in will-worship, will end too; and christians will then worship God in "Spirit and in truth" as the Father would have it. Christians will then receive their religion from God, and not by the doctrines and commandments of men, which now so much bespeak a God of confusion, or exhibits religion, as diversified in parts as Nebuchadnezzar's image I do not doubt, but, if I had been willing to preach myself, as did others, these brethren would have been willing to be baptised, and no doubt, they would have been willing to have received baptism in any way or mode that it might have been taught, and what would they have been the better for it? Answer, nothing at all. When it was urged that I had ought to have preached baptism to the people, I alleged, that the reason why I had not, was, that I had never as yet felt it my duty, or mission, to preach any such sermons to the people, for religion. I expressed, that if others had such commandments to teach, they might do it. I also urged the impropriety of preaching as they had always done, and at the same time refuse to receive all who did not concede to their particular faith in baptism.

Firstly, they had taught that there was but one church, and that the children of God were one, and that they were in that one church by regeneration-that Christ was the door, into the church, and not water baptism. I contended, that if there was but one church,.

and if, that all were in that church by regeneration, then there was an impropriety in not receiving such into fellowship, as had passed from death "unto life" by regeneration. I urged that there was an impropriety in rejecting christians from christian-privileges, in society, merely because they could not see a duty in their particular mode of baptism if they did not consider baptism as a door into the church. They then plead charity, in that they would commune with all christians who did not belong to their particular order, though they had not as yet received baptism of water, in any way. I then urged the impropriety of communing with such as they could not receive, and walk with, in society; and as they did not consider them in their church, to commune with such as were not in the church, was nothing less than to carry the holy sacrament out of the church. I also urged, that to keep back, and not receive a brother, or sister, on account of a particular mode of baptism, was no less then to make baptism the door of the church-a thing contrary to that, which they had ever before pretended. This syllogism was so interwoven with their own doctrine, that they knew of no way to avoid it; and what seemed to grieve them most was, as they made baptism the door into the church, they must now receive the name of it. A considerable time was spent in debate, when it was thought best to refer the matter to the next quarterly conference,

when the thing was again reconsidered; but when there had been much debate, and when I had received much censure because I would not preach water-baptism, it was thought best again to carry it to the next quarterly conference; but as I felt perfectly clear on my part, I did not attend; but as I was informed, it was decided, that no member should, by any means, nor for any consideration, be received into church fellowship, without baptism, and that only by immersion.

Notwithstanding I discovered that I had been deceived, and found that the church was on very different grounds from that which I had entertained of it, when I first joined society, I had not as yet entertained the most distant idea that I ever should leave the connexion. I had formed an acquaintance with many brethren and friends in the connexion, who were too near to my affection to think of leaving them. I had now been attached to society sometime, and had passed through many trials on account of the division among christians, and had passed through a thousand doubts and fears for myself and others; but in all my trials I had not as yet ventured to mention my belief on baptism and sacrament, only that I did not believe, that they ought to be made of such account among christians as to divide them one from the other. I did not venture to say that the ordinances, so called, were without any real scripture foundation. As to my other trials, I

had none to consult but God. I felt sensible of the fall of Zion, and deeply sensible that a great work was necessary to prepare my heart for the Lord. My chief comfort resulted from a real belief that the hand of the Lord was upon me. I felt a daily labor in my soul for the truth; and the leadings of my mind I was led to conclude could not originate from tradition; for my leadings were contrary to any thing that I had ever seen, and contrary to any thing that I had ever been taught of men. In all my leadings I found a cross and nothing pleasing to the flesh. Sometimes I felt to complain that my way was so singular-sometimes my mind was filled with a sense that my unbelief was the means that kept me so far from God, or from attaining to that place of nearness with God, which I by faith, discovered to be the christian's privilege. When I thought of the fulness there was in God, and the willingness there was in him that I should be freed from all sin, so long as I found a propensity within my heart to love the world, or the things of the world, I felt sensibly grieved; and (strange to tell) sometimes I felt all but offended with my own heart for its hardness and unbelief. Sometimes I could say in contrition of soul like David, "O God be not far from me, O my God make haste for my help," Who is there that will shew me any good? "Whom wait I for, my hope is in thee, my soul trust in God, the living God."-My inward teachings taught

I

me to believe that true christianity was something more than what I discovered in professors in general; neither did I see that it could be possible for men to attain to a nearness with God, who did not believe in the leadings of the Spirit of God. In all my inquiry after truth, I have never been able to find but few professors of christianity who were willing to own the Spirit of God to be a sufficient guide into all truth. And so it is that nine tenths of those who profess to be leaders among the people, warn them against being led by the Holy Spirit-substituting their own creeds as indispensably necessary to complete the rule of life; thus because of their own distrust in God, they by they own strength and wisdom like Uzzah, they seek to steady, and to save the Ark of God to their own destruction. Whenever I turned my attention to notice the lives and deportment of professors, I was sensible of too great a lack of christian-gravity and sincerity, they were not sound in speech, nor did they speak the things which became sound doctrine. They were not sound in faith-in charity and in patience they were not sober, grave and temperate. I was often struck with the deportment of my brethren, who professed to stand as leaders to the people. I often found them in light and trifling conversation, both before and after preaching, and when in company with each other, and none present but preachers, they many times seem to for