The Christian index. (Washington, Ga.) 1835-1866, February 16, 1844, Image 1

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JOSEPH S. BAKER— Editor. VOLUME XII. TERMS PER ANNUM. F&T The Christian Index, published on Friday tncaclt week, (except two in the year), will be furnished to each subscriber at $2 50 cents, in advance; or $3 if not paid within the year. CP Post-Masters, where the Index is taken, are re [nested to forward remittances for subscribers at their respective offices, Recording to a decision of the Post-Master General as to their right to do so. All pa trons attd agents are requested to notice this. Every Agent (and all Baptist Ministers are particularly solicited to become agents) who procure and pay for live copies of the index, shall be entitled to a sixth, as a com pensation for his trouble. Letters on business, or communications, must be addressed to the Editor, post paid. Advertisements may be inserted on usual terms, at the discretion of the Editor. ■n Mill I mm. n M T-iirT r-urortr. ~ i Church Discipline. % A GENERAL VIEW OK TIIE SUBJECT. The term discipline is often used in a sense far too limited, and, indeed, in one too remote from its primitive signification. It primarily denotes instruction. In this sense it is used, in the only passage in which we remember to have met with it in our present version of the Hihle. I'his occurs in Joh 30. 10, where Elitm, one of Job’s counsel lors, sneaking of the Lord’s dealings with the righteous, says, “He opeticth also their ear to discipline:” that is, evidently, to in struction: for lie proceeds to shew that il tliev act in accordance with die discipline leceived and obev find, they shall he pros pered, but if they disregard that discipline and disobey him, lie adds, “they shull die without knowledge.” The term is de rived from the same root with disciple.—V The latter term, it is generally known, sig-( iii'ies a learner or pupil. Tuns we read ol_ the disciples or pupils of Mocraics, Plato, Zeno, Ac. the disciples or pupils ofCliri.sl, die disciples of Campbell, Miller, Smith, die disciples of dilferent schools, as <il the new and old, modern and ancient schools. All lexicographers agree in representing that the primary meaning ot the term dis cipline involves the idea ul instruction. It is used in a secondary sense lot a rule ol action; in a third sense, lot the systematic acting out of a tuie; and in :t fourth sense, lor chastisement, or the infliction of punish ment for the violation or disregard of a rule. There are other senses in which it is used. Thus Sliakespear uses it to express a mili tary regulation; Rogers, to denote a stale of subjection; and W'llklus applies u to any tiling taught, as an art or science- Each of these, however, should be borne distinctly la remembrance, as they are all involved in the idea of church discipline, and we must understand the true nature ol discipline be fore we can exercise it aright. The discipline of a chinch, then, pro perly consists: Ist, in instruction; 2d, In wise regulations; 3d, In a regular anil sys tematic acting out of the duties of religion, as tliev are laid down in the rules of God’s woid; 4tlt, In promptly restiaiuiug the wayward, reproving the erring, and exclu ding the incorrigible offender; or, m other words, in a judicious exercise of the correc tive power with which it is vested. To restrict one’s ideas to the arraigning, trying and censuring offenders, is a very palpable error, and one th t imperiously calls for correction; for the evils that result from it are great ami interminable. And yet il is an error that is very prevalent in our churches. How often do we hear the remark, “.We have no case of discipline in our church,” or “we have no case re quiring discipline.'” We very well know what is meant by such expressions; but this only serves to evince the prevalence of the error. If it were a rare tiling to restrict the use of the term to the dealing with of fenders, we should not be able to under stand a brother so readily, when he affirmed that there was no ease of discipline in 1 1 is church. “No case of discipline!” we would be ready to exclaim; “what! no ease of in struction, no rules, no practice of the pre cepts of the gospel! Why how do you manage to get along in your church?” The other expression would equally surprise us. No case requiring discipline! Indeed! all so wise as not to require instruction; so en dowed with an instinctive sense of what is just and right and honorable, as not to re quire rules! so perfect, as to have no need for the further practice of godliness! Ily what wonderful process, we would be apt to inquire, have they been brought to this most enviable state of perfection? Tlie prevalence of this ertor in rsfcrencc to church discipline, is the more remarka ble, as all seem to lie fully aware of the ex tent of the term, wheri reference is made to military or discipline; or the disci pline of any combination of men formed merely for worldly purposes. In such cases, the idea of punishment, instead of being the first, is generally the last thing that occurs to the mind. Were one to speak to us of a well disciplined