A MOTHER IN ISRAEL.*

A FEW days since, I visited a rural cemetery, in which sleep many of the friends of my earlier years. It is in the State of New Hampshire, on the bank of that sweetest of streams, Sugar River. There, with a beloved brother, I stood by the side of two graves: in one of which, for eighteen years, has reposed all that was mortal of a godly minister of Jesus Christ, Rev. Elisha Hutchinson; and, to the other, a few days previous, had been committed the remains of his truly Christian wife, Mrs. Martha Hutchinson.. Another grave, near by, awakened more tender, because filial recollections. But these two graves, side by side, were invested with an interest which only a "son in the gospel" can appreciate. The spot was hallowed by associations of a spiritual kind, and richly exciting were the reminiscenses that it stirred in the depths of the heart.

Mrs. Hutchinson, born in Middleboro', Mass., June 21, 1776, was the daughter of Mr. Samuel Eddy. In early life, she became a subject of grace, and united with the Congregational church. About the year 1798, she was married to Mr. H., then a Congregational minister in Hartford, New-York. Two years afterwards, she and her husband were baptized by "Elder Long," in Zoar, Mass. In 1814, Mr. H. removed with his family, to Newport, N. H., and became the pastor of the Baptist church in that town, where, in 1833, full of years and ripe for heavenly glory, he finished his course. Mrs. H. survived him till June 18, 1851, when, at the residence of her son, in Windsor, Vt., she concluded her earthly mission, and went to join the better portion of the church universal. Her last illness was protracted, and attended by much suffering. But in all her physical anguish she was patient and submissive. She knew whom she trusted, and never doubted his faithfulness. Her mind was constantly peaceful, and occasionally joyous. At times, heaven seemed to be unveiled, and she had enrapturing views of the Redeemer's glory, so that faith was well nigh changed into vision. Then her enjoyment was of the highest order known on earth; her countenance was radiant with light from above, and her counsels and exhor

The above gratifying tribute to the memory of our dear mother, we have received from a distinguished brother in Boston for the Memorial. It was first published in the Watchman and Reflector.--ED.

tations to her attendants breathed the spirit of a messenger from a better world. Many passages of Scripture relating to the character, the work and the triumph of Christ, she repeated with elevated emotion.— Hymns that exalted her Saviour, she recited and sang with full voice.

Mrs. H., through a long life, honored her Christian profession. Her piety was of the cheerful cast. Though her doctrinal views, like those of her husband, were very decidedly Calvinistic, yet they were not such as to give ascerbity to her temper, or rigidity to her manner. Her faith was exceedingly strong, and it worked by love. She loved Zion, and lived, and labored, and prayed for her prosperity. She passed firmly through scenes of trial, in which others would have staggered and been dismayed. By no faltering, no deviation, did she ever betray a defective confidence in God, or a weakness of any Christian principle. She was a steadfast Christian, and it was always her grief to see others swerving from truth or duty. "My sons," she said, nearly at the last, "I must leave you. Hold fast to the truth. Be faithful in the cause of Christ."

I knew this lady nearly thirty-seven years, and her history is fragrant in my memory. She was truly "an example to the believers". model "mother in Israel."

S.

A YOUNG BRAHMIN..

THE REV. Eustace Carey, a Baptist Missionary from India, when speaking before the American Tract Society in 1825, gave a very interesting account of the death of a young Brahmin in that country. He obtained a tract, and after reading it went to the missionaries, full of anxiety, inquiring, "What shall I do to be saved?" They instructed him out of the gospel. He went again and again, renounced his idols, gave his heart to Christ, and in a few weeks was baptized and united with the Church. He soon after fell a victim to the cholera. A little before he died, another young native Christian visited him to administer comfort, and as he laid his languishing head on the bosom of his young friend, he broke out in an ecstacy, and said in his native tongue," Sing, brother, sing." "What shall I sing?" was the inquiry of his friend. "Sing salvation, salvation through the death of Jesus! Salvation through Jesus Christ." These were the last words he uttered.

302EARLY PROTESTANTS AGAINST A CORRUPT CHURCH-DONATISTS.

EARLY PROTESTANTS AGAINST A CORRUPT CHURCH. DONATISTS.

BY THE EDITOR.

A. D. 311, there was a rupture in the church at Carthage similar to that in the church of Rome, A. D. 254, which shook the Roman empire to its centre, and kept the affairs of church and state in commotion for more than a century. Upon the decease of Mensurius, Bishop of Car thage, in 311, Cæcilian, an arch-deacon, was elected to fill the vacancy. · But as the Bishops of Numidia were not notified nor invited to participate in the consecration, they were much incensed, and proceeding to Carthage, summoned Cæcilian before them. He refused to appear, and they pronounced him unworthy of his office, and elected Majorimus his deacon, as bishop in his place. Thus there were two parties, headed by the two bishops Cæcilian and Majorinus. One of the principal of these Numidian bishops, was Donatus, from whom the party, opposed to Ca cilian, are supposed to have taken the name of "Donatists."

