some pretended priest in holy orders. This, with the infatuated and absurd doctrine of transubstantiation, forms the climax of these small deviations. These we know are some of the popish deviations, which long ago assumed the authority of law, but still without a lawgiver to sustain them, except his Holiness the Pope. But what shall we say of Protestant deviations and small indulgences from the true standard revealed in the Bible. In one department-the law-established religion of this country-rise not much higher than in the Roman hierarchy. Indeed an amalgama tion of the two into one, appears to be rapidly progressing; and the consummation we are told may be shortly expected. Then comes the Protestant dissenters with all their creeds, indulgences, and human standards of church-fellowship, and Christian union but these we must leave for the present. Our respected friend seems quite delighted with the idea of the Eunuch taking off his sandals, and with Philip, walking ankle-deep into the water, when a few drops of the liquid element was lifted by the hand of Philip to the head of the candidate! This, if we give credit for the idea and the practice being divine, was the very way in primitive times, of being buried with Christ in baptism. He that can believe it, let him believe it!! But the shake of the hand is now practised instead of the kiss of charity—is not this a small deviation? Certainly it is. And so the cut of the hair; the shape of the coat; and the size of the hat, are all deviations: but the question is, are these divine institutions?positive commands? Yes, says one, the kiss of charity is positively commanded! Granted. This mode of salutation was very general at that time, and so it remains in some parts, to this day. Prior to conversion to Jesus, it was in some instances a most unholy and malevolent kiss. Now, said Paul and Peter to Jew and Gentile, Barbarian, Scythian, bond and free, all pretending to be brethren in Christ,—when you salute one another, let it be with a holy kiss. They also gave to each other the right hand of fellowship, and this is what all disciples of Christ still practice. But we must now wait for our friend X., to point out the errors of our first and second reply to his various objections to some of the things for which we contend. J. W. PRAYER.-Stated seasons of prayer are highly necessary and profitable, and these have been observed in all ages by those who have been distinguished for their piety and devotion towards God. From a singular conformity of practice in persons remote, both as to age and place, it appears as if an idea had obtained generally that it was expedient and acceptable to pray three times a day. Such was the practice of David and also of Daniel.-Ps. lv. 17; Dal. vi. 10. The Brahmins are said to perform their idolatrous devotions three times a day" at sun-rise, at noon, and at sun-set." LETTERS FROM EUROPE-No. I.* Packet ship Siddons, Atlantic Ocean. MY DEAR CLARINDA-You may, the Lord willing, expect from me a letter for every week during my travels abroad. Being my eldest daughter, though the youngest of five, and only surviving member and representative of my first family, you are, to say nothing of your personal worth, entitled to this token of paternal regard and affection. But while I especially address you, I address through you all my children capable of appreciating what I now write, and the youngest of them, so soon as they are able to understand whatever I may communicate to you. They will all, I trust, consider themselves equally interested in whatever I may write, as though individually addressed to them. I cannot promise you more than brief notices of men and things as they occur to me, interspersed with such observations and remarks as may afford you rational entertainment, and suggest to you trains of moral and religious reflection both pleasing and profitable. On the subject of the Christian religion, that ever new, delightful, and soul-transporting theme, and on those who love and delight to honour it, I intend, though not exclusively, chiefly to occupy your attention as well as my own; that being both the proper business and solace of life. When, then, I either notice or descant on men and things, the works of God or the works of man, the wonders and beauties of nature or of art, the manners and customs of saints or sinners, the ways of the world, or the ways of the church, the books that I read or the sermons that I speak or hear, I intend to make them all subservient to your entertainment and improvement, and that of every member of my family. that At first I intended these letters for your own eyes only and those of the other members of my family; but on reflection and in obedience to the benevolent impulse of our philanthropic religion, which teaches us not to look with interest upon our own families and affairs only, but on those of others, I have resolved, though without your knowledge or consent, to present them, through you, to my numerous and long devoted readers for their entertainment and improvement also; provided they may administer to either. I know, indeed, many of them will be