; last year, were converted to God, thro’
liieir instrumentality, baptized, and added
to the churches. New churches have been
planted, and old and feeble churches have
been revived and strengthened. At the
Philadelphia Association, and at the State
(Convention, successful efforts were made
to increase the funds for missionary pur
poses in the State ; and if the Board of the
(Convention can employ, the present year,
one or two efficient agents to visit the chur
ches in all parts of the Slate, and endeavor
to bring them up to the help of the Lord,
an incalculable amount of good may be ac
complished. In the Slate of Pennsylvania
there are thirty tlrftusand families without
the Bible; many of these families are Ger
mans. The Board of the State Convention
ouoln to have a plentiful supply of Bibles
in Deposit, in Philadelphia, lor the sup
ply of their missionaries, for distribution
among the people of the Stale, wherever
they travel, from the A. and F. 8.5., both
in the German and English languages. I
am sure that the managers of our Bible
Society would willingly co-operate with the
Board of the State (Convention, to aid in
circulating the word of life among the des
titute in the important Slate of Pennsylva
nia.
I had ihc pleasure of attending the an
nual meeting of the Eldership of the Church
of (lod, for that is the name by which
they designate themselves ; usually, how
■ever, they are called IVintbrenarians , from
Mr. Winebrenner, the founder of the sect.
1 he meeting was held in Shippcnsburg, on
the 6th instant. Perhaps not less than one
hundred delegates were present, who ap
peared to conduct the business for which
they met with much propriety.. They kind
ly invited me to a seat with them, and to
take part in their deliberations. The min
isters and other brethren with whom I be
came acquainted, appeared to be men of
good common sense, and true religion. In
their doctrinal views, they are considered
evangelical; and in promoting the cause
of Christ, they evince great energy of pur
pose. They adopt a business-like, practi
cal course, in carrying into effect what
they believe to be calculated to promote the
advancement of Christ’s kingdom, and the
salvation of sinners. I delivered an ad
dress on the Bible cause on the evening of
the first day’s meeting. The meeting
house, which is large, was filled to ovei”
flowing. The people were very attentive.
The subject was new to many of them ;
but all of them appeared to listen to the
truth with the most intense interest. A
collection was made in behalf of the A.
and F. R. S. of *2l 02. I think the min
isters and churches connected with this
body will become warm and efficient sup
porters of our noble Institution. Their in
terests are identified with our own in this
good cause. They are Baptists, and as a
matter of course, they wish the Scriptures
faithfully and completely translated, with- i
out mutilation or disguise. I have not
been able to ascertain, exactly, the hum- i
ber of their churches. I suppose there i
cannot be far from 300. They are spread
over a large portion of the States of Penn
sylvania, Ohio, and Indiantia. Thrv have l
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
one church in Baltimore and one in Phila
delphia. m
With regard to church government, their
usages are not decidedly fixed. They have
adopted the scriptural plan of the indepen
dence of the churches—but they have
adopted the uoscriptural plan of having lay
elders; that is, of elders bv offiee, who are
not preachers. No# the New Testament
knows nothing about eldeis by office, who
do not preach the gospel. Some of their
ministeis with whom I conversed, are con
vinced of this, and wish this part of their
system abolished. At present they have
adopted some peculiarities, which being
uoscriptural, ought to he given up; for ex
ample, they have #l some instances ad nul
led to the Lord’s Supper individuals that
were not baptized. But they have adopt
ed one principle, which if carried into ef
fect, will coircct all these evils—that the
Bible, and the Bible alone, is the only rule
of faith and practice. If this principle be
honestly carried into full effect by the dis
ciples of Jesus, after a careful and pray
erful investigation of the Sacred Scriptures,
it will root out Romanism, Puseyism, and
every other ism contrary to sound doctrine
and apostolic practice. The aim ol all good
men should be, to abandon the traditions of
men, and come to up to the standard of
primitive Christianity. Our grand inquiry
should he, what did the apostles otdain ?
