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Resolved, That Maria Townsend be excommunicated from this Church, and that the first public annunciation of this sentence be made the ensuing Lord's Day.

Ordered, That the following minute be made in the above case.

Whereas Maria Townsend hath been, by sufficient proof, convicted of persevering disbelief of the doctrine of the everlasting punishment of the wicked, and after much admonition and prayer, obstinately refused to hear the Church, and hath manifested no evidence of repentance, therefore, in the name, and by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, this Session pronounce her to be excluded from the communion of the Church.

Ordered, That the Clerk furnish Mrs, Townsend with a copy of the above proceedings in her case.

Memorandum taken by a friend of Mrs. Townsend.

The annunciation threatened in letter of 29th June, was made the day following, (Sunday) by Dr. Spring, from the pulpit, as near as my recollection serves me, in the following words—

"It has become my painful duty, to announce that Mrs. Maria Townsend, a member of this Church, has for two years past, persevered in denying the doctrine of the everlasting punishment of the wicked, and has presented her children for dedication, at that place of pretended worship, where the doctrine is taught that the wicked will be saved as well as the righteous."

REV. DR. SPRING,

New-York, Saturday, March 29th, 1823.

DEAR SIR,

As I am informed that a public excommunication is expected to take place next Sabbath morning, in consequence of my supposed error in faith, and fearing lest I should bring a reproach upon the cause of religion, in the eyes of those who are ignorant of the

faith I profess, I feel it my duty to state a brief summary of the doc

trine I believe to be taught in the Scriptures, requesting it to be read in the presence of that public before whom I am accused.

I. I believe in the fall, and total depravity of mankind; also in their restoration through the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world,-the "head of every man," who tasted death for every man, and laid down his life, a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

II. I cannot, dare not, limit the mercy of God; for it is written, I will not contend for ever, lest the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made, &c. Where sin abounds grace did much more abound.

III. I believe that he came to seek and save that which was lost. That the purpose for which the Son was manifested, was, that he might destroy the works of the Devil; and I doubt not he will effect his gracious design. To