as the only christian apostolical rule of Christ, then known or ever heard of among them. And that no other rule of communion is Christ's, even by one solitary text; and so neither christian nor apostolical by any one act recorded, or by any authority so to act. If this evidence is not plain enough for you, I will tell you what it is plain enough for, and that is, that by it I will hereby solemnly pledge myself, that when you shall find such good evidence in the sacred text for any other rule, I will from that hour be of your sentiments both on sprinkling and communion too; and will give up our baptist rule, and publish the same in at least half-a-dozen periodicals.

3. "It is the rule of a party, and therefore schismatical."

We suppose that by the charge of party, you mean to say that we are a mere seditious pestilential faction. But all this will only make us laugh at your weakness, unless you can and do support your charge by the New Testament law of God. However, the idea of a party, may be taken in a good sense, as well as in a bad one, and we have no objection, but earnestly desire to be a plain scripture party in the fear of God. We have no objection for conscience' sake to be that party who are condemned without and against divine law (Isa. lix. 15), in distinction from those who justify themselves without and against divine law. Gal. vi. 12. Rom. xvi. 18. We do not want men to call us good, so long as by the word of God they cannot prove us bad, and we have a good conscience in all things pertaining to godliness. You have made your deadly charge upon us, and it is now for you to sustain it by the evidence and power of the sacred text, and by the same law to overturn all the evidence in our favour on these papers; or retract what you have said, as one that has spoken unadvisedly.

4. "Because it rends the beautiful garment of christian love."

We are not at all accountable, nor are we careful, for whatever may be rent by a conscientious adherence to the word of God, in the evident sense of that word. We consider that there may be a great deal of fleshly religious finery, highly presuming to christian love, which the sooner rent the better. Rev. xvii. We glory in rending that garment, though it be off a christian's

back, and we get never so bitterly maligned for so doing, that is hostile to and unknown in the truth and order of God's word. There is no real and important beauty in any religious garment, any further than it is inspiration-seamless, and bible truth-woven from the top throughout. John xix. 23. And that love that cannot live in the element of plain bible truth and order enforced, let it die; for it is not a fruit of the Spirit, for he is the Spirit of truth as well as love; and it is not of Christ, for he is the Son of God in truth and love. And all true godliness, whether in sentiment, disposition, or act, is the seed and offspring of Christ in truth and love, or in love founded upon truth. 2 John i. 1.

EIGHTH. "St. Paul's rule of admission to christian communion is this, As many as Christ has received, let us receive. Rom. xv. 7. The whole of Chap. xiv. is applicable, and especially the xv. 5, 6, 7. I wish you could be made to blush for your inconsistency—I mean not your's alone, but of your party.”

1. Wherein have we differed from Paul's rule in the admission to communion? for that is all still to be discovered and to be proved. You must prove that any one was ever admitted to communion, without being first added to the church, and that there ever was one added to the church without being first baptized on a personal profession of faith in Christ, or that such a thing was ever asked for, or thought of, by either candidate, minister, or the church: before you can prove that we differ from Paul's rule of receiving all whom Christ hath received.

2, You have to prove that Rom. xiv., and chap. xv. 5, 6, 7, has any thing to do with our subject at all, any more that it has to do with the plagues of Egypt. I will positively affirm and challenge contradiction before men of any degree, that no such thing is the mind and intent of the Spirit; and that no such thing was in Paul's mind, argument, aim, or intention in these two chapters, as that the church at Rome was to receive into their communion at the Lord's table, persons who were not baptized on their own personal profession of faith in Christ; or that baptism, for or against, was any way concerned as a question, in the business of Paul's writing the xiv. and xv. chapters, to the Romans. To me it appears truly awful, that you, as a man of God,

a minister of the gospel, and a man of letters, should so wring, wrest, and twist, the sacred word of God, into a meaning which, is as evident as the sun is clearly in the heavens in a cloudless summer's noon day, was never the mind, meaning, or intention of the Holy Spirit on the inspired apostle's soul in what is written; and that you should do this, to support what cannot be upheld in the name of the Lord by a more true, fair, and honest reading of his sacred word. So to snatch up and drag in, as by the hair of ones head, merely adapted sounds, irrespective of the particular meaning or the evident general drift of argument and design of what is written, as the best and only support you can obtain from the holy word, is but the more fully to prove that your particular subject in hand is altogether unscriptural; and also worse than that, to betray truth in general into the hands of its communion vultur-eyed foes. Psalm xxii. 7.

