in prayer and trusted in heart; but as a whole, the One God is a mere harmonious collection of three existences. This class is very numerous. Miss Beecher is not the only one who believes in three beings,' each of which is God, distinct and different from each other, but agreeing in harmony of spirit. There are thousands, not to say hundreds of thousands, who believe the same; and feel countenanced in such faith by the language of great men, who teach that there is something in the Divinity, which affords grounds for the appellations, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. They fashion that something to shape, and then worship it.

And, beneath these, there is a class of men, whose minds make no distinction between a name and a thing. The three names are the titles of three distinct Gods; and orthodoxy, in their minds, is plain, bald Tritheism.' They consider each of the persons as having his own separate powers, offices, interests and purposes; sometimes harmonizing, and sometimes clashing; but each to be invoked for those peculiar things, which are thought to fall within the separate province of each.

These are they, who can relish the descriptions of Flavel and his kind, concerning the manner in which the bargain for mankind was driven between the Father and the Son; the particular price, at last agreed upon, at which the Father would compromise the demands of his justice; and the particular reasons for which the Spirit consents to do his part in saving souls; and such like things. They pray to one divine Being to deliver them from the anger of another; and to a

third, to make them acceptable to the first; and in divers modes, make manifest their conception of three distinct and separate Gods.

In all this, they experience strength, and think themselves right; because they are standing in the same ranks, and marching under the same banner, and are called by the same name, with great, learned, and highminded men, who believe that God is numerically ONE, and yet think and teach, that there is that in the Divinity, which admits of three distinct appellations. That which affords grounds for appellation in the master mind, is a separate God in the common mind. And so a descending scale is produced from the one Divinity, having something that affords grounds for three appellations, down to the coarser system of

three several Deities.

Compare this with the descending scale in theology in ancient days, from the philosophizing mind of Aristotle and his kindred spirits, down to the gross polytheism of the common people; and see how ready is man to carnalize the conceptions of the great, and uphold himself in views that corrupt the simplicity of the high and lofty ONE, when he can, however wrongfully, gather countenance in so doing, from any thought or feelings, entertained and expressed by rulers in the realms of mind.

Surely, this condition of things in past and present time, in connexion with this disposition of human nature, imposes fearful responsibilities on such as have influence in leading the public opinion and feeling. It is one of those cases, in which every word shall sooner or later require its account.

It is a condition of things also, which imposes deep responsibilities, not only on master minds, but upon all men who think on God at all; particularly so, on those who believe in his unmingled unity. Differing, as they may in other particulars of theological opinion, they can rally to this one, great, and all pervading point. They ought so to rally, and with one heart and voice proclaim, 'The Lord is our God; The Lord is ONE;' and, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. And, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'

Let minor differences be lost in the one endeavor, to proclaim, vindicate, and maintain the simple and majestic Unity of the Supreme; rendering to him alone the supremacy of our affections, thoughts, and services, according to that which He has made known in Jesus, HIS Messiah, and by such spiritual power as He bestows in His Holy Spirit. And then, if those about us adopt and act upon ideas of mixtures in Deity or divisions in Divinity, we shall, at least, have the consolation of conscience, that we have done what we could for the glory of his High Name; and have loved our neighbor as ourselves, in doing what we could to make him acquainted with the One unmingled source of existence, power, and peace; of whom are all things, and who hath reconciled us to HIMSELF by Jesus Christ. OZRA.

23

EXCESSES IN RELIGION.

ANOTHER LETTER.

Messrs Editors: I have given you some remarks on the unusual exertions, unusual both in kind and degree, now made by particular religious denominations. Further acquaintance with these operations has confirmed me in the correctness of the opinions I have already expressed. There is an extravagance, a daringness discovered in some of these measures, which astonishes while it grieves me. I know not which is most difficult, to reconcile such things with the professed regard of their authors for religion and goodness, or to account for the morbid moral feeling of the people in submitting to such abominations. Yes, I say abominations—and the word is not strong enough to express the outrageous character of some of these proceedings, even in the best parts of New England. The stories that are told to allure or frighten into what is called religious impression, the train that is laid, the method, art and stratagem used, and the dramatic representations employed, are truly shocking.

No one can take pleasure in detailing and circulating these things. I check myself often when about to relate or write anything of this kind, and ask myself if it may not increase the evil. This is a difficult quesion, and I would thank any one who would show clearly which is the wisest and best course in regard to such matters, entire silence or open and full discussion. In these times of inquiry, and in the beginning of these things of a bad and dangerous tendency,' as Dr Chauncy would call them, I am inclined to the

opinion that all should know the nature and extent of the new system of operation. But I am repeating remarks which I made in my former communication. They arise from my reluctance to say anything that can tend to the injury of religion in any mind. You have asked me to give you other facts. I could relate many of the most revolting kind. But I will not. I am willing to believe, as we are told often, that such things are as revolting and disgusting to the better portion of the orthodox, as they are to any of us. I will only allude to the general character of some of the most singular proceedings.

I am now in a village which has been for some time, and still is, the scene of a great religious excitement. A ministerial convention, aided by a four days' meeting, has just been held here, with the expectation, as expressed by some, not only of strengthening the holds and enlarging the borders of orthodoxy, but also of scattering and completely nullifying a new Unitarian society that has dared to lift its head in the midst of them. There is said to have been nearly a hundred Trinitarian clergymen here the greater part of a week, quartered in the several districts of the town and in évery family that would receive them. In the evening, meetings were held in every district simultaneously, making twenty in all. The common means of exciting, alarming and converting, were used, and some means not yet common, I trust. Stories in particular were resorted to,-accounts of men and women who had slighted four days' meetings, and been visited in consequence by an awful providence; some having said they would not go till a certain day, and then had gone