anxious to hear from me on the subject of my wanderings and peregrinations through the land of our fathers, and other countries that I may visit. But I fear from this formal announcement of my intentions, I may too much excite their curiosity and raise expectations only to disappoint them. But, as far as in me lies, to prevent such anticipations as cannot be realized, I must farther premise that I cannot attempt any thing more in these letters than to communicate freely and familiarly, currente calamo, without any attempt at ornament, or elegance of style, or elaboration of things. I intend that my letters shall be perfectly free and familiar as though exclusively intended for your own eye, being of the opinion that whatever may be pleasing and acceptable to you will *We purpose giving all Mr. Campbell's Letters from Europe.-ED. generally be so to all my readers. Indeed, I expect to be so constantly employed in travelling, conversing, preaching, teaching, as to have no time for embellishing any thing. But this, you know, is generally my good fortune.. I have, as we say in Virginia, laid myself out this time to do all the good I can, and in every way that I can, in furthering the great cause of our Divine Redeemer, in the conversion of sinners, the edification of the family of God, and in the advancement of the great cause of reformation, personal and social. From these general intimations, and without further introduction, I hasten to the work which I have proposed. You, with several members of my family and friends, saw me safe in the stage at West Alexander, Pa., at nine o'clock this day morning, April 22nd, one month ago to-day. In thirty-four hours after you bade us adieu, we safely arrived in the city of Baltimore, distant by stage and rail-road some 300 miles. Soon as the cars arrived at the depôt, our kind brother Dungan seized me by the arm and carried me off to his residence, where I enjoyed all that Christian hospitality could bestow, during my sojourn over Lord's day in the city. Having yourself not long since passed over the same route, mountains, and valleys, by stage and rail-road, I need not say any thing of the fine, and, in some places, the grand and sublime mountain scenery through which we pass, via Harper's Ferry, to the seaboard. Brother Henshall, from Richmond, true to his assignation, met me at Baltimore, Saturday morning. We spent a very pleasant Lord's day with the church meeting in St. Paul's street. I was sorry to hear that our excellent brother Ferguson, senior, whose praise is in all the eastern churches, has for a time retired from the oversight of this truly interesting congregation. Brother Austin, too, so admirably qualified to enlighten almost any community, has removed into the country. He will, however, still occasionally meet with this church. I did not see him. In the morning of the Lord's day I addressed the church in a full meeting, on the peerless glory of the Lord Messiah, the head of the Christian church. This is one of the sweetest and most sublime themes, you know, in the Christian Scriptures; and we all seemed to be interested and delighted in the contemplation of it. While I think of it, how beautifully apposite the chorus of one of our hymns: "Worthiness dwells in thee, excellent dignity, Beauty and majesty; glory environs thee; Power, honour, dominion, and life rest on thee, In the afternoon, after the supper, brother Henshall spoke on the unity of faith as essential to the co-operation of Christian churches in the work of the Lord, and tendered some very appropriate remarks and exhortations on the subject. While the congregation were assembling at seven o'clock in the evening for worship, brother Burnet, from Cincinnati, appeared, very much to my gratification, presuming that he was, according to my expectation, to accompany us to Europe. In this, however, I was disappointed, it not being compatible with his duties and obligations to go with us. I addressed a very full house, at night, on the distinguishing characteristics of the Christian or New Institution. On Monday morning before leaving the city, brother Dungan handed me seventy-five dollars in British gold, from the church in Saint Paul's street, for the suffering poor brethren in Ireland or Scotland, or wherever we might find them. To this, his little son, Henry, some five or six years old, added his one dollar. Before leaving the church, on Lord's day evening, a brother put into my hand fourteen dollars and forty-five cents, from some two or three members of the church in North street, for the same purpose. On Monday morning, at nine o'clock, we gave the parting hand of kindred hearts, and took the cars for Philadelphia. We safely arrived at that city at two o'clock; and after attending on some business, we spent the evening at sister Saunders', Walnut street, in company with Elder Taylor, Elder Wm. Rouzee, and Dr. Bacon. Our sister Williams called next morning. We had a pleasant tete-a-tete of an hour. She is as ardent and as devoted to the Lord and his glorious cause as ever. Elder Heaslitt also visited us next morning and accompanied us to the ship. While