From the use that is made of the Old Testament scriptures by references in the New, we see that great liberty is allowed in the using of the sacred word for the elucidation of revealed subjects; but to lay down any portion of the sacred word, as the positive ground upon which to found those conclusions on doctrines or ordinances, that shall affect the public order and character of the church of God, we must adhere immediately, and be particular to the primary and infallible meaning and intent of the Holy Spirit by the pen of the inspired writer. It is miserably bad to hear what is generally the truth, advanced upon a false construction on a text of scripture, but it is many times more awfully worse to falsely construe a portion of the sacred word for the purpose of supporting what the true reading and meaning of no part of the word of God will support for a truth. That which is most pleasing to a man, is to him generally the least like an error, although it may at the same time be most erroneous; and therefore we ought always, and particularly on controverted points, to take that cautionay question with us, "How readest thou?" Luke x. 26. And also that we always keep in mind the sacred injunctions, "take heed how ye hear." Luke xviii. 18. "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God." 1 John iv. 1. The business of the

saints of God is not to receive all things, but to prove all things, by comparing spiritual things with spiritual, 1 Cor. xi. 13; holding fast that which is good. 1 Thes. v. 21. For it is the simple only who believeth every word, while the prudent looketh well to his goings; Prov. xiv. 15; finding no holy path of safety to walk in, where there is no light of the divine word; Psalm cxix. 104, 105; nor warrant to conclude in favour of that which hath no sacred text; 1 Cor. xi. 16; but praying in all things, "O let me not wander from thy commandments." Psalm cixix. 10.

3. The Roman Church was a Baptist Church and there were no cavils, hesitations, or questions in it, or about it, to settle on that subject. But as a people settled of one heart and of one mind therein, the apostle did enforce their godly and Christian-like observance of what they professed to be, and to believe in their baptism: that they might do credit to that profession, and honor God as the truly risen to newness of life according to it. chap. vi. 3, 4. This church appears evidently to have consisted of Jews and of Gentiles; and although these were alike the subjects of the free grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, yet from the great difference there was in their former character, situation, circumstances, habits of life, relations by blood, and deep laid prejudices, and the unhallowed handle that the ill tempered nature of flesh and blood might make of these things; together with some things, which from the second, third, and fourth chapters, we may fairly and safely judge the apostle had already heard of them; there appeared so great a danger, as to render it needful closely and solemnly, to caution them against being jealous one of another, and to admonish them to exercise due affection toward one another, that the peace and harmony of the church as a body, might not be incautiously disturbed with such things, as ought for ever to be forgotten, in their equal debtorship to the free grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. And to cure this evil, or to prevent this likely one, was the apostle's design; as also that the different degrees of knowledge, strength of hope, and boldness in the faith of Christ, that there was among them, should create no misunderstanding, but that the strong should bear with and help the weak, and

love and receive them, as the Lord had received them all both weak and strong, and alike made them all what they were for the kingdom of heaven; the strong having nothing to boast, and the weak having nothing to fear. And that if the Jews still had a regard for certain days on certain accounts which the Gentiles knew nothing about, that that should be of no consideration of disturbance, so long as the Lord's own given order of divine ordinances for his New Testament church was not disturbed thereby. And that if the Gentiles could with good conscience eat certain meats which the Jews could not, that they should not be considered unclean, nor unbelievers, nor be despised for so doing, so long as the divine model laid down for the New Testament church was duly regarded and honourably maintained by them. And that the weak and much bound should not be treated with indifference but with tenderness, because they could not see far and clear enough to enter more into liberty. And that those who were most favoured with the glorious liberty of the sons of God, should not be considered presumptuous because of that liberty; but that all should use what measure of grace they had, to the glory of God, in a studious regard with all needful self-denial for each others welfare in the Lord; for that which should be profitable for them all, and well pleasing to God, as in 1 Cor. viii. These are evidently the ends and designs the inspired man of God had on his mind, when moved to write the xiv. and xv. chapters to the Romans, and particularly so in the 5, 6, 7, verses of Chap. xv; without the least or remotest thought of disturbing God's own given order of believer's baptismal communion, or of receiving unbaptized persons into the communion of the church. Nor can I see that the design of the argument regards the receiving of fresh communicants to the table, but the receiving of those into each others affections, prayerful concern, and care, who were already members in communion. And I am confident that no such thing is either said, meant, or thought of, as that of their receiving new communicants in any way contrary, to the one way of divine will, in which they were at the first united as a baptized people on their own personal profession of faith. But contrary to all that you can prove to be either