This piece is written in a grave and a manly style, and with those nice discriminations, those candid and weighty reasons, which certainly deserve the attention of all who are concerned in slavery, and is worth the perusal of all those who are desirous of making inquiries on the subject. The author is a native of Virginia, where he commenced his ministry in 1771, and where he also imbibed his emancipating principles, and in consequence of which freed a number of slaves. Having long been distinguished in his native state for piety and abilities, he removed to Kentucky in 1798, and settled in Montgomery county."

We only add—that the division in the Elkhorn Association, which is said by Benedict to have originated in a private difference between two individuals, is now widened and strengthened by a diversity of opinion on a variety of doctrinal articles. The two parties occupy the same territory, and in some cases occupy alternately the same places of worship, and are distinguished by their belonging to the Elkhorn or Licking Association.

It is foreign to the nature of this work to go into any detail of these doctrinal differences, though we were more minutely acquainted with them than we are. Suffice it to say, that they appear chiefly to relate to the nature of election—the ground and the extent of the call of the gospel-the work of the Spirit, and the use of means to the unconverted-and that upon each side we find good men and good women, and faithful and useful preachers, who, while they agree on the nature of church government and on the article of Baptism, cannot, on account of a diversity of opinion on some or

on all of these matters, walk together in church fellowship.

The Rev. Luther Rice's visit to Kentucky in 1815, forms an æra in the history of the Baptist churches. Mr. Rice was a son of the Andover Institution, Massachusetts, and was one of the first four Missionaries who were sent by the American Board for Foreign Missions into Africa. In the holy, and wise, and good, and extensive arrangements of providence, when Mr. Rice arrived in India, his sentiments respecting Baptism underwent a revolution. He was accordingly immersed by the Baptist Missionaries at Serampore, and returned to America in order to enlist the Baptists of the United States in the cause of Missions.

He was indefatigable in his labours. He succeeded in forming a Baptist Foreign Missionary Society upon a large scale, and as the agent of the Society he visited: oftener than once almost every county in the Union.

He was in Kentucky three or four different times, and succeeded in infusing into his brethren here a considerably portion of his own Missionary spirit, which we trust will be preserved, and cherished, and perfected, till the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ.

In reviewing the state of religion, as connected with the history of the Baptists of Kentucky, we find that they are men of similar passions as ourselves. We have here, as in a former case, to lament over,

1. A great deal of unhallowed controversy. The dispute about the emancipation of slaves was an impor tant controversy-but from the accounts which we

have seen of it we are disposed to believe that it was far from being conducted by either party with that calm ness and piety which the importance of the subject demanded.

2. By looking back to the reflections of father Rice, page , we will find him lamenting over the moneymaking and speculating spirit among the Presbyterians. The facts which have been brought before us in the history of the Baptists render it extremely probable that genuine religion has suffered much among them. from a similar spirit. A private difference between a preacher and a leading member of his church about the exchange of two slaves convulsed the whole Elkhorn Association, and ended in a permanent separation of brethren who had before walked together in unity. The first pastor of the church at Washington, one of the first and one of the largest churches in the state, lost his character and property by land speculation. And farther, Benedict makes the remark, "The churches do but little for their preachers-very few receive to the amount of a hundred dollars a year for their services; but few of them, however, are very poor. They have from necessity found the means of supporting themselves. Many of those who settled early in the country have become wealthy."

We mention these things not with the spirit of triumph, but with the spirit of lamentation. God in his providence admonishes, as we think, all christians, and particularly all ministers of every name, by these facts. Nor was it without reason the apostle warned his son Timothy in these words:-"But they that will be rich

fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolishand hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these. things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."

3. In looking over the general arrangements of the Baptist churches, we mark also the evil effects of extended and divided pastoral charges. Many of the churches, as we are informed, meet on the Sabbath under the direction and care of their pastors only about once a month. And it will be found, we are persuaded, here as well as among the Presbyterians, that all things connected with any particular church are in a desira-` ble state just in proportion as ministerial labour is found Concentrated.

The Baptists have occasionally been charged with being opposed to ministers having a right to a temporal support from those among whom they labour. This is evidently a gross misrepresentation, occasioned wholly by the mistaken zeal of a few of that body. In a treatise on church government, annexed to the Philadelphia Confession of Faith, adopted as the basis of union in the Elkhorn Association, and re-printed in Lexington, 1805, we have these words:

"Pastors of churches have a divine right to their support, if the church is able to give it without being oppressed, or so far as they are able, than which nothing is more manifest in the New Testament. "For the*

workman is worthy of his meat." Matt. x. 10. Luke x. 7. "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" 1 Cor. ix. 11. "Do ye not know, that they who minister about holy things, live of the things of the temple? and they who wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar? Even so has the Lord ordained, that they who preach the gospel, should live of the gospel." 1 Cor. ix. 13, 14. "Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things," Gal. vi. 6. See 1 Tim. v. 17, 18.

"These passages of holy writ are so unequivocal and express, that no one can evade their force.

"Mr. Hooker well observes, that "they who will not pay their ministers, would not pay any one his due,' could they refuse with the same temporal impunity." Every one knows, that those, who will not do justice. farther than the Jaw compels them, are destitute of an honest principle.

"Nothing but ignorance of his duty, or covetousness and want of principle, or both, can induce to neglect or refuse paying; and a covetous brother should be expelled the church and kept no company with. 1 Cor.

V. 11.

"When a people neglect their duty in regard to the support of their minister, they are not only wilful neglecters of the divine law, but must otherwise be great losers, both as they forfeit a right to the divine blessing, as also because their minister will be less capable of, and prevented from, serving them to the same advan tage, Gal. vi. 6, 7, 2 Cor. ix. 6-8.