part; or as to its being either necessary or expedient for them to become members of such institutions, we have some doubts, and some reasons for such doubts, which I desire to submit to my readers, with all respect and benevolence for those who may differ from me in their opinions.

This is a subject to which my thoughts have been often called; but to which I have, as yet, paid little or no attention, because of more pressing engagements and obligations. But the great number of these societies, recently springing into existence, and soliciting from State governments acts of incorporation; and also soliciting the patronage of the Christian Church; it seems to be in season now to pay some attention to their claims, if not upon the State, at least upon the Church, for its smiles and benedictions. Of these the youngest seems to have stronger claims upon our attention, because, it is presumed, from its assumed title, to be a proposed reformation upon its two elder brothers-the Free Masons and Odd Fellows; because it is likely to become a substitute for temperance associations, whether called Washingtonian, Republican, or Christian; and, especially, because our brethren, from their letters to me, are soliciting some light upon the propriety of members of churches becoming Sons of Temperance.

To all especially concerned in such an examination, it might be expedient to say-that we ought to hear and examine with candor before we decide any matter of even apparent good report among men. Christians should neither approbate nor disapprobato any institution professing humanity, much less become a member of it, or reprobate those who are members, without such a knowlege and consideration of its nature and character as is perfectly and completely satisfactory. In all questions of morality and virtue we have, indeed, but one standard to which we can appeal. Nothing that is not either by the letter or by the spirit of that standard, commended to our adoption, can either be honorable or useful to the Christian. We shall, then, with all candor, in our next, examine the constitution of that new association called the Sons of Temperance. A. C.

THE APOSTOLIC COMMISSION.

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 14, 1847

My Beloved Brother:-IN pursuance of the direction of Paul to Timothy, to give himself to reading as well as to exhortation and doctrine, I am gratified in being able to state, that I find in many modern authors, most distinguished for clear heads, sound sense and

able reasoning on all Bible subjects, an expression of views harmonizing, in a good degree, with those which have been, for some years past, so earnestly contended for by our brethren in the refor mation. I rejoice at this, and look forward in hope, for the happy period, when there shall be one Lord, one faith, one baptism, oue God and Father of all, one spirit, and one body. Happy period! glorious day! When shall it arrive? The Lord hasten it!

The following sentiments, on perusal, arrested my attention very much; affording me much pleasure, and I resolved to transcribe and forward them, not doubting that you and your readers would enjoy their perusal—they having emanated from the pen of the celebrated author of the "Prize Essay on Mammon," and found in his work entitled the "Great Teacher;" a work that I would most heartily recommend to all who have never met with it. In his consideration of the various subjects of the Lord's teaching, he classes the following, which I give in his own language: "Among the subjects comprehended in our Lord's original teaching may be named the doctrine of the Deity. There is no ground to conclude that, prior to the promulgation of the gospel, this doctrine had any claims on the faith of mankind. The early Christians, indeed, in their eagerness to obtain for Christianity the patronage of philosophy, professed to find the doctrine of the Deity in the writings of Plato; but had they maintained, indeed, a duality, or a quatrinity, the same writings would have equally befriended them. The humble pretensions of the Jewish system were satisfied with proclaiming the existence and unity or oneness of God, in opposition to "the Lords many, and Gods many," of the heathens, the allusion which the system contained to the triplicity of the divine nature. awaited, like so many dormant seeds of truth, the rising of the Sun of Righteousness to quicken and draw them forth from their obscurity.

But though the solemn mystery is sufficiently developed in the gospel to demand our faith; though the Great Teacher held in his hand the entire map of truth, he disclosed only so much of the part iu question as related to our path to heaven. In adverting to the abysmal subject of the Divine Essence, he maintained a wise reserve; and, he did this, both that he might not entangle us in a labyrinth when we ought to be advancing in the open path of life, and because of our natural incapacity to comprehend him in a theme on which there are no analogies to assist us. "How shall you believe or understand me," said he, "if I tell you of heavenly things?" Instead, therefore, of theorizing on the subject, he taught it dogmatically and practically.

The doctrine, in the general opinion of the Christian Church, is necessarily involved in various parts of our Lord's teaching. I shall content myself, however, with adverting to his great command"Go then, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”— Whether he intended these words to be a formulary of the rite or not is immaterial to determine. Their obvious import is to describe baptism to be a religious dedication to God, who is known by the manifestation of his name-the display of his glorious perfections. SERIES. HIVOL V. 20*

Now, as the name is attributable equally to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, it seems inevitably to follow, that the Son and the Spirit are with the Father, the one God.

Our Lord instituted but two ordinances-baptism and the Lord's supper; he erected but two monumental pillars-one without, and the other within the Church; on the first of these-that which fronts the world-he inscribed the name of the Triune God; and, as if to render the inscription more impressive, he made it his last act. Baptism is the vestibule, or entrance, to his spiritual temple, the Church; so that, before his disciples cross the threshold, he requires them to receive the print of the Lord's name; and by making that one ceremony final, he reminds them that the holy signature is indelible. By baptizing us into the three-fold name of God, he would impress us, at the very outset of our Christian life, with the fact, that the work of our salvation is so vast, that it brings into action every distinction and attribute of the divine nature; that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-the entire Godhead-find ample scope. for the exercise of all their perfections, and employment for all the affluence of their grace. And thus would he put every part and property of one nature, in return, into active requisition in his service; causing us to feel the penury of our utmost love, and constraining us cheerfully to own, that, could we multiply our powers three or a thousand fold, they should all be his. If, before, we considered our obligations infinite, what shall we think of them now, on beholding the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three distinct subsistences, actually confederating and concurring together, and. embarking all their infinite treasures in the cause of our happiness! What, but that our obligations, which we before considered infinite, are thus multiplied threefold! A multiplication this which the metaphysics of a grateful heart will allow, if not the severer philosophy of the head.

