accredited by the faithful servants of their Lord. Our principal cause of complaint with respect to some ministers is, that they omit some important truths, while they preach others, thus shunning to declare the whole counsel of God; that they give very general, vague, and inadequate views of the doctrines they do preach; that when they exhibit an important truth, they totally pervert it by a misapplication; that they mingle the truth, when they exhibit it at all, with much carnal reasoning and heathen morality. A few examples will illustrate my meaning. Some have called up on their hearers to believe in Christ, and have represented him as the Savior of the world, who yet never speak of the excellence of his nature, and the glories of his person, as the true God manifest in the flesh; thus passing over, though not express ly denying, the mystery of godliness. Some have told sinners they must be saved by the rightcousness of Christ, and have yet directed them to trust in their own righteousness. They have passed over, if not directly denied, the great doctrine of regeneration by special divine influence. They totally obscure the bright effulgent glory of the divine justice, and of God's holy law, by saying that the law is good, but exceedingly strict; and that God is not so hard a master as to require or expect a perfect obedience and conformity from his frail, ignorant unfortunate creatures,especially under the Gospel dispensation, and since Christ has kindly alleviated the burden we were not able to bear, appeased

the anger of God, and brought down the divine demands to suit our fallen state and character. They often destroy the good effect of all the truth they have taught, or rather give it a very pernicious effect, by forgetting that most of their hearers are, and all have been, rebels against God, and dead in trespasses and sins. This is, indeed, with many the grand failure. Forgetting that the human heart is totally corrupt, or expressly as serting the contrary, and extol. ling its supposed virtues, they do not preach even the truths of God's word, as messengers of his grace to guilty men. They do not humble the sinner at the feet of a Savior of sovereign mercy. They do not call upon rebels to submit; but rather up. on obedient subjects to persevere in well doing, and perhaps to amend a few things which may be amiss. They do not lay open the deceits of a wicked heart; but, by a perverted application of the promises, quiet the fears of the impenitent, and cry peace to those who are not humble and contrite. They make no distinctions. They confound the outward morality and the amiable instincts of sinners with the evangelical obedience of the children of God. They confound the sorrows of the world, which worketh death, as in Judas and Ahab, with the godly sorrow, which is unto life. They confound speculative with transforming faith; thus bringing the devil himself, (if their principle were carried to its full length,) within the intent of the prom ise, He that believeth shall be saved.

The man who preaches thus, in my view, preaches another Gospel. He deludes those whom he was sent to alarm. He han dles the word of God deceitful ly; he hides his instructions; he forgets his character and office; he deserts the service which he professed to undertake; he betrays the trust his Master reposed in him; he joins the Lord's rebellious subjects, flatters them with the hope of His favor, and perverts His word to the base purpose of sanctioning both the rebellion and the deception. He may do all this, and yet not deny, openly and expressly, one doctrine of the living oracles, when stated in general terms.

Such being my view of the subject, can I lend, ought I to lend, my voluntary aid in this work of delusion and death? Can I freely bid him God speed, and become partaker of his evil deeds? Can I open my pulpit to him, and invite him to come and delude those precious souls, whom I am bound to feed with knowledge and understanding? Can I introduce him, with a moral certainty that he will advance sentiments pleasing to impenitent men, and so much the more calculated for reception, because they are connected with some portions of the truth; more dangerous to unwary souls, than direct and flagrant attacks on the doctrines according to godliness? Shall I invite him to preach in my stead those things which I could never preach my self, though tortures and racks should compel me? I desire to be excused. I will regard the office he sustains. I will not object to unite with him in those

duties to which others may have called us both. I will not assume the office of his Judge and mine in determining his final state. I will admonish him as a brother; I will bear testimony against his conduct or principles, so far as I think it my duty, in the spirit of meekness; I will, God giving me grace, pray for his conversion and salvation. But I cannot freely request him to disseminate destructive principles, and perversions of the Gospel.

I confess that when I confer with flesh and blood, when I value the friendship and favor of men, when I am in spirit conformed to this world, I find ma ny vain reasonings, calculations, and suggestions, on this subject. But when I go into the sanctua ry; when I can realize the worth of souls, their awfully dangerous and critical state, and the precious value of time and oppor tunity to pluck them as brands from the burning; when I can regard supremely the glory and honor of God in the prevalence of his truth, I am confirmed beyond a doubt in the course of duty. And it is not improper to add, that I am grieved to the heart with the conduct of some of my brethren, who themselves preach and love the truth, and yet, by exchanges, countenance and encourage those, who daub with untempered mortar. I trust it is done through the power of custom, and from want of satisfaction respecting the call of duty in so difficult a case; and I therefore intreat them to review the subject with ardent prayer, and close attention to the Scrip

tures.

It may be proper briefly to reply to the most common and plausible arguments in favor of exchanges with men of the above character.

It is said, we may do good to people, to whom we should have no access unless by exchanging labors with their ministers. But we should not do evil, even that good may come. It seems but poor policy to poison a hundred, for the chance of curing one or two, or even an equal number. Neither is he a faithful shepherd, who, from tender regard to his neighbor's flock, goes to look after them, leaving his own to the attacks of wolves, and even inviting one to guard them in his absence.

It is said, we may preach er roneously ourselves, and our own people ought to have the opportunity to hear others, that they may prove all opinions, and then judge. We reply, that we are unfit for the sacred trust, if we have any doubt of the certainty of the truths of the Gos pel; and Satan wili take all care to furnish our people with a sufficient variety of delusive hopes and plausible lies, with out our connivance.

