be supposed to perish, and there can remain no ground whatever for any comparison between them.

Is it not evident from these considerations that the negative particle ne has been inadvertently omitted by some transcriber? If this were introduced the whole passage would be clear and forcible. "That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes not, though it be tried by fire." Here the well known power of gold to endure the fire unchanged, serves as a beautiful figure to enhance by comparison the value of their faith, which is declared to be still "more precious."

The Vulgate, I perceive, omits the clause "which perishes." In it the passage reads: "That your faith thus proved, being much more precious than the gold which is proved by fire."

I am aware that in the 18th verse of the same chapter the Apostle peaks of gold and silver as "phthartois," corruptible, perishable things-things liable to decay. He is, however, here referring to the future destruction or destructibility of these in common with the less valuable forms of matter, and besides is evidently in this place speaking of them not in the way of comparison, but of contrast.

REMARKS.

L.

The phrase tou apoloumenow, "it perishes," is not only wanting in the Vulgate, but la the Ethiopic also; and is not, according to Mill, found in Ecumenius. But there is no copy, ancient or modern, which I have seen, or of which I have heard, that has the negative particle. Besides, the common reading is sustained by Mill, Wetstein, and Griesbach.

It would, then, appear to me a dangerous precedent to insert a negative particle to explain a seeming rather than a real discrepancy. Gold certainly perishes by rust; and finally it will be destroyed with the elements of the earth unfit for the new creation.— Now perishing as is its value, if it must be tested by fire, how much more severely tried ought our faith to be, whose value a universe could not equal, much less excel? As the gold shines in the furnace, so ought our faith in the severest trials to which it can be subjected.

A C.

THE COMING OF THE LORD.-No. XIV.

HAVING now impartially laid before our readers the views of the Millerite School, as to the expected immediate return, in person, of our sovereign Lord the King, as well as given various sketches of the views of others who are now preaching, even as an instrument of con. version, the personal coming of the Lord as an event near at hand; I shall proceed to adduce further reasons why I cannot fully accord with these conscientious, devout, and studious brethren. But here lies upon my table another communication from our friend the "Layman,'

whose "shrill clarion" always insures attention. This communication wants, indeed, the evidences of a studied, well digested, and grand essay. It is rather the spontaneous flow of a soul always electrified with the grand conception of a new dispensation, to be ushered in by the harbingers of sword, fire, and pestilence, Heaven's awful pioneers of a better age. We shall, however, in the excess of our impartiality and desire of fair play, again permit our brother M Corkle to intimate to the world, in his own way, the objects pressing upon his anxious heart.

Near Springfield, Missouri, Feb. 14, 1842. Brother Campbell-THE "resolute champion for an immediate new dispensation," as you are pleased to call the Layman, needs all the courage and firmness of Cephas to face the many difficulties which surround him-a vascillating public, a pulpit soothing the world into slumbers, by saying, 'Where is the promise of his coming?'-claiming the prerogative of teaching-cannot, and will not be taught, though one should rise from the dead-the world so full of religious periodicals that there is no room for another. A quietus in the Christian church, placed on the subject of Christ's second advent, by the long yarns of brother R. R. in disguise, and the pointless essays of our brother C.-his inuendoes about "improvement, diction, intelligence, style, oft-repeated story," &c. borders on personalities and may go for what they are worth.

Surely our brother is not trying to forestall publie opinion. The Layman may suffer a little for obtruding himself among the Rabbies, or for disturbing the repose of the world-may be called bold, rash, or "resolute;" but the proper time for making such charges will be after he is vanquished; after he has failed to sustain his promises; after Time, the great revealer of facts, has exposed his error; after schools, and associations, and tracts, and logic, and argument have beaten the sword into a ploughshare and the spear into a pruning hook!

Now, brother, get out of your jaundice about "style," and take up my propositions; dissect, analyze, and condemn them by facts, arguments and the Good Book. An outline of our proposed essays is embraced in the following items:-Remarks on Prophecy; Patriarchal Age of the World; Jewish Age, or Dispensation; its errors, corruption, and dissolution; Christian Age, or Dispensation; its errors and corruption; its Man of Sin; its first beast; its second beast; its incurable apostacy, and unavoidable dissolution, predicted under the imposing metaphor, the rolling of the heaven together as a scroll!

