ANALECTIC MISCELLANY. 66 Mr. Asbury observes in his Journal, page will persecute others, and blacken up their 230, "Is it strange to see a Priest conducting characters, in order to destroy their reputation, a persecution against the people of God? and so break down their influence; and thus When did a persecution take place, in which under the pretext of zeal to keep their own tomen of that character had no hand? But al-gether, they fill them with prejudice against though Satan may be permitted to transform others; which prejudice serves as a "bulhimself into an Angel of Light" for a sea- wark" and a barrier, to prevent any inundason; yet he will not always have his own way tion-in doing which, many have shut out the in this matter"—which remarks are worthy of "true light," and thereby blindfolded themobservation. For when those who have been selves, and so prevented a reformation, and persecuted, become in power themselves, they consequently led to utter ruin! frequently persecute others who differ from them, out of a mistaken blind zeal-but not according to knowledge, nor the spirit of the gospel-and so injure the cause of religion. Yet God's hand may superintend and over-rule it for the circumfusion of his kingdom on earth-which many cases might be cited to exemplify. The mode of forming "articles of faith" had its origin less than three hundred years ago; and involves the idea, that man is only born to believe, without any reason why or wherefore. Thus he, like a blockhead, must be a stoic or as a machine which is but a cypher in the actions of life" Passive obedience and non-resistance"-and not pretend to call any thing in question which others pretend to preach, but receive the whole for truth: like young birds, eat every thing put into the Truth and innocency are the handmaids of the Lord; and without these, there can be no righteousness acceptable in the sight of God, who looketh at the heart and judgeth accord-mouth-hit or miss-right or wrong amen to ing to intentions! it! down with it for the most sacred and divine truth-and to doubt and call it in question, is a crime of blasphemy!!! But GOD saith, "Come and let us REASON TOGETHER"-WORSHIP-and SING with the SPIRIT and with the UNDERSTANDING also! The Spirit of Truth gathereth, but the spirit of the wicked one scattereth! "Where two or three are met together in the name of Jesus, he is with and present to bless them with his presence"-" and those who feared his name, spake often one to another." The Lord hearkened and heard it, and they shall be mine in the day that I make up my jewels, is the Lord's encouragement to his followers! It is not a self-evident truth, that bigotry is not and cannot be the pure and holy religion of Jesus; whose benign influence writes the spirit of love on the hearts of all his followers? To make proselytes to a party is one thing, but to make a Christian, disciplined by Jesus, may be another. To promote a party by prejudice and bigotry, filled with a spirit of bitterness and enmity, is not promoting the cause of God, nor truth, nor virtue; but must be considered, by every candid, well-informed mind, to be the fruits of the serpent, and the spirit of moral evil-to answer the carnal mind!-For little minds, when filled with darkness, are only capable of little things! But let all the dis- In the early days of my itinerancy, such ciples of the Lord, who love the cause of Jesus, was my regard for, and confidence in the Methreceive truth in its simplicity; and acknowl-odist connexion, that I was willing to pass edge virtue and religion, wherever the grace of God may cause it to be seen and shine forth. Why? Because truth is truth-Good is good!! and bad is bad!! find them where you will, the world over! But alas! alas! there are too many who through any inconvenience, to keep in their good graces-and also sacrifice all I could to merit their esteem; in order to have access to the people through their medium, and thereby extend my usefulness to mankind! Hence among the many hundred dollars offered me, which I declined to accept, were many instances to avoid the very appearance of hurting the preacher's salaries, &c., though without a cent in my pocket. The profits of my books, published before I went to Europe, 1805, were applied to meeting houses and other charitable purposes; and however judged by others, it was well meant by me then, though when I sailed for a strange | land, I had but about ten dollars to calculate upon! But those things which were meant well by me, were, through jealousy and prejudice construed differently by others. The terms Bishop and Elder, in scripture, are the same grade, and mean the same thing as Presbyter.-There were both travelling and local Elders in the time of the Apostles. Peter was an Elder only-not an " Arch-Bishop." 1. Pet. v. i. DEACONS were an order of men to attend to the money matters of the Church; chosen, not by the Apostles, but by the PEOPLE, to fill that office. Acts vi. Whoever looks over the Political mode of government among the Roman Emperors, and compares the Pontificate mode Ecclesiastically, will perceive the great resemblance between them; as if the latter was deduced from, and built upon the former.