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lieve it, so we ought not to hate the Gospel because the English love it. He then began to tell me of the wish of his holiness, the Rev. Patriarch, that I should come out to him, and of his great love to me; and said that he (the Patriarch) had heard, that I had received thirty or forty purses of money from the English; and he assured me of their readiness not to suffer this to be any hindrance to my coming out from them. Now if my object were money, as some seemed to think, I had then a fair opportunity to tell him a falsehood, and say, "I indeed received from the English that sum, but I have expended so and so, and cannot leave them unless I restore the whole." In this way I might have contrived to take what I wished. Yet I did not so answer him, but declared to him the truth, how much wages I had received, and which was nothing extraordinary.

He then gave me a paper from his holiness the Patriarch, in which he says, "You will have received from us an answer, requesting that when we come to Alma, you will come up and see us. We expect your presence, and, if God please, we will provide you some proper situation, with an income that shall be sufficient for your sustenance. Delay not your coming, lest the present happy opportunity should pass by.' Knowing, as I did, that many people supposed my object, in continuing with the English, to be gain, I did not delay fulfilling the request of his reverence, hoping to remove this suspicion, and to enjoy an opportunity of speaking the truth without being hired to do it.

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So, about the 7th of January, I left Beyroot, with Hoory Nicolas, and arrived at Der Alma the same night. His holiness, the Patriarch, was not there. On the next day, when he came, I met him, and saluted him in the road. In the evening he called me into his chamber, and began to ask me questions, that he might discover what I was; and I answered him telling him the whole truth, although this course was opposed to my personal convenience. At this he seemed surprised, for he must have perceived, that it was contrary to what he had been accustomed to see in me. Afterwards, when I declared to him, that I never had before been a believer, according to the true living faith, he was probably still more astonished. He then asked me if I believed as the Romish Church believed. I again told him the truth, that I did not. He asked then what was my faith, and I answered to the following purport, "True and living faith must be divine, connected with hope, love and repentance, and

VOL. XXIII.

that all these virtues are the gift of God, &c.; that I believed the truth as God had inspired it; and that it would be but a lie, if I should say that I believed as the Romish Church does, while in fact I do not. I must have proofs."

After some conversation like this, he told me that this doctrine of mine was heretical, and that as long as I remained in this state of opinion, he would suffer no one to have intercourse with me in buying and selling, &c. This prohibition of his brought to my mind the words in the Revelation, xiii. 17.* Then he gave me to understand, that if, after three days, I did not get back out of this state, I must no more enter the church. At other times, he wished me to swear by the eucharist and by the Gospel, that my faith was like the faith of the Roman Catholic church. He asked me if I was a Bible man; I replied, "I do follow the opinions of the Bible men ; but if you think me a Bible man on account of the opinions I have advanced, very well."

The sum of what I said was, that without evidence I could not believe what the Romish church believes. From that time, after three days, I did not enter the church for a space. Some time passed again, and the Patriarch inquired of me my faith. I then explained to him what I believed respecting the unity and trinity of God, and that the Messiah was one person with two natures, and that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son. Then arose a disputation about, who is the Vicar that Christ has appointed to explain his law. I answered in substance as I afterwards did in writing, that by reason, and learning, and prayer to God, with purity of motive, we may know, from the holy Scriptures, every thing necessary to our salvation. This was the purport of my reply, which perhaps was not expressed with sufficient clearness, or perhaps I was not able to say it in the manner that was appropriate, for such a tumult and storm were excited in the company, that they seemed to me to be intent on overcoming me by dint of vociferation, rather than by argument, and to drown my voice, rather than to understand my opinions.

When, after some days, came Bishop Abdalla Blabul and Padre Bernardus of Gzir, the Patriarch one day called me to them in his chamber, and asked me what I wished, whether money or office,

"He causeth all-to receive a mark," &c." and no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark or the name of the beast." The Patriarch was also clothed in scarlet, like the woman on the scarlet colored beast.

