That you should be egregiously mistaken with respect to facts, after what we have seen above, will surprise no one. The annihilation, or as others choose to call it, the destruction of the wicked, has been believed by a few speculative individuals of all denominations. Dr. Watts held, that "the children of ungodly parents, who die in infancy, are annihilated;" but he adopted this opinion while he was yet a trinitarian. Before you fixed this faith on unitarians, as an evidence of their immorality, you ought to have proved it to be common among them, or at all events more so than among other christians of whom you would speak more favourably. This you cannot do, and hence the injustice of your charge. There was a controversy on this subject a few years since in Mr. Aspland's Theological Repository, but a very few individuals only would appear to have been engaged. You may have been deceived from the circumstance of one of the most zealous defenders of the annihilation system, Mr. Bourn, having been a unitarian.* Dr. John Taylor and Dr. Price are said to have been of this faith, but I know not, that either of them wrote expressly in its defence. That you were deceived, however, argues little in your justification. You were not making light charges, nor such as ought to have been hazarded on slender grounds. It is not true, that this doctrine has any connexion with the prevailing tenets of unitarianism.

But in any case it could hardly be supposed, that this doctrine would be held up as defective in its moral influence. What idea can be more dismal, painful, and

* Miss Hannah Adams has failed in her usual accuracy in attributing this doctrine to the Polish socinians, as is plain from the testimony of B Wissowatius above cited. See Hannah Adams's Dictionary of all Religions, fourth edition, p. 274.

appalling, than that of ceasing to exist? Who can look without emotions of dread and horror into the gulf of annihilation? Where is the man, however abandoned in wickedness, however lost to a sense of virtue and duty, who, with all his crimes on his head, would not feel infinitely more comfort in the certainty of a future existence, although he must suffer the just punishment of his sins, than he would at the gloomy thought of falling into nothing, and being forgotten even by his God? Do believe a doctrine can be preached more terrible to the sinner, than that which puts him beyond the reach of infinite mercy, goodness, and love? If the doctrine of eternal punishment has any tendency to restrain men from vice, this must act with double force, as it is doubly awful in its nature and its prospects.

o you

The succeeding letter will be occupied with further considerations on your remarks respecting the comparative morals of unitarians and calvinists.

Yours,

A UNITARIAN OF BALTIMORE.

Professor Lindsly's Discourse.

We have before us a discourse entitled, A Plea for the Theological Seminary at Princeton, by Professor Lindsly of the College in that place. This discourse is principally occupied in the laudable attempt of kindling the dormant zeal of the presbyterians, in behalf of the pecuniary interests of the theological institution, which has been "established by the supreme judicatory of their church." The author labours to obviate several objec tions, which, it seems, have unluckily entered the heads, and eontracted the purses of some well intentioned per

sons. In connexion with this work he resorts to appeals, reflections, exhortations, and argument, that no means may be left unemployed to rouse the apathy, move the feelings, and enlist the understanding of his presbyterian brethren. After exhausting every other topic, he comes at last to the following, which he seems to have reserved as a sort of cap to the climax.

"Behold the progress of heresy and infidelity under the disguise of rational christianity. See the artifice of the great destroyer in these latter days. He has commissioned his emissaries to assume the garb and the functions of the ministers of the gospel, that they may the more effectually sap the foundation of the whole christian edifice. He has enlisted talents, and learning, and indefatigable enterprise in this work of desolation. He has taught the deistical scoffer at revelation to step a little aside from his accustomed track; and to come forward in a new shape, but with the same malignant hostility against the truth. He is now willing to be esteemed a catholic liberal christian. But he rejects the essential divinity of the Saviour; the depravity of human nature, the doctrine of the atonement, and of justification by faith. Or, he is a christian without holding one principle of the christian religion which can distinguish it from the religion of na. Modern unitarianism, which is every where insinuating itself into the hearts of men naturally predisposed to its reception, because it is exactly suited to the natural character of men, is more to be dreaded than any species of infidelity ever yet avowed. It is a deadly enemy wearing the mask and the name of a friend.

ture.