What did they teach? What was the ap
proved practice of the churches, while un
der the guidance of these inspired men,
who in their teaching were infallibly di
rected and guided by the Holy Spirit, so
that they could “say nothing against the
truth, but for the truth?” The only ef
fectual way to produce unity among the
churches of the saints, which is an object
ot the gieatost importance, is for us to be
ot one mind with God, of one mind with
Christ, an t then we must of necessity be
of one mind with each other. It is not
the duty oi the interest of any man, of
any Church, to be in error; it is the duty
and the interest of every man, and of ev
ery Church, to hold the truth, and nothing
but the truih, as it is in Jesus , and to dis
card Irom their system every thing incon
sistent with the revealed will of Cod.—
Several of the Winebrennrians have invited
me to communicate my views, in their re
ligious paper, on the subject of lay elders.
I intend to do so.
ing. At the close of the meeting, when I
addressed them on the Bible cause, they
sting u chorus, which was often repeated,
and one of the sisters jumped and leaped,
and whirled around, with uplifted hands,
and shouted with great power and dexteri
ty. The Winebrenarians, though they
need instruction, like Apoflos, in the way
of God more perfectly, are likely to become
a useful and efficient body in the cause of
Christ.
in so far as 1 was able to judge, from the
brief acquaintance I had with them, my
mind was very favorably impressed res
pecting them. 1 pray God that they may
be led into all truth, possess the Spirit of
Christ, and be enabled to follow bis divine
example ! Yours, very respecifully,
A. Maclay.
HUME JUSSION DEPAimiFW.
For the Index.
Texas.
From Fee. II iUiarn \l. Tryon, If’ashing
lon, Texas.
“Our congregations begin to assume the
same aspect they wore previous to our last
Mexican difficulties, and in some of them
there is manifest seriousness upon the sub
ject of religion.
i J recently visited and preached at Egypt,
on the Colorado, where I learned that I
was the second Baptist minister who had
been heard there. Some thirty miles above
that place 1 passed Eagle Lake. Brother
Mercer inlorined rnc that not long since,
when on a tour in that neighborhood, in
company with a minister, to ascertain what
materials could be collected for a Baptist j
Church, they found a lone family near the
lake—the father, mother, and two of the
children ol which indulged a hope in Christ.
I’hey had heard no preaching for many
months, and had no Bible; but they had
obtained one Testament, and this they had
cut from the binding, and divided between
them as personal properly, thus allowing
them all to read as opportunity presented,
and by exchanging with each other, enjoy
ed the privilege of reading all that precious
book. From thus reading the New Testa
ment, without note or comment, they were
brought to the knowledge of the truth, as
it is in Christ, and were desirous of fol
lowing him down into the baptismal waters.
Die relation of their experience of grace i
was very satisfactory to the brethren.” ;
Besides meeting his regular appoint- i
ments, brother T. has visited other conn- i
ties. In Fayette county he attended a Bap- i
tist camp meeting. In the church and con- !
gregation he saw the widows, parents, I
brothers and sisters of many of Capt. Daw- ‘
son’s company, all of whom, with but a
single exception, were killed or taken pris
oners during the late Mexican invasion, un- <
der General Troll. A multitude of per- i
sons from great distances were present, and I
many who had been several years in Tex- t
as, then heard, for the first time since their t
immigration, the preaching of the gospel.
Much good resulted from the meeting.
Sickness and death have prevailed in s
some parts of the field cultivated by broth- I
FOR THE BAPTIST THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
PENFIELD, GA., JANUARY 5, 1844.
er TANARUS., and several members of the church
es under his care have fallen victims, of
whose death he speaks in affecting terms.
Some communications, previously sent
by him, have failed to reach us, and as
those expected some time since from other
missionaries, have not come to hand, there
is, probably, some irregularity or bad man
agement of the mails in that quarter, which
we regret, as it deprives us of the privilege
of publishing correspondence which, thus
far, has always proved interesting.
NEW HAMPSHIRE ANNUAL REPORT.
The following extract from the
Report of the New Hampshire Baptist*
Convention, is worthy of a^arefill readjust
and the serious considtraiion of all Chris
tians :
HOME MISSIONS.
