From this imprisonment we are told the apostles were released by an angel of God. Do my fellow citizens, my rational, intelligent, well educated cotemporaries ever seriously reflect that they are called upon to believe, that a corporeal being, in human shape, (for angels are always represented in this form,) was sent from some other orb, no one can tell what or where it is, to this lower world, by the being that created the universe, to enter a Roman jail and liberate these captives? Can it be possible that my countrymen are so fond of miracles, so determined upon their own degradation, and the abuse of their rational faculties, as to set their faces against him who will endeavor to convince them that there were other means of escaping from prison than the interference of a winged messenger of the air?

Admitting that these men were thrown into prison and were at large the next day, and that this release or discharge was without the knowledge or consent of those who committed them; is it the part of rationality to believe the unsupported assertion of one man, and he an interested partisan, that a celestial being broke their bonds and unlocked their prison doors?— Does it not behoove us as men to endeavor to account for this escape in some other manner. The imprisonement, we have seen was unlawful the prisoners were at large the next day, and in the most public place in the city, and not recommitted. We hear of no charge of negligence being brought against the jailor. When Peter broke jail, after being imprisoned, by a Roman governor, who had authority, the keepers were put to death for their negligence, notwithstanding it is alleged that an angel rescued him; from all which, the conclusion is irresistible that he and John were previously released from an unlawful imprisonment by the proper authorities-that the angel that opened the doors was no other than a legal or Roman officer.

Luke informs us, that notwithstanding their release from prison, the apostles on being summoned, appeared before the Jewish council, when, 'and where Gamaliel advises the Jews to let them alone, lest they should be found fighters against God. We are next told that the Jews yielded to Gamaliel, or took his advice. And what next? They called up the apostles and scourged them. This scourging was a most queer way of letting them alone. It is said that Pilate, after pronouncing Jesus guiltless, scourged him. I am totally at fault, as to this process flagellatory. This is the only scourging, however, that the apostles are said to have received. I have already commented on the persecution that arose after Stephen's death. The convicts fled, but the apostles remained. Not a hint thrown out that they were during this persecution scourged or imprisoned. In the 12th Chap. Acts, we are told that Herod laid hands on some of

the christians, and put James to death. For this he is represented as hostile to christianity, or the christians generally. The writer does not intend that we shall so understand him. Had Herod been unfriendly to this sect, he would have laid hold of all the individuals composing it. The charge against James could not, therefore, have been a heresy in religion. It cannot be too often repeated, that the Romans at this period, and long after, looked upon the religious quarrels among the Jews with indifference, and even contempt. This same Herod Agrippa, or his son, afterwards, listened to Paul patiently, and told him that his religion, although Paul was ultra in every thing, constituted no charge against him. It cannot be supposed that an enlightened Roman would have wantonly put James to death, no charge whatever being preferred against him; and as it is plain that christianity could not have been the charge, we are bound to conclude that James and some other of the christians, had been guilty of some offence against the state. Peter is also seized. It must have been a matter of speculation on the part of Luke, that Herod arrested him merely to please the Jews. No Roman governor ever confessed that he incarcerated an individual for no other reason than to please a party. The general character of this prince is at war with any such conjecture. that an angel of the Lord smote him. angel was an owl. Angels' visits are not so here we no sooner despatch one, than up rises another. Peter's last, is now waiting for an audience: "How do you do, sir, you must be quite a powerless or heartless personage. Between you and Peter, and Herod, several innocent jailors were led to execution. Whenever you

I believe Luke says, We learn from Josephus that this said to be few and far between—

rescue prisoners again, provide some means by which the lives of innocent jailors, whom you may chance to bring into difficulty, may be saved. Our governors and judges will not believe that any such sprites as yourself, do, or will, or can break into jails, and let out prisoners, and thus interfere with the regular administration of justice. You should have appeared before Herod as a witness for these keepers when on their trial-confessed your agency in this jail delivery, and established their innocence. You and your partisans are endeavoring to attach all the blame to Herod. It wont do. You and Peter are alone culpable. Herod did no more than any other inflexible and energetic magistrate would have done under the same circumstances. For shame. For shame."

To be serious, if Peter was put in prison by Herod, and escaped, we are bound as rational beings, to believe that he broke jail as thousands had done, and have done since. If he was delivered through the instrumentality of angels; they must have been such as Marmion seattered to the crowd. He showed the keepers a Benton purse-the angels peeping out of the in

terscices-nooded and looked towards the door-said nothing-he dropped the purse and left the prison-they divided the spoil, and ran the risque.

After the great parade that has been made about the sufferings of these apostles, who would have thought that seven pages of loose manuscript, would have contained not only a history of all their trials and tribulations, but a labored argument to prove it false, Two imprisonments for one night, each, one scourging, neither of which any rational man believes, and all told.

What has become of your great argument, growing out of the martyrdom of the apostles? It runs thus, if I remember aright: "Martyrdom proves the sincerity of the martyr. The apostles were put to death for persisting in the assertion that they saw Jesus alive after his crucifixion and heard him converse and afterwards saw him ascend to heaven; therefore their testimany must be true."