How amazing the thought, that the Godhead, the three glorious substances in the Divine Essence, should be all officially present to receive us, in the baptismal solemnity, the porch of the Church; that all the Divine Being should be there to enter into covenant reIation with us; that we should there be met by the sum of excel lence, and have it ascertained to us, that, to the utmost extent of our capacity, we are entitled to the enjoyment of the whole! An ocean of happiness placed before those whose hearts overflow with a drop: "A presumptuous idea, of our own invention; a lofty one, if revealed to us."

With an earnest desire for the salvation of the world and the universal spread of the righteousness required by God, I abide as Yours in the Lord.

ever,

CHAS. D. HURLBUTT.

NEGRO vs. ENGLISH SLAVERY.

THE National Intelligencer contains a letter from an "European Correspondent" of that journal, in which the writer, an Englishman, speaks of the situation of our slaves as superior, in all respects,

to that of the paupers of England. We append an extract from the letter:

"England will have paupers enough of her own to maintain during the approaching winter. Pauperism is indeed the blistering plague of England's social condition-the weight which depresses her, and an evil which, probably, no other European country could long contend against. How long she can sustain herself under its operation remains to be seen. That it is an increasing evil, no one can doubt, what and where is the maximum point, beyond which the social edifice cannot bear it to advance, is an unsolved problem in what is called the 'science' of political economy. That poverty and want have a debasing effect upon the character, cannot be doubted by any one who will take a morning's ramble in London or its neighborhood-nay, not London only, but almost any where in England. The expressions of the wo-begone countenances of the beggars for bread, who will pain his every sense by their importunities, who will convince him that want is not the only degradation which they are subjected to. But how can a human being be conscious of the possession of a mind, or have the capability of exercising any of the higher feelings and faculties of his race, whose entire thoughts and exertions are appropriated to the collection of enough to eat, so as to prolong his animal existence. Tell me not of slavery, or of any other condition of mankind whatever, where the daily wants of the body, however coarsely, are sufficiently supplied. We must measure suffering and degradation by the standard of those who have to bear them, and not by the ascription to them of what we should feel in the same position; and, estimated in this mode, the suffering and degradation of the white beggars of England are many times greater than those of the black slave of the United States. It may be replied that the English beggar has hope, the slave has none; but this is not the fact: the slave's condition is always made better by good conduct, and freedom is not unfrequently the reward of those who prove themselves deserving of it, and qualified to use that freedom to their own advantage. But what hope can come to the pauper on the highway or in the workhouse? What glimmering of rational expectation has he that his own condition or that of his children will be improved; and what means does he possess of fitting his offspring for a more elevated position? "Hope, which comes to all, comes not to him." He becomes callous to the present, and indifferent to the future. Sensual gratification, when he has the means of enjoying it, becomes his chief good, because he has no chance whatever of acquiring any other. The ale house or the gin shop is the scene of his only movements of pleasurable excitement. He loses more and more of his human nature, and sinks lower and lower in the scale of animated nature, until the very animals around: him possess, in their unabused instinct, a higher attribute than he in his misapplied, unemployed reason. This is not an overcharged: picture. The countenances not only of the beggars, but of the lower kind of workmen startle and surprize you. When there is not a voice of suffering written legibly, there is a strong low degrading passion; there is an animal blank where there ought to be a human

intelligence; there is a sordid care where there should be ease and cheerfulness; and roughness of demeanor and coarseness of language unworthy of England and Englishmen in the nineteenth century. Shall I be accused of libelling my countrymen, or charged with palliating the evils of slavery? I would do the opposite of both; but things must be looked at under their true aspects, and called by their proper names. This is the only aim of these observations; and every Englishman must lament the dreadful extent aud demoralizing effect of pauperism which is spread, like a desolating blight, over this great and fair land."

A CALL TO CHRISTIAN EDITORS AND OTHERS.

"In the multitude of counsellors there is safety." "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established."-Proverbs xi. 14 and xv. 22.

ERWINTON, S. C., March, 1843.

Brother Campbell-With all my apprehensions in reference to stated general meetings of preachers and delegates of churches; yet I have long thought it would be well if we could have a meeting of all the editors, and aspirant editors, amongst the brethren.

From the fact that several papers have failed, and sundry others are now proposed, I suggest that we try to have a meeting for consultation.

Let us appoint a place and time-say Bethany College, at commencement, 4th of July next. Or, if that be too soon, or not sufficiently central, say in September or October next; and let Lexington or Louisville, Kentucky; or Cincinnati, Ohio, be the place.

Let all the present editors, and all those who desire to publish, with as many other brethren as can assemble and consult freely, as to what course we all can agree in pursuing.

Although I have no personal interest in any of the papers published, or proposed; yet I do most ardently desire to see another periodical, besides the Harbinger, well sustained, and widely circulated. Many others agree with me in this desire.

Will you present the subject to your readers, and request the corps editorial to do likewise?

The Lord give wisdom and grace to direct, and strength to perform, is the prayer of your brother, in bearing the cross of Christ. E. A. SMITH.

Early in September would appear to me a more favorable time for meeting, at Bethany, than July; especially as at that season there is apt to be a very great crowd of persons and of business which is more oppressive to us here than any other period in the year, and least favorable for grave deliberations. At the request of brother Smith I lay the subject before our readers, soliciting a full expression of the views of our periodical press on the subject. We certainly have extraordinaty editorial gifts among us as a people; and could they be reduced to a more efficient corps and concentra