In the year 313, this controversy was brought before Constantine the Great, and he committed the examination of it to Melchiades. Bishop of Rome, and three bishops of Gaul, by whom Cæcilian was justified in the course he had taken. The Donatists considered this decision as extremely partial and oppressive. They objected to the small number of bishops appointed to decide, and believed that they were the mere tools of the Emperor, and that the council was properly nothing more than a civil court. The trial, they justly considered, as a farce, and unworthy of the true church of Christ. They believed that their decision against Ca cilian, in a council of seventy venerable bishops, ought to have been considered as more authoritative than a decree of nineteen bishops at Rome The complaints of the Donatists were so great, that the Emperor in 314, appointed a larger tribunal, which decided against them, as they might have expected of those who were entirely in the Emperor's power. The Donatists then appealed to the Emperor himself, and the result was the same. They then fearlessly denounced him as partial, and as having been corrupted by their enemies. This enraged Constantine, and he began to persecute the Donatists, and directed that their temples should be taken from them in Africa, that some of their bishops should be banished, and others put to death. Here was manifested by the Emperor, the true spirit of popery, which has so often appeared in later times. Constantine, as we have before observed, was really the first Pope, though he did not receive that title. Terrible commotions followed, as the Donatists were very numerous, and could not be subdued by the Empe

ror.

Vast numbers of the peasantry, (called Circumcelliones,) took the part of the Donatists, and defended them by arms, ravaging all Africa with fire, and sword, and tortures. The Donatists, however, disapproved of any such forcible measures, though they would face death in its most horrible forms, rather than submit to those oppressive measures of Constantine, which violated their consciences. The Emperor was finally obliged to repeal the laws against them, in order to prevent a civil war. The Donatists multiplied rapidly, and A. D. 330, one of their councils numbered two hundred and seventy bishops or pastors. In 348, after the death of Constantine the Great, Constans, his son, endeavored to bring back the Donatists to the corrupt church; but in vain. Finally the Circumcelliones, who fought for the Donatists, were vanquished by the Emperor's troops, and for about thirteen years, they were dreadfully persecuted. A majority of them fled in various directions, others were banished, and many were put to death. Julian, who came to the throne A. D. 362, favored them for a while, and they flourished exceedingly, so that the greater part of Africa joined their communion. Their adversaries admitted that their doctrines were sound, and that their lives were not censurable.*) They considered the church which they had left as having fallen from its former purity, as not blessed with the influences of the Holy Spirit, and as not the true church of God. All who came over to them from the old church they rebaptized, as they considered their former baptism invalid, because it had been administered by corrupt Their sentiments, in short, were very similar to those of the Novatians. Crispin, a French historian, says that they very nearly resembled the Novatians in doctrines and discipline, and were called Anabaptists. Thomas Fuller, an English historian of the 17th century, says the Baptists in England in his day, were the Donatists new dipped J. B. Bossuett, Bishop of Meaux, asserts that the Vaudois were a species of Donatists.

men.

It is highly probable, indeed it is almost certain, that the Donatists and Novatians, were the forefathers of the Waldenses, and Albigenses or Vaudois, and were uncompromising Baptists. True, like Luther and the reformers in modern times, they did not at once forsake all of the corruptions of the apostatized church; but they opposed the "beast" in whatever form he appeared to them. They opposed corruption wherever they perceived it. Their views of baptism, no one we think will dispute, were the same as their brethren the Novations, which we have already considered. †

* Mosheim Eccl. Hist. B. II. Cent. iv. P. II. ch. v. §. 8.
† See. Memorial Vol. X. p. 254-57.

THE PASTOR'S PAGE.

COMPOSITION FOR THE PULPIT.-Let your performances be plain and Scriptural. Choose for your pulpit subjects, the plainest and most needful truths; and endeavor to make them plainer. Be serious in the delivery. Affect not fine words; but words which the Holy Ghost teaches; that is, sound speech which cannot be condemned. Enticing words of man's wisdom, debase your matter. Gold needs not to be painted. Scripture expressions are what people are used to, and will remember. Consider the lambs of the flock. You must take them along with you. Do not over-drive them, by being over-long, or over fine.

MATTHEW HENRY.

SPIRIT OF THE MINISTRY.-The man who labors to please his neighbor for his good to edification, has the mind that was in Christ. It is a sinner trying to help a sinner. How different would be the face of things if this spirit prevailed! R. CECIL.

GOOD ADVICE FROM A SLAVE.-A young minister received calls at the same time, from two different societies, to become their pastor. One of the churches was rich, able to give him a large salary, and well united; the other was poor, and so divided that they had driven away their minister. In this state of things, the young minister applied to his father for advice. An aged African servant, who overheard what was said, replied to the young clergyman, "Massa, go where there is the least money, and the most devil." He took the advice, and was God's agent in uniting a distracted church, and converting many souls to Christ.

PREACHING FOR ETERNITY.-Would ministers preach for eternity, they would then act the part of true Christian orators; and, not only calmly and coolly inform the understanding, but by persuasive, pathetic address, endeavor to move the affections and warm the heart. To act otherwise, bespeaks sad ignorance of human nature, and such an inexcusable indolence and indigence in the preacher, as must constrain the hearers to suspect whether or not, the preacher, let him be who he will, only deals in the false commerce of unfelt truth.

G. WHITEFIELD.