and exhorting the persons present to put themselves under his guidance, tender an invitation to all present, who have not yet put on Christ, to come forward and signify their determination to submit to his government-thus making a draft on the faith of the audience, &c." Now, we do the very same thing-only we carry the matter a point beyond you; for we not only invite and beseech them, but we insist upon it as their first duty, and tell them that by disbelieving the Gospel they make God a liar, and by refusing to be immersed (if they believe) they “reject the counsel of God against themselves." Seeing, then, that our faith and practice in no respect differs from your own, permit me to ask once more the ground of your complaint of that defectiveness of the plan of operations got up by our good father M'Lean and his coadjutors?"

But,

2. You tell me that the Scotch Baptists appear to you "to be so straitened by the cords and stays of hyper-Calvinism, that they are afraid to command all men to repent and obey the Gospel, lest they should savour of Arminian works, and make void the of God. They are so fettered, and manacled, and para lysed by Calvinian metaphysics, that they are unable to utter the strivings of the Holy Spirit; the arguments, remonstrances, and persuasions of Prophets and Apostles."

grace

Indeed! but where is the evidence to be found of all this? Not, I am sure, in their writings, nor yet in their preaching. My brother Campbell must certainly have had some other sect in his eye when penning the above remarks, and must have inadvertently transferred them to the wrong party; for most assuredly they have no foundation whatever when applied to the Scotch Baptists. My recollection, at this moment, does not furnish me with the names of three individuals in the denomination who are tinctured with hyper-Calvinism. Dismiss, then, I beseech you, for ever dismiss from your mind such an unfounded hypothesis! Give us credit for a little more common sense, and knowledge of the word of God, than to suppose us "fettered, and manacled, and paralysed," by any human creed. We are just as much trammelled by these things as yourself, and no more. Undeceive your brethren throughout the American continent, who may have adopted the same mistaken opinion of us, and get rid of your prejudices with all imaginable dispatch. Let not Ephraim envy Judah, nor Judah vex Ephraim. 'Tis high time that these evil surmisings were at an end. As far as possible, let us strengthen each others hands against the common enemythe man of sin---the son of perdition. I purpose forwarding you to New York, along with this letter, a few treatises written either by myself or some other of the elders of our Churches, which, if they arrive safe, will furnish ample evidence of the truth of what

I have now asserted, that in attributing hyper-Calvinistic sentiments to the Scotch Baptists you have clearly mistaken your men. I have much to say to you on other topics, but I forbear entering upon them here; they shall, if the Lord spare me, form the subject of my next month's letter. Meantime, permit me to subscribe myself,

Your faithful and affectionate friend,

WILLIAM JONES.

LETTER II. FROM A. CAMPBELL TO W. JONES. "MY MUCH ESTEEMED AND Venerable BROTHER!

"Your second question is in the words following, to wit:-'How do your Churches act with regard to the admission of whites and blacks to the Lord's Supper? Do they meet promiscuously, or is the distinction kept up as in other Societies; and are separate tables used?'* To which I reply:-We have learned from the Holy Apostles, and even reason, enlightened by the lamp of Heaven, teaches us that in Christ Jesus there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond or free; and, we may add, neither black nor white, but Christ is all and in all." In political society, ranks and classes,

*To some readers it may not be altogether unnecessary to explain the reason of my proposing this question to Mr. Campbell. Be it known, then, that among the Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists, and Paidobaptists of the popular classes in America, the general, or rather universal, practice prevails of having separate tables at the administration of the Lord's Supper, one for the white population and another for the black, and on no account will the former permit the latter to mingle with them in commemorating the dying love of their common Lord and Saviour! Some years ago a person who had been my colleague in the Eldership of a Christian Church removed to America. On his arrival at New York he was informed of a Baptist Church in the interior of the country, said to consist of 300 members, which was in want of a pastor, and he allowed himself to be persuaded to visit it. He wrote to me from the spot, explaining that he found the Church to consist of 200 whites and 100 blacks, but that they had separate tables, and must still have them! He was justly shocked at witnessing such an anomaly. In his letter to me he asks, "What can I do with such a society as this, which refuses to adopt the very first step in Christianity?" The consequence was, that after labouring a few weeks in fruitless efforts to teach them better, he took his departure, and is now in Philadelphia, one of the Elders of a Church in connection with Mr. Campbell.-W.J.

