Missionaries, making particular inqui- | ries relative to our Dutch Society, and expressing a cordial desire to unite. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM A DISTINGUISHED MINISTER IN GLASGOW, TO THE EDITOR. ‹‹*******We feel interested in the welfare of America, almost as much as in that of our own country. God will arise and plead his own cause; and, in his time, instruments will not be wanting. It would give me great pleasure to hear from you occasionally, and to know, how, in your judgment, things move in the churches, or the Republic of Letters in America. Our Union works well, upon the whole. In most Presbyteries we have the most friendly christian intercourse. Some nice points, which it was necessary to discuss, have brought prejudices into collision; and sparks have occasionally been struck, which have alarmed the fears of some.But the materials have not been so inflammable as was apprehended.No combustion has occurred; and we think, that under the blessing of God, we are now, in a great measure past hazard. The course of evangelical truth is, at least, not losing ground in the churches of Scotland, and England; and the religious excitement, the diffusion of revealed truth, and, I hope, the true conversions in Ireland, are certainly without parallel in that country, since the period of the Protestant Reformation. We are not, however, at ease. The old world is very insecure. The states of Europe are all fermenting; and the best informed political men, and the most enlightened christians, coincide in the *The Secession church of Scotland, which rose in A. D. 1732, was unhappily rent as early as 1747, into two churches, the Antiburgher and Burgher churches. These were happily united a few years ago into one large, growing, and most flourishing church. This is the Union here alluded to.-ED. apprehension that a dreadful explosion is not very remote. But the Lord reigns, and the result will be glorious.****** Your brother in the bonds of the On the 19th of Nov. last, the Classis of Poughkeepsie installed the Rev. George W. Bethune as pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church at Rhinebeck, Dutchess county, New-York. The Rev. C. C. Cuyler presided on the occasion, and preached the sermon, from 2 Cor. ii. 16. "Who is sufficient for these things?" The charge to the pastor was delivered by the Rev. M. W. Dwight, of New Hackensack; and the charge to the congregation by the the Rev. I. N. Wyckoff, of Catskill. The services were appropriate and interesting, and the congregation large and solemn. The connexion formed, promises usefulness and comfort. On the 21st Inst. the same Classis (of Poughkeepsie) ordained and installed the Rev. Edwin Holmes as pastor of the Refor med Dutch Church of Linlithgow, town of Livingston, Columbia county, New-York. The Rev. F. H. Van Derveer presided. The Rev. G. W. Bethune preached the sermon from 1 Cor. i. 21. "It pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." The charge to the pastor was delivered by the Rev. C. C. Cuyler; and the charge to the congregation, by the Rev. I. N. Wyckoff. The whole transaction was highly interesting, and very solemn. The call was unanimous; and deep solicitude was manifested for its consummation.This people have now, for the first time, a resident pastor, and his entire services. And there is opened before him a wide and promising field for ministerial usefulness. To this narrative of the preceding ordinations and installations, are appended the following statements from a distinguished minister of that Classis. "Thus the great Head of the Church is manifestly supplying our vacant congregations, and strengthening our hands, and encouraging our hopes. We have now only two vacant congregations within the bounds of our Classis, one of which is abundantly able to support the gospel, and will, it is hoped, soon be again supplied with a faithful pastor; and the other is supplied one fourth of the time. There is, however, around us a large field, which presents to view a desolate aspect, and one which greatly needs that attention, which I hope it will ere long receive. Our Classis has ordered interchanges of services on the first Sabbath in February, for the purpose of preaching missionary ser mons, and taking collections in all our churches, in aid of the funds of the Dutch Church Missionary Society. The object of this arrangement is to save the society the expense of an agent, and have the collections taken on the Sabbath with full congregations, and we have no doubt the result will prove the sound policy of the arrangement. The collections will be forwarded at an early day." On Sabbath, Dec. 2d, the Rev. Mr. Isaac S. Demund was installed as Pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church at Walpack, in Sussex county, New-Jerscy. The Rev. Mr. C. C. Elting preached the sermon from Matthew xxviii. 