To the Editor of the Panoplist.

Sir, Isend you several short articles. Should any of them meet your approbation, please to insert them in your useful Magazine. O. E

PRAISE AND BĻAME.

ARE moral agents as worthy of praise for exercising holy affections, as they are of blame for exercising sinful ones? Holy exercises as really belong to the subject of them, as sinful exercises to the sinner. Were it possible that we could be under no previous obligation to practise holiness, and avoid sin, we might deserve as much praise for being holy as blame for being sinful. But as we are under the strongest obligations to be holy, the question should receive a negative answer. Suppose A. owes B. a hundred dollars: in paying that sum A. does right. But does he deserve as much commendation for this act, as he would deserve blame for refus ing to pay it? and not only re fusing to pay it, but robbing B. of a hundred dollars besides?

INEXPLICABLENESS.

ble with reason to believe the words of a Being, perfect in knowledge and veracity, though they cannot reconcile these words with the decisions of their reason; and, if I mistake not, af this character was Abraham. Did the command to offer up his son, aside from its divine origin, appear reasonable? Yet so far from being judged irra tional for his compliance with it, Abraham was highly commend ed. 4

For the Panoplist.

ON FREQUENT COMMUNION.

I NOTICED a piece in the Panoplist for May last, on the subject of frequent communion. As the writer requested to have certain queries answered, and as no one has hitherto attempted it, I shall freely express my views on the subject, with a desire, however, that more able pens may be employed upon it. Relative to the first query I cannot express my sentiments more intelligibly than by quoting a note from Dr. A. Fuller's Scrictures on Sandemanianism, printed in New York, in 1812, p. 186.* The second query, viz. Is the practice of the Apostolic churches to be imitated by the churches in the present generation? does not require much discussion; for it is a fundamental principle with Protestants, that the Scriptures are our only rule of faith and practice; or, in other words, the practice of the first churches, so far as approved in the Scriptures,

*As we have not the work here quoted, and as our correspondent did not transscribe the passage, our readers are refer red to the work itself.

En

ought to be imitated. Shall not Christians in the nineteenth century, on every returning Lord's day, wish to celebrate the dying love of Him, on whom the salvation of their souls rests, and by whose power the heathen are to become his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth his possession? "If ye love me keep my commandments."

M. N.

For the Panoplist.

LETTER FROM A YOUNG GENTLEMAN, WHO IS NOW DECEASED, TO A FEMALE RELATIVE UNDER RELIGIOUS AWAKENING.

March 9, 1813. YOUR letter, my cousin, has lain by me for two or three days; but it is not because I take no interest in your situation, that it has remained so long unanswered. No; I feel your case to be so critical, that it would prove me to be as insensible as a rock, not to be concerned about the issue-an issue, on which depend consequences eternal as your existence. Should I see you about to make a choice on which your temporal happiness merely depended, I could not avoid feeling some degree of concern to know how it would terminate; but when you are hesitating between eternal life and endless woe, what an interesting and tremendous scene does it open to my mind! When millions of ages have rolled away, the effects of a false step in religion will only begin to be felt. Only let us think for a few minutes of the condition of those miserable wretches, whose thread of life is already cut, whose term of pro

bation is closed forever, and who have perished in their sins. The dread summons has issued consigning their souls to the blackness of darkness forever, and they are chained down by the relentless hand of avenging justice. Once, indeed, they had mercy offered, and eternal life was sounded in their ears-but alas! they suffered the deceitful pleasures of the world and their own corrupt inclinations to deJude them, and lull them into forgetfulness. They consented to float down the current of time, amused by the gay and false flowers which grew upon the bank, until they came to the precipice, when roaring waters soon hurried them into the bottomless gulf below. Think you the news of a Savior would not now be glad tidings of great joy to these despairing wretches? But oh! the bitterest ingredient in the cup of their misery is, that it is remediless. This is enough to overwhelm them in the most unutterable anguish And my cousin, this is and must be the doom of every impeni. tent sinner; and is it not the very height of folly to give selves any rest until we are out of danger? Should we be called away before our peace is made with God, we are undone-undone forever. If any thing is powerful enough to induce us to accept the calls of mercy, one would think this would be suffi cient. Could the soul once realize what is meant by a privation of all happiness forever and ever, it would be filled with a terror, which nothing but the love of Christ could take away.

our

You observe that you have sometimes determined to banish

ease.

these subjects from your mind, that you might feel at And will you purchase a false peace at so great a price? Could you succeed in some of these desperate moments to banish convictions from your mind, who do you think would be able to recall them? Will that Spirit, whose motions you resist, return and visit you? and if he does not, your case is fixed indeed. You may rely upon it, my cousin, you will one day see, that these days are most interesting ones to you, If your convictions should leave you, and you should be permit ted to rest in a false peace, you may never any more be alarmed and anxious, but may go so far back that you will laugh at these serious thoughts, which once troubled you. But when you come to the judgment seat when you get behind the veil, which covers the eternal things, then you will see that at such and such a time you strove against the Holy Spirit, and finally gained a victory that sealed your ruin. May God grant you may never realize these truths; but permit me to remind you there is great danger of it. And does it not grieve my cousin, that her heart is not melted by the love of Christ-that she does not feel some gratitude to him for his condescending goodness? If the heart is not touched by these sub

jects, how desperate must be its case; how much does it need the influences of God to bring it to a right state of feeling?

