the following facts, and their characters are sufficiently vouched for by magistrates of the counties where they live. Among many other things which might be named to the eternal dishonor of the authors of the Mormon delusion, we notice the following:

That Joseph Smith, Jr, and his family, were, about the time he pretended to have discovered the book of Mormon, known as 'fortunetellers' and 'money-diggers,' and that they often had recourse to tricks of juggling for the purpose of finding money which they said was hid

in the earth.

That the said Smith, up to that time, and after, was known as a wicked man; that we was a cheat, and a liar, and used profane language; that he was intemperate and quarrelsome.

That his own father-in-law never had any confidence in him, and he was knowing to the manner in which Smith commenced his imposture in getting out what he called the book of Mormon.

That Smith has, himself, confessed the cheat, and so has Martin Harris, one of his principal witnesses Harris once said, 'What if it

is a lie? If you will let me alone, I will make money out of it'

That Oliver Cowdery, another of the witnesses to Smith's book, was not a man of good character before he joined Smith in the cheat of Mormonism.

That Smith and Martin Harris were in the habit of meeting toge ther, often, just before the plates were said to be found, and were familiarly known in the neighborhood by the name of the 'Gold Bible Company;' and they were regarded by the community, generally, as a lying, indolent set of fellows, in whom no confidence could be placed; and Joseph Smith, Jr's, character for truth was so notoriously bad, that he could not and was not believed when under oath.

The wife of Martin Harris testifies that he is both a cruel man and a liar, he having beat her and turned her out of his house.

That Smith confessed his object in pretending to find the plates was to make money, saying, 'When it is completed my family will be placed on a level above the generality of mankind.'

Such are some of the facts, which are proved beyond the possibility of confutation, by the affidavits of respectable witnesses, persons who were well acquainted with Joseph Smith, Jr., and his associates, both before and since the pretended discovery of his golden pates. And, perhaps, we cannot better close the investigation of this subject, than by quoting a specimen of those testimonies. It is numerously signed, as will be seen, and by persons well acquainted with the author and proprietor' of the book of Mormon:—

'PALMYRA, N. Y., December 4, 1833. We, the undersigned, have been acquainted with the Smith family for a number of years, while they resided near this place, and we have no hesitation in saying, that we consider them destitute of that moral character which ought to entitle them to the confidence of any community. They were particularly famous for visionary projects; spent much of their time in digging for money, which they pretended was hid in the earth; and to this day large excavations may be seen in the earth, not far from their residence, where they used to spend their time in digging for hidden treasures. Joseph Smith, Sen., and his son Joseph, were, in particular, considered entirely destitute of moral cha racter, and addicted to vicious habits.

Martin Harris was a man who had acquired a handsome property, and in matters of business his word was considered good; but on moral and religious subjects he was perfectly visionary-sometimes advocating one sentiment, and sometimes another. And in reference to all with whom we were acquainted, who have embraced Mormonism, from this neighborhood, we are compelled to say, they were very visionary, and most of them destitute of any moral character, and without influence in this community, and this may account why they were permitted to go on with their impositions undisturbed.

'It was not supposed that any of them were possessed of sufficient character, or influence, to make any one believe their book or their sentiments; and we know not of a single individual in this vicinity, that puts the least confidence in their pretended revelations.

[Signed by] G. N. Williams, H. Sinnell, Th. Rogers, 2d; Clark Robinson, Josiah Francis, Josiah Rice, H. P. Alger, G. A. Hathaway, R. D. Clark, G. W. Anderson, H. K. Jerome, H. P. Thayer, L. Williams, Lewis Foster, G. W. Crosby, Levi Thayer, P. Grandin, Philo Durfee, P. Sexton, Joel Thayer, R. W. Smith, S. P. Seymour, A. Millard, Henry Jessup, John Hurlbut, James Jenner, W. Parke, L. Durfee, S. Ackley, E. S. Townsend, Amos Hollister, Jesse Townsend, C. E. Thayer, D. G. Ely, Th P. Baldwin, John Sothington, G. Beckwith, Durfy Chase, W. Anderson, H. Paine, A. H. Beckwith, R. S. Williams, L. Hurd, G. S. Ely, M. Butterfield, E. D. Robinson, Pelitian West, D. S. Jackways, E. Ensworth, Linus North, Israel F. Chilson.'

