Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-01-04

chair, and the clerk his seat al The tahle
with The aforesaid letter 10 his hand seal.
ed duly directed to the church. He com.
menced breaking the seal with gray IL
becoming the occasion and his office. A
profound stiffness reigned over The assem-
bly, such as had rot be- n witnessed fol
months before. All waited with breath
less expectation the counsel OF age, anc
4 the advice of experience ano wisdom
The cl' rk opened the letter. Th4 frs
hing which struck his prying vision was
its lrerity. But without salula,ion Of
note he proceeded, -"Mend the fence,
acknowledgements black bull oui -
/ he looked, bu, he was sure ne had mnde
no mistake. He turned over leaf, but
there was nothing there but blank
4 and il was manifest he had reached the
end of the epistle. He colored, aud look
ed at tie Church - and the church looked
at him. And III n they looked about
among themselves, and il was very ev.
dent they were all taken by surprise and
/ thrown aback.
| Aier some tine spent in silent musing,
SOME Of them began 10 move their fee, i;
and one Of the brt thren recovered himself
Sufficiently TO ask that the letter might be
read again. Whereupan he clerk ,esd,
MEND the fnre. and keep the bl6cs bull
out" On which the brother Aforesaid
rose, and delivered himself much rs fol
lows:
"Mr. Moderator, nm astonished ut
-. 4
make Of IT; nhr what to say or think
about it. Whit does, VIVA, can the man
mean? We wrote to him out OF the depth
OF our affection for counsel and advice !;
anc We are here answered with this imper-
tInent and vulgar trifllng. The man.
old and esteemed as he is, deserves our
rebuke, if not our scorn." Having said
which with all becoming resentment, he
sat down.
Another Of The brethren then rose, Of
the party opposed to the last speaker. -
II agree perfectly, SAID he, to wha, the
brother just up has said. IL is indeed TO /,
bad. 1t is absolutely provoking. |. is
utterly unworthy Of The character ofthe
man, aud Of the responsibility of III
church. Something spirited ought 10 be
DONE" He ended land gave place TO a
third brother who through the course Of
the long difficulty had been esteemed a
neutral. He remarked very calmly -"I
am heartily glad to hear my brethren
who have spoken for once express an
agreement. For to my certain knowl
edge it is tho first time they have been
agreed on any thing for the last twelve
months. | am Of opinion that something
ought to be replied TO that strange letter,
decidedly disappearing of IT. Though Us
10 the 'rtsps ctablity" OF the church of
which ment on has been made the less we
say about thct-under our present circum-
s'ances-the better. However move
that letter be prepared and sent to Mr..
Good, expressing our disappointment, and
our disappIobaton of the one he has sent
u.s." TIE motion was instantly second.
ed; but just as the moderator was about
to put 1t, somewhat unobstiuslve broth
er rose and asked the privilege of making
a few remarks.
Not concerning this brother we wouli
just premise, that he had a arkable
tact and turn at aHegoris'ng and Spiritual
sing. And il was amazing, unpr,t nding
as he was, how he would sometimes make
agrea, deal out Of just nothing at ALI
greatly to his own edIfcaton and the
wonder OF others. This p Gull lrity IN tn
mans genius was accounted for, IN part,
by tie fact, thai in bis younger days,
when impressions are supposed TO be the
strongest and most durable, he attended
the ministry Of Mr.. Wiseacre,--a IA
nous divine, who also had great SIX Il in
alegorlzlng, and in which it was thought
his main strength lay. Mr.. Wiseacre
could prove the doctrine of the TRINITY
from the three white baskets on The head
of Pharoah's baker. The same doctrine,
together with "the decrees," from S To-
mons Tire e-lold cord which is not easily
broken. As1 he had sermon which
proved to his own satisfaction, the univer.
sal hlstIry Of the Church in all ages, from
the seven apocalyplic Letters.
Such WIRE the early advantages OF the
brother now on the flo"r, who spoke and
said And also am astonished: not 81
much at the letter 10 question, as at the
views which brethren have taken of il.
Why it is just the very thug. A better
letter could not have been written. You
call 1t impairment; | say it is quite appro-
pirate. You say it is tuflIng; | say it
implies solemn and Just rebuke, and con
talns most important piece Of advice to
winch we do well that we take eed. !
can explain i. according 10 The method of
Interpretation which learnt many years
ago from one good minister Here tn
recollection of past days and Of Mr.. WISE.
acre, awakened his sensibIi,es, and his
emotions produced the following rehec.
tons An. we had 2rea hing then.
They knew how TO expliin the hardest
parts OF LevIicus and the Recelatton.
We have no sucn preaching now; But to
the letter. Mend tie fence and keep the
black bull out Here, SAID he, il is plain
the fence means gospel scipInp, uian.
aged with christian love. This fence
was pat up by Jesus Christ and his apos
lies to keep tho ba l out and the good in;
and It ough, never to be down. Then
that black crltler evidently means the
'eteked one, that old serpent which is the
devil; who 20 tn about Ike ruanng lion
- as saith the apostle, seeking whom tie