-And moreover, it does not require the wisdom of a Solomon, nor to split a hair, to perceive that "MONARCHY," POPERY," "SLAVERY," and "EPISCOPACY" are all bottomed on the same "PRINCIPLE," in their several degrees; though their MODE may be different. แ The term "Elders" existed in the early ages of the world; probably referring to elderly or old, experienced, or wise men-hence in the days of the Patriarchish government, we read of the "Elders of their city"-the "Elders of Israel," &c., like the Sages of the East; and the reference of the young to the old men among the Natives of America. There was free debate in the Church at Jerusalem, in questions of importance where all were concerned. The affairs of the Church were done on the “LORD'S day, or the first day of the week, on which He rose." 1. Cor. xvi. 2. Acts xx. 7. Whoever attends to the Passover and the Sacrament, will perceive that they were attended to in a SOCIAL FAMILY WAY at evening. The Priests in order to gain the ascendancy over mankind, as a superior order of beingshave assumed the prerogative of giving it to some, and denying it to others; as if they would say, "stand off, I am more holy than thou!" and had a right to anathematize whom they pleased-with "bell book and candle light." It is not three hundred years, since they would allow the Lay-folks to drink the Wine at all; but the Priest would drink it for them, and so impute it to them, &c. Most of the Clergy Dissenters, so called, have adopted the mode of distributing it; But Jesus said, “take divide it among yourselves." And in the Church at Corinth, it appears that only this mode did exist, but they abused it-which gave rise to such a mode of expression in Paul's reproof.-Compare Luke xxii. 17. John xiii, 23, 28, with Exodus xii. and 1 Cor. xi. Hence I infer, if several persons are together in the evening, who have love, confidence, and fellowship with each other, and the bread and wine be set, and each partakes as he feels freedom-he voluntarily shows forth his faith in the Death of the Lord Jesus, &c., and who can deny but what it is as acceptable in the sight of God as any way it can be done? Who in tender conscience can say or prove it to be wrong? This mode would tend to do away bigotry, and create a spirit of Love and forbearance among the followers of Jesus of the different Denominations-for bigotry is not religion! PARAPHRASE ON GENESIS xlix. 10. BY LOZENZO DOW. "THE SCEPTRE SHALL NOT DEPART FROM from one branch of the family to another; BE!" MANY are the opinions concerning the text; and some have taken ground that is untenable. Hence one may be permitted to say with Elihu, I will also show mine opinion. First, then, What is a sceptre? By reading Esther's approach to the Monarch, and viewing the kingly monuments of the Old World ;| a man on the horse in statue, with a significant roll in his hand, perhaps made of copper; about eighteen inches long and two or three inches diameter; denoting a sway of POWER in the superlative degree. Hence the propriety of the expression, “holding the sceptre." This supreme power may be lodged in the hands of one, few, or many; as is now exemplified among the nations. America has come nearer the standard of equal Rights and universal Suffrage, in their mode of economy; and also in limiting and apportioning the division of power, than any other people hitherto known! and Jacob; the former selling his "birthright" to the latter. Also by right of succession, Reuben must have followed Jacob in point of order! but for his incestuous behaviour, the order was transferred to Joseph, though Judah prevailed. Compare 1 Chron. v. 1, 2. Gen. xlix. 3, 4.-Numbers ii. 3, 4, and 10, 14. Have we any evidence that Judah had a sceptre in a Judicial and Executive point of view, in his person or tribe? Answer he had: First in his person, in the case of his daughter-in-law, who was accused of infidelity-by virtue of his executive and judicial authority, commanding her to be brought, that she might be burnt. But her innocence appearing, she was acquitted. Thus he possessed a sceptre in his person. And Jacob, in truth and with propriety, could say, prophetically, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah." We have but a small account of the economy or state of the Hebrews after Jacob uttered this prophecy, for about one hundred and ninety-seven years, when they came out of Jehovah himself, was the "Law-Giver" of Egypt. the ancient Patriarchs; and held the "Legisla- ! Here permit me to observe, that as language tive" prerogative according to the Hebrew is not an innate principle of nature; as it ineconomy. But the "Executive" and "Judicial" authority was lodged with men. The laws of adultery and murder are nearly the same among most nations in a state of society-from the solitary ages of the world; and both may be considered to have had one origin. The Judicial and Executive authority lodged in the hand of a Patriarch was transmitted hereditary from the Father to the eldest son, in point of right by order and succession. But, nevertheless, in that, there was exceptions to this rule in certain cases; so that the prerogative was transferred in certain cases volves ideas which are received by or through our outer senses, or communicated by inspiration to the inward feeling of the mind, or else by the moral perception are digested and arranged in a judicious way; and the communication