18, 19, 20. "And Jesus came and said unto them, All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth; go ye, therefore, and teach all nations," &c. The Rev. Mr. Van Kleek of Somerville, read the Form, and gave the charges both to the pastor, and to the people. The concourse of people was immensely great. And all hearts rejoiced at the prospect of having the stated and regular ministration of the ordinances of the Lord, by the hands of a minister of Christ, who had, during his late missionary labours among them, become so universally beloved in the congregation. Walpack opens to our view a wide and very extensive field of usefulness. It is an ancient Dutch settlement, on the beautiful river Delaware. The population is dense and wealthy. They are eager to hear the gospel. And in the ordinary course of things, another growing church may soon be anticipated there. For on a moderate calculation, there are at least, in that beautiful and rich valley, three hundred families, in easy, and many in wealthy circumstances. May the best blessing of his Master attend the ministrations of our young friend among that great and interesting people. MR. EDITOR-A letter, signed by "A Dutchman in the country," was published in the Observer, of Dec. 15th ult. in which he says, "Rejoicing sincerely in the Catholic spirit of my brethren in the G. S. church, I send you $50 towards supporting the gospel in our new and destitute settlements," &c. Now I rejoice that MONEY is given by any one, and for such a noble purpose. As a true lover of the Dutch Church, I rejoice to see missionaries, at home or abroad, flourish. I say this, while I am one of those charged with bigotry, by those who are selfstyled liberalists. But I write this to call the attention of our Dutch clergy, and our Jay members to the vile and bigoted insinuations in the above letter. Why can not a man send his $50 [no great affair] without an uncharitable reflection on those who have as good a right to think for themselves as he has. He tells the public, he tells the Dutch clergy, he tells the General, and the Particular Synods, who have organized, and promised to sustain our own Dutch Mission ary Society; yes, he tells them that those Dutch churches, and Dutch ministers, who give at the rate of ten dollars to other missionary societies, and one to their own missionary society, are liberal and Catholic christians! Now, the Dutch Missionary Society is a Home Missionary Society, la bouring as a rival, with high and noble chris tian rivalship, with the A. H. M. Society.--The Dutch Society does actually send the gospel to "destitute settlements." And there is the whole valley of the Mohawk, settled by Dutch, and those attached to OUR church, which WE ought to occupy, and where WE should plant missionaries. But let me earnestly solicit the attention of all our ministers to this point. Some of the brethren decline to support this society of their own church, which labours in the same noble and glorious work with the A. H. M. Society. That is, they give at the rate of ten dollars to a Home Mission Society, which stands less in need than our own does. And to our own society they contribute at the rate of one dollar! Or, speaking more correctly still, they give a thousand dol lars to the Presbyterian Home Missionary Society; and at the rate of sevenly or eighty to the Home Missionary Society of their own Dutch Church, organized and patronized by the General Synod. Now, I do not take on me to blame any church, or any minister for doing this.--They can do with their money as they please. But I do enter my solemn protest against this Country Dutchman," who calls it approv ingly a Catholic spirit, to give $1000 to a stranger, and to give only $100, or some $70, to its own child If we could prevail with all the Dutch ministers to aid our own Home missionary society first and foremost, and then to give what their amiable charity and christian feelings prompt them; then it would be truly Catholic, and truly noble !--Then WE COULD PLANT TEN NEW DUTCH CHURCHES for every one WE can now rear. If they would be pleased kindly to give their OWN missionary society at the rate of 1000 dollars, and give the Presbyterian Society 100 dollars, then WE could soon plant missions in the long valley of the Mohawk, and begin at Utica, and extend them to the destitute neighbourhoods, and thus largely cooperate with the Western missionary society, and all the ramifications of the Home missionary society; to which we cheerfully say, "May God bless you, and increase your FUNDS, and crown abundantly your labours." But let us hear no more of this ungracious canting about a false Catholic ism......A DUTCHMAN IN THE CITY. 、A tyrant is but like a king upon a stage; a man in a vizor, and acting the part of a king in a play; he is not really a king.--Milton. Christians.-The usual mode of pronouncing this word is to sound the first i short, as in the word crisp. But if our readers sound the first syllable, as in the Dutch word, vreinden, or as if it were composed of the two letters ae, and call it Chraestians, then they have the name of a new sect, some few years old. A new paper made its appearance under their patronage lately. And friend Clough, one of the Editors, has honoured the Editor of this Magazine, by "LETTER I." addressed especially to him, by name, and surname. This writer abjures all = creeds and confessions; and proceeds nevertheless to give us his creed and confession respecting Jesus Christ! He denies the Most Holy doctrine of the Blessed Trinity; and yet undertakes in this Letter to prove, in seven particulars, the divinity of Jesus Christ. The Editor tenders his respects to Friend Clough, and assures him, that he did not use the expression which the hearsay evidence fastens on his prayer, and which expression is the subject of the criticism.He would remind Friend Clough of the true opinion and judgment in the caption at the head of a chapter in a certain book, into which Friend Clough would never look, unless he crossed himself, as the Romanists do, when they venture on the danger of looking into a Protestant book. The sentence I allude to is, "An humble attempt to show, that before a man can write or speak on any subject, he ought to know something about it." Now, the Editor assures Friend Clough, with all possible respect, that unless he give him, or the public some evidence of his knowing our sentiments on the subject which he undertakes to refute, he [Mr. Clough] will necessarily put it utterly out of Dr. B.'s power to notice any thing which he may put himself to the trouble of writing. Now, he assures Mr. C. that the prayer, in order to its being orthodox, with us, should have been expressed thus: "O Lord! have mercy on those deluded persons who deny the Supreme Deity of the 'Great God, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.