army, we would be much more apt to form an idea of a band of soldiers duly marlialed in rank and file, attending to instructions, shoulder ing arms, marching attd wheeling according to ord?r, than of one or more soldiers arres ted, placed undergtiard, or set astride of a wooden horse. And so, also, were mention made of a well disciplined school, we would be much less likely to think of a parcel of well flogged pupils, than of a group of boys or girls assembling punctual- I}"> arranging themselves in their several places orderly, applying themselves dili gemly to their studies, and quietly, cheer iully and regularly attending to the various exercises otwtlie school. But why should oiu ideas of discipline be more restricted when the term is applied to the army of the Lord of the school of Christ? The etror of restricting, within too nar row limits, our ideas of church discipline, leads us to rely lor eflecton causes that are inadequate for their ptoduetion. They in duce an over-estimate of some of the means used in pieserving discipline, and an under estimate ol otliers. We vainly imagine, that a church may he kept in good order, and in a healthy condition, by promptitude in bringing offenders to account, and a strict application of the censures of the church. All disorder is ascribed to remissiiess in Iheso particulars. The church which ex cludes the greatest number of offenders, in the jshi.'rtcst space of time, is, not imfre queiitly, considered the best disciplined.— But cnrrecliot;, without instruction, never reformed a man or’ saved a soul. We whol ly mistake the case, ascribe effects to other than the true causes, and, like theempyric, administer our remedies most injudiciously. It is not surprising that we more frequently kill than cure; more frequently produce than remove disorders. Every attempt to preserve a church in order, by the exercise of penal power alone, must and will prove abortive. To suc ceed, in such attempts,(we must resort to in struction; and ibis must be repeated fre quently, “line upon line and precept upon precept;” we must have’rules by which to be governed, and these must be made ■known and explained; our church members must be exercised in acting out the practi cal precepts of the gospel, and this should he done daily. Let these tilings be done, and we shall seldom have need to resort to is generally railed discipline results, in reality, from the want of due discipline.— It is with churches as with schools and ar mies; in those that are best disciplined, there will be the least need to inflict pun ishment. Hence; the necessity for a fre quent recourse to church censures, affords inlallible evidence that there is something radically defective in our system of disci pline. But we shall proceed to notice mofe minutely, the several tilings which we have represented as necessary to the prop er discipline of a church, with the view of pointing out some additional errors that re quire eorrreetion. 1. Ok Instruction. —The .prevalence of disoider in our churches, and the conse quent number ol exclusions that are annu ally reported to our associations, are ascrib ablc, in a great degree, to a defect in our system of instruction. Our system is de fective in respect both to the frequency and the nature of the Distinctions given. Usu ally our churches assemble to receive in struction hut once a mouth,* and rarely is there., a majority of the litcmbers of a large church present at any of its regular meet ings. A large pioportimi of our members do not meet their regular instructors more than two or three limes in the course of a year. Wliat proficiency could we expect our children to make in learning, if we only sent them to school as often as our church .members attend on their pastors to receive iitstinotion, and if, when sent, they only re mained an hour ortwo in the exercises of the schoolroom? In all probability, they would just learn enough to make them appear wise tit their own estimation, and ignoramuses in the estimation of others. It is just so with many of our church members, who meet their spiritual instructors, at most, but twelve times a year. They obtain just enough knowledge of spiritual things, to make them imagine that they are compe tent to teacli their teachers, and fully quali fied to sit as censors on the conduct of—the Deity himself. It may be that some of our members at tend preaching more frequently than we have represented, but if so, it is not at their own church, and, perhaps, not even at the church of one of their own faith and order. The instruction given on such occasions, admitting it to be good, profits but little.— They do not fuel at home. They are not in a proper frame to receive instruction.