true Paradise of God, and be permitted to partake forever of that celestial tree of life, but dimly shadowed forth by that of Eden, which "bears twelve kinds of fruit, and whose leaves are for the healing of the nations." R. R.

A TREATISE ON CHRISTIANITY:

Vindicating the Protestant declaration: "The Holy Scriptures are the only, and a sufficient rule of a Christian's faith and practice;" and demonstrating that the indissoluble unity, and the infallibility of the "Christian Church," are clearly taught in the Scriptures as a vital doctrine of Christianity, and as essential to the progress and perpetuity of the "Kingdom of God;" and that the "order of clergy" is a remnant of the Papal apostacy; hostile to Christianity, and destructive of the purpose of God, in giving a revelation to the world. By ZACCHEUS ONION M'COMAS. Hagerstown: Printed by Heard & Durdy—1850.

THIS is a handsome octavo of 352 pages, in clear type and on good paper, handsomely got up, and prepossessing in its whole

contour.

The first part "exhibits indubitable facts, demonstrative of the absolute necessity for a special revelation, to instruct mankind in the knowledge of the one true God, and their accountability to him." This is clearly and forcibly sustained. The second part treats of "the advent of the Son of God, or the Messiah, and the evidences on which he predicated (established) the divinity of his mission to the world, and on which he challenges (claims) the faith of mankind." This is highly satisfactory and conclusive. In this division he sustains, with ample evidence, that "discipleship, or obedience to Christ," is the only way of salvation. It would have been important, had the author more fully stated what enters into the entire constituency of a true Disciple of Christ. This may, indeed, be gathered from the essay, but it is worthy of a more explicit delineation for a great portion of his readers, and of the reading public, who are very defective in this branch of Christian knowledge and learning. They talk of faith and penitence, but comprehend not what enters into the constituency of a disciple of Jesus Christ, either in theory or practice.

The third part presents the 'Christian Church" as simply an assembly of the disciples of Christ, associated in his own name, and in that name only to be instructed by him, and to worship God as by him

directed." This is a simple and valuable exhibition of its essential and differential characteristics.

To this is annexed a few passing remarks on Christian worshipon the unity, invisibility, and infallibility of the Christian Church, as established by God. In this there is one valuable position, worthy of great emphasis. So long, says the author, as believers associate in the exclusive name, and obey only the voice of Christ, their one and only teacher, they will present to the world the same aspect, every where and at all times. This is a valuable and edifying article, and alone, to those who have discrimination, worth more than the price of the whole volume. This part of the treatise is an irrefragable argument against sectarianism.

There is also a vivid and graphic sketch of the leading sectarian churches. If my recollections are not at fault, our author, though bred to the law, was for sometime a teacher and preacher of Methodism. His sketch of both Episcopal and Protestant Methodism is very startling. It is in the words following:

"There is, also, the Methodist Episcopal Church—she is composed of the disciples and followers of an Englishman, named John Wesly. His interpretations of the scripture are, by them, received as the truth of Christianity! All her members are baptized into his faith, and obedience to his expositions! Her government is a pure, irresponsible hierarchy. Her ministers claim to govern their followers by divine right,' and openly declare this in America, and in the nineteenth century! and their disciples believe it! These men have subjected their membership, under strong induce ments, to obedience to their wills, by holding possession in their own right, of all the property of the connexion, embracing churches, parsonages graveyards, books, and very extensive printing establishments, besides other investments, amounting to two millions of dollars, all of which have been purchased and collected by their followers, and made over to their exclusive control! All are deeded to trustees, selected by the clergy, in trust for them. Every office in the church is at the absolute disposal of the clergy, and none of the property can be touched without their consent. They are absolute dictators by divine right,' over all things, whether properly or

conscience!

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"The last example we shall give, is called the Methodist Protestant Church.' She was originally composed of such as 'protested' against the 'divine right' of the clergy of the Methodist E. Church to absolute control. For this offence, and for no other, they were arraigned under the fatal charge of speaking evil of God's ministers.' They were tried by men selected by the clergy themselves-creatures of their own, and, of consequence, condemned and expelled. And of others, who, seeing the sword coming, and no hope of escape, but by humble submission to clerical authority or expulsion, they accepted of the gracious boon of 'mother church,' and withdrew. These formed an association of their own, retaining, however, John Wesly as their leader and guide in matters of faith." Is this a true portraiture in its bold outlines?——!

After noticing these and other prominent Protestant parties, he justly observes: "All these associations lack the elementary materials of a Christian Church, which is discipleship.”

The government of the church constitutes the fourth part of this treatise. The first proposition is, "The Lord Jesus has settled a permanent form of church government for his church, and placed all authority in the hands of disciples, when associated in his exclusive name and under his control." This is well sustained.

2d. The duties of a Christian Bishop.

3d. Should Bishops of Christian Churches receive pecuniary compensation for their services? or, is manual labor incompatible with any permanent station of the church? In this section of the volume there is much to repay the reader.

