What skills it, if a bag of ftones or gold About thy neck do drown thee? raise

thy head;

be told

By any art, yet to be purchased.

None is fo waftfull as the fcraping dame :

She lofeth three for one; her foul, reft, fame.

By no means runne in debt: take thine own measure.

Who cannot live on twenty pound a yeare,

Cannot on fourtie: he's a man of pleafure,

A kinde of thing that's for itself too deere.

The curious unthrift makes his cloth

too wide,

And fpares himself, but would his taylor chide.

coft:

Doft lofe? rife up: doft winne? rife in that ftate.

Who ftrive to fit out lofing hands, are loft.

Game is a civil gunpowder, in peace Blowing up houfes with their whole increafe.

In Converfation boldnesse now bears fway.

But know that nothing can fo foolish be, As empty boldnesse: therefore first aslay To stuffe thy mind with solid braverie;

Then march on gallant: get fubftantial worth.

Boldneffe gilds finely, and will fet it forth.

(To be continued.}

A narrative of the religious controverfy in Fitchburg, with comments on a pamphlet entitled, Facts and documents, &c. Worcester, printed by Ifaiah Thomas, jun.

because it involves the effential principles of the conftitution and government of Congregational churches. To enable our readers to judge of the merits of the above publication, it is neceffary to make a statement of the facts, which gave rife to it. The Rev. Mr. Worcester fettled in the miniftry at Fitchburg on the condition, that if difficulties fhould arife, and a majority of his congregation and church defire his difnition, it fhould take place by advice of a mutual council. Soon after his ordination Mr. W., availing himfelf of a previous propofal in the church to renew their chriftian obligations, introduced the peculiarities of the Hopkinfian fcheme, under the forms of a church covenant and terms of admition of members. To thefe forms pointed oppofition was made by a number of the brethren, but they were at last adopted. The church confifted of forty-four male members; twenty-two were prefent when the queftion was taken, and twelve voted for the new forms. By thefe proceedings and other concurring cireumitances, the ma

be agreed upon by himicif, his church, and congregration; that be thould nominate one third part of the remaining churches, his church newly modelled and clofely attached to him one third, and the congregation the other third. The town, thinking this a violation of the fpirit of his agreement and defigned to deprive them of an equitable decifion in the council, difmilled their minitter by their own vote. The opposers of the new forms ab'ented themfelves from communion and publick worship with the church, to which Mr. W. continued, by advice of an ex parte council, to adminifler. They adopted various expedients, fome of them irregu lar and of bad tendency, to effect the diffolution of Mr. W.'s pafteral relation with his church. The church viewed those, who oppofed their new forms, as amenable to their body, and under their difcipline. Finally they fufpended two, and excommunicated five of the number. The cenfured conceived themfelves aggrieved and oppreffed, and after feeking redrefs in the usual manner from

the church, they applied to the neighbouring churches for affiftance. An ex parte council advifed to a mutual council, and till its decition could be obtained, recommended the aggrieved to the communion of the churches. After much altercation a mutual council was obtained, which re ommended terms of reconciliation between the church and the cenfured brethren. Thefe were complied with on the part of the aggrieved, but rejected by the church. Mr. W. was difmiffed by the church in prefence of the mutual council agreeably to ftipulation. The church foon invited him to re-fettle with them, and when he gave a negative to their call, they proceeded to the election of another paftor, and obtained a council to fanction his installation, contrary to the exprefs vote and remonftrance of the town. The aggrieved in the mean time invited a refpectable number of churches to form by their pastors and delegates in council for their advice. This council, conceiving the profpect of an union closed, eftablished the aggrieved and thofe difpofed to join with them into a church.

The narrative is published, as the act of this church, and is intended to vindicate their proceed ings. The ferious mind laments that paffion and prejudice fhould be blended with the facred concerns of religion; but every interefting controverfy gives evidence of this weakness of human nature. In the inftance before us, we fhall not dwell on tranfactions local in their nature and temporary in their effects, we review this cafe principally in its

connection with the general interefts of the chriftian church. In the progrefs of the difpute, we perceive on one fide, a jealousy for the fuppofed prerogative of the minifter, and for the power of the church; and a caution not to make conceffions, that would militate with their exercife; and on the other, an apprehenfion, that the rights of private judgment were invaded, and a fear, that measures propofed were intended in their operation to eftablish dominion over confcience. In the cenfure of thofe, deemed their brethren, the church feem to have been precipitate in their decifions, fevere in their fentences, and harfh in the manner of their execution, in a degree inconfiftent with the mild fpirit of the gofpel, and for which we cannot account under the agency of a man of acknowledged abilities, and whofe piety is not controverted, but on the fuppofition, that his mind was heated by oppofition, and under the influence of an intemperate zeal to fupport his fcheme of fpeculative doctrines and fyftem of church government. But we will proceed to principles.