"To be able to meet such an enemy on equal ground, requires much care and preparation. Many of the teachers of this heresy are thoroughly skilled in scholastic theology, logic, and metaphysics; in history, antiquities, philology, and modern science; well versed in the ancient languages; bold and subtle biblical critics; prepared to take advantage of an imprudent or incautious adversary; and thus to triumph over truth itself in the eyes of superficial observers when their sophistry seems to get the victory over its unskilful defender. Such wily disputants may now be met with in almost every section of our country. We must send into the field men sufficiently learned and disciplined fairly to encounter them. A good, honest, wellmeaning, but superficially taught person will not do. Such a man had better not put his strength or rather his weakness to the test on any such occasion. He may be useful in his place. But we must

have men who are qualified to maintain the truth against every gainsayer, who can defend the faith once delivered to the saints against the most powerful assailants. Now ministers thus qualified are not to be met with every day. They are not the production of chance. They do not grow into existence as a mere matter of course. And it is possible that, at the present time, the number would not be found to be very great of those who could successfully or reputably contend with the leading socinians in our country. This is mortifying. But the evil admits of a remedy. Although the orthodox churches generally have been negligent, culpably negligent, in regard to the education of young ministers; so much so as to give advantage to our more wary adversaries; yet we may retrace our steps, or rather commence anew, and do our future work better.

"Foster then this precious seminary, whence we may speedily hope to see issue multitudes of ardent, vigorous, able, well-furnished youth, who shall have no reason to dread the face of any foe however fierce or crafty."

It would be showing too little respect for the understanding and christian feelings of our readers, to make any remarks on this piece. We have thought it our duty to give what publicity we could to so choice a specimen of orthodox liberality, especially as it comes from a professor of a college. Comments are unnecessary.

German Reformed Church.

WE have before us the Transactions of the General Synod of the German Reformed Church, held in Hagerstown, Maryland, September, 1820.* In these Transactions returns are made from three hundred and eighty-nine congregations, and from many others it is understood no returns were made. The whole number of congregations belonging to this church in the United States, is about five hundred, and the number of minis

* Verhandlungen der General-Synode der Hochdeutschen Reformirten Kirche in den Vereinigten Staaten von Nord-America, gehalten in Hägersstadt, Märyland, September, 1820.

ters not more than ninety. In some instances a single clergyman has charge of ten, eleven, and twelve parishes. Of the five hundred congregations about half are in Pennsylvania, more than fifty in Ohio, and others in Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The services are universally held in the German language, except in a few of the larger towns where English and German are used alternately. The tenets of this church are conformable to the Heidelberg Catechism, and the sentiments of Zuinglius.

The most important act of the last session of the Synod, was a resolution to found a Theological Seminary. This is to be under the control of twelve superintendants, chosen every three years by the Synod; and by the same body the professors are to be chosen, and their salaries fixed. The term of study required of each student is to be not more than three, nor less than two years. Fredericktown in Maryland has been selected for the location of the seminary, and the Rev. Dr. Milledoler of New-York has been chosen the Principal. The students are to be taught the usual branches of theology,* and Stapfer's work, [Grundlegung zur wahren Religion,] in twelve volumes, we understand is to be the leading text book. The funds of the institution are already respectable, and it is expected soon to go into operation. An admirable plan has been adopted to increase the funds, several clergymen have obligated themselves to collect and pay annually a certain sum for five or ten years. These sums

* Die Studenten sollen, wenn möglich, in den folgenden theologischen Zweigen unterrichtet werden, nämlich; in der dogmatischen, homoletischen, polemischen, und moralischen Theologie, in der biblischen Literatur, in der Kirchen-Geschichte und in der Pastoral-Theologie, und sollen im Stande seyn die Grundsprache zu verstehen.