of these, Bacon College, at Harrodsburg, Kentucky, is respectably endowed, furnished with a handsome college edifice, and in a very flourishing condition. The other, Bethany College, Virginia, is near the residence of Alexander Campbell, who is president of the institution. Its plan and its buildings are extensive, being designed for the education of the whole man, physical, intellectual, and moral. Its success has been very great, and although it has only commenced its third session, it already ranks in number of students, and in character, with the oldest institutions in the country.

Such being the faith and practice of the Disciples of Christ, their rapid increase in number may be attributed to the fact, that they have kept steadily before the community the claims of that common Christianity in which most parties are agreed. This agreement includes every prominent feature of the Reformation, without an exception. However parties may differ about their creeds, all agree with the Disciples in receiving the Bible. However various the views of dif ferent sects in scholastic theology, all pretty much agree with the Disciples in justification by faith, and in the necessity of repentance and reformation of life. However the former may contend with each other about sprinkling and pouring, as modes of baptism; all agree with the Disciples, and with each other, that immersion, at least, is undisputed baptism, and the only mode in which there is universal agreement. Nay, even in regard to the object of this institution, the different confessions of faith are almost entirely agreed, stating, in their respective articles upon baptism, that it is, to adopt the words of the Westminster Confession, "The sign and seal of regeneration; of remission of sins, and of giving up to God to walk in newness of life." The same sentimental agreement may be predicated of weekly communion; the observance of the Lord's day, &c., and most happily of the great design of the observance of religion, the promotion of holiness and righteousness of life. Thus, having for their object to unite all Christians together in the common faith, without regard to difference of opinion; and in the full enjoyment of the common salvation, without respect to sectarian distinctions: the Disciples labour in joyful hope to aid in bringing about that happy period when all shall be united "by the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace, in one body and one spirit; in one hope of their calling; one Lord; one faith; one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all."

SUPPLEMENT.

CHRISTIANITY is a system of religion and morality instituted by Jesus Christ, primarily taught by his apostles, and recorded in the New Testament. It has for its immediate object the amelioration of the character and condition of man, morally and religiously considered, as far as possible in this life, and ultimately his complete salvation from the guilt, the love, the practice, and punishment of sin. It consists in the knowledge, belief, and obedience of the testimony and law of Jesus Christ, as taught by his apostles, and recorded in the New Testament. It has many professional opposites, many rivals to contend with, all of which, however, may be reduced to three classes, viz: infidels, heretics, and schismatics. The first of these reject, the second subvert, and the third corrupt Christianity, and, of course, measurably destroy its benign and blissful effects.

In order to defend the Christian institution against the rival influence of these opponents, we must meet each of them respectively with the proper arguments. The infidels of every class, having no counter testimony to exhibit against the divine authority and authenticity of our sacred records, nor any thing comparable as a substitute to present to our reception, stand convicted of the most unreasonable obstinacy in rejecting a revelation, not only confirmed by every kind of accompanying evidence which the nature of the thing could justly require, but which also goes to confer upon the believing and obedient the greatest possible happiness, intellectual and moral, of which they are capable in existing circumstances, and of which our nature can be made capable in a blissful immortality.

But as it is from the perversions and corruptions of Christianity, and not from professed infidelity, that the proposed reformation is intended, we would most respectfully submit the following queries to the consideration of all concerned, for the purpose of bringing the subject fairly before them.

Queries.-1. Is not the Church of Christ upon earth essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting of all those, in every place, that profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him in all things according to the scriptures, and that manifest the same by their tempers and conduct, and of none else, as none else can be truly and properly called Christians?

2. Should not all that are enabled through grace, to make such a

profession, and to manifest the reality of it in their tempers and conduct, consider each other as the precious saints of God, love each other as brethren, children of the same family and father, temples of the same spirit, members of the same body, subjects of the same grace, objects of the same divine love, bought with the same price, and joint heirs of the same inheritance? Whom God hath thus joined together no man should dare to put asunder.

3. Is not division among Christians a pernicious evil?—Anti-christian, as it destroys the visible unity of the body of Christ, as if he were divided against himself, excluding and excommunicating a part of himself?-anti-scriptural, as being strictly prohibited by his sovereign authority-a direct violation of his express command ?—anti-natural, as it excites Christians to contemn, to hate and oppose one another, who are bound by the highest and most endearing obligations to love each other as brethren, even as Christ has loved them? In a word, is it not productive of confusion, and of every evil work?