— They do not consider the instruction given as designed for them. A something whis pers, that is not’for von; it is for those witii whom you have met; and they very read ily give the truth a passport to seek a lodg ing place in other heads and hearts than theirs. But much of the instruction given, when we attend at other places of worship than our own, is not salutary. It is often con tradictory to what we have previously been taught. Our pastor teaches us, that we ought, in all things, to-observe the pattern given us in God’s won!, obey every pre cept, and be careful neither to add to nor take from the word of God. Another teach es, that a strict conformity to the institutions of the gospel is not necessary ; that some precepts may be safely neglected; that signs may be omitted, oi varied at pleasure, provided we have the tiling signified ; that we may advance ahead ol Heaven, and add to die signs given , may appoint liolv days, holy feasts, and other equally unauthorised rites. One teaches, to avoid theatrical en '* The churches in our large towns and cities are an exception to this remark, but even in such churches, die attendance of our members is very irregular. FOR THE BAPTIST CONVENTION OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA. PEN FI ELD, GA., FEBRUARY 16, 1844 tertniumcnls, as fostering vice; another commends the nr, as favorable to both men tal and moral improvement* One condemns dancing and other festival parties ; another applauds them, as affording wholesome re creation and innocent amusement.’ One assures ns, that “ bodily exercise pro file lb little;” another makes it the very soul and substance of religion. One tells us, “with out faith it is impossible to please God;” another depreciates faith and exalts works in its place. How can it be expected that we can grow in grace, or advance in spiiit ual knowledge, under such a system of in struction ? The word of God, and right reason, alike teach us the danger of multi plying to ourselves teachers, to gratify our itching ears. The one directly condemns it, (2 Tim. 4. 3,) and bids us, “take heed therefore, bow ye hear;’,’ (Lu. 18. 18.) the other, reason, leads us to confine our chil dren, as far as practicable, to one school, and to the teaching of the same instructors. A frequent change of spiritual teachers, is not less pernicious than a frequent change oi literary or classical teachers. The one deranges the head; the other deranges both the head and heart. Unpopular as the sentiment maybe, we cannot but express the firm conviction of our mind, that under our present system, witli preaching hut once a month, or twice at most, our chinches never can he wpII dis ciplined. T!ie lessons taught one month, are forgotten before the next rolls round.— Before there can be any improvement in tliis matter, our churches must adopt the practice of assembling on every Lord’s day, and as often on oilier days, as their situation and circumstances may permit* They must make provisions for the stated minis trations of the word, and require of their members a regular attendance, not only at their climcli conl’etenees, bill at their meet ings for religious instruction. But frequency of meeting is not all that is requisite. Attention must lie paid to the nature of the instruction given. There is more nutriment in an ounce of some articles of diet, than there is in inanv pounds of oth er articles. Some food gives stability to the frame, some relaxes, and some inflates it, some strengthens and some enervates it. The same (lillercnces are observable in the pallida of die mind. There is more instruc tion to be derived from the short sentences of some men, than from the lengthy dis courses, or ponderous tomes of others. But again, food, in order to be fitted for the pur poses which it is designed to subserve in the animal economy, requires, generally, to be submitted to some preparatory process ; and so it is with spiritual fouil. Tiutli must be properly prepsiefl; it must, be .well di gested and arranged, judiciously seasoned and oppoituncly served up, in order to in sure a salutary efleet on the mind. It is therefore necessary, net only that churches secure the services of men competent to in struct them, but dial they relieve them from those cares which preclude their paying due attention to studies appropriate to the gospel ministry. We are aware that there are some; —that there are many, who do noi think that till! minister lias need to be daily brooding over bis books. Suppose we ad mit this, what does it argue ? All will al low, we presume, that it is necessary he should thoroughly study the hihle, treasure up its life giving maxims, reflect upon them, and upon their use and applicability to himself and others around him—that lie should scan well bis own heart, review and carefully note the operations of the spirit within himself. Now the question to lie decided is, where can these necessary tilings be best done ? On one’s feet at the plough tail ? or on one’s knees in the closet ? If in the latter situation, then, we must un loose the hands of our ministers, and allow them a sufficiency to employ others to at tend to their secular interests, while they, as directed to do, in the word ol God, “give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the wont.” (Acts 0. 4,) — (Tun. 4. 