‘•The American Baptist Home Mission
Society designates another portion oi the
field before us, and refers more particularly
to the “Great Vailv,” Texas, and the pos
sessions on the North. The labors of this
Society will undoubtedly have a great bear
ing on the destinies of our country, and the
souls of our fellow men. The very great
importance of having the United Slates
thoroughly evangelized is manifest on ac
count of iis piesent and prospective influ
ence, the perpetuity of our government,
and the highest interests, temporal and eter
nal, of the millions that are to inhabit our
extended territories. Lord Brougham was
correct when he said in tiie British Pailia
rnent, “ that whatever of freedom England
enjoyed, under her present institutions, she
was indebted tor it to the influence of the
Puritans. They were the men who with
stood the onsets of tyranny. They were
the men fit to be the guardians of liberty,
because they were men of God. Muster
ed on the high places of the field, they car
ried their Bibles in their knapsacks. They
were men of conscience and prayer.”—
And we need such men in the Great West
—men of their patriotism, piety and virtue.
To secure such, we must have the means
of instruction—missionaries—Bibles—Sab
bath schools, and pastors. And who is to
afford this supply—where shall we look
for help? We must do it—the Churches
at the East, or it will not be done. Be done
—to be sure it will be done—missionaries
and means will be furnished ; and the onlyf
question is, shall it be done by Protestants]
■it 1- a of 111, .Ui.C- Htlitfi<uu.*ty,vn fs
stituiions, and Hie population of the West,]
bo evangelical or Papal ?
The designs and plans of the Pope hav<>
been divulged—we know them, llis Ho
liness has already parcelled out our coun
try into diocesscs and bishoprics; and he
is continually pouring upon us his priests
and his money. It is but a short time
since he sent over ten thousand dollatsTto
be spent in the single territory of lowtfT to
fasten upon its new settlers the religion and
institutions of Rome. It is time the alarm
was sounded—an invasion by a foreign
power should be proclaimed, until its echo
is heard from every hill top and through
every vale. In a number of the Jlnnalsof
the Propagation of the Faith, is found a
statement of the disbursements to the miss
ion ol the New World, as this country is
called in Rome. Here are the items, show
ing to what persons and place this money
is appropriated—the sum total of which is
one hundred and forty-one thousand four
hundred and fifty-four dollars ! ‘Thus are
our civil and religious institutions invaded
—a foreign power, hostile to all we hold
dear, is pouring its immense treasures into
our country, to plant the foot ol the Ileast
upon our soil.
What, then, is the duly ol Protestants ?
Shall we lay still, and let the enemy pos
sess the land ? Shall we withhold the
means until it is too late ?”
We repeat the question, “ What, then,
is the duty of Protestants ? And add,
What, especially, is the duty of Baptists ?
Let Baptists ponder this subject seriously,
and act wisely.
Bent. M. Hiu, Cor. Sec.
Lord Russell’s lust words.
“ I have now done with this world ; I
am going to a better. 1 forgive all the
world, and, I thank God, I die in charity
with all men ; and I wish all sincere Prot
estants may love one another, and not
make room for Papery by their animosi
ties.” In the paper he delivered to the
sheriffs as his last declaration, he says :
“For Popery, I look on it as a bloody and
idolatrous religion, and therefore thought
myself bound, in my station, to do all I
could against it. I never thought of acting
against it basely or inhumanly, but what
could consist with the Christian religion
and Ihe laws and liberties of this kingdom.
/ did believe, and do still, that Popery is
breaking in upon the nation, and that
those that advance it will slop at nothing
to carry their designs. lam heartily sor
ry that so many Protestants give their help
ing hand to it, hut I hope that God will pre
serve the Protestant religion, and this na
tion, though I am afraid it will fall under
very great trials and very sharp sufferings.”
* Beheaded for high treason in the leign
of Charles 11., on corrupt and perjured ev
idence. The offence for which he incurred
the displeasure of the King, was opposi
tion to the succession of the Catholic Duke
of York.
Trust in the Lord with all thy heart;
and lean not unto thine own undert.iand
mg. . .
—For the Christian Index.
To the Ministry. So. J.