of those ideas, through or by speech, requires and involves the art of man. The first man was an adult as he emanated from his Maker's hand. And as there was a Law given him, fitted to his capacity; which circumstances involves the idea of language; and follows as a consequence that the Maker of man learnt man to talk! The Work of Creation is not a subject of knowledge, but an object of faith. But to deny the doctrine of miracles, is to deny the work of creation; if nature came not by nature, but by an act of Divine Power. And to deny the work of creation, is to deny the Creator; seeing it must be the act which constitutes the character! And hence atheism must be the order of the day. But those who are not theoretically atheists, if they are practically such, must admit the idea of a God, and infer nature from Him! And that the first man should not be too great a mystery to himself, but feel the force of his dependence and obligation to his Creator and Governor, it may be admitted with propriety that God communicated to man what had happened each of the five preceding days. And this once being communicated, he in turn might communicate to another; and so hand it down by tradition, as his history of the flood is, among all the heathen nations! What is obvious to sense, is a subject of knowledge. And what a man knows, he is able to give a rational account of. And what Adam passed through subsequent, must have been experimental. Of course he would be able to give an account of that, in relation to his history of the fall, &c. This being admitted, how easy could the tradition have been handed down to the time of Moses, when letters appeared to furnish a record. According to the Mosaic account, Adam lived 930 years, and Methuselah 969, (1899.) and died the year before the flood; which happened 1656 from the Creation; and would follow as a consequence, that Adam and Methuselah must have been cotemporary about 243 years. Shem was cotemporary with Methuselah 98 years, and with Abraham 150 years, and with Isaac 50. Thus there was but two intermediate persons necessary to connect the chain of tradition from Adam to Isaac, a period of more than 2000 years. Levi was the great grandfather of Moses; and cotemporary with his own grandfather, Isaac, a number of years. As a confirmation of the tradition of the Work of Creation being not merely ideal and fabulous, but as a truth founded on fact, God himself proclaimed from the top of Mount Sinai, in the hearing of 600,000 men, besides their women and children, so as to put it beyond all doubt that it was no imposition on the mind, but must have been Jehovah himself, as the author. And then delivered two tables of stone, containing the proclamation of the ten commands, embracing a short account of the work of creation, and corroborates the same. Thus we are indebted to God for the origin of letters, as well as for the origin of language. Man being formed the last, and probably toward or at the close of the day-in the order of his time, he would begin his reckoning on the "Sabbath," which would be the first day of his week; and counting over six days more would bring to another Sabbath, and the beginning of another week-hence the origin of the first day of the week being considered and regarded as the Sabbath by the heathen. But the day and time, for the beginning of the week and of the year, was altered and changed, when the Hebrews came out of Egypt; and would corroborate with the old theory. When the Hebrews were on their journey from Egypt to Canaan, the tribe of Judah led on the van; according to the regulation and order of the cantonment; and also was the most numerous and powerful of the whole. Man to teach man; as means in the hand of God. When Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to view the burthen which devolved on Moses, arising from the disputes among the people, he recommended minor judges over tens, fifties, and hundreds, &c., which economy was judiciously adopted; Exod. xviii. 13 to 34, &c.-Numb. xi. 16. Deut. 13, 14. But still the burthen being too great for Moses to bear, he besought God to kill him outright, or give him auxiliary help. The Lord then directed seventy elders to be elected; and the Lord said to Moses, “I will take of the spirit which is in thee, and lay it upon them"-which when done, they prophesied; sixty-eight together, but two remained in the camp. And Joshua, being zealous for the honor of Moses, and a stickler for good order, ran to Moses requesting him to rebuke them! But he replied, as every good man should do, Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets. Those seventy Elders, of which Moses was the President, constituted the Sanhedrim, or Grand Council, or the Highest Court among the Jews; and from whose judgment there I was no appeal, when issued from their tribu nal. This was the order and economy of God in the Hebrew policy; and of which order, there' is no evidence of this being abrogated, or made null and void, until after Jesus Christ came || upon the earth. This Council acted the Executive and Judicial part in the government and economy of the Hebrews, according to that law given to! them by their Law-Giver, who was not to depart from them until "Shiloh" come; and unto him should the gathering of the people be. Some people have