It is said, that in this way we withhold that fellowship which we professed, when we received ordination from men of this description; when we accepted the right hand from them, and gave them ours. I reply, that a candidate is not supposed to know, and very rarely does in fact know, the particular religious

opinions of all the members of the council by whom he is ordained. He is bound to presume, till he has good reason to believe the contrary, that the professed servants of Christ are his real servants. Supposing this charitable presumption to prove erroneous, how can he be bound to receive and treat the known subverters of the Gospel as its true friends?

It is said, that to exclude a man from perfect fellowship by declining exchanges, is arrogant, an assumption of authori ty; that it is uncharitable and censorious. If so, then did Paul transgress exceedingly and frequently. To name only one instance. Would he have exchanged labors with the angel from heaven, whom he would lay under the anathema of Jehovah, for preaching another Gospel? And what was that other Gospel, which was not another? i. e. which was no Gospel at all? A deviation from the truth, which the liberal preachers of the present time would deem very trifling indeed, and no cause of the least separation, or even of admonition.

No, let us contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, and endeavor to be pure from the blood of all men, by preaching the truth, and guarding their minds against error. Thus let us wait for that blessed day, when the watchmen shall see eye to eye, and when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

AzRo.

VALEDICTORY ADDRESS.

AFTER the annual examination of the students in the Theological Seminary at Andover, one of the members of the

class then about to leave the institution delivers a valedictory address. The style and sentiment of these addresses have uniformly been such as to strengthen the favorable impression made by the examination, and to do credit to the institution. At the close of the late examination, Mr. THOMAS H. GALLAUDET, of Hartford, Conn. performed this part of the anniversary solemnities. We applied for a copy of his address, and are gratified in being able to lay it before our readers.

ED.

It is very grateful to those, who are just leaving this seminary, thus to have an opportunity of bidding all connected with it an affectionate farewell. As we exchange this peaceful retreat for the busy and momentous scenes of untried action, we cannot but look, with a melancholy pleasnre, on the countenances of friends, whom many of us now see for the last time. Their united presence awakens a thousand associations in our minds, and fills the past, the present and the future, with the deepest in

us the fields of their own knowl edge, guided us in our various researches, and labored, by their prayers and counsels, to direct us in the path of usefulness and duty. Here, too, are our fellowstudents, whose Christian friendship and converse have smoothed the occasional difficulties of our way, and from whom we are soon to be separated, to wander in a mazy world, and to labor in whatever part of the vineyard our common Master may see fit to place us.

if separation is ever painful, and the expression of sorrow becoming, then might we be indulged, at this time, in giving vent to our feelings. But we forbear, and choose rather to shed a more cheerful aspect on the scene, by considering, that we are drawing nearer the goal to which our eye has been long directed; that we are about to pursue a course which, though arduous, is delightful; and that those, whose kind offices we are soon to lose, will still accompany us with their prayers, that we may "run" with fidelity and "patience the race that is set before us." We will forget, then, "those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Our emotions shall be those of a serene and joyful gratitude for the advantages which we have so liberally enjoyed at this seminary, and for the hope we may venture to entertain, though "with fear and trem

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bling," of being made, in some humble degree, the useful instruments of promoting the cause of the Redeemer. While we thus acknowledge the goodness of God, and recognize Him alone as the author of all our blessings, we are not unmindful how much we owe to those who have been the generous stewards of his bounty. And they will pardon us, if we take this public opportunity of presenting to them our united thanks, for the liberality which founded, and the care which has fostered, this seminary, in the benefits of which we have so richly participated.

Respected Founders, Benefac tors and Guardians,

We have learned from the his tory of the institution, whose sixth anniversary is this day cel ebrated, what were the motives which led to its establishment, and what are the objects it was designed to accomplish; motives and objects commensurate with all that is of real interest in this life, and of awful import in the future For what is the end of our being? Something above this low vale, in which we grope, of fleeting and shadowy images. Something beyond the dazzling top of worldly grandeur, to which, for ages, the ardent eye of genius, and the step of panting ambition have been directed. Something, which he sees not, whose gaze is bounded by the horizon of this earthy ball, however proud may, be the eminence on which he stands, however keen the glance and extensive the scope of his intellectual vision. Something which was hid from the "wise and prudent" of heathen antiquity, save where its few and scat

tered rays penetrated their moral midnight, through the medium of traditionary revelation. On us revelation beams in meridian splendor. The Gospel has shed the clear light of eternity on what would else have remained dark and gloomy. It has shown us whither our path through this life leads. It has extended our sphere of vision into the boundless regions of futurity, and invested every thing here below with a sublime dignity and importance, by linking it, most indissolubly, to the eternal destiny which awaits us. It has taught us, that the great end of our being is to promote the glory of God and the welfare of the Redeem er's kingdom, and that man's truest happiness is to devote to these objects the best affections of his heart, and the most earnest labors of his hands. Many there are, who are wise to obey this heavenly monitor, according to the humble theasure of their talents, and the limited sphere of their exertions. But to a few only is given the exalted pleasure of bearing a conspicuous part in this cause of God; of contributing from their substance the ample resources which it requires, or of promoting by their influence and guid ing by their wisdom its grand and comprehensive movements. Of this class are Buchanan and Wilberforce; men, who discern a meaning in the aspect of human affairs, which eludes the wisdom of this world; and standing on a higher eminence than they occupy, who compose the cabinets of kings and wield the destinies of empire, and looking beyond the narrow maxims of state-policy and the petty interests of rival