4. Is not the Christian community in a sectarian condition, existing in separate communities alienated from each other?

5. Is not such a condition the native and necessary result of corruption; that is, of the introduction of human opinions into the constitution, faith or worship of Christian societies?

6. Is it not the common duty and interest of all concerned, especially of the teachers, to put an end to this destructive anti-scriptural condition?

7. Can this be accomplished by continuing to proceed as hitherto; that is, by maintaining and defending each his favourite system of opinion and practice?

8. If not, how is it to be attempted and accomplished, but by returning to the original standard and platform of Christianity, expressly exhibited on the sacred page of the New Testament scripture?

9. Would not a strict and faithful adherence to this, by preaching and teaching precisely what the apostles taught and preached, for the faith and obedience of the primitive disciples, be absolutely, and to all intents and purposes, sufficient for producing all the benign and blissful intentions of the Christian institution?

10. Do not all these intentions terminate in producing the faith and obedience that justify and sanctify the believing and obedient subject?

11. Is not every thing necessary for the justification and sanctification of the believing and obedient, expressly taught and enjoined by the apostles in the execution of their commission for the conver

sion and salvation of the nations; and fully recorded in the New Testament?

12. If so, what more is necessary, but that we expressly teach, believe and obey, what we find expressly recorded for these purposes? And would not our so doing, happily terminate our unhappy, scandalous, and destructive divisions?

The two following queries are subjoined for the sake of a clear definition of the leading and comprehensive terms, viz., faith and obedience-which comprehend the whole of the Christian religion.

13. Are not law and obedience, testimony and faith, relative terms, so that neither of the latter can exist without the former? that is, where there is no law, there can be no obedience; where there is no testimony, there can be no faith.

14. Again, is not testimony necessarily confined to facts, and law to authority, so that without the latter the former canhot be? that is, where there are no facts, there can be no testimony-where no authority, no law. Wherefore, in every case, faith must necessarily consist in belief of facts; and obedience, in a practical compliance with the expressed will or dictates of authority. By facts is here meant some things said or done.

Conclusion. Upon the whole, these things being so, it necessarily follows, that Christianity, being a divine institution, there can be nothing human in it; consequently it has nothing to do with the doctrines and commandments of men; but simply and solely with the belief and obedience of the expressly recorded testimony and will of God, contained in the holy scriptures, and enjoined by the authority of the Saviour and his holy apostles upon the Christian community.

Reflections. The affirmative of each of the above propositions being, as we presume, evidently true, they most certainly demand the prompt and immediate attention of all the serious professors of Christianity, of every name. The awful denunciations and providential indications of the divine displeasure against the present antichristian state of Christendom, loudly call for reformation;-the personal and social happiness of all concerned, and the conversion of the unbelieving part of mankind equally demand it. Nevertheless, we are not authorized to expect, that any party, as such, will be induced by the above considerations, or by any other that can possibly be suggested, spontaneously and heartily to engage in the work of self-reformation. The sincere and upright in heart, however, ought not to be discouraged at the inattention and obstinacy of their brethren; for had this been the case in times past, no reformation. had ever been effected. It becomes therefore the immediate duty

and privilege of all that perceive and feel the necessity of the proposed reformation, to exert themselves by every scriptural means to promote it. Seeing the pernicious nature and anti-scriptural effects of the present corruptions of Christianity, both upon professors, and non-professors, in producing alienations amongst the former, in direct opposition to the law of Christ, and in casting almost insuperable obstacles in the way of the conversion of the latter: the serious and upright of all parties must feel conscientiously bound to endeavour, to the utmost of their power, to effect a genuine and radical reformation; which, we presume, can only be effected by a sincere conformity to the original exhibition of our holy religion, the divinely authorized rule and standard of faith and practice. To such, therefore, we appeal; and for the consideration of such alone, we have respectfully submitted the above queries.

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (Paul, 1 Cor. i. 10.)

"Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, I pray for them who shall believe on me through the word of my apostles, that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me that the world may know that thou hast sent me; and hast loved them as thou hast loved me." (John xvii.)

"In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matt. xv.)

"From the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord of hosts." (Mal. iii. 7.)

"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. xviii. 4.)

"He that testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus."

As a striking instance of the necessity and importance of the proposed reformation, we present the following extract from the Boston Anthology, which, with too many of the same kind that might be adduced, furnishes a mournful comment upon the text-we mean upon the sorrowful subject of our woful divisions and corruptions. The following reply to the Rev. Mr. Cram, missionary from Massachusetts to the Senecas, was made by the principal chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations, in council assembled at Buffalo Creek, state of New York, in the presence of the agent of the United States for In