. A everend brethren, — Books nuistiieces
kfnly t° a great extent, be your compan
ions. Those which treat ofliteralure, sci
ence, and the arts, are not. unimportant to
yiotir profession. The works of the best
Writers on all the topics embraced in llieen
| tire system of Theology, should be familiar
ito vou ; perhaps they are so already. The
ir-0.-; diligent study of your authors, guided
?7* uise discretion, is requisite to prepare
IW®'’ f> perform effectually the duties of your
office. Let the Bible, however, be your
chief book, your daily, your hourly instruc
ted” From its rich pnges confirm your faith,
animate your hope, and direct your life.—
Receive nothing into your system which is
not there clearly taught, and exclude noth
ing that is plainly inculcated. Be prepared
to preach its doctrines in their true charac-
ter, in all their relations, and hearings, with
clearness and perspicuity. And while you
do this neglect not the facts of the Bible.—
The minds of many of your hearers may
not be sufficiently strong to comprehend
even those doctrines which are comparative
ly plain, they may want the discipline re
quisite to appreciate argument; but facts
will cling to them with a tenacity which can
never be shaken. “ Facts, ignited by the
eloquence of pungent feeling, is the liotest
fire a guilty conscience can endure on this
side its final doom. It was this thatsleteo
typed damnation on the stubborn monarch’s
soul, when Daniel interpieted the words ol
warning, on that night Belshazzar died.—
This it was which awoke the earthquake
throbs of remorse under Peter’s preaching,
and led thousands to cry out, what shall we
do ? It was the plain statement of facts,
without embellishments to encumber them
or fears to blunt their edge, that thrilled the
pompous court of Agrippa, and made Felix
tremble on his throne.”
Study, therefore, beloved brethren, if you
please, literature, the sciences, and arts;
study theology; study human nature; but
htuuy the tiible ; and es
pecially “ to show yourselves approved
unto God, workmen that need not be asham
ed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”—
Nor is it enough that you pursue a general
course. You must elaborate every particu
lar subject you attempt to illustrate. Ido
not intend by this remark to intimate that
you ought, even occasionally, to write your
discourses. Much have been said both in
favor and against this practice, and, in my
opinion, to iiule purpose. Let every man
adopt that course which to him may appear
best. We should not require any of our
Davids to light in the armour of Saul. It
is veiy evident, however, that the delivery
ol Written discourses, on ordinary occasions,
is not the most acceptable or successful
method of preaching ; and, aside from this
fact, the physical labor of such preparations
would be utterly insupportable. Ido not
bold it necessary to carry always with you
into the pulpit even “ a brief,” or a manu
script of any kind. Your subjects, never
theless, must be thoroughly digested, or
you cannot yourself understand them, mueh
less can you impart their instruction to oth-
crs. If there is ambiguity in the mind of
the ‘{tere will be slill more in that
of the hearers c The trumpet will give an
uncertain soui.d, and no man will prepare
himself for the battle. Your labor will be
fruitless. Becollect, also, that to success
in study, uni-emitted industry, and settled
habits of application are essential. With
--Skc-e, I trust, you commenced your profes
sional life ; for well am I assured that, if
neglected at that period, on any account
whatever, they are alterwards exceedingly
difficult to be acquired. All these consid
erations, my brethren, I persuade myself
you must fully appreciate.
To secure the success of your ministry,
which you certainly most earnestly desire,
allow me to remind you that much prayer
and care, with some knowledge of the peo
ple you address, will be requisite in the se
lection and managemunt of your subjects,
and in the manner of their presentation.
We have reason to thank God that he
lias made us responsible only for our fideli
ty, and not for the success of our exertions.
Paul may plant, and Apollos water, hut God
gWeth the increase. To him, therefore, let
us look, after careful labor and daily pray
er, to succeed our faithful eflbris.
In the selection of your subjects have re
ference always to the mental, moral, and
religions character and wants of your hear
ers. If you fail in this particular, you will
most surely find that you have toiled in
vain You may address a man a thousand
times, but unless you speak of topics which
Intelest him, in a style and manner which
be is prepared to appreciate, Ilia heart will
remain unmoved. The importance of at
temion to these matters is so palpable that
no illustration is necessary.