15.) But once more, the instruction given should not only lie sound and wholesome, but should bo suited to the necessities of the people. Strong meats should be given on ly to the strong. To babes and invalids, we must administer milk and broths. But to acquaint himself properly with the wants and capacities of bis people, the pastor must visit them at their homes, and must have time to commune with them freely oil their spiritual state. And; as every changing inooit, and indeed every passing day, wit nesses changes strange and great, iii.men as well as in things, these visits should be re peated frequently. But how can a man perform this necessary work, who lias to labor at a worldly calling to secure daily bread for himself, and, perhaps, (or a numer ous and a helpless progeny? How wonderfully and how wisely lias God linked together the various duties that devolve upon us, as in Mahers of the body of Christ! and how inseparably has lie con nected them with our true interests, even on earth ! Our own happiness, our good name and prosperity depend, in no incon siderable degree, on the preservation ol’ilue discipline in our respective churches ; and this again depends upon our frequenting regularly the house of God, providing for out selves the means of instruction, and lib erally sustaining, with our temporal tilings, those who minister to us in spiritual tilings. Beloved brethren, there must he a change in our system—wo must assemble more frequently for religious worship, must he more careful to procure competent im-truc ters, must contribute more liberally for tlici. support, or we must continue lobe, wliai many ol our churches now are—a bye wotj and a proverb among the sons of men, and a. reproach to the cause of Christ.— Miu-'t fight has been diffused through our churches on this, as well as on other sub jects, Let us walk according to the light which lias been kindly given. We must relopn, or we cannot reasonably expect that thciLord will long withhold the tokens of -his displeasure. The time of threshing is at Hind, and if we do not arise and thresh, at the call ol God, we may expect ourselves to be laid oil the floor and threshed. Our enemies are numerous—God will never wait! for a flail. For the Christian Index. . of ii Country Schoolmaster. No. 5. Lecture; rentl before, the. Haledgh Mechanic’s Association, on their Uh An niversary. By in/liam //’. Holden, r y Lsq. Buell is the title of a performance which the writer of this article has received, and a brief notice of which shall form the sub ject of this essay. If it is true that ‘‘Com ing events cast their shadows before them,” we may safely conclude, that, from the fre quency of Society mootings and the ex cellency of the many discourses delivered before them, the’ state of Society is destin ed to he the subject of many improvements. Os all people who deserve to he encourag ed and advanced in their labors, the Me chanic—the daily laborer—must certainly he ranked among the first; and the Lecture before us, for its, manly vindication of the character of those to whose benefit it is de voted, for its clear and practical views of one of the greatest and most useful callings in | life, and for the noble tone of patriotism which breaths in every page, is inferior to none. The Lecturer commences with the char acter of the piescnt age, which lie remarks, is eminently practical and energetic. In every department of knowledge, and in nil avenues, which lead to wealth and honor and happiness, lights of experience are pouring in upon the darkness of conjecture; falsehood is bowing beneath the sceptre and the diadem of truth; and men are be ginning to understand, more fully and pro perly, their responsibilities, absolute and relative, and to appreciate the powers, the hopes and the destinies of the race. At no period, perhaps, in the history of the world, have the sciences been so intensely studied and so widely disseminated as at the pre sent. And if wliat we have been accus tomed to denominate antiquity he nothing more than the infancy of mankind, then in deed do u’e live in the vigor and in the fill ings of time, when law and order and civil ization, refined and purified hv the tires ol a generous freedom, and mellowed by the hand of Christianity, throw their broad Shields at once over the richest and the poorest, giving no greater protection to the prince, amid the pomp anil the garniture of distinction, than they do to the mechanic and the atiizait, amid their perplexities, their toils and their labors. The sceptre of those who were once mighty to oppress the nations lias been broken like an unteiii peretl spear; anil the systems ol the dark ages, which rose slowly, hut eflectually, in the midst of blood and carnage and disor der, have been torn and scattered to the winds of desolation. The transcendent el oquence of Martin Luther, and the progress of liberal opinions, roused mankind to a knowledge of their rights; and the stateli ness and the grandeur of feudal ceremo nial, and the excitement and renown of till and tournament, repose in death amid the chambers of the mighty past. Air. 11. says truly, that the benefits con ferred upon man by the votaries of art and science, are almost incalculable. They have not only gratified his physical wants, hut opened new fields—boundless and over eiiduriiig fields—over which his mental fa culties may linger, arid perpetually gather the elements of freshness and delight.