perversion the doctrines and institutions of our fathers, the fairest inheritance ever bestowed by Heaven upon men, and holding out to this nation and this world more prospective good than was ever committed to a merely human instrumentality.

"For a century or more there has been, as you know, a decline in evangelical doctrine and vital piety in this region; and so low did the pulse of life sink in this once holy city, that the enemy thought verily that the witnesses were slain, and began to exult over their dead bodies and fearlessly to divide the spoil. The college was given to Socinus, that he, by its perverted funds and powerful influence, might corrupt the literature of the commonwealth and disciple all the cultivated intellect of the state, especially that which should be concerned in the formation and administration of law.

"Care also was taken that the initiated should be well provided with the loaves and fishes by governmental favor and a perverted political confidence, and that our aspiring youth whom the college had not perverted should be bribed to drink of the cup of sorcery as the only probable condition of political elevation. And while the servants slept the enemy sowed tares, till a large portion of the Eastern churches, with their funds, were subverted; and when the servants awoke, it was only to discover that what perverted majorities could not do fast enough in plundering and blotting out the churches of the Pilgrims, the law, by its kind accommodations, was enabling minorities of the churches, by the aid of secular societies of Unitarian fraternity, to accomplish.

"A single hand might unbar the gates of Zion, and let in her foes and give up her funds and records, and the law called it just and honest. Thus for a time 'judgment was turned away backward, and justice stood afar off, and truth was fallen in the streets, and equity could not enter.' And

all the while at the corners of the streets they were sounding the praise of our fathers and their institutions, to keep off the public eye from the degenerations which were going on in-secret, while the finger of scorn was every where pointed at their dejected children, and notes of exultation. and contumely ascended on every side. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment, and he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor, therefore his arm brought salvation; when the enemy came in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifted a standard against him.'

"Under the influence of truth and of the Holy Ghost a great attention is awakened to the subject of religion, and a public sentiment is formed and forming eminently favorable to free and fair discussion. We can now explain and assert our rights before a public that will hear and do us justice. We can uncover the deeds of darkness of past years to the wondering eye and the indignant heart of an honest community, whose confidence has been abused, and who can feel for our wrongs and indignities, and will not be partakers in other men's sins. The day of retribution now for a long time slumbereth not.

"All which is now needed is that the friends of the religion and institutions of our fathers read, and understand, and feel, and act in unison for the defense of those liberties, civil and religious, which had well-nigh been taken away forever. All the great designs which God has to answer by planting our fathers here in this nation and world depend, as I believe, on the efforts of this generation to rescue their institutions from perversion, and restore them to their native purity and glory. We have no sectarian views. We love all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth.

"Consultation has been had as extensively as time and circumstances would allow, and but one sentiment and feeling prevails. We all seem to hear the voice from heaven saying, 'Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.' We dare not be disobedient. We only wish our brethren, and the churches, and friends of the institutions which are threatened by Unitarians, to respond to the call which we make upon them for their counsels, and prayers, and co-operation. The great point is to obtain readers, and for this we are determined to send out approved agents who can well explain our views and aid our union of efforts.

"Such a one is the bearer of this letter. We wish to obtain in every town in this commonwealth the reading of the Spirit of the Pilgrims by a considerable number, so that its light may shine and its influence be felt. More I need not say, nor even this, for your information, whom God employed to open this conflict which is now moving on to certain victory with such glorious rapidity and power."

CHAPTER XV.

CALL TO PHILADELPHIA.

ABOUT this time Dr. Beecher received a call from the Fifth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, recently left vacant by Dr. Skinner's removal. "I got Skinner a call to Boston," observed Dr. Beecher, "and he came. His congregation, to be up with me, gave me a call to his place, and got several persons to write urgently. Among others, Dr. Miller, of Princeton, wrote an argument, very strong; and when it was read in my trial at Cincinnati it made a sensation."

"Before this letter reaches your hands you will have been apprised that the church of which our friend Dr. Skinner was lately the pastor has given you a unanimous call to become their minister.

"Some are disposed to smile at this measure as a sort of desperate effort at retaliation for robbing Philadelphia of Dr. Skinner. Others view it as a plan by no means hopeless. But ALL, so far as I know, in this region, would most cordially rejoice in the success of the application, and hail your arrival in Philadelphia as an event most devoutly to be wished by all the friends of Zion within the bounds of the Presbyterian Church.

"My dear brother, I beg, with all the earnestness which I am capable of feeling or uttering, that you will not either lightly consider or hastily reject this call. I do seriously believe that, however painful the step of removal to Phila

delphia might be, both to the friends of religion in Massachusetts and to yourself, the residue of your days could not possibly be disposed of (so far as human views can go) in a manner so much calculated to unite the friends of Christ in the South and West with those in the East, and to introduce a new era of harmony, love, and co-operation in the American churches.

"It is not only a matter of immense importance that the individual church in Philadelphia which gives you this call should be supplied with a pastor wise, pious, peaceful, prudent, and acceptable, as far as possible, to all parties; but, if you will come to that place, I am most deeply persuaded that you will have an opportunity of diffusing a most happy and reviving influence all around you to a degree which very few men in our country have ever had; that you will be likely, humanly speaking, to bring together feelings and efforts which are now widely separated, and, in fact, to give a new impulse to all those great plans which I know to be near your heart.

"By removing to Philadelphia, unless I utterly miscalculate, you would not be likely to subtract very essentially from your usefulness in Massachusetts. You might still, by means of writing and occasional visits, continue to do there a large portion of what you now do, while your usefulness and influence in the Presbyterian Church, from New England to New Orleans, might, and probably would, be increased tenfold. I have no doubt that, by the acceptance of the station to which you are called, your opportunity for doing good in the American churches would be doubled, if not quadrupled at a stroke.

"Say not that these things are mere matter of human calculation. They are so; and yet, I think, the book of God and human experience furnish an abundant foundation for