who have a regard for the civil and religious rights of men, and are borne down by a hierarchal clergy—a despotic judiciary—an aristocratic host of lawyers a great majority of the presses—the influence of the col. leges—and the superstition of the ignorant?

*

Second. A word of advice. Evils in government had better be borne with, as long as they are sufferable, than to make government too change. able but the representation of this state is so large, that it loudly calls for a constitutional reform. Should the legislature make and appeal to the towns, either to choose a convention for, or prescribe, in their municipal capacities, a revision of the constitution, it is hoped that they will not be restricted to the article of representation only. It is believed that one hundred and fifty representatives, would be better than six hundred; and that, if the judges were made a little more responsible to men, they might feel themselves a little more accountable to God; and that the third article of the declaration of rights, should be blotted out, taking the constitution of the United States for a pattern in this particular. If these amendments could take place, with the addition of a new article, similar to the fifth article of the United States constitution, my advice would be answered.

Third. Some observations. Nothing is more plain, than that the Almighty has set up the government of the United States in answer to the prayers of all the saints, down from the first proclamation of the gospel. The earth, at last, has helped the woman. Had such a government existed, from the beginning of the Christian era, what rivers of blood—what shocking havoc--how much imprisonment, confiscation, exile, torture and burning, would have been prevented! "Rome was not built in a day." Great events arise from small beginnings. The notion of excluding religion from legislation, first arose in Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, in their colonial capacities; and has, since the revolution, been interwoven in the government of the United States. The clergy in New England, were champions in the revolution; but, to justify the separation from Great Britain, they were obliged to establish maxims, (respecting the rights of men,) which they are now 10th to abide by.

Fourth. A word of experience. When I was about twelve years old, I constantly attended the preaching of Mr. H., one of the standing order, so called. On every Sunday afternoon, in his prayer, (which was about fiftynine minutes long,) he would repeat the following words: "Pity Mahomedan imposture—pagan idolatry—Jewish infidelity—papistry and superstition: bring the downfall of anti-Christian tyranny to a period." I knew not the meaning of the words, but I heard them so often that I committed them to memory, and have not yet forgotten them. My minister was in the habit of changing with other ministers, of the same faith and order, to

economise upon notes, (as was supposed,) to save the time of writing so much. These changelings (not hirelings) used the same expressions in their prayers, or what amounted to the same, with Mr. H. Many admonitions were given me, in those days, about the tyranny and wickedness of the Pope, and the papal clergy. All was awful! all was true! because their high reverences said so.

But now, since the French Revolution began, and the Pope is humbled, and the papal clergy set at nought; how the note is changed among the clergy in New England. Their present language is this: "We did not mean so; the Lord has not understood our prayers: We meant, that the papists should all turn congregationalists, as we are; having no Pope over them, but the collective clergy over the people; and that our national and state governments, might all be Christian governments; and not deistical, to leave every man at liberty, as is now the case, except in three of the New England States; and even in them, the clergy are not honored and implicitly believed, as they once were. O tempora! O mores!!!"

Fifth. Encouragement. Nearly all the states are, at this time, republican indeed the atmosphere south and west of the North River, is mild and friendly to the growth of representative democrats. Religious liberty has no manacles in those extensive regions. Population, and of course representation, will ever place the balance where it now is: and the New England old Grin, religious bigotry, will gnaw his galling bands, in his small cavern, until his teeth are broken. Upon his decease, I volunteer myself to preach his funeral sermon, and publish his biography, gratis. He is yet living, and struggling for existence.

Conclusion. My text contains six prominent words, viz:

Schools, Academies, Colleges,

True Piety, Morality, Literature.