In the management of your subjects seek
to be simple, uaiural, and evangelicnL—
Never lose sight of the cross. There take
your permanent position.
“ Touched by the cross we live, or more
than die.”
In presenting truth let your manner ac
cord with the plain, affectionate, humble
spirit of the Gospel. This alone befits an
ambassador of the Redeemer sent on an er
rand of mercy to guilty men, and it will not
fail to open a way for truth to the inner
chamber of the soul. • all pomp and
ceremony, learned parade, “ attitude and
stare, and start theatric,” is, and ever must
be, supremely repulsive. “It is my per
fect scorn,” 1 loathe it in my soul, as I do
all affectation. For such defects as these, no
piety, no learning, amiability of character,
no private or public virtue, can atone,
“ Simple, grave, sincere,
In doctrine uncorrupt, in language plain,
And plain in mannei ; much impressed
Himself, as conscious of his awful charge,
And anxious, mainly, that the flock he feeds
May feel it too; affectionate in look,
And tender in address, as well becomes
A messenger of grace to guilty men.”
Such, beloved hreihien, as drawn by the
hand of a master, should be ihe manner of
every minister. These consideralions,sill
ier me again to remind you, are of the ut
most consequence to success in the sacred
office. And than this, what higher or pu
rer motive can influence the bosom of hu
man beings ?
The souls of the congregated muliitudes
you daily see belbre you are in imminent
danger of eternal death. He whose sighs
on Olivet, whose pangs on Calvary, best
speak their priceless worth, saith that they
may be lost. And should one of these ru
ined beings, amid his tossings in the pit of
dark despair, utter forth thy name as one
who might have plucked him from destruc
tion; O ! if glorified spirits can weep,
would there not be a burst of tears from your
‘I </'>' jitttbl it llil, rr *y*. . al 3
I “ named the name of Christ,” how prone
. are they to wander, to fold theii arms to
. getlicr in sleep, and “pierce themselves
through with many sorrows !” Then, my
reverend and beloved brethren
, “ Up, blow thy trumpet! Sound the loud
alarm
To those who sleep in Zion. Boldly warn
To ’scape their condemnation o’er whose
head
Age after age of misery hath rolled ;
Who, from their prison home, lookup and
see
Heaven’s golden gate, and to its Watchmen
ery
What of the night ? While the dread an
swer falls,
With fearful echo, down the unfathomed
depths,
Eternity.”
With sentiments of profound regard,
I am, in Christ Jesus, your brother,
SENEX.
For the Christian Index.
Harris Cos., Ga., Dec. 7lh, 1843.
Pro. Baker —When I last wrote to you,
my principal object was to elicit an explan
ation of what I believed to be a glaring in
consistency. Your notes on that article
seem to render it necessary for me to reply.
You have done but little towards removing
the difficulty. Your reply to the 3rd que
ry 1 believed to be true ; 1 merely inserted
it to show the contrast between that and
your reply to query 4th.
If “ God from all eternity decreed all
things that come to pass, means as well as
ends, circumstances minute as well as im
portant, and all in the order ol their occur
rence,” and there is a “ definite number of
both the elect and non-elect, which can nei
ther be increased nor diminished,” conse
quently none but the elect can go to Hea
ven, and none but the non-elect to hell. To
which class do this “ great multitude of
heathens” belong who are now in hell, but
might have been in heaven ? They cer
tainly belong to one or the other. If
they are of the non-elect, how is it possible
that they could have gone to heaven ? Or
if they were of the elect, how did they get
to hell without breaking the deeiee ? If this
is not a palpable and irreconcileable discre
pancy, it must be the master mystery in
the Universe. But instead of solving the
difficulty, you refer to the sayings of an in
spired apostle. Had Paul been required to
explain this seeming discrepancy do you
suppose he would have referred to some
former writer ? Solomon (for instance)
who at one time said, •• answer not a fool
according to his folly,” and at another “an
swer a fool according to his folly,” and
plead that h had ji good a right to be in
Puhlisher— BENJ. BRANTLY.
