Who in concert is united, Pain and death are now removed, Thus unshackled she's ascended; Wonders at the great salvation, J. BABBIT. Hymn. Rev. xix. 6. 1 Cor. xv. 24-26. Hark! the song of jubilee HALLELUJAH ! let the word Hallelujah! hark! the sound, He shall reign from pole to pole, He shall reign, when like a scroll To Correspondents. R. S's ideas on the parable of the unjust steward, appear to be new. He is requested to favor us with some further remarks on the subject; particularly, relative to these words, "Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do, for my Lord taketh away from me the stewardship?" This seems to imply that he felt guilty. Hyram and Philo appear to be on one subject. Should they be called to give their reasons, it is hoped they will hold themselves in readiness to answer. Dea. Moulton Needham's defence before an ecclesiastical council, called by the church to which he belonged, with other particulars relating to the doings of the church and council, which resulted in the charge of heresy, will appear in the next number. THE CHRISTIAN REPOSITORY, DEVOTED, PRINCIPALLY, TO DOCTRINE, MORALITY, AND RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. BY SAMUEL C. LOVELAND. In my Father's house are many mansions.—JESUS. Vol. I.] JANUARY, 1821. [No. 3. DEA. MOULTON NEEDHAM'S DEFENCE BEFORE AN ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL, CALLED BY THE CHURCH TO WHICH HE BELONGED, WITH OTHER PARTICULARS RELATING TO THE DOINGS OF THE CHURCH AND COUNCIL. To the Reader. -IT being of importance that our sentiments of the character of our heavenly Father, together with our own characters, should correspond with those given in his word, it is rendered necessary that we read the sacred pages with a great degree of candor; that our minds be divested of all prepossessed or traditional ideas as such; and that, to get the true meaning of it, we peruse the scripture, in its connexion. as its own interpreter But we find there is a variety of ideas among mankind on this subject ;-and no wonder, when we realize the influence that superstition, tradition, and bigotry, have on the mind of man. Whatever the principle of our brother may be, it is necessary that we understand it, before we attempt Vol. 1. No. 3. 7 to judge. And it appears to me, the public are liable to get a wrong impression of my ideas, from the result of the council, which is now before them. I am, therefore, induced, without further apology, to submit the following pages to their impartial and candid inspection. M. NEEDHAM. COPY OF THE ALLEGATIONS PRESENTED то THE CHURCH AGAINST DEA. M. NEEDHAM. Whiting, February 27, 1819. Brother Daniel Church attended to the second direction,given by our Lord in the eighteenth of Matthew, by taking Dea. Jonas Hubbard with him, to labor with Dea. Moulton Needham, but could not convince him. The same day, P. M. the church met at the dwellinghouse of Moses Munger, and after opening by solemn invocation, and calling Deacon Hubbard to the chair, Deacon J. Hubbard presented to the church an allegation, in the words following, viz. This is a complaint brought against Deacon' M. Needham, for embracing a sentiment, which, we think, is not according to the gospel of Christ. The first step of labor, taken by Br. Church; the second step of labor, taken by Br. Church and Br. Hubbard. JONAS HUBBARD, -Signed, DANIEL CHURCH. Defence. Men, brethren. and fathers, I think myself happy that i am permitted to answer for myself this day, touching the things, whereof I am accused of my brethren. In the first place, I would state that I have received no admonition in respect to my character, or travel with the church. Fut some of my brethren and sisters consider, that I hold the atonement, which Christ made for sin, and for which I stand accused or admonished, in a point of view too extensive. It has been alleged that I extend the idea so far, that Christ is going to save his people in their sins: but this is a mistake. It could not have been taken from my conversation; but must have proceeded from a superstitious idea, that, after a certain number of mankind are selected, there is no way of salvation for the rest, only in their sins; or, at least, in some way, independent of the power of God to change their hearts. Το be sure, I have formerly conscienciously believed that the atonement was sufficient for all men, or that Christ has opened a door for the salvation of the human family; aud that, some how, it depended on the creature to accept, or step in at the door. of himself, or he could not justly be made eternally miserable. Yet I zealously contended that man is in a lost condition, unable to help himself; and as faith and repentance are the gift of God, it not only depended on the power and grace of God to make the provision, but also to change the heart, in order for man to experience salvation. This power and grace, 1 believed, would be manifested on all the elect. Having my faith thus established. I have met with some very serious difficulties. For, at least, when I have had any considerable view of the situation of mankind, in a state of enmity, and of the fulness of salvation, I have been ready, with all my heart, to join with my brethren in beseeching God, that he would make bare his arm for the salvation of the souls that he had made. And even after examination of this petition, in the prayers of my most devout teachers, if I searched in the remotest corner of creation. I could find none but what were included as subjects of salvation; and. having a sympathetic feeling for them, I had no inclination that any should be left out; for I remembered the wormwood and the gall. I also felt justified by the language of St. Paul. 1 Tim. ii. 1, "I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men :" but when I come to read verse 8, "I |