ment of the truth; but the free, unconstrained sentiments of the heart are alone acceptable to the Supreme Being In such sacrifices he always delights! Let us cherish, therefore, the spontaneous convictions of the mind. The liberal inquirer after divine truth should rank high in our estimation. Uncharitableness is the germ of persecution: and with respect to persecutors of every description, let us say, Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. 0 my soul, come not into their secret; unto their assemblies, mine honor, be thou not united !

66 LIFE OF ELDER BENJAMIN PUTNAM," AND STRICTURES UPON IT, BY BR. JOHN E. PALMER.

A Sketch of the life of Elder Benjamin Putnam, written by himself, and printed at Woodstock, we had calculated to have noticed before; but by reason of delay, we have had the privilege of perusing strictures upon it, by Br. John E. Palmer; both of which we calculate now to notice. From the account which Elder Putnam gives of himself, it appears to have pleased God to favor him with a saving change of heart, in an early period of life. The different denominations of christians, to which, at different times, he has been united, have been no less than three; and he has now returned to the house from whence he came out, and seems to be satisfied that it is swept and garnished to receive him. He first joined the close Communion Baptists, and from them the Freewill Baptists, then the Christians, and afterwards returned to the first denomination. He had for years, been an opposer of the doctrines of close communion, original and infinite sin, infinite atonement, endless misery, particular election, and reprobation. To all these he has now returned, and embraces thein as the indisputable doctrines of divine revelation, and the darlings of his heart. He appears to write to his old Christian brethren, whom he views to be in a most egregious error, with abundance of feeling; and,

tho he has no disposition to commune with the best of them, he hopes to meet some of them in that state of perfection, where nothing can be admitted to separate them. He manifests the strongest confidence of the correctness of his present views; his feet are established on the standard of what he conceives to be genuine orthodoxy. He, therefore, comes to them, and to all of us, who deny any of the afore-named doctrines, as one from the dead, and calls upon us to repent. He has travelled through all our experience, long embraced and vindicated the doctrines which we believe, knows our ground, knows our arguments, and has found them all to be false and deceptive. As a specimen of the fellow-feeling and tender regard by which he addresses his former Christian brethren, we quote the following paragraph.

"I had, a few years previously, been instrumental in gathering several churches, to whom I was now constantly preaching. They appeared generally to be in a prosperous situation; at least, they were so considered. They were very attentive to my instructions, and I had reason to believe reposed great confidence in me. Many of them dated their awakening from my sermons. I had baptized the greater part of them on the condition of their faith, altho some had been received in the neglect of this ordinance. I had often administered the Lord's supper to them. Nothing had ever taken place, in my knowledge, which had created the least alienation of affection. Indeed, I think, their esteem for me could not have been greater, than mine for them. We had been united by ties dearer than life, and stronger than death. They are still very precious in my view as christians, and I strongly anticipate the meeting of them, in that state of perfection in which there will be nothing to separate us. Such are my feelings while writing this paragraph, when I reflect upon the past, and especially upon myself, as having been the instrument of leading those unwary souls astray from the truth, that I can scarcely forbear wetting my paper with tears. If ever I pray

sincerely, I remember them at the throne of grace, and beseech God to counteract the poisonous influence of those errors, into which they have fallen through my means. O, that I may yet be instrumental in the hands of God, in recovering them from those false opinions."

From this quotation, we turn back to his 49th page, and read the following: "I had previously believed, that the saints might so fall as to be finally lost; but when I was led to see that their salvation depended, not upon their own works, but upon the faithfulness of Christ; I could no longer admit the possibility; as it appeared incredible, that he should begin a good work in any, and leave it unfinished."

We now, in the third place, turn to his 139th page, and read; "I see no reason why a christian minister is not under, at least, as great obligation "to declare all the counsel of God," as a witness in court is, to tell the whole truth. In one case, property, and, perhaps, life is at stake; in the other, an eternal interest, even the salvation of the soul is pending."