On which I have made six strictures, and six articles of improvement; which, added together horizontally, make the number six hundred and sixty-six. Here is wisdom—here is understanding—the number of the beast is counted, and it is the number of a man. I will not say that my text is the beast, of which so much is said in the Revelations : but I do not hesitate to pronounce it one of his claws. Some divines, by the beast, understand Louis XIV. Others find his name in the Pope; a third class believe that Napoleon is the beast; while others believe it to be the transformation of the Christian church into a tyrannical body, in the year six hundred and sixty-six. All of them have to divide, multiply, substract, and add perpendicularly and horizontally too, as well as myself, to make out If these divines, who differ so much in opinion, can obtain the degree of Doctor of Divinity, it is to be hoped that the exposition, here given, will not prevent the author from the same diploma, provided he can get money and friends enough. Should that ever be the case, then with

their beast.

little thought and copious extracts, he could form a body of divinity, to adorn the shelves of libraries and eternize his own name. Amen.

NUMBER THREE.

FACTS AND QUESTIONS.

Jews, Christians, and Deists, all believe in the unity of God. Jews have Jehovah—Christians have Immanuel, and Deists have their Deity. The Jews believe in Jehovah, and receive the Old Testament as a revelation from God; but do not believe that Christ was the promised Messiah, nor that the New Testament is of divine inspiration. The Christians believe in Jehovah, and in the divinity of the Old Testament; they also believe in Immanuel, as Jehovah incarnate, and receive the New Testament as divinely authentic. The Deists believe neither in the God of Moses, nor in the God of Christians; but (borrowing language from the Bible, a book which they detest,) speak very sublimely of Deity.

Query. Is there a man on earth, (where the gospel of Christ is known,) who gives any evidence, by the temper of his mind and his external conduct, that he loves the Supreme Deity and rejoices in his government; who, at the same time will satirize the Christians' God, and reprobate the New Testament? I believe not. And if my faith is well founded, infi

delity takes its rise in the baseness of the heart.

Again. If a company of men had a vast and valuable inheritance, secured to them by a writing as well authenticated as the Bible, would they not feel well satisfied with their charter? The inheritance of pardon of sin and a resurrection to eternal life, is chartered in the scriptures, and no where else. The light of nature and the laws of nations—philosophy and state policy have no concern in it.

NUMBER FOUR.

POETIC LINES, ON THE DEATH OF REV. JOHN WALLER.

Come heav'nly muse, inspire my heart,

Thy gracious agency impart,

And teach my pen to write;

Direct my pencil to proclaim

The life and death of the dear man,
In whom I took delight.

'Tis no slain hero I bemoan,

No patriot of high renown,

Waller was one of the grand-jury,
Yet not so fill'd with rage and fury,
But what he'd reason hear;

Craig's meek defence and calm repose,
Disarm'd the fury of his foes,

And open'd Waller's ear.

The meetings then he did attend,
Not as a foe, but as a friend,

And sought the Lord with tears;
The pardoning love of Christ he found,
Which prov'd a balsam for his wound,
A cordial for his fears.

Soon he began to tell around,

What a dear Saviour he had found,
And call on all to fly;

"Sinners, repent and turn to God,
Trust in a mighty Saviour's blood,
And you shall never die."

How oft I've seen the envoy stand,
Imploring mercy for the land,

With eyes uplift to heav'n;
"Father, forgive the stubborn race—
Subdue their hearts to sov'reign grace,
That they may be forgiv'n."

Then turning from the upper skies,
With glowing heart and wat'ry eyes,
Would eager gaze around;

The listening croud, like wandering sheep,
He'd warn and woo, embrace, intreat,
In heart affecting sound.

All round the land the herald ran,
Proclaiming life to dying man,

While heav'n his words apply'd;
Thousands obeyed the voice of God,
And found salvation in the blood

Of Jesus crucified.*

Waller, intrepid for his God,

Would ne'er confer with flesh and blood,

But put his all at stake;

Come life—come death—praise or disgrace,

Naught could impede him in his race;

He ran for Jesus' sake.

* He baptized more than two thousand before he removed from Virginia, which was in or near 1794. A few years afterwards, he died in South Carolina.