This is a very pretty argument: but where are your martyrs? You have not one; for you cannot have the hardihood to assert that James could have saved his life by denying the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Herod, and the other Roman officers of that day, knew as little and cared as little about Jesus, as our president and cabinet do of Joe Smith, and looked upon a christian with the same pity, surprise and contempt, as the latter do upon a Mormonite. Apprehending no danger from the christians, they were led to commisrate, not to hate or fear them. The letter of Claudius Lysanias to Felix, and Festus' statement of Paul's case to Agrippa, speak volumes on this question of Roman persecution. They also prove that these Romans understood and were determined to protect the citizen in his rights.

From the great clamor raised by the Jews against Paul, Lysanias suspected that something serious was laid to his charge, and was somewhat vexed, when he ascertained that all this noise and fuss were about "certain questions of their own superstition," aud that Paul was accused of "nothing worthy of death or of bonds."

Festus was still more surprised and vexed; for as he passed through Jerusalem on his way to Cesarea, the Jews besought him to proceed to judgment against Paul, without a hearing. This anxiety on the part of the Jews led him to suppose that Paul was charged with some very heinous offence. He expresses his surprise to Agrippa in these words: "Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed; but had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Agrippa expressing a wish to see and hear Paul, Festus brought his prisoner before him the next day, who after hearing the wonderful tale of

this busy apostle, declared that he had been guilty of no crime. Can it be supposed that Lysanias, and Festus, and Agrippa, would treat this ring leader of the sect of the Nazarines with so much lenity and his religion with so much levity, if this same Herod Agrippa or his father had thought it incumbent on him as ome of the guardians of the great empire to check the further spread of this horesy by putting the apostle James to death. You cannot believe that this James was a martyr, but must be satisfied that he was executed for some offence against the state. The probability is, that James and Peter were endeavoring to get up another common-fund society, and dupe another set of converts.

-a

I never felt so much contempt for the species Homo, as when laboring to disprove the existence and exploits of those jail breaking angels. The believer may curl the lip in scorn, and affected derision at this declaration; but let him be assured, that to the disbeliever, there is nothing so wonderful and unaccountable as his belief. The infidel stands amazed, and bewildered, when he is reminded that at this day, and in this country of colleges, schools, and printing presses, there are thousands and millions, who believe the prodigies even of the new testament. But, that a christionbeliever in these prodigies, and spiritual influences, can affect surprise that his co-believers should become fanatics, and run after such impostors, as Cochran, Matthias, and Joe Smith, is really amusing. That the gifted Col. Stone, should write a book, the object of which is, to furnish an antidote to fanaticism, is a matter of no astonishment to his friends, who know the goodness of his heart: but that he should prescribe "the simple requisi tious of the word of God, (meaning the bible) taken in their most obvious sense, and in their own native simplicity and beauty," as this antidote, is mortifying to one of his friends who knew him, when Mr. Folger was a lad-when the three were residents of Hudson-when the Col. was called "Little Stone," by those who would fain believe, that genius is confined to certain families, and places, and that nothing great or good could come from the little town of Herkimer, away up the Mohawk-when the more observing, and liberal, however, plainly saw, that he would in a short time stand at the head of his profession, and become an honor to the country which gave him birth.

When such a man as Col. Stone, can recommend the pure milk of the word, as a specific for fanaticism, let us no longer laugh at the old lady who told her little daughter, that had accidentally set her foot in a kettle of hot mush, not to scrape it off, as it was "the best thing in the world to take the fire out." Christianity, as the Col. would define it, is fanaticism—as much so, as Matthiasism, or Cochranism, or Mormonism. He deals in generals. Let us come to particulars, and hear his prescriptions for the individual

cases that may come before him. The Col. must not be offended if we style him Doctor.

Mrs. *** the daughter of the retired clergyman, apppears before him. She complains of an over-weening desire, to denounce the modern gay head dresses of the ladies. The Doctor recommends the following simple requisitions of the word of God, taken in their most obvious sense, and in their own native simplicity and beauty:" viz. the 1st. Peter, iii. 3d.

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plating the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel."

She returns the next day-says she followed the prescription-symptoms more aggravated, and others of a dangerous character appearing, such as a desire to convert the world, and a conviction that it behooves her to enter into every house, public or private, and pray for the regeneration of its inmates. She is directed by the Doctor, to remember, that Christ, said: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." And "He that will not abandon father and mother for my sake, is none of mine." And that Jt. James said: "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Mr. Pierson next presents himself. He is sore vexed with the conviction, that direct revelations of the will of God, are made to him through the audible agency of the Holy Spirit. The Doctor assures him, that according to the simple declarations of the inspired penmen, taken in their most obvious sense, the Holy Spirit was visible and audible on the day of Pentecost— that it filled the Apostles, and made them for the time, the first linguists of the age that it fell on Cornelius and his family-was given to all who acknowledged the name of Jesus, and submitted to his ordinances-that there were diversities of gifts, and operations of the Holy Spirit, and he particularly enjoins upon the patient to read the 30th verse of the 4th chapter, 1st Cor. in which St. Paul says: "If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace."

Mr. Pierson having followed the prescription, also retnrns-disease, instead of having abated, is raging with ten times its former violence--he is now persuaded, that he can restore the sick, and raise the dead, or that God will restore the one, and raise the other, in answer to his prayer. The doctor prescribes the careful perusal of the last seven verses of St. James' epistle, the words all to be taken in their most obvious sense, and the ac

"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.