* Recover them, we implore thee, out of the snare of the evil one, into which they have fallen, and give them, of thy infinite compassion, more enlightened views of the religion of thy dear Son; and then, according to thy holy will, they will honour the Son, even as they honour the FATHER.' By fatally mistaking our sentiments, and using the term 'Divinity,' instead of 'Deity,' of Christ, Friend Clough's "Letter I." has missed the point utterly and hopelessly. All that he has written, is to no purpose; and hence, this dart-whe ther it be a 'fiery dart,' from a certain ancient personage, I shall not stop at present to inquire-but his dart, aimed against a leading doctrine of the gospel, falls as harmlessly and as feebly to the ground, as ever did the feeble weapon from the hands of the aged and tottering Priam, of olden times. What a melancholy pity it is, that age, venerable as it usually is, does not always bring wisdom along with the instructive lessons which Providence has afforded it. The Editor repeats his protest, that neither the laws of Theology, nor of Logic, nor of Courtesy, bind him to notice Friend Clough's effusions, until he gives evidence of knowing something about what he is writing. For the style of his writing, we say. nothing of it. It is one of those instruments which will hurt nobody, but the clumsy hand that wields it. Jan. 12th, 1828. new edition has the Revisions and Notes of David Patterson, A. M. Teacher of the Classicks in NewYork. We can scarcely conceive a more judicious and appropriate elementary Greek book for young boys. Foul Air.-Com. Barron's mode of expelling foul air from the holds of ships, merits public attention. It is simple and effective. He fits a long hose to the valve of a large pair of bellows, and thence draws up, and discharges the air. The result is, that as the foul air is drawn up, fresh air rushes down into the hold, and occupies it. This may be applied with facility to the cleaning of wells and pits of their foul air, previous to workmen descending into them. The Rev. John Foster, the author of the admirable Essays on 'Decision of Character, on a man's writing memoirs of himself,' &c. has lately published a new work, which is read with avidity. It is on "The Importance of Considering the Subject of Religion." An edition of this new work has been just published in Boston. Poetry. In memory of the Rev. James Davenport A. M. who made his triumphant exit from this mortal stage, Nov. 16th, aged 40 years. To which is added, part of a letter written by the Rev. Samuel Davis, late President of New-Jersey College. O Davenport! a seraph once in clay, How glow'd thy heart with sacred love, and zeal! How many souls snatch'd from eternal flame, How like thy Master on whose friendly breast Thy widow rears, thy friend inscribes this stone; ** I was admitted to a peculiar intimacy with that excellent man of God, and from my acquaintance with him, I must always love and admire him as vastly superior to most, and inferior to none that I ever knew: for ardent devotions, flaming zeal, extensive benevolence, and the life of heaven while upon earth. His dear conversation has often fired a heart so languid as mine. And I have reason to bless God, that ever I came within the circle of his acquaintance, and friendship.-S. DAVIS In Schaghticoke Rensselaer county, on the 10th inst. John Knickerbacker, Esq. aged 76 years. It is a remarkable fact, that on the 10th of November last year, at the same hour and moment, his consort, with whom he had lived sixty-one years, also died. His children, the church and the surrounding country, will long have cause to mourn his death. We had delayed this notice, the homage which we owed to the memory of this most excellent man, in hopes of obtaining materials to form a respectable Obituary of him. We have been disappointed. In primitive simplicity, in openness, and frankness of manners, in generous hospitality, in goodness of heart, and in public spiritness, he was matched only by his remaining compatriots, the gallant veterans of seventy six. When he was in this city, at the head of his troops, during the last war he used to be called the Prince of Schaghti coke. And in worthy style did the gallant veteran wear his honours. His name and memory will be loved and revered, not only by those of his native village, but by all who knew him. Died at Lodi township, Bergen county, N. J. on the 11th, of January Mr. Garrabrant Van Riper, student of Theology, late of New Brunswick Theological Seminary. In our next, we shall give a more full obit uary of this young christian. ON OF THE REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH. VOL. II. } MARCH, 1828. Religious Communications. THE ERRORS RELATIVE TO