NUMBER L
consistent as Solomon, or would he have
given the desired explanation ? I think he
would have done the latter. This If
certainly a very easy way to slide out of an
unaccountable difficulty. You say, “ We.
cannot expect any to receive our saying that
will not receive the Saviour’s.” I was not
apprised before that your sayings were
equal to the Saviour’s, or I would not have
presumed to question the propriety of any
thing you said or wrote.
I do not expect ministers or editors io ft
concile “ the different declarations of God’s
word,” but I think it is their duty to recon
cile their own declarations. “ That
men are left free to choose either good or
evil the Scriptures abundantly teach”—
Sound to the core. But how does this com
port with the doctrine ofimmutable decrees?
1 believe that the Almighty has immu
tably decreed many things, such as the cre
ation of the world, our Saviour’s advent inlc/
the world, &c. But Ido not believe that
He has unconditionally decreed the eternal
damnation of any of his creatures. Yoif
sav that I misapply the passage in relation
to infants. I made no particular application’
of it at all, only to show that the Saviour
made no such distinctions between infants
as some of our modern wise-acres have
done. 1 did not even intimate “ that the
kingdom of heaven is composed of just such
in every respect as the Savior took in his
arms,” and know not how it could be con
strued in that way True, you admit
ted that all who die in infancy are saved ;■
hut you did not admit that non-elect infants
could die in an infantile state. You
hope that I have not adopted the doctrine of
universal salvation, and wish me to inform’
you what Ido believe. Now I hope that
I am as far from adopting or believing that
pernicious and unscriptural doctrine as any
one, the redoubtable Editor of the Index not
excepted. And I will tell you some tilings
that I believe, though I have not space to
tell yon all. I believe that the Bible is a
revelation of the truth as it is in Jesus, and’
worthy of all acceptation. I believe that
,t*l- out exercises his soverignty over
voluntary beings in such a way as not to
compel them in their moral actions
The simile you have given in relation to
the legislator, criminal and judge, appears
(to me) to be very imperfect! Accord
ing to the Caloinian System, the legislator
should decree what the criminal sW do
and exercise an absolute control over his
mind and actions, and all his (the criminal’s)
misdeeds must be the necessary resiilt of a
compelling power from-the legislator, tip
on whom then is his destruction to be charg
ed? upon his crimes as the proximate cause,
or upon the legislator as the primary and
efficient cause ? Candour would compel
me to answer, upon the legislator. Far be
it from me “to question’ the truth of wha(
God affirms, or to array onb declaration of
his against another,” for I believe his de-’
clarations all harmonize, had we the capac
ity to understand them correctly.’
Prophecy has been much relied on by
the advocates of unconditional predestina
tion to support that doctrine. Prophecy’
from its etymology simply signifies fore
telling. I admit that in the Bible it some
times means more. Some of the prophe-’
cies which seem to contain most of the lan
guage of authority and execution ;'never-’
tireless appear to depend greatly upon the
conduct of voluntary agenis, whether they
will or will not he fulfilled. God promised
Abraham that his seed should posset the
land of Canaan forever. Was not that x/„
ditional ? Do they now possess it ? And’
why do they not? Because they trans-
gressed the law, &c. A prophet was sent
to Hezekiah to “say unto him set thine
house in order for thou slialt die and nos
live.” Did he die at that time? Witness
• also the famous prophecy which Jonah was
commanded to pronounce against the gieat
city, “ Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be
overthrown.” Was Nineveh overthrown
in forty days? Not so. The inhab
■ itants repented of their iniquities in sack
cloth and ashes, and the Lord turned away
his anger and did not destroy them, which
displeased Jonah, he was so tenacious of
his honor that he prefered that more than’
six score thousand persons should have beeti
cut off and sent to hell rather than his've
racity as a man of truth should
How much like him are some of our mod
ern prophets, who would send unborn mil
lions to bell by an eternal, unconditional de
cree, raiher than their favorite creed should
be thought defective.
Yours truly,
J. B. tfXTCHELL.
P. S. I do not expect to maintain a
controversy with an editor, the contest is
too unequal. Please to publish the above
in the Index and it is highly probable that
I shall (rouble you no more in tide way.
J. R. W. -