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or whatever it might be, promising to gratify me, speaking of his love to me and of his great interest in my welfare. These professions I know to be sincere, but they are according to the world, and not according to the Gospel. I assured him that I wanted nothing of the things he had mentioned; that I was submissive and obedient to him; and that if he thought of me, that I had taken money of the English, he was welcome to shut me up in my chamber as in a prison, and take from me every thing that I possessed; that I wished from them merely my necessary food and clothing, and that I would give them this assurance in writing. The bishop and priest then begged me, in presence of the Patriarch, to say that my faith was like that of the Romish church. I replied, that I feared to tell a falsehood by saying a thing, while actually, in my reason, I did not believe it.

“But," said they, "the Patriarch here will absolve you from the sin of the falsehood." I turned to the Patriarch and put the question whether he would so absolve me. He answered, that he would. I said, "What the law of nature itself condemns, it is out of the power of any man to make lawful." He then again asked me what I wished to do. I said, I wish to go and see the Armenian Patriarch Gregory, and inquire of him what I ought to do. He consented, and requested me, when I had done this, to return to him, to which I agreed. I was accompanied by a priest from the station of the Patriarch to the College of Ain Warka, where I found Hoory Joseph Shaheen, with whom I conversed a considerable time, and with great pleasure; for I found that for himself, he did not believe that the Pope was infallible in matters of faith, that is to say, unless in concert with the congregated church. I then began to confess to him: but when I saw that he held steadfastly some opinions for no other reason than that the church so believed, and that without bringing any proper evidence of the fact, viz. from councils or from the fathers, and burst out upon me with exceeding bitter words, saying, "Know that the church neither deceives, nor is deceived, and be quiet;" and when I wished him to instruct me according to the word of God, with the simple object of glorifying God and fulfilling his will, I saw that he was not disposed to support any opinion because it was according to the word of God, but because so thought the church; and I saw him also ready to retain these opinions, although I should bring the strongest evidences agamst them from the holy

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Scriptures. He told me that it was impossible for him to teach any thing contrary to the council of Trent. So I found I could not receive his system, because, though you should shew him that it was wrong, he would not give it up, lest with it he should be obliged to give up his office. I therefore told him, you are bound, i. e. shut up as between walls, by the doctrines of the Pope and the council of Trent.

In conversation on the images, he would have proved their propriety from Baronius' church history. We found this author quoting the sacred Scriptures to prove that our Saviour sent a picture of himself to the king of Abgar.

declared that it was false, in so far as he stated that the Gospel made any such statement, and on that account I could not believe the story. To this he gave me no answer. After this, as we were reading this book, and found a statement respecting the bishops collected in Constantinople, to the number of 313; that they decreed the abolition of the use of images, because it was idolatrous, and that in the clearest terms, I asked him the question, an assembly composed of the bishops of the church were infallible, how is it that this council is said to have committed an error?"

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About this time, I heard that a certain individual wished to converse with me on the subject of religion, which rejoiced me exceedingly, and I was impatient for an interview. He came on a Sabbath day to Ain Warka, for the study of Arabic grammar, according to his custom, and we had a short conversation together on works unlawful on the Sabbath day, and other subjects. He then excused himself from further conversation for want of time; but promised that when we should meet again, he hoped to have a sufficient opportunity to dwell on these subjects at large. I continued at Ain Warka the whole weck, reading with the rest at prayers and confessing to Hoory Joseph abovementioned; and on the next Lord's day, the Armenian priest aforesaid came again, and I fully expected to have time and opportunity to ascertain his opinions; but I was disappointed again; for he wished to have the dispute carried on in writing, and to have an assistant with him, with other conditions.

In these circumstances I failed of my object; but was on the whole more inclined than before to receive the doctrines of the Romish church; since the priest had promised to bring his evidence, on all points, from the word of

God, that they (the Papists) were walking in light and not in darkness.