at sister Saunders we were introduced to one of my readers, a Baptist brother Rue, of New Jersey. He is a great lover of the truth, and fearless in avowing it. He is a young and ardent brother, and, as I learned, an able herald of the gospel in his field of labour. We arrived in New York at two o'clock, p. m. and immediately repaired to brother E. Parmley's residence in Bond street. He had been looking for us the day before. Brother Burnet and myself sojourned at his hospitable mansion from our arrival on Tuesday evening till the next Monday morning; where, beside enjoying the society of this amiable and intelligent family, we had the pleasure of that of James Buchanan, Esq., now of Canada West, late Consul of her Britannic Majesty in this city-more worthy of our admiration and esteem because of his zeal for primitive Christianity and his Christian virtues, than on account of the high station which he filled with the highest approbation of his own government, and with the highest commendation of the citizens of New York. The day appointed for our sailing being Monday the third inst., and also for his departure to Montreal being the same day, gave us much of his company. I have rarely seen a man, much less in one so hackneyed in the business of the world, so much unaffected Christian simplicity, such perfect transparency of character, such straight forwardness of aim and effort to do good, as in this truly venerable old reformer and old man. If he have his stern peculiarities, which time, with all its attritions, can never efface; if he have his favourite dogmas, which no philosophy could refute, which no argument could annul, on which perhaps he may, or may not, lay too much stress, his faith and hope based on "the finished work of Christ" and his glorious and all-prevalent intercession in heaven, appear to be the rock on which he builds his hope of heaven, and the never-failing springs of his peace, consolation, and joy. For brevity, directness, and pathos in prayer, and in conducting family and social worship, he is a perfect original; and if not a perfect model, he is in some points worthy of a very strict imitation. We enjoyed also the pleasure, at brother Parmley's, of several calls, from Dr Giustiniani, the distinguished Roman Catholic clergyman, who, after the manner of Ronge, with a considerable number of adherents, recently seceded from the Pope. He is a decided Protestant, but not so well read in Protestant creedism as to decide amongst Protestant parties which to prefer; and, because he cannot as yet decide on their nice metaphysics, they all, with one consent, stand aloof from him. He is a gentleman of a clear and well informed mind, by birth an Italian, speaks the English language with some little hesitancy, a host against the claims of Romanists; and bids fair, if properly aided by Protestants, to be useful in the city. I could wish that the mantle of the Evangelical Alliance had been transported from London to New York, especially in the case of Dr. L. Giustiniani. Amongst other agreeable matters that occurred during my sojourn in the city, I must mention a call from my old friend Robert Owen, Esq., denominated the Philanthropist, of Lanark, now of New Harmony, Indiana, with whom we debated the evidences of our faith in Cincinnati, some eighteen years ago. The old gentleman shows as few of the scars of time upon his face as any man of his years that I know. His unyielding good nature and peculiar indifference as to public opinion, with his pleasing enthusiasm, seem to sooth his mind amidst the reverses of fortune and the universal failure of all his Utopian schemes of human improvement by the annihilation of marriage, private property, and Christianity, and the adoption of his ill-digested Socialism. He never alluded to the scenes of Cincinnati, but with the most perfect courtesy and kind feelings inquired after every thing interesting to me, and especially after the health and happiness of your grand-father. I am sorry for the honour of sectarian Christianity, but glad for the honour of human nature, to state what you may have heard me say on other occasions, that, of all my opponents in debate, the infidel Robert Owen was the most candid, fair, and gentlemanly disputant I have yet met with; and a saint in morality, compared with some of my opponents. He is, however, still the philosopher of one idea; and destined to die, as he has lived, the victim of an empty and false, though a well intended philosophy. During my stay in the city I had not much of the company of brother Henshall. He enjoyed the hospitality of our truly excellent and much beloved brother Daniel Monroe, a pillar in the house of the Lord in this community. Our brother Melish, and Mr. Robert Bryan, of Kentucky, now attending the Medical School here, both graduates of Bethany College, called to see us, and very gratefully called up the reminiscences of by-gone days. I am sorry that brother Melish has not found a better field in which to labour in the word and doctrine of our religion. As matters are here, I advise him to go to the West. We also found our brother Craig, of Kentucky, at |