confined the sceptre, in the text, to the house and lineage of David in that monarchial power but the statement is founded in absurdity, and proves too much. First. The monarchy of the Hebrews was | account to three Presidents, of whom Daniel not of divine origin, but originated in the will was chief; which shows the high estimation of man; which may plainly be seen by the in which he stood, and also the authority Lord's remonstrance by the prophet Samuel. with which he was delegated to act; which Secondly. The sceptre of David's line de- continued until the time of Cyrus; when the parted when Zedekiah was carried to Baby-edict was issued for volunteers to return to Jelon; for he was the last. rusalem to rebuild the Temple. Thirdly. If the Messiah was to come before the Babylonish captivity, no one can tell who, or where, or when he was. And Fourthly. If he came then; it would follow, as a consequence, that all who came afterward, must be deemed as impostors; and would involve Jesus Christ in the number. And lastly. It would thereby null our Christ and his religion; and moreover give the Jew completely the advantage in argument. And hence it is plain that the ground must be considered as altogether untenable, and improper for defence. Joshua was the successor of Moses, and became President of the Council. And thus the scenes in the time of the "Judges." After the ten tribes separated, they were called Israel, and established the worship of golden calves, in imitation of the ox god of Egypt. And by this act, of necessity, they expelled the Jewish policy, and neglect the government of the Sanhedrim, which of course must be confined to the tribe of Judah, from which the sceptre should not depart until Shiloh come! About the time that monarchy was desired and set up in the will of man, a bickering of their politics gendered the epithets, and was the beginning of that distinction, "Israel" and "Judah;" which, after the third monarchy, ended in becoming two nations; and may be charateristic of those times in which we live; when we hear the distinction of political parties-F. and D. Though the Apocrypha is not considered canonical, yet it may be admitted as good historical evidence. The case of the Judges, in the story of Susannah, shows the Judiciary and Executive policy to have existed, and been kept up among the Jews, according to their laws, even in the time of the captivity. Daniel was taken captive in the first year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzer; and in the second year was promoted to become Prime Minister at least in the province of Babylon, as chief governor and ruler. And his three companions were promoted into office likewise. And Daniel continued, not only the reign of the twenty-nine or thirty years of that monarch, but also beyond the time of his successor, Evil-merodach, king of Babylon, and Belshazzar likewise; yea, when the city was taken by Darius, and an hundred and twenty princes were appointed over an hundred and twenty provinces, who were to give Moreover, it must be plain from the testimony of Haman, in the book of Esther, that they did adhere to their own laws; the complaint that he entered about their difference and conduct, exemplifies it beyond dispute. And furthermore, when Mordecai became Prime Minister to the Persian empire, which extended from the Ganges to Abyssinia; and from the eastern ocean to the Mediteranean Sea, over an hundred and twenty-seven provinces, with such extensive power; it must be plain, as he was a Jew, that his people must of consequence enjoy their laws and rules. When the emigrants went up to Jerusalem to build the House of GOD-they had authority to levy fines, inflict stripes, confiscate property, and also to execute death and banishment. Thus the Executive and Judicial authority was in vogue. And Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, (Matt. 1. 12. Ezra ii. 2, and iii. 2, 8,) was President. And if we examine the Grecian history, it will appear, that when Alexander the Great was determined to extirpate them, that he was not only thwarted by a change wrought in his mind, arising from the appearance of the High Priest in his Pontificate dress; but also, he established them in peculiar privileges. And when Antiochus would have overthrown their mode of worship by his persecution, he was never able fully to carry the same into effect; but was frustrated by the Maccabees; who so far maintained independence, socially, that their Laws were predominant in the land until the time of the Roman power by Pompey; who indulged them in their privileges and opinions, never intruding upon their ecclesiastical affairs. And when the Wise men came from the East, inquiring Where is he that is born King of the Jews? we find Herod alarmed: who demanded of the Sanhedrim, or the Gran | Coun cil, where it was written or foretold he should be born? Who, on examination, replied accordingly-Bethlehem of Judea. Thus we find the sceptre had not departed from Judah until Shiloh come. We read concerning the captain of the Temple, in various places-of their imprisoning the Apostles. And Pilate said, "YE have a GUARD." After setting "watch to keep the prison with all safety;" arraigning Stephen and the Apostles; took counsel to put them to death. And Stephen was executed according |