— They have done more than this; they have changed his ideas of human, greatness. — Fortified by the principles of a sound and practical philosophy, and sensible of his tremendous responsibilities as a citizen of two worlds, the possessor of high intelli gence now weighs every tiling in the scales of justice and of virtue, and estimates hu man greatness only by the amount of per manent and substantial benefit it may have contributed to confer upon .mankind— Thus estimated how little is Napoleon, and how great are Walt and Fulton! As late as the seventeenth century, but little progress had been made in practical philosophy. The doctrines of Aristotle had obtained absolute sway for two thou sand veals, and were every w’licre regard-’ od, tip to that period, with profound res pect. They taught men to believe ill mat- ter, form and privation as the origin ul all things ; that the heavens were self-existent and incorruptible; and that all the stars were whirled round the earth in solid orbs. This system of philosophy was purely ab stract, and the disciples of Aristotle, in ex tending and refilling it, plunged into deeper and stronger meShes of doubt am! difficulty than any in which he had been entangled. But doubt is the parent of knowledge. As the years rolled onward, mighty champions sprang upon the theatre of the world, to contend for the prevalence of truth and ra tional philosophy. The revival of learn ing, the power of the press, and the refor mation, diffused living and broad streams of light upon the minds of men ; and the im provements of Gilbert, Kepler, ahd Galileo were but preludes to the important nmi use ful discoveries of Bacon, who, rising in the seventeenth ccntuty above all the great teacher's of mankind, established a system of philosophy purely experimental—a sys tem which has superseded all the senseless jargon and wild conjectures of the dark ages of the world. The result of Bacon’s dis coveries has been the study of nature in a pure and separate form—a strict and severe combination of experience with calculation and reasoning. ’The Lecturer notices the advantages which the mechanics of iliis country pos sess over those of Germany and other parts of Europe, where, after their tciqn of ap prenticeship.has expired, they are compell ed to wander over the neighboring coun tries lor a cerlaitt number of years before they can setup awmk-shop for themselves. Here, the road to honor is as open to the son of the mechanic as to the soil of the I Senator ; and it is the peculiar glory of .this country that its social and political institu tions are so ordered and regulated as to de velope and give scope to genius and talent wherever they exist. The names of many great men are given, who have been famous for their devotion to the progress of art and science ; much sound advice is given the laborer with regard to the management of his pecuniary affairs; hut there is only room lor the following paragraph, which is worthy of being recorded upon the tablets of every heart: “ Alan is naturally an active, a laborious being, and if lie is not constantly employed in some useful vocation, lie will overleap the hounds of prudence and integrity, and commit outrages fatal to the repose and well-being of Society. Idleness is the pro lific parent of vice and immorality. Dis grace— individual and national—attends her sluggish and pestilential footsteps, and want and woe anil agony unspeakable tire writ ten in hunting letters on her brow.” • Beech Spring. For the Christian Index. Heur Bro. Baker, —I would not accuse you of designedly misrepresenting me, iu your remarks on niy communication in (he last Index, under the caption of “ The Baptism of John.” I tun not so much inflated with pride or vanity, as to he ignorant of iny want of per spicuity in writing, or'eloculion iu express ing my ideas ill any and evety way, 1 know, and acknowledge to the world, that lam a poor novice. I therefore acknowl edge, at the outset, that you have misunder stood me, and consequently misrepresent iiic, in several pntticulars ; because I have not been able to express myself sufficiently plain to he understood. 1. You have misunderstood me in sup posing that i intended to convey* an allusion, that the Baptists were the only denomina tion of Christians that contended “for the identity of John's baptism and the Christian ordinance of baptism.” Truly, l address ed mvself to Baptists, hut 1 neither accused or excused my l’usdobaptist brethren ; nei ther did 1 say any thing, or think any thing, about them, until 1 included them in my closing address. But in my humble opiir-’ ion, if I may be allowed to express an opin ion in reference to my Pcrdobaptist breth ren, it is no evidence of the fact, because some of them believe it, for they believe that sprinkling is baptism, and if that is not a gross absurdity, I know not wliat reliance we can have oil words as being sigiis of our ideas, for we have haplo or baptizo to.ex press the one, and raino or rantizo to ex press the other, and so far as 1 know, (but I know but little) no person has ever con tended for the synonymy ol’lhose-terms. 