At this time one informed me that his holiness, bishop Jacob, superior of the convent of Bzumar, wished to see me. And because Hoory Joseph, at first told me that this state in which I had fallen was a temptation of Satan, and at one time shewed me that it was usual for people, when they came to the age of manhood, to be tempted on the subject of their religion, and at another, assured me, that this was a state of delirium:-and again, because I had heard formerly that this bishop Jacob had himself been delirious, and that he was a man of information, I wished very much to see him; and on the same day I went to Hoory Joseph and declared to him plainly my opinions, and shewed him that the beast mentioned in the Revelation was a figure, as the lamb evidently was, and how dreadful must be the torments of those who worship the image of the beast. I then disclosed to him my intention of going up to the convent of Bzumar, where were the Patriarch Gregory, bishop Jacob, and the Armenian priest already mentioned. I set off the same day, and on my arrival saluted the Patriarch, and on the same night reasoned on the subjects of faith, hope, and love. It appeared that the Patriarch's opinion was, that a man may be possessed of living faith, faith unto salvation, although he should feel nothing in his heart. I answered him with a quotation from St. Paul, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." But this did not convince him. He explained the heart to mean the will. It then appeared to me that he was not a true believer, and from that time forward I could not believe him, as I would believe a real Christian, but I wished to hear his worldly arguments. On the following day, I asked him how it can be said, that the Pope was infallible if there were no proofs of the fact to be brought. I asked him if this pretension of the Pope was that of an apostle, or a prophet? if an apostle, or a prophet, he could not be believed without miracles, and that we Christians were not to believe any one, though he were to bring down fire from Heaven.* His replics to me were weak; and after considerable conversation on what is the church of Christ, on the ignorance that is pardonable, &c. he began to prove that if the Pope is not infallible, then there is no religion, no Gospel, and even no God. But I observed all his proofs so weak,

*Sec Rev. xiii. 13.

that I could not be convinced, and I fell into deep perplexity as to what I should do. For sometimes I greatly endeavored to submit my judgment to his rules and opinions, and made these efforts until my very head would ache. The next day I asked him what was that great city, ruling over the kings of the earth, mentioned in the Rev. xvii. 18? After he had brought his book of commentaries, he answered that it was Rome, which is also called, spiritual Babylon, or Babel, and after wishing me to yield to his opinion or that of the book, he said nothing more. From this time I was with the Patriarch every day for three or four hours, and his best advice to me was, to pray to St. Antony of Padua, together with one repetition of the Lord's prayer, and one of Hail Mary, &c. every day for three days. When I was thus in doubt from the weakness of their proofs, one of the monks said to me, "If you wish to know good tobacco, ask the Patriarch." I hoped that this priest would explain to me those doctrines of the Romish church, which I could not believe; so I went into his chamber and questioned him very particularly on all points. He expressed his wish that we might discuss together all the points one by one, but on condition that the Patriarch Joseph should appoint him to do so. He told me he had in his possession a book refuting the opinions of Luther and Calvin. I begged permission to read it; but he refused, telling me that the doctrines of the church all remained unrefuted. He wished me to go down to the Patriarch Joseph on this business. So after a stay of four days from my arrival, 1 departed for Ain Warka according to my promise to Hoory Joseph.

Here I found one of my friends of whom I had heard that he had been very much astonished at my connexion with the Bible men. After I had seen him and had conversed a little on some points, he would no longer hear me, fearing among other things lest he should be crazed. When we touched on the subject of the great city abovementioned, he told me that he had seen a book of commentaries on the Revelation, which made the city clearly to be Rome. At this I wondered greatly, since the meaning was so clear that not even the teachers of the Romish church herself could deny it. I then finished my confession to Hoory Joseph Shaheen, and about sunset, the same day, went down to the Patriarch to the convent Alma. He requested me again to write a paper stating that my faith was according to the faith of the Romish church. From this I excused myself,

