than to guard you against both the teacher and his evil-doing disciple, in the words of Paul to the Phillippians: "Beware of dogs, beware of evil-workers."

Although Mr. Jennings is the only one who has openly acknowledged his obligation to this Univeralist professor of theology, he is not the only cynical writer who defends his system. Perhaps you are acquainted with a certain moderator, who after a wholesome chastisement from the Rev. J. M. imitated Mr. Ballou, by snarling an insinuation against the intellectual soundness of his castigator. Excuse me for giving an extract from Mr. Kneeland's last letter to Dr. Ely in illustration of the same point. By way of administering a mild and charitable Universalist reproof to the doctor, for an insinuation which originated in Mr. Kneeland's own guilty suspicion, he tells him that he considers such insinuations far beneath the dignity of either the gentleman or the christian. It is more charitable," continues this temperate and polished character; "It is more charitable to impute such intemperate language, as that which has been used by Mr. M'Calla and his vindicator, to a disturbed imagination, or a disordered brain, than it is to say that it proceeds from a worse motive. To say that such language proceeds from a mind that is sound, is only to acknowledge, in other words, that it comes from a heart desperately wicked.'

The longer our correspondence continues, the clearer insight we obtain into the means by which Universalists defend their creed. They first charge their opponent with undoubtedly meaning some trifle which he never meant nor said. A solemn court of inquiry is then convened, composed of the wisest heads that can be found, on Mr. Kneeland's shoulders, and at Mr. Jennings's elbow. In such a court, the accused and his vindicator too, are immediately found guilty of ungentlemanly and unchristian conduct, proceeding from a heart desperately wicked. sweet charity begins to agitate their tender bosoms, and they set their heads and elbows closer together, to devise some pious fraud, some plan of mercy, whereby these desperately wicked, ungentlemanly and unchristian characters may be lovingly transmitted from the jail to the hospital. Like certain judges of oldwho handed over their orthodox victims to the secular arm, with earnest entreaties to spare their precious lives, these bland judges of ours, charitably wish that we could only be immured for life, and considered by the community as unfit for society! If this were the doom of Mr. J. M. and Dr. E. and all their vindicators, and the vindicators of truth, then each of their churches might be furnished with a Universalist pastor who is compos mentis; a qualification which is exceedingly important to the ministerial office, and which is to be found no where else than with Messrs. Ballou and Kneeland, Mr. Morse, Mr. Jennings, and his canine instructor.

G

These five accomplished specimens of sanity, charity, and Universalism, have not disappointed my expectations in any artifice which they have used to pollute my reputation. Before the commencement of the present controversy, my friends fairly warned me of the consequences, in the tenor of the old proverb, with which, no doubt, Mr. Jennings's experience coincides. "he that lies down with dogs must rise up with fleas." Yet, through grace, I am willing to bear all for the sake of that good cause, which, through the power of God, is moving forward, although, I may say with my Divine Redeemer, that dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. However great may be their numbers and their industry, and however cunning they wish to be in their unprincipled malignity, it is evident that their counsels, like those of Absalom, are left to judicial infatuation. What more visionary scheme could a Universalist himself invent, than that of Mr. Jennings, to make the world believe that without any human aid, he could record from the lips of rapid speakers, with orthographical and even orthoepical accuracy, long dissertations on Hebrew and Greek words, when he does not pretend to an acquaintance with even the alphabets of these languages? He has made critical annotations to my pretended speeches. These, like Mr. Kneeland's writings, are an affectation of great familiarity with Hebrew and Greek literature. Is this consistent with the fact, that he does not know the names nor the powers of the letters composing those words which he pretends to have written? Without this knowledge himself, and without the aid of any other human being, this Universalist wiseacre would have the world believe that he can unlock the treasures of lexicons, and concordances, and translations in the dead languages! He must surely think not only that the parties are insane, but that the whole community is run mad. Such a tale carries in itself its own refutation. The man who can invent and utter such a story must have an understanding as beclouded as his conscience is depraved.

Yet, strange as it may seem. Mr. Kneeland, in the present sinking state of his affairs, has caught at this straw, to keep him from going to the bottom. He has even made repeated assaults upon the character of my head and heart, because I will not join him and his short-hand aid-de-camp in this mutiny against common sense. What makes this Universalist conspiration against sanity and integrity the more absurd, is that Mr. Kneeland's participation in Mr. Jennings's celebrated minutes of the debate is proved by frequent newspaper publications of his own. While I proceed to show this, will you be so kind as to remember that your Mr. Jennings has said in the Franklin Gazette, of August 2, I therefore publickly acknowledge myself to be the sole publisher of the said debate, and as publicly disown being

engaged with either of the parties, directly or indirectly." Compare this with Mr. Kneeland's previous declaration, published July 21, that "the whole discussion has been taken down in short-hand by a stenographer employed for the purpose." Who it is that has employed this unengaged reporter must be learned from the Universalists, one of whom, not being aware of the cheat, declared to several persons, of whom I was one, that the vestry of his church, of whose integrity he appeared to have a high opinion, intended to appropriate the surplus proceeds of the work to some charitable purpose. This he said by way of recommending the book to our patronage. Knowing that Mr. Kneeland was the soul of that Vestry, and knowing that the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel,' the plan did not meet my approba

tion.