Persons thus destitute of moral character, combined to usher into being a book purporting to be of equal authority with the Bible. And here is the story which one of its Apostles,' professing to act under the infallible inspiration of God, tells of this book:

"The book of Mormon was found in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, in Ontario county, New York; was translated and published in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty. It contains the history of the ancient inhabitants of America, who were a branch of the house of Israel, of the tribe of Joseph; of whom the Indians are still a remnant; but the principal nation of them having fallen in battle, in the fourth or fifth century, one of their Prophets, whose name was Mormon, saw fit to make an abridgment of their history, their prophecies, and their doctrine, which he engraved on plates; and afterwards, being slain, the record fell into the hands of his son Moroni, who being hunted by his enemies, was directed to deposite the record safely in the earth, with a promise from God that it should be preserved, and should again be brought to light in the latter days by means of a Gentile nation who should possess the land. The deposite was made about the year four hundred and twenty, on a hill then called Cumora, now in Ontario county, where it was preserved in safety, until it was brought to light by no less than the ministry of angels; and translated by inspiration. And the great Jehovah bore record of the same to chosen witnesses, who declare it to the world.'-Voice of Warning, p. 129.

Of course, they give us no evidence (except their own word) to prove what is here asserted!"

PLEA OF THE AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Brother Campbell,

I HAVE just read a pamphlet of some 60 pages, with an imposing title page, which runs thus: "Our Country; its capabilities, its perils, and its hope: being a Plea for the early establishment of Gospel Insti tutions in the destitute portions of the United States. Published by the Executive Committee of the American Home Missionary Society. New York, 1842."

After presenting various statistics and calculations concerning the present and future greatness of the United States in general, and their probable influence upon the destiny of the world, the compiler goes on in chapter 11. to speak of the Western States in particular-their extent, population, resources, prospects; and the urgency of the present crisis—all which is brought to bear upon the grand point-the sending out of missionaries to supply the desolate places of this vast region with the gospel. In noticing the various difficulties with which missionaries have to contend in this quarter, he mentions "Infidelity and Sectarianism," the great "variety of preachers," "Abner Kneeland in Iowa," "Campbellism, Catholicism, Mormonism," and though last not least, "the poverty of the Ministry." I wish to present you with a few extracts respecting the people he styles "Campbellites," with a brief notice of whom I supplied you last year.

"If the friends of evangelical truth do not furnish missionaries, the enemy will. Missionaries there will be, whether the church send them or not. Nay, more, missionaries there already are, subtle, active, successful. Witness the advocates of Campbellism, Mormonism, Popery, Atheism. &c. These are on the spot, and they are sowing tares, which, if they spring up before the Christian husbandman is there to counteract their growth, it will be difficult to subdue." p. 28.

"Iowa.-Now is the seed-time of this territory. Now the people every where want and demand the gospel. Preachers of some kind they will have-Mormons, Catholics, Campbellites, or followers of Kneeland. Who shall sow this field?"

"Chicago, Illinois. This part of the vineyard of God is, I think, very important and very destitute. There are villages growing up in every direction, destitute of preaching, and the Mormons and the Campbellites are making great exertions to spread their delusions, and not without success. Men will have some kind of religion, and they are ready to seize upon the grossest errors if the truth is not presented. The Mormons are making numerous proselytes to their faith where the gospel is not preached. It is perfectly astonishing that common sense should be so satisfied with perfect nonsense. It must not be that these delusions shall spread, and get a firm grasp upon the minds of men, without Christians making a decided effort to prevent it.

The preaching of the gospel is the only antidote. It seems as though every form of error which the devil can devise, is rolling in here like a flood." p. 33.

By these classifications and comparisons it would appear-1st, that the advocates of Campbellism, &c. are not Christians, since they are contrasted with the "Christian husbandman;" and, 2dly. that being engaged in sowing tares, they are actually in the employment of the devil himself; for the Saviour said, speaking of the lares, "The enemy that sowed them is the devil." If, then, we adopt these most charitable conclusions, we shall be at no loss hereafter, it is to be presumed, to know what kind of people these Campbellites are, of whom so many things are reported.