We propose showing beyond contradiction that this figure stands associated with the church-the moral heaven; and that no other legiti mate object can be found within the bounds of human knowledge, or all that has been revealed to man! Also, the burning the heaven and the earth, according to Peter, stands pointing to the same catastrophe, an overthrow of a corrupt church, and a terrible destruction of the human family, called the earth. We propose showing the deluge of fire, threatened in holy writ, to be premillennial, and to consummate a similar design with the deluge of waters; and that not one word, phrase, or sentence within the lids of the Bible, involving fire, can be

associated with the final judgment. The new heaven and the new earth of Peter and Isaiah, the same-a new moral state!

The above propositions are plain and tangible, to which we may add some collateral testimony, drawn from the increase of scepticism and crime, hostility of nations and unsubdued thirst for war-impotency of the present Christianity to evangelize the world-time of trouble and universal war approaching-return of the Jews-another struggle for their existence-David's tabernacle not in heaven. The witnesses to finish their testimony before they are slain-slaying before resurrection. The martyrs-that which can bear testimony can be beheaded, and nothing else that which can be beheaded, can be resurrected and nothing else. Thrones cast down-putting down all rule and all authority, a physical work. Fall of Babylon, the binding of SatanDescant on the last chapters of the Apochalypse, and some of the items in the above sketch fairly established, and the literal advent of the Son of Man is settled without calling up the strong proof of this this fact; which we draw, first, from Daniel, associating the com`ng of the Son of Man with the destruction of the "little horn" by fire. Second, from Paul connecting a revelation of Christ in flaming fire with the downfall of the son of perdition. Third, the putting down all rule and all authority requires personal presence and power.Fourth, the treading the wine-press, the slaughter of the kings of the earth, the beast and false prophet cast alive into a lake of fire, calls for personal and physical energies unknown on earth. Fifth, the descent of the Lord upon the Mount of Olives with the thousands of his saints-affording a literal salvation to the Jews from utter ruin, according to Zachariah, is connected with facts which can never be placed over to the final judgment-facts which can transpire no where else but at Jerusalem, and at a time when the Jews are literally inhabiting the literal city, JERUSALEM!

The above subjects, with many others, will be discussed. On most of the items we challenge the scrutiny of all the living. Save accident, the work will commence in March, and be hurried through before the end of summer-will be discontinued when our views are fairly given. Back numbers will be furnished.

S. M. M'CORKLE, Layman.

TEMPERANCE.

PARIS, 16th March, 1842.

Dear Sir-1 AM unaccustomed to scribbling; but feeling as I do great concern for the cause of temperance as now conducted, I beg you will excuse the liberty I take in addressing you upon that subject. I am aware that your sources of information are great, as well on this, as on other subjects; but I incline to the belief, from what I have seen from you, and heard of you, that you favor the idea that the cause has no right to claim the names of professors of religion, alleging that the Bible is paramount to all law, and is equal to the government or reformation of its own subjects. The former proposition is certainly true, and the latter clearly so in a majority of cases; but at the same