2. You have misjudged my information, when you supposed me to ho ignorant that . Baptists, and lY.jdobeptists, difl'er in opin ion with regard to the're-baptism of John’s 1 disciples. I happened to know that fact, - at least so far as reference is had to - Bap tists, for you will please to remember that lam a Baptist myself. But lam as much obliged to mv brother, as I would h ;ve PriiEisHEit—BEN.l. BUANTLY. NUMBER 7. been, though 1 had been ignorant of the fact: Ido not feci the least hurl with him for airogating to himself, the privilege of ’instructing me ; for, though I happened to he informed on that subject, I am very ie noiant on many others. 3. As “ peculiarly unfortunate,” as my reference to Grammar may have been for me, I did not say, neither have T ever thought of saying, that the personal pro noun “tney, reierred “to the nearest per son or thing, in the sentence or paiagraph,” as our brother lias errotiiously represented me and Murray to have said. I said, and still say, and believe that our brother will say so too, that “ we believe, that all ad ■irib that the personal pronoun “ 11/ry in the sentence, has inference to those disci ples, whom Paul was addressing and who heard this.” I then quoted Murray to sav that “ the demonstrative adjective pionouns arc those which precisely point out the sub ject to which they relate:” and that “ this refers to the nenrest person or thing, and that to the most distantand that this in dicates the latter or last mentioned, that the former or first mentioned :” and concluded by saving, “ Therefore, according to the most simple rules of Grammar, this in the sentence, must refer to what Paul had just said, or the writer wpuld have stfiil that and not this:” meaning, that “ this,” refered, not only “ to the doctrine” which Paul said “ John taught,” as our brother has said, But to Paul’s whole conversation, iu reference to John, his baptism, Ac. Ac. t. I deem my learned and much esteem ed brother, as “ peculiarly unfortunate,” iu his reference to A polios, as he did me, in my reference to Murray’s Giaiiniuir. lie says, “ iu the ease of A polios, who was also John’s disciple, nothing was said of his rebaptism. We are only told that the apostle taught him the way of the Lord more thoroughly.” Acts 18. 20. If von will hear with ihp, niy deal reail j or, I will give you a short history of A pol ios in Scripture language. Acts xviii. 24 anil 25. “ And a certain Jew named ‘.pol ios, horn at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephe sus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord ; and being fervent in Spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.” Bear in mindj my candid reader, that he was “ mighty in the scriptures,” and “ was instructed in the way of the Lord and was “ fervent in Spirit,” and •• spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord,” and l will ask you, where was his defect? 1 think, it you answer in can dour, I shall hear you say, that his defect was in baptism. He knew only the bap tism of John. And when “he began to speak boldly in the synagogue,” knowing only the baptism of John, Aquiluand l*ris celki “ took him unto them, and expound ed unto him the way of God more perfect ly.” I ask, and leave it for my candid reader to answer, after considering his wis dom and learning, what could two poor un learned persons have taught him, but that the “baptism of Joint,” was not the bap tism recognised at that day, amongst the apostles and more immediate followers of the Lord Jesus Christ? But lam fain to acknowledge, my dear brother, that you have given me a nut which is too hard for me to crack, in your last requisition. You say “admitting them (John’s disciples) to have been rc-baptizid, it is necessary to prove, that their former baptism was duly administered by a properly authorized ad ministrator.” 1 believe, to prove that would require something, of greater authenticity than the scriptures themselves, or, in other words, it would bo to prove that the scrip tures arc true ami mean what thev say, for it is said in the scriptures, or expressed in a manner not to be misunderstood by any, that they were baptized “unto John’s bap tism.” See Acts xix. 3. 5. I dill not intend to be undeistood, in •reference to prejudice, as my brother seems t(> have understood me. I feel to be as lib eral in allowing my brethren, of all denom inations, to en joy their own opinions, un less I can convince them by fair argument, as any man living : neither would I apply the epithet prejudice, to any, merely be cause they differed from me in opinion; but 1 am well aware, from the experience 1 have had in the world, that prejudice will apply to the whole hitman family, myself not excepted, and is the governing principle of many of our actions. This is a fact, in reference to myself-—I acknowledge it with shame and sorrow for my weakness. I, ’ thcrefote, intended the application to be general, not personal. You need not have told t.ne, my beloved brother, that you wrote in h/is(e, and I feat under some excitement, though, f pray that 1 may be mistaken in that particular, for 1 know, I would no soon er intentionally wound your feelings, than