begging that such a thing might not be required of me, for the council of Trent had added nothing to the rule of faith, which was established by that of Nice, which begins, "I believe in one God," &c. A short space after, I gave him my advice, with modest arguments, and mild suggestions, on his duty to cause the Gospel to be preached in the church among the Maronite people; and offered him the opinion that this should be done by the priests in the vulgar language, every Sabbath day, for the space of one or two hours; and if this should appear too burthensome to the people, to take off from them some of the feast days. After this, I remained silent in my chamber, near to his own; and as there came to me a few of the deacons of the Patriarch, and others, I read to them at their request in the New Testament printed in Rome. But in a little time after, I entered my room, and found in it none of all the books that had been there, neither New Testament nor any other, and I knew that the Patriarch had given the order for this purpose, for he reproved me for reading the Gospel to them, but he could accuse me of no false or erroneous explanations, or that I taught them anything heretical.

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One day after this, he called me to his presence and began to threaten me in a most unusual manner. I said, "What do you wish of me, your reverence? What have I done, and what would you have_me do? What is my sin, except || that I conversed with some individuals, shewing them the errors of the church of Rome?" Then he requested me again, to say, that I believed as did that church, and said, grasping me firmly by the chin,

see how I will take you if you do not repent." I begged him to appoint some one to shew me the truth, by way of discussion, but he would not, and continued expressing his own sentiment, that we are bound to hold fast to the church, even to such a length, that if she should even reject the Gospel, we should reject it too.

And here I wish to say a word to every reader that regards and loves the truth; how does such doctrine appear to you? and how could I believe in all which the Romish church holds, without knowing all of it? and how could I say without a lie, that I believe, when I do not believe?

When I saw the Patriarch breaking out with an exceeding loud and unusual voice, I was afraid that I should be found among "the fearful," (Rev. xxi. 8.) and rose to depart. When I reached the door, I turned and said to him, "I will hold fast the religion of Jesus"

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Christ, and I am ready for the sake of it to shed my blood; and though you should all become infidels, yet will not I;" and so left the room.

(To be continued.)

LETTER FROM MR. KING.

THE present number completes our extracts from Mr. King's journal, in which are described his last visit to Jerusalem, his return from thence to Mount Lebanon, and his residence at Beyroot till the time of his departure from Syria. Of his proceedings, from that time until his arrival at the Island of Minorca, we have received hitherto but imperfect notices.

A letter, written from Nismes, (south of France,) and dated the 10th of November last, describes some of the more important occurrences, from the time of his arrival at Mahon, in Minorca, up to the writing of the letter. We make a number of extracts, having regard to chronological order.

At Mahon.

When at Mahon, I received a challenge to hold a dispute with two priests, one a doctor of theology. I accepted the challenge, and taking in my hand "the Sword of the Spirit," which is the Word of God, I went to meet them in a place appointed by themselves-a garden in the Lazaretto. It was when I was in quarantine. Previous to my going, the Intendant of the Lazaretto, came to me, and advised me not to go alone. I told him I had nothing to fear. On entering the garden, I found three priests, with a few other persons, and, Soon after we commenced our dispute, two naval officers of the American squadron came to hear us.

The Romish doctor at first addressing me in Latin, demanding "to what sect I belonged?" I replied, that I called no man father upon the earth; that I believed in Jesus Christ, and took the sacred Scriptures for my guide. This led to the inquiry, "what is the standard of interpretation?" and "who shall decide in case of doubt?" and then, "what and where is the church of Christ?" and finally we came upon " tu es Petrus," [thou art Peter;] and I endeavored to show them, that Peter and the Pope were very different sort of men, as to their mode of governing in the church, and in many other things.