From the preceding quotations, we are made acquainted with the sympathy, that moves our author with peculiar tenderness toward his former brethren. He goes so far as to cherish a strong anticipation of meeting them in a state of perfection, He speaks in general terms; at least, with reference to those, with whom he had happily walked, and for whom he had experienced such movings of tenderness. He seems, therefore, to think the Lord had begun a good work upon them, and, from the second quotation already made, we find he is confident he will not "leave it unfinished." Why then should the compassionate man shed so many tears, at the thoughts of his leading so many unwary souls astray? Is he afraid "the poisonous influence of those errors" will damn any of God's elect? Certainly not. If he expects in a future estate, to rejoice in the glorious display of divine justice, in the miseries of the damned, and the poisonous influence of those errors should prove, among thre

best of means, to prepare them for that misery, why should the man cry, when he expects soon to rejoice at the glorious spectacle of their misery? Is he unreconciled to the will of God, notwithstanding his high attainments in theological knowledge or is it the mere effect of human infirmities? But when we come to learn, as we are told in a passage already cited that "the salvation of the soul is pending" on the christian minister, we do not marvel that the thoughts of "leading those unwary souls astray from the truth," should occasion a flood of tears; neither do we marvel that the poor man should so far lose his reason, as to deal in the most direct contradictions that language could express. Never could a contradiction appear more visible, than in the two following sentences. "It appeared," says he, "that if the final salvation of christians depend upon their faithfulness, they will all be certain to fail, as all are undoubtedly more or less unfaithful; 1 hence saw a necessity of having it placed on a more permanent basis, even the immutable promise and oath of Jehovah.”. Page 49. We read again; "I see no reason why a christian minister is not under at least as great obligation "to declare all the counsel of God" as a witness in court is to declare the whole truth.

In one

case, property, and, perhaps, life is at stake; in the other, an eternal interest, even the salvation of the soul is PENDING!" We now come to conclusions. The eternal interest, the salvation of the soul is pending on christian ministers, and they all are more or less unfaithful. Conclusion.-Christians "will all be certain to fail" of salvation. Again; "I saw the necessity of having it placed on a more permanent basis, even the immutable promise and oath of Jehovah." Conclusion. The eternal interest, even the salvation of the soul which is on the permanent basis, is as immutable as the promise and oath of Jéhovah !

We recollect of reading no author, that ever wrote with more seeming confidence of his own correctness, than the one we now notice; and yet few authors ap

pear more absurd and contradictory.

erroneous.

To offer briet remarks upon all that we view inaccuracies in this work, would require a distinct volume. But as most of the subjects have long been before the public, and have been ably discussed by learned writers, whose works are pretty generally known, it is less necessary that we attempt a refutation of all that we deem And it is made still less needful, as we have the privilege of recommending the valuable "Strictures" of Br. Palmer upon this work, a few specimens of which we calculate to give, before we close this article. But we have already written enough to show, that tho he were "an angel from heaven," his work is not entitled to our confidence ; because it is not calculated for a suitable antidote "to counteract the poisonous influence of error." A few things more, however, we will notice.

After acknowledging that the words eternal, everlasting, for ever, and for ever and ever, are applied to things which have an end, he endeavors to introduce these words as affording argument in favor of endless misery. He builds on Matt. xxv. 46, where he finds eternal applied to life, and everlasting to punishment, urging that the duration of one must be equal to the other. He says, "We have no more authority to limit the word everlasting, than we have to limit the word eternal." But we ask, where does he get his authority for limiting the word everlasting, when applied to the hills, in the 3d chapter of Hab. and understanding it endless when applied to God in the same verse? He answers, from the nature of the subject. So in Matt. Punishment and life are distinct subjects, tho mentioned in the same verse. He must then prove punishment to be endless, before he can establish this to be the meaning of the word everlasting in that passage. Thus we see our author is striving to maintain an argument with materials that he had broken to pieces in a preceding page. We do not much marvel at this, because we have before seen the marks of the reigning power of a peculiar and un