The fifth part is "The Clergy, their rise, and the progress of their vain and ruinous assumptions." The author does not think very highly of the clergy, and places their divine right on the same footing with that of kings. The Papal and Protestant clergy, in his view, are brotherhoods of their own creation, and alike terminating in one and the same absolute despotism. He regards the Methodistic priesthood as giving a demonstration of this, and quotes Dr. Bangs, of New York, as follows:

"But if any doubts should still linger about our Protestant minds, as to the extent of their claims as an order, it must be removed, however unwillingly, when we present to them other facts and illustrations. These are contained in a book on Methodist Episcopacy, written by Rev. Nathan Bangs, 'D. D.,' of New York. He was a member of the General Conference of 1828. The book was written since that, and was intended to defend and sustain the declarations there made; and the language that we shall quote, was pointed directly at the memoralist. These are his words:

Those ministers whom God has selected to be shepherds over his flock, and guardians of his people, possess the right of government over themselves and all those committed to their care, in religious matters. Called of God as his ministry evidently is-like the primitive evangelists, they went in His name, and were made successful in raising up a people, who were no people, to become the people of God, after having demonstrated the divinity of their mission, in awakening and converting souls. As long as these officers move in obedience to God's will, (and that will be always,) so long the people are bound to submit to their authority in all matters of church government and discipline.' Those restless spirits, prompted by pride and vain conceit of their own abilities, (not being inspired, as are Methodist preachers,) rebel against the order that God has established, (Methodism or clerical rule) rebel against God, and shall receive their punishment.' This is not pleading for the authority of man, it is the authority of God.' 'This is the order (Methodism, or supremacy of clergy,) that God has established for the peace and prosperity of his church. This is the deliberate, premeditated declaration of a Protestant preacher, of the year of grace 1830! It is in all respects equal to any thing claimed by the Papal church, from the days of Boniface III. down to Leo X! What can surpass it? 'Ministers selected by God.' The people are bound to submit to their authority.' 'And to rebel against their authority is to rebel against God, and shall receive their punishment!'

We do not endorse for every position in this volume, not having had time to read it with attention to all its details, and may admit

it not to be infallible, and yet say, that it will certainly well repay a careful perusal of it to all not well taught or established in the Christian religion. Its author, not long since, was himself baptized into the faith of original Christianity, and is giving strong proofs of his devotion to the Christian institution, as found in the New Testament. A. C.

THE BIBLE UNION.

THE Bible Union is continually growing in favor with the lovers of God and of his holy Bible. The spiritually-minded of the Baptist denomination, that have been properly approached on the question of a new version, are becoming more and more in earnest and zealous in the cause. It is a noble, generous, magnanimous cause. In other words, it is God's own cause, inasmuch as he "has magnified his word above all his name." He commanded Moses, his oracle, to ancient Israel, "to speak all that he commanded him." If he put words into the mouth of his prophets, and said to them severally, "Whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak;" and if, in the course of time, when the language of Canaan was corrupted with foreign and barbarous words, and the people spake a mixed dialect, the great reformer Ezra, and his twelve co-operants, were instructed to open the book of the law, and to cause the people to listen to it, and "distinctly to give the sense, and to cause them to understand the reading"-shall we, who live at the close of a long and more grievous captivity in mystic Babylon shall we, I say, not awaken to our duties, and imitate the examples given for our instruction and direction? Shall we not obey the calls, and follow the openings of Divine Providence, and cause the people, the Lord's people, the whole people, to understand what God has spoken, and restore to them a purer speech, by giving them a perspicuous, precise, and faithful version of his holy word? Tell it not in Rome, publish it not in the streets of Constantinople, lest the daughters of Babylon rejoice-lest the daughters of the unbaptized triumph!

Immersionists, Baptists, Disciples, Christians, or what else the world may call us, we have but one and the same Bible--one book of God, one revelation of his will to man. Why not, then, arise like one man, like one people, one elect people, and give to the church and the world an improved version--alias, a true, a just, a correct version of God's own book?

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Why be zealous for faithful versions in foreign dialects, and neglect our own! What answer can we give to God, to angels, or to men, for this partiality!

Are we afraid of our sectarian neighbors, who stand around our walls and bulwarks? Shall we quail in the presence of Sanballat, because of the fury of his wrath! Shall we abandon our begun efforts, because Tobiah, the Ammonite, scoffingly may say: "Even that which they build, if a fox go up on their begun work, he shall even break down their stone wall"! Should Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, conspire against us, and hold our labors in derision, what can they do? Why care for them? We have with us Zerubbabel, Joshua, Ezra and Nehemiah, and Israelites innumerable. These Sanballats, Tobiahs, and Ashdodites, may conspire against us, by the man-fearing, cowardly, temporizers of the day; but what can they achieve against almighty truth and its divine author?

We all confess that the Bible is more precious than all the gold of Ophir, and, consequently, every word of it is precious. If there be only a hundred, or a thousand errors in it, or what may be called inapposite, unintelligible, erroneous renderings, is not the correction of these of transcendent value and importance?

As for the cry of innovation, unsettling public opinion, or changing, for partizan purposes, the received version, were they not as weighty, and as worthy of the regard of the authors of the current version, as at this day? Had not every improved version in all the languages of Christendom, to encounter and overcome the same obstacles which entrammel the present effort? What has truth to fear from error, light from darkness, or good from evil?

All the reasons that justified the Common Version, at the commencement of the seventeenth century, will justify an improved one in the middle of the nineteenth century. We have one reason, and a very weighty one, too, more than they had: Bible literature, and the original tongues, are much more, and much better, cultivated now than then.

Again Christianity, as a whole, is better understood now than then, in America than in Europe, for one good reason: We have no secular religious establishment-no by law established orthodoxy, with penal sanctions annexed. The mind and conscience are, therefore, less entrammeled. We have our own literature, superadded to the literature of Europe, and circumstances are all more favorable to mental independence than in the times of King James, or at any period in the history of Great Britain.