time I claim and think 1 can establish that it is the duty and interest of professors of religion, as well in their individual as church capacity, to give their names and influence to the cause of temperance, aside from the obligation imposed upon them by the law of God to be temperate, and that it is not calling in question or doing violence in any form to the law of God to do so; but in fact aiding greatly both the cause of religion and morality. I must hope, notwithstanding your sources of information, that your position on this subject arises from the fact that you are not aware of the practical bearing and indelible influence reflected into the world by professors of religion embarked in this cause, both in their single and collective capacity. It is cheering to look upon the vivifying influence already manifest in the worldly ranks, growing evidently out of the fact that the churches generally have made common cause to carry forward temperance under the general head now proposed. Total abstinence differing in both these essentials from the plan of temperance hitherto proposed, to my common mind it is unexplained, and I believe unexplainable, how it is that it becomes not every true Christian to lend his energies in aid of carrying out this great practical benefit to mankind; snatching as it has and must, from the very genius of the scheme, thousands upon thousands of our fellow-beings from the horrors of a drunkard's destiny. If it be true, then, that these are the character of blessings flowing from this noble enterprize, and truths they certainly are, I repeat why is it not only becoming, but a religious duty to aid in this great moral revolution? Do you not see that it is calculated to make better men? and could you wish or have better materials than men made moral; out of which, by the purifying influence of religion, to fill up God's ranks? I think not. Then, if these things be so, and admitting at the same time, as I do, that there cannot be a stronger obligation than the profession of religion enjoins upon its votaries to be temperate in all things; yet I hold, notwithstanding these facts, it is still the duty— nay, the imperative duty of every Christian, of every good, of every generous man, whether he be a professor or not, to give all the aid in his power to help up the benighted and fallen portion of our kind. It is noble; it comports with Christian character, I conceive, to do so. Then away with this modern notion that it betrays a distrust of God's law for Christians to take upon themselves the temperance pledge. Is it not one of the operations of God's system that the firm should help the fallen; that the Christian should by his precept, example, and other influences, aid in bringing men in nearness with God? If it be true, and I apprehend none can otherwise assert, that we have in our midst myriads of inebriates, a majority of whom can be reclaimed by professors of religion, and men of good morals throwing themselves together, and incorporating under the same head, “Temperance,” with the unfortunate persons in question, thereby countenancing and encouraging them in their effort to reform; I ask, if this end can obtain, and that it can is almost certain, has not this cause high claims, not only on the Christian, but the whole world?

I would be gratified, sir, if not disagreeable to you, to see at large your views and reflections upon this subject. I think much opposi tion or support depends upon the course your thoughts tend: hence my concern to know them, and will earnestly hope they may favor my

position. I repeat, because I feel, and, in fact, know, that much de pends on your influence in this matter; and had you travelled since the temperance cause become so wide-spread, seeing, as you would, its practical operation tending so admirably to the end in view, I persuade myself you would have been found among its ablest advocates. I perceive you are among the foremost advocates of Christian union, a position than which nothing strikes me as being more desirable; certainly nothing could be more efficient in christianizing the world. I make this allusion to remark, that however widely apart on the subject of religion the denominations are, on this platform, "total abstinence," they are, with some individual exceptions, united; and it is my deliberate opinion it is in your power (except a fraction) to complete the union in this case; and allow me to inquire, would not such a state of things be well calculated to remove prejudices in weightier matters? I believe it coincides with the observation of all practical men, that the association of persons together in any common cause infuses a spirit of charity and consideration for each other—a spirit, in our time, lamentably dormant, I fear. I have seen, and it has been a subject of remark, that the various sects have manifested more good feeling towards each other since operating unitedly in this cause, than has been observable in our age. Indeed, when acting they seem to forget that they are not what they should be-one. These things I enumerate as some of the benefits growing out of the temperance cause. Many others could be added, but I fear to tax you further. Will you allow me in conclusion to ask, (and I do so purely to derive the benefit of the information requested,) that you will favor the public with the objections, if any, against professors of the Christian religion aiding by their names under a temperance pledge, and otherwise in reclaiming the drunkard. A FRIEND TO TEMPERANCE.

REMARKS.

My dear Sir-lr you place the temperance association and pledge upon the footing of a politico-benevolent scheme, and on the ground of great practical utility to the whole community, civil and ecclesiastic, urge the cc-operation of Christian men as essential to the furtherance and ultimate triumph of the cause, not in communities, but in their individual character-you bring the matter before them on the ground of expediency, and not by way of a succedaneum to the Christian institution; and in that light I see no great difficulty in the way of the most conscientious, for the honor of the Christian Lawgiver, in aiding and abetting, in all lawful ways, the efforts of those who have commenced a war of extermination against the demon Alcohol, in all his Proteous forms of mammoth evil to human kind.

The Christian church is indeed constitutionally a Temperance, Missionary, Sunday School, Bible and Education Society. In her proper character and capacity she stands forth under the banners of the Great King, opposed to all manner of intemperance-to every inordinate lust, passion, appetite, and propensity whatever. If she sustains not