and castes are necessary, and may be necessary to the good order and government of the world; but if there be on earth a spot of ground on which all ranks and degrees of men-all classes and castes of society should feel, confess, and exhibit that they stand upon equal ground-it is in the temple of God. If there be an hour, or a day, in which the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the master and the servant, should forget all the differences which the circumstances of this life, the artificial and political arrangements of society have instituted, it is that sacred hour in which they prostrate themselves before the throne of the Almighty Father of the whole family in earth and heaven: it is that hour in which they surround the table of the Lord, and express their common faith and hope in the common salvation, and unite in heart and soul in commemorating the love of God, and in acknowledging their united obligations to him that washed them from their sins in his own blood, and made them all children of God, and joint heirs of one eternal inheritance. In the secular and by-lawestablished religions of the old world, and in the humble imitations of them in the new, there is nothing that more fully and unequivocally proves that they are secular institutions, modelled after the fashion and in the pride of this world, than the recognition of wealth, standing, and reputation which obtain in the forum, the theatre, and the festivals of this world. When we see the man with the gold ring and splendid apparel sit in a high place, or reclining upon his rich saloon, while the poor man sits behind the door or stands in the aisle, we may be sure, as if a voice from Heaven had spoken it, that this is not the house of God nor the gate of Heaven. It is our misfortune to have in this community African slaves a misfortune entailed upon some of the fairest portions of this extensive, fertile, and highly favoured land by our English ancestors, or rather by the policy of your Government. While we have inherited the rich legacy of the language, sciences, and religion of England, and a rich patrimony of lands, goods, and chattels, we have also inherited from them one great curse, which I fear we have not the magnanimity and the independence to convert into a blessing. Meanwhile, however, as in the case of selling Joseph for a slave, while his

brethren 'meant it for evil, God meant it for good,'-many of the Africans have blessed the day and kissed the chains which enslaved them to English masters. They have been made the freemen of Christ by being made slaves to men; and, though no thanks be due to them who kidnapped them from their native home, they very generally now enjoy more earthly good in the huts of the sons of Japheth, than did their Pagan fathers in the land of Ham. Still, however, we are not in despair but that this young, and vigorous, and growing nation, proud of its independence, boastful of its love of liberty and strict regard for the rights of man, will yet believe that God has made of one blood all the nations of men that dwell on all the face of the earth-that God Almighty is just as well as merciful-and that it is due to ourselves, our children, our contemporaries, to the perpetuity of our union, to the happiness of mankind, that we set before the world an example of our respect for religion, morality, and good government-a demonstration that we appreciate our birthrights, and that we will not sell them for cotton, tobacco, and sugar. A number, a goodly number, of these bondmen are members of our Churches. In these Churches they assemble around the same table, and are recognised and treated as brethren in Christ. I never knew an instance in which they had a separate table in a Church where there were any white members. I do not say, however, that they fully enjoy, in all places, that share of respect, and attention, and education in Christ, which is due to them as joint heirs of the blessings of his salvation. The long established customs, and the feelings too, which sprung from the American system of slavery, are exceedingly adverse; and it requires a spirituality and heavenlymindedness which few, comparatively, attain, to spend six days in the week as master and servant, and one day as brethren and equals in the kingdom of Heaven. To this subject there is, however, a growing attention; and as the Christian communities advance in the knowledge of the Scriptures, and acquire greater proficiency in the heavenly doctrine, they will more assiduously devote themselves to the mental, moral, and religious culture of those brethren who are politically degraded on account of circumstances over which they have had no controul.

Your third question is-Do any of your Churches admit unbaptised persons to communion; a practice that is becoming very prevalent in this country?' I answerNot one as far as known to me: I am at a loss to understand on what principles-by what law, precedent, or licence, any congregation founded upon the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief corner-stone, could dispense with the practice of the primitive Church -with the commandment of the Lord and the authority of his Apostles. Does not this look like making void the word or commandment of God by human tradition? I know not how I could exhort one professor to arise and be baptised,' as Ananias commanded Saul, and at the same time receive another into the congregation without it. Nay, why not dispense with it altogether, and be consistent? If I felt myself authorised to dispense with it in one case, I know not why I might not dispense with it in every case, and thus wholly annul the institution of Jesus Christ. But this is said only with respect to the authority by which it is done. Viewed in relation to the meaning and design of the institution, it assumes a still more inexplicable mysteriousness. Does Christian immersion mean anything to a believer? Is it the sign or pledge, or means of any spiritual blessing? Is it the demand, or seeking, or answer of a good conscience? Has it anything to do with the understanding, the conscience, the state, or character of a man? And, if so, what is it? If he be as happy in himself, and as acceptable to God without it as with it, is it not an unmeaning ceremony? But it may be said there are two baptisms a spiritual and a literal-a baptism in the spirit and a baptism in water. Paul, however, says there is but " one baptism," for he says, one faith, one Lord, one baptism," and that is a literal baptism. Now if he does not mean a literal baptism he cannot mean a literal Faith or a literal Lord. If we turn Quakers and spiritualise away the one, we must, to avoid tyranny in language, spiritualise the other, the one Lord, the one body, the one Faith, &c. The Baptist Churches in England must, on this point, assume the Methodistic and Cumberland Presbyterian ground in America. In this accommodating age many of these preachers have given up their own conscience

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