Whether Mr. Jennings is or is not " engaged with either of the parties, directly or indirectly," will appear farther from Mr, Kneeland's "caution to the public" against the catch-penny pamphlet, called the Substance of the debate. In this notice, published in the National Gazette. July 23d, he pledges his word that the public shall be furnished with "the real discussion in full. His words are the following: "A copy-right of the real discussion has been secured, and will soon be published in full." In this instance he makes no allusion to Mr. Jennings, and in the former he does not mention his name, but only speaks of him as "a stenographer employed for the purpose." In both cases he makes the promise on his own responsibility: Why could he not make the same engagements with regard to the pamphlet which he had just condemned as a catch-penny? Evidently because he had nothing to do with that work; whereas Mr. Jennings's catch-penny was subject to his control. This is the only reason which a reasonable man can give for promising, on his own responsibility, that it shall be the real discussion in full.

In Mr. Jennings's article of August 7, he says: "I am the reporter of neither Mr. Kneeland nor Mr. M'Calla." Compare this with Mr. Kneeland's letter of August 2. The following are his words: "As to the new matter to which I had not an opportunity to reply [Ps. 9: 5] since it makes nothing in your favor, nor against any of my arguments, a bare note in a very few lines will be all the reply I shall need." Although in the debate Mr. Kneeland refused me the liberty of finishing my argument, he gave me the last speech. He voluntarily resigned the privilege of replying then, and has ever since refused to open the discussion anew. Notwithstanding this, he has no doubt of an opportunity to reply now, and thus virtually have the last speech in Mr. Jennings's disinterested and impartial report !

As Mr. Kneeland had informed the public that a person was "employed for the purpose," it was expected that he would one

day or other condescend to let us know his name. Accordingly, in a notice of August 6th, he tells us that these minutes were

taken in short-hand by R. L. Jennings." Although this notice announced the work as now in press, and described its character, and detailed its terms of sale and place of deposit, it was not still Mr. Jennings's notice but Mr. Kneeland's. The former is not yet known as an independent editor, but the latter of this promising pair, who had first told us that a stenographer was employed, then promised to give us the real discussion in full," now comes forward over the head of Mr. Jennings, and informs us of his terms of supplying purchasers, subscribers and agents; and closes by telling the public that the "book may be had at the Rev. Mr. Kneeland's, or at the bookstores generally in the city.

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It is evident that the first plan adopted by these partners in iniquity was for Mr. Jennings to keep himself out of view, and to pass off their spurious minutes as an authentic report, approved by the moderators, but particularly authorized by both the parties; knowing," as Mr. Jennings says, "that with their approbation the work would be better received by the public." For this purpose a general rumor was industriously propagated, that Mr. Kneeland and myself acted in concert. means of an Universalist who really thought the story true, a near relative of my own was impressed with a belief of its correctness, until I undeceived him. As Mr. Kneland had already in his own opinion, gained one object by writing for both parties, without my consent, he tried what could be done by the same method in carrying this point also. For this purpose, when he published in the National Gazette his caution against the rival catch- -penny, and promised to the public his own catch-penny, which he nicknamed "the real discussion," he added the following note: viz. "Printers who have advertised the above work will do an act of justice to the parties by inserting the above." The effect which Mr. Kneeland knew this would produce, and which it did produce very decidedly and extensively, was considerably increased and confirmed by my being precluded from the privilege of exposing the imposition in the same paper.

Although this artifice caught many a penny from persons who have since declared themselves grossly deceived, Mr. Kneeland found that it would finally fail. As the public must soon be convinced that the report was disavowed and condemned by me, he was determined to wash his hands of it, lest it should be treated as a Universalist book. The plan must be altered. The responsibility must now be devolved upon some impartial perUnder this character it is that Mr. Jennings makes his entre before the public as the sole editor of the work. A report is circulated that he is a Baptist; of course my friends must

son.

buy his book. In the commencement of this new campaign, he blusters in the papers about not being able to find me in the city; insinuating that I retreat to the country for fear of meeting him. At last, after riding twelve miles for his accommodation, I obtained an interview with this new acquaintance, and asked him to what religious denomination he belonged. He at first insinuates that he is a Baptist. Upon a cross examination, he is obliged to confess himself a Universalist. As this occurred in the presence of witnesses, he considered farther dissimulation in this particular of no use, and therefore turned out Universalist preacher immediately after. Although this was done under the patronage of Mr. Kneeland, who had, with his implicit approbation, promised and proposed the report on his own responsibility, and represented Mr. Jennings as "employed for the purpose, "the latter now declares himself the sole publisher of the said debate,” "the reporter of neither Mr. Kneeland nor Mr. M'Calla," and is daring enough to disown being engaged with either of the parties, directly or indirectly.”

Being thus embarked in a vessel which Mr. Kneeland had abandoned, the disciple hoists the same false colors under which the master had sailed. Notwithstanding my frequent public condemnations of his report, he persists, number after number, in an attempt to persuade the community that I have not found one fault in it, and of course that it appears to me correct. Take his postscript on the cover of the fourth number as a specimen : viz. This fourth number is respectfully presented to the public; not with increased confidence of its correctness, but with increased satisfaction that the former numbers have been received with such general approbation, not one error having been pointed out, according to the above request, in any one of the three first numbers." The fifth number would, doubtless, have been adorned with a similar postscript, if Mr. Jennings had not known that it contained an invented address of one of the moderators; which goes clearly to prove that this man is essentially deficient either in skill or integrity as a reporter. divine permission this shall be more fully proved in a short time. While Mr. Kneeland was the ostensible editor, he advertised without hesitation that "the books may be had at the Rev. Mr. Kneeland's." Since he has become ashamed of his authorship, it is necessary to cloak his activity in selling the work. For this purpose Mr. Jennings, in his article of the 11th ultimo, tells us that the books were sold at Mr. Kneeland's house merely because it was a more central situation than his own, and that his brother, a lad, stayed there during the day, as a salesman! A very important point this, when the author had already told us that the bookstores generally were engaged in the sale. But if every bookseller were in Mr. Kneeland's situation, which how

With