I feel glad you were disposed to open your heart so freely to me, and let me know the state of your mind and I hope you will go to God in prayer, and open your heart as freely to Him-There you may find that aid, which in vain you look for in any mortal friend; and consider that Christ is as willing to listen to your cries as any one possibly can be. Here is a refuge from every danger-How safe will you be in the arms of almighty love! You need not then fear that your heart will deceive you, or that the world will spread its snares and entrap your soul, for Christ will engage in your defence, and finally crown you with glory. Oh think of an unfading crown of glory, and how mean and worthless does every thing the world can give appear. But it is a maxim of Christ's kingdom, no cross no crown. If we would wear the crown, we must also bear the cross. persuaded then, my dear friend, to renounce all, and take up the cross and follow Jesus;-and that God may grant you that wisdom, which is necessary to direct you in the straight and narrow path of life, is the prayer of,

Yours affectionately,

For the Panoplist. REMEDIES FOR INTEMPERATE DRINKING.

No. VI.

HAVING in my former numbers, taken a pretty extensive view of

Be

the causes,the insidious progress and the terrible effects of intemperance, it is time to inquire, whether any thing can be done to stay the plague, and, if any thing, what? This, all will admit, is an inquiry of vital importance.

If every section and corner of our country, were ravaged by a pestilential disease, it would avail but little for the physicians to investigate the causes of it; to trace its progress and count its victims; unless they could discover and apply suitable remedies.

So in the case before us, it is by no means sufficient to point out the causes, progress and effects of intemperance. To dis miss the subject here, would be to leave the benevolent mind, in a state of the most painful sus pence. If the distemper has not progressed so far, as to cut off all hope; if any thing can be done, by way of cure or prevention; it is exceedingly desirable, that the proper remedies should be pointed out, and applied without delay. The idea that "our wound is incurable," must not be indulged one moment. Un questionably, much may be done to limit, if we cannot wholly prevent, the ravages of strong drink; to lessen the streams, if we cannot dry up the fountain. I shall therefore proceed to sug gest the most obvious and practicable remedies, which have cccurred to me, hoping that by the blessing of God, some good may result from the undertaking.

1. The first remedy that I would propose, and earnestly recommend, especially to those who have begun to follow strong drink, is a total abstinence from the use of all intoxicating liquors. This may, probably, be deemed a harsh remedy by some; but the nature of the disease absolutely requires it. Men who have been in the habit of using small quantities of spirits, may possibly wean themselves

gradually, though this would not be the best course even for them. But for the drunkard, or the tippler, to think of reforming by degrees, is perfectly idle. Such persons are in this way a thousand times more likely to grow worse than better, in spite of the most solemn resolution they can form. And even if one in a thou, sand should in this way, begin to retrace his steps, and gradually approach the path of temperance, he would every day be exposed to a fatal relapse. parley

To

an

with so insidious enemy as strong drink, is just about the same thing as to surrender at discretion. As well might the poor bird, when charmed by a serpent, think to break the enchantment, by gradually withdrawing from the wily destroyer. "My observations," says the excellent Dr. Rush, "authorize me to say, that persons who have been addicted to the use of spirit, should abstain from it, suddenly and entirely. Taste not, handle not, touch not, should be inscribed upon every vessel that contains spirits, in the house of a man, who wishes to be cured of habits of intemper. ance."

It is most earnestly to be wished, that these remarks of Dr. Rush may meet the eyes, and be engraven on the hearts, of all that class of people, in our land, who occupy the middle space between strict temperance and habitual intoxication; men that must regularly have their morning bitters, their eleven o'clock dram, and their afternoon sling;-such as are apt, on public occasions, to become merry and talkative, or boister ous and quatreisome;-all, in 4`

word, who are gradually and insensibly swerving from the path of sobriety.

2. The evils of hard drinking, which every good man deplores, might be greatly diminished, by laying heavy duties on all foreign and domestic spirits. Some, I know, strenuously contend, that increasing the price has no tendency to diminish the consumption. Those who love liquor, will have it, say they, let it cost what it may. It is true that sots and tipplers are not apt to mind the expense, so long as their money and credit last. But the higher the price is, the sooner must their means be exhausted, and the more difficult must they find it to procure the insidious poison.

It is certain, that much more rum would be drunk, than now is, if it could be purchased for half a dollar a gallon; and much less would be drunk, if the price were advanced to four or five dollars. The same may be said, of all kinds of ardent spirits, manufactured in this country. If heavy duties were laid on all our distilleries, they would manufacture less, and the people would drink less. If for instance the price of cider brandy was raised three or four fold, by a general excise, the farmer who now lays up his barrel, or hogshead, for family use, would be satisfied with less than one third the quantity. Many a bloated wretch, who now gets dead drunk with sixpence, would, for want of more money, be saved from this worse than brutal debasement. It is the language of common sense supported by the testimony of experience, Diminish the price, and

So

you increase the consumption; augment the price, and you diminish the consumption. high are the duties, in Great Britain, at this moment, upon spirits manufactured in her own colonies, that the use of rum is almost unknown, among the lower and middling classes of the people. Similar duties would undoubtedly produce similar effects here.

It has been remarked, that a great proportion of the emigrants to this country from England and Ireland are intemperate, and it is generally suppos ed, that they were equally so, before their emigration. But this last is a mistaken idea. Many of them first begin to indulge in strong drink, after they land upon our shores. And

the fact is accounted for in this way. Wages are so much higher, in this country, than in the countries from which they came, and ardent spirits are so much cheaper here, that they can afford to drink more freely, and thus are drawn into the vortex, before their apprehensions are excited. Let our general and state governments, impose very heavy duties upon the importer, the distiller, and the retailer, and I am sure, that the fiery deluge which is now rolling its waves every where, would speedily and rapidly subside.

3 That conscientious regard to the public good, which the community has a right to expect and demand, in the appointment of informing officers and retailers of spirits, would greatly check the progress of intemperance. Men of the first respectability, and most advantageously situated, should be selected for grand