After conversing for about three quarters of an hour, they proposed, that we should finish our dispute for the present, and said, that having heard I was a very amiable man, they had come to pay

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their respects to me, and to invite me to their convent, to eat with them, to shew me their library, &c. and added, that after the squadron was gone, we would have another dispute. I on my part thanked them for their politeness, but did not so well like the proposition of deferring the dispute till the squadwas gone. Besides, what could they know of my amiableness, in case I had possessed any? I said, this may be a kind of Joabic salutation, as a preparation to smite me under the fifth rib. After getting permission, I went on shore, and took my trunk with me; but, at the custom-house, I was told, that I must leave my trunk to be examined through the day, and if any books were found, which contained any thing against the government, or against the religion, (Roman Catholic,) they must be burnt.

It so happened, that I had some against their religion. I had one, in particular, which was the Bible, and in different languages. I also had some Tracts, printed at Malta, called "Novita del Papismo," [Novelty of the Papacy,] and the "Storia di Andrew Dunn," [Story of Andrew Dunn.] So I concluded it was not best to have my books so rigidly examined, and immediately sent my trunk on board an American ship, bound for Barcelona.

Two days after, I applied to the police, to endorse my passport for Barcelona, but was refused. The reason assigned was, that my passport had not been endorsed by the Spanish consul at Smyrna. The officers of the police also told me, that I had done wrong in coming on shore at Mahon, and that in a similar case they had put Frenchmen in prison.

Timmediately took a boat, and went to the North-Carolina, to obtain the assistance of Com. Rodgers. The commodore, to whom I wish to express publicly my very grateful acknowledgments, took a lively interest in my case, and through his influence, a new passport was procured for me the next day, endorsed by the Spanish police, to go to Barcelona.

The day after I got my passport, a curious circumstance came to my knowledge, which I thought might possibly serve to explain some of those things which happened to me at Mahon. On entering the house where I lodged, I bade the woman of the house good morning, and she returned my salutation, calling me by name. A Spaniard was present, who, after I went out, said, "Who is that Monsieur King? I recollect his name. I think I have seen him at Constantinople, with two others. In

the time of the war, [i. e. in the time of the Constitutionalists,] I took a vessel, and among other papers, I found a long letter of several sheets, written by a Monsieur King to a Society at Paris. I will go home, and find it, and send it to him, to see whether he recognises the handwriting." On my return to my lodgings, the woman of the house questioned me, to know whether I had been at Constantinople, and whether I had correspondence with any one at Paris. My curiosity being excited by those questions, I asked why; and she then related what the Spaniard had said.

The next day he called, and put some questions to me about my travels, and said, that he had a letter of the description above-mentioned, but that he had lent it to a woman to read. I did not tell him that it was, or was not, mine, but bid him good morning, and left him to form his own opinion.

About this time, the priests sent me an another invitation to hold dispute with them at the convent. But as I was on the point of leaving for Barcelona, and had met with some difficulty with regard to my books and my passport; and as, by accepting their invitation, new obstacles might be thrown in my way; I thought best not to go near them.

In Spain.

The next day, I sailed for Barcelona in the ship Thalia, Capt. Butler, for whose politeness and kindness to me on the voyage, and while at Barcelona, I feel very much indebted. For my passage, he refused to receive any reinuneration. At Barcelona, he introduced me to several of the officers of the French Garrison with whom he was acquainted, who were particularly polite to me, and who, in case of any difficulty, would have been able to render me essential service.

After spending eight or ten days in that place, I took my seat in the Diligence for France, in company with two French officers, who were recommended to me by two of the Sub-Intendants of the Garrison. On the way, one of them, who was himself a Roman Catholic from Corsica, asked me,

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Why it happened, that, where people had the most of the Roman Catholic religion, they were the most wicked?"

In Spain, efforts are making to re-establish the Inquisition. About six weeks before my arrival, a Jew was put to death as a heretic.

Assassinations in that country, you know, are frequent. I was assured, by officers of high rank at Barcelona, that in the province of Catelonia alone,

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