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LETTER 1.

INTRODUCTION.

Documents, and certain considerations which are given as reasons for agitating the subject.

DEAR SIR:

You inform me that you have heard much respecting my views and discussion of the relation, and duties of the baptized members of the church; and that the report which has gone abroad is, that I am both novel and erroneous on this subject. As a friend, you wish my views in writing, and advise me, in justice to myself, to publish them to the world. I have received similar communications from others, and after much prayer and reflection have concluded to comply with your advice. I hope, however, I have a higher motive than to render justice to myself. I am put my own, nor am I to seek my own, but the hoour of my Master, and the interests of his kingdom. And I am not at all anxious to defend my character against false and slanderous reports, farther than is necessary for my usefulness in the gospel ministry.

I am fully aware of the force of prejudice in good and pious people; and how difficult for an author

A*

to please the critics, who read and decide for their readers what is sufficiently correct, and elegant both in literature and religion. After publishing I expect still to be misrepresented and condemned as heretical by multitudes, who have not, and will not read for themselves, one single page. I have no sanguine anticipations of any speedy happy results. The deep, and extensive reform called for in the church respecting her youth is not to be affected by my feeble pen. I may, however, excite to such an investigation. as may terminate, with other causes, under the direction of the infinitely wise and mighty Lord of all, to restore, "the kingdom to the Saints," and "turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers."

That there were good reasons for agitating the present subject, the following documents and observations will show.

In January 1826, at a meeting of Ebenezer Presbytery, of which I am a member, the following request, by one of the brethren, was handed in, viz. The session of Millersburg church requested an answer from the presbytery to the following question. "What course should a session pursue with a baptized member of the urch, who has come to years of maturity, and is habitually guilty of open immorality?" The presbytery refered said session to Book ii. of Discipline, chap. 1, and specially to

sec. 6th.

"Resolved that all the church sessions belonging to

this presbytery be, and they hereby are enjoined to deal with baptized members under their care, according to the aforesaid chapter and sections; and that session be enquired of annually respecting their compliance, and any, and every session refusing to comply shall be considered contumacious, and delinquent, and be dealt with accordingly."

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I considered it my duty to lay a copy of the above minute before my session, and to endeavour to influence them to comply with its requisitions. This I did. The subject was taken up, and considered at great length, at several different meetings. And in order to come to some issue, a written paper, of which the following is a copy, was introduced; viz.

"The session having taken into consideration, the situation of persons born within the pale of the visible church, to whom baptism has been administered: in pursuance to the injunctions of the late act of Ebenezer presbytery, after due and solemn deliberation had, have come to the following resolution thereupon; viz. Resolved, that the ordinance of Baptism, which by the tenets and practice of this church is administered to infants, is a recognition of that membership which infants born within the pale of the church have by their birth; and that this ordinance is equally sacred and solemn with that of the Lord's supper-that such baptized infants, or children with their parents compose the visible church of Christ, and are full members thereof, and un*Minutes of Presbytery.

der her care, with their right to the sealing ord nance of the supper, only suspended till they arrive at the years of discretion-that under the inspection and government of their parents, and the church, they ought to be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and be taught to read and un derstand the word of God; to repeat the Catechism; to be taught to pray; to abhor sin-to fear God, and to obey the Lord Jesus Christ-that so soon as they arrive at the years of discretion, if they be free from scandal, are sober and steady, and are possessed of sufficient knowledge to discern "the Lords's body" by understanding the nature and design of that ordinance, which represents his broken body and shed blood, they ought, without other requisitions to be declared by name entitled to partake of the Lord's supper, by a sessional act, and to be thus informed, that it is their duty and their privilege to approach his table. And if they fail, or refuse to do so, they, and all others, baptized, who are scandalous in their lives, or who live in the neglect of this ordinance, and fail, or refuse to profess Christ before men, and honour Him at his table, are proper subjects of the discipline of the church; and ought first to be admonished, exhorted, reproved, and entreated, with mildness and love, to desist from the error of their way, and if they will obstinately persist, to be cut off from the church.

"Resolved, that this session relying on the great Head of the church, and imploring his aid, assis

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