The narrators implicate the Rev. Mr. W. in a difingenuous evafion of his own ftipulation with the people of Fitchburg in the propofed terms of a mutual council to sanction his difmiflion. They quote the authority of a diftinguifhed divine, and plead the practice of fome of our churches to fhew the rights of the congre gation in the choice and difmif fion of a minifter. The practice on this point is various in our country; but the agency of the congregation is every where confider

ed as neceffary to the validity of a contract between minifter and people. Where a minifter confents to fettle upon the exprefs condition, that, at the defire of the major part of his people, his civil and ecclefiaftical relation with them fhall be diffolved with advice of a mutual council, to avail himself of the ambiguity of the words of the ftipulation to render it in effect void, is highly reprehenfible. Making every jult allowance for the state of the town, it does appear that Mr. W., aided by the church under its new forms, infifted on terms in the nomination of the mutual council, which were inconfiftent with the principles of his itipulation, as thefe were understood by his people at the time of his fettlement.

An important principle in this controverfy is the right of excommunicants to the advice of council. The church of Fitchburg affumed the ground, that every church is competent to the final difcipline of its own members; and of courfe, that excommunicants have no remedy from neighbouring churches, but in the way of the third communion; and therefore the churches, which heard the complaints of thofe excommunicated from the church of Fitchburg, and their ex parte council, which pronounced them within the pale of their communion, till the refult of a mutual council be obtained, acted inconfiftently with the conftitution of Congregational churches.

The

narrators deny thefe pofitions; and endeavour to infer from the gofpel, the platform, common ufage, and reafon, that excommunicants, as well as all cenfured

this

members of a church, have a right to the advice and affistance of neighbouring churches. We think them correct in their pofi, tions, and conclufive in their reafonings. Admit that cenfured members poffefs this right in any. inftance, and it must be granted to them in all. A church under the influence of mifconception, prejudice or refentment unjuitly país the fentence of fufpention upon a member, and he has his remedy in the advice of council. Under the fame influence church inflicts the heavier cenfure of excommunication, and he has no remedy. Can this be reconciled with the rule of the golpel, or with natural juftice? All writers upon the conltitution of our churches difclaim the idea of independence, and hold to the affociation of our churches, fo far as refpects the advice and affiftance of councils in cafes of controverty and division. It ap pears, that in this cafe the age grieved obferved all the forms recommended by the platform, or fanctioned by the ecclefiaftical ufages of our country.

The refults of mutual councils are with us ultimate decifions in all ecclefiaftical proceedings. The whole fyftem of church difcipline and government appears to be fufpended on their fupport. The church of Fitchburg reject ed the refult of the mutual council, to which they fubmitted their doings. No remedy now remained for the aggrieved, but to feparate from thofe, who refused to hold fellowship and commu nion with them; and under the fanction of a council to form themfelves into a feparate church.

Some of the practices of the old church appear to be irregular and unprecedented. After they Had adopted the new forins, they retained the old covenant fo far as to difcipline the diffenting members under it. Had this church two covenants? or were the diffentients cenfured under the old covenant for their oppofition to the new, which the church acknowledged was not binding upon them? Into this abfurdity does controverfy fometimes lead a christian church. This church invited the Rev. Mr. Worcester to re-fettle with them in oppofition to the will of the town, often expreffed. They protested in town-meeting againft being taxed for the fupport of preaching, and prefented a certificate for their exemption; and at the same meet ing voted against raifing money for that purpose. They finally proceeded to the fettlement of a minifter against the protest of the incorporation.

Many of the obfervations in the narrative refer to a former pamphlet of Mr. W.'s church, and cannot be fully understood without its perufal. The authors in one place call in queftion the power of the chriftian church to excommunicate a member on any occafion, and fuppofe, that fufpenfion is the highelt cenfure it can inflict. We fee no foundation for this fuggeftion. Every affociated body must judge of the qualifi cation of its members, and poffefs the power to expel an unworthy brother. The chriftian church poffeffes this power under the control of a mutual council. Befides, a fufpenfion of privileges

Vol. I. No. 14. Llll

continued is virtually an excommunication.

A publication of this nature admits not the ornaments of compofition. The narration is throughout lucid and perfpicuous; the ftyle correct and chafte; and the spirit exhibited is that of ferioufnefs and candour.

The temper and views which actuated the church in the publication are thus expreffed.

We have carefully guarded against and was it neceffary, we could have giving to any facts a high colouring, fubftantiated our statement in all its particulars by additional and folema evidence. We have committed no intentional errour. So far as upon a ferious review we can difcover, we feel

ready to pledge outfelves for the fairnefs and authenticity of our reprefentations. We think none, who know our fituation, will accufe us of being actuated by a fpirit of refentment or revenge.

every fymptom of afperity, and to frame our narrative in the fpirit of meeknefs and of truth.

We have wifhed to avoid

We think the above declaraidence of the narrative. tion fupported by the internal ev

The Musical Magazine; leing the third part of the Art of Singing;' containing a variety of enthems and favourite pieces. A periodical publication. By Andrew Law. Fourth edition, with additions and improvements. Printed upon a new plan. Published according to act of Congress. No. I.

Bolton. Lincoln. 1804.

IN the third number of the prefent volume of the Monthly Anthology, we introduced to the