THE TERM It is a ground to us of unfeigned thankfulness, that no writer, nor even professed polemick, is under any obligation to read, or even to notice the rude and indigestic mass of error and nonsense which may be sent to him, and inscribed to him, by name, in certain religious publications of the day. It is one of the evils accompanying the unincumbered blessings of a free press. One loves the warm and cheering days of summer, even though summer brings forth its serpentine race, and its angry moschetos. We must take the good, and in thankfulness for it, bear with the inconveniences growing out of our finest blessings. Who would be so mad as to wish there were no summer, merely that there might be no gnats and moschetos? Who would be so extravagantly absurd as to wish the inestimable blessings of a free press to be checked, merely because it brings forth certain crawling beings, and little buzzing, stinging insects, scarcely large enough to be seen? Who would be so unprincipled as even to wish to stop the press, which, teems forth its blessings in literature, politics, and religion daily, merely that an end might be put to such THINGS as the Olive Branch, and the Gospel Luminary? Sit fas audita loqui! For one, I say, Let them buzz, and sting, and flutter. They have their day. Why should we envy them? When they sting, we can brush them away, without once taking our minds off from our subject; or even being at the trouble of trying to discover where they fly. "Go, go," said a benevolent man, I believe it was uncle Toby, as he brushed off a fly: "there is room enough for me, and for thee, in this wide world," which God has made for men and for flies. Friend Clough shuts me up to observe faithfully the resolution which I expressed in my last number. I can not reply to him, until he gives evidence that he understands the subject about which he writes, in the Letters addressed to me by name. He does not yet know, or understand the correct doctrine of the Reformed Churches, relative to the Most Holy and Adorable Trinity. Hence he is absurd enough (not to use a less courteous term,) to assert that this doctrine is a self-contradiction. The simple reason why he thus loosely speaks is this; he has yet to learn, that the doctrine teaches that in one sense God is One; in another sense, there are Three in the One. In other words, God is One, in one way and sense; and he is Three in another way and sense. use no comparisons to illustrate the TRINITY. But if I say to Mr. C. you have a soul, a body, and a spirit; (1 Thess. v. 23.) you are yet one perYou are three, or made up of three; yet son, [ NO. 12. You are three in one sense, and you are one. one in another; can this be styled a contradic tion? Again: If friend Clough would have been at the pains to recollect, or to learn, if he does not know, that man, poor, weak, disabled, and sinful man, has no right to sit in judgment on God's doctrines, far less to sit in judgment upon God's being, and mode of existence, his pen of impiety and blasphemy would have fallen out of his hand, and he would have exclaimed, God be merciful to me, and pardon all the hard things which I have written and spoken against the doctrine of the Trinity! We are permitted to sit in judgment on the testimony and evidence of God's doctrines, and the evidence of God's be ing, and his mode of existence. But to sit in evidence on God's doctrines, or to prescribe, and judge, and decide what is proper for Him to teach, or what his doctrines ought to be; what his being ought to be; that it should be such as we can understand it; that there should be no mysteries; that his mode of existence should be plain and palpable to our intellects; this I call not so much impiety and sheer blasphemy, as the ravings of a shattered intellect. Reason, and the analytic philosophy of Bacon, carry us to this salutary practice in science. We lay down facts; and from these we draw our deductions, and establish our systems. In religion, we sit in judgment on the testimo ny and full evidence of Inspiration. This settled, we take the Holy Bible, as established by the evidence of divine inspiration, as the book of our facts. And every doctrine therein is viewed as one of these facts. And we believe on the ground of evidence, whether we understand the manner, or nature, or essence of a thing or not. I believe that the asymptotes, in mathematical science, are right lines, which continually approach nearer and nearer to some curve line, and yet, though produced to all eternity, they never will meet. There is something about this which I can not understand. It does appear self-contradictory. Yet the fact in the thing I do as firmly believe, on the ground of evidence, as I do believe in my own existence. Again My soul is a spirit; it is in my body; it operates on matter; it moves my body. How does it this? How can spirit operate on the palpable parts of matter? Let Friend Clough explain this inexplicable mystery in his own frame, and I will then explain all the mystery of the Trinity. I know the fact, and believe. The manner is a mystery. Let him look through the telescope, over the worlds, thereby magnified and made conspicuous, and let him explain their nature, essences, mode of existence; and then through the microscope, let him look upon those millions of insects, invisible to the naked eye; then, singling out one of those tiny beings, so small that millions of them can recline on the point of a needle; and by another microscope, |