that the supposition of its being at all times "competent for the Church, or any part of it" to arrest and remedy evils connected with the operation of the voluntary principle and growing out of it, is a mistake of Dr. Pond's. He himself affords throughout his article abundant proof of the hazards to be encountered by any one and every one who dares to call in question the voluntary societies. We will not gather together the numerous instances of direct and implied reproach cast on our author and his associates, for presuming to publish an Inquiry concerning voluntary societies. We commend Dr. Pond for his manly and honest course in openly and frankly calling us to account before the public and giving us an opportunity of vindicating ourselves. In this he deserves and receives our unfeigned thanks and respect. We think of him far otherwise than we do of those persons, some of whom are conspicuous leaders of voluntary societies, who immediately after the publication of the article above mentioned, withdrew their subscriptions from this work, and exerted themselves to induce others to do the same. This is but a specimen of the meek and lowly-the tractable and gentle spirit which the voluntary system gencrates, towards the Church and "every part of it." The voluntary system has the "horns of a lamb, but speaks like a dragon." Witness the reception given to the Resolutions of the General Association of Connecticut, and that of Massachusetts; and the treatment which those ministers of churches and the Presbyterian Church of the United States, who are opposed to voluntary societies, have received at the hands of their abettors. Indeed, I see not how it can be otherwise, if Dr. Pond speaks the sentiments of the great body of the conductors and supporters of the voluntary societies. If resistance to them is fighting against God, and we are enemies to the "great and good institutions, which are the products of God's power and the gifts of his grace," we ought to be regarded as "the enemies of all righteousness" or as blind and furious zealots, whose "mouths should be stopped."-" Our National Societies," says Dr. Pond on p. 409, "for Domestic and Foreign Missions, for Education, for Bibles, Tracts, and SundaySchools,-these great and good institutions, which like so many trees of life in the garden of the Lord, are yielding their fruit every month, and scattering their leaves for the healing of the nations, how could they have even come into existence, but as voluntary societies? How can they be con

tinued in existence any other way? Explode the voluntary principle-run it down-write it down, as some men seem intent to do, and these great societies are dashed at once into a thousand fragments, fragments which never can be gathered up. And these societies being abolished, it is impossible to substitute any thing in their place"-and to the same effect on p. 420,"The questions at issue respect a principle on the correctness of which the highest interests of the Church and the world seem now, under God, to be suspended-the abandonment of which would roll back the streams of the water of life, which is now flowing out in a thousand channels, to gladden the Church, and to bless and save the world." And on p. 415, "Truly, it seems to me, that those who are laying their hands on our great voluntary societies, and labouring to effect their overthrow, cannot be aware of the consequences of their efforts. The most charitable supposition is, that they know not what they do. My own belief is, that, could their plans succeed (which may God, in his infinite mercy prevent,) within five years, the amount of charitable efforts for the spread of the gospel, would be diminished one half; and that within the next five years, there would be a diminution of half the other half. And by that time, the few labourers that remained, would become thoroughly discouraged, and the Church would be prepared for another long sleep,-till, under the influence of the voluntary principle, operating at some future distant day, it should awake again, and shake itself from the dust, and prepare to engage in its appointed work."

In Dr. Pond's estimation, the voluntary principle is the vital principle of fruitfulness in the Church, and of salvation for the world, and which of course admits of no possible substitute. How then can any dissenting from it be regard. ed in any other light, than as Christ regarded his executioners, as Stephen his murderers, or as Paul did Barjesus the sorcerer, who "would pervert the right ways of the Lord?" But let this pass. We have in this connection a question for Dr. Pond, and then an observation for our readers, after which we will return to the examination of Dr. Pond's remaining arguments in defence of the right to form voluntary societies. The question for Dr. Pond is, how he will reconcile his assertion on p. 409, "These societies being abolished, it is impossible to substitute any thing in their place," with his declaration on p. 421,"let it be repeated

and remembered, that friends as we are to the voluntary societies, we do not contend for them exclusively. We do not insist that there can be no other lawful mode of doing good." How now could Dr. Pond expatiate as he does with so much elaborate and impassioned eloquence on the universal and hopeless ruin of all the charitable works of the Church, and the madness of those mischievous zealots against whose efforts he prays for the interposition of infinite mercy, when he was so fully aware of the lawfulness of other modes of doing the same works of faith and labours of love, that it must be "repeated, and we charged to remember, that he does not insist on the voluntary principle exclusively." We have not slighted Dr. Pond's charge, and we have taken particular notice of it, according to his direction; and we wish him also to remember it, and to take as special notice of it as we have done. Besides this, we wish him to take into special consideration "the colouring and extravagance" of the above mentioned high-wrought passages, which derive all their force and pertinency from the assumption, which he himself disowns and repudiates, that the voluntary societies are the exclusive modes of doing good, and that if they "be abolished, it is impossible to substitute any thing in their place." We will give place here for Dr. Pond to be his own reprover. "I am sorry to see here, as in other parts of the article, a degree of colouring and extravagance, which render the statements, in many instances, false and injurious. This is an evil to which those who write for the periodical press are always exposed, and against which they cannot be too strictly watchful. Better sacrifice a rhetorical flourish, and give our sentences the less point and poignancy, than offend against truth, and needlessly injure our Christian brethren." I complain of Dr. Pond as guilty of this very offence. He well knew that the author, on whom he inflicts, with unsparing severity, the lashes of a practised critic and veteran controvertist, and his associates have never breathed the slightest emotion of hostility to the works of Christian love for a guilty and perishing world which distinguish and bless our age, nor lifted a finger towards their overthrow; but on the contrary, have only pleaded, that as they are the branches of the vine, they should not be severed from their parent stock, nor put out of the vineyard where they were planted, nor put under other vine-dressers than those whom the Lord of the vineyard has appointed. In short, pleading VOL. V.