Having thus defined their character, our compiler goes on to give some account of their doctrine, as follows:

"Campbellism is the great curse of the West-more destructive and injurious to the cause of religion than avowed infidelity itself. There is evidence of wonderful cunning in the system, and in those who seek to carry it out. It presents something like a form of godliness, which may answer temporal purposes, and serve for those who cannot silence conscience without something in the semblance of religionAs Mahomet, in framing his system of delusion, sought to accommodate it as far as practicable to all the forms of religion then extant, so Campbellism is intended to commend itself to all the other denomina tions. It has no creed or confession of faith of its own. It is like the pirate bark upon the seas, provided with the flag of every nation, ready to run up any one as occasion may require. Thus Campbellism is ever ready, Proteus-like, to change its shape whenever any thing is to be gained by deception. The object appears to be, to form one great body, in the shade of which no other can possibly exist. Hence Is religious requirements are reduced to the minimum. It is only to be immersed and give consent to the historical facts of the New Testament; every thing else, they say, will follow; the Holy Ghost will be imparted; the man become a Christian." pp. 46-47.

What a dreadful thing this is-this Campbellism! No wonder that for the sake of self-preservation this Committee of the American Home Missionary Society cry out so earnestly and so pathetically for helpfor ministers and MONEY, that the gospel, "the only antidote for such an evil," may be duly and seasonably administered.

But as I know there is such a thing as selfishness both in individuals and in organized societies, and that selfishness leads to selfaggrandizement, and creates a desire to monopolize, and a disposition to injure and break down others by force or fraud, I am led to inquire, before I take these representations as true, Who are they who make them? Who are they who have taken to themselves the grand and imposing title, "The AMERICAN Home Missionary Society"? —

Surely this must be a general combination of all the chief religious denominations of America in the cause of home missions. "The American Society"! How general-how orthodox a title! Certainly such a society can speak with authority. It will embody the sense and judgment, and truth and charity of all the popular parties, who, being restrained by each other as to their peculiar prejudices and selfish views, will run to no extreme, and be guilty of no gross misrepresentations; but will present such views and statements as are commonly received, and may be confidently relied on. Nay, standing on common ground, they can, as in this pamphlet, even speak of themselves as "Christians;" "The Church;" "The Christian Church;" "The Christian Public;" "The Friends of Evangelical Truth;" "The People of God;" "A People whose Christianity is comparatively fresh from the fonntain, and unmixed with the traditions, and unfettered by the establishments of men." They can say of their ministers, as they do, that they are "The Christian Husbandmen;" "The Christian Ministry;" "Good Ministers;" "Men of strong minds, of sound judgment, of established principle, and of ardent piety." They can style their dootrine, as they do, exclusively and emphatically, "Christianity;" "The Gospel;" The simplicity and purity of the Gospel;" "The only true Religion;" "Evangelical Religion;" "The only antidote for the delu. sions of Campbellites, Mormonites. and Catholics." And finally, being strong in the orthodoxy of numbers and mighty in influence and authority, they can, as above quoted, denounce the advocates of said delusions, as 'the subtle, active, successful missionaries of the devil, sowing tares;' and Campbellism itself in particular as "the great curse of the West-more destructive and more injurious to the cause of religion than avowed infidelity itself." And all this ex cathedra.

But let us inquire: Is this "American Home Missionary Society" really the representative of the great body of orthodox professors in America? Strange to tell, it is not! It represents only the "scattered sons of the Pilgrims," as they are most rhetorically termed, (p. 51,) You no doubt remember the "Blue Laws" enacted by those Pilgrims and their persecution of the unoffending Quakers in days of yore. It is, it seems, composed of the "Connecticut Missionary Society," the "New York Domestic Missionary Society." and the "General Assembly's Board;" and is, in fact, after all its generalisms and imposing titles, nothing but a sectarian combination of Presbyterians and Congregationalists-the descendants and representatives of that party which in every age has been characterized by its thirst for power, and its vindictive cruelty in its exercise,-as their well known barbarous persecutions both in England and on the continent may