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for the principle, that ecclesiastical works should be done in an ecclesiastical way, we are held up to suspicion, reproach, and odium, as hostile to the works themselves. Now I say, Dr. Pond knew better, and the proof he shall furnish himself. On p. 421, he says, "We hear it urged that, the voluntary societies are wrong in principle, and injurious in practice; and of course that they ought, with the least possible delay, to be removed, and ecclesiastical organizations of some sort, to be substituted in its place." My charity does not prompt me to say, that Dr. Pond "knew not what he did" when he put us into the attitude of enemies to the benevolent gifts and labours of God's people for the salvation of sinners both at home and abroad. He did indeed, in a note on p. 409, disclaim the impeaching of our motive. "They are actuated, doubtless, by an honest, though, I must think, mistaken zeal." This is a worn-out and thread-bare cover of a designed attempt to prostrate and ruin an opponent. "Brutus is an honourable man-so are they all-all honourable men," says Mark Anthony, when kindling the indignation of the people against the assassins of Cæsar. Dr. Pond will please to take it back, so far as I am concerned. Judge me by my words and actions. If my sentiments and conduct are mischievous, "render unto me according to my deeds." I wish not to be held up to the public view as a wild boar in the garden of the Lord, making havoc of the trees of life, and then covered over with the sheep-skins of honest motives." In these days, a spurious charity-a contemptible mock-magnanimity, a wholesale affectation of candour, circulates amongst us, by which heretical teachers and disorderly walkers are shielded from merited condemnation. Let men be sent to the hospital if they be insane. If not, let them be regarded and treated as intending to say and do, what they in fact say and do; and if they make mischief, let them be held responsible for their evil deeds.

The observation for our readers, which we mentioned above, and to which we call their particular attention, is this-that the vehement zeal of Dr. Pond for the voluntary societies in opposition to modes of Christian action in building up the kingdom of Christ in the world, which are strictly conformable to the positive institutions of our Lord and his Apostles, is a verification of the ancient and consistent proverb-Human inventions in divine things war with God's institutions. The great sin of Israel of old was, the

forsaking of God's ways, and going a whoring after their own inventions. The Scribes and Pharisees made void the law of God by their traditions. A voluntary humility and will-worship infested the apostolic age of the Church. The ritual of Pagan Rome was foisted into the Roman Church, under colour of expediency. The Protestant age of the world is replete with innumerable experiments of man's wisdom and self-impelled activity, aside from "the letter and spirit" of Divine Revelation, to accomplish professedly the great ends for which it was given. In all these cases, the innovators on God's ways and words, betrayed the fiercest zeal for their own works, according to the invariable law, "all seek their own ;" and against none did their animosity kindle and burn so furiously as against those servants of God, who asserted and maintained the sacred and inviolable prerogative of God's revealed will," as the only and sufficient rule of faith and practice." When the despised and insulted "witnesses" for God's word, alleged in their defence, that they dared not "teach for doctrines the commandment of men," they were met, just as Dr. Pond meets our author, with the prov sudos-the fomes-the seminal principle of Babylonish whoredom-" that they have a right to do any thing which is not prohibited by the great Head of the Church." The conformists said to our nonconformist forefathers, whereabouts in the Bible, are we prohibited from using the ring in the ceremony of marriage -signing with the cross in baptism-bowing at the name of Jesus-wearing the surplice-putting the communion-table altar-wise? The papists said, where are men and women prohibited from taking monastic vows-visiting the sacred places-honouring the relics of martyrs, and other holy men-setting apart week-days for pious and godly uses? Where are we prohibited from using vestments" for glory and beauty;" appointing various orders of clergy, &c., &c. And to come nearer home, Jedediah Burchard echoes the argumentative query of Dr. Pond, "Where in all the Bible is the anxious seat prohibited?" Give me the voluntary principle, and Dr. Pond's canonical decree, “all is rightful which is not prohibited in name and form in the Bible," and in three months I can chalk out and set in motion "special efforts" as thick as the quails about the camp of Israel. This is the place to notice Dr. Pond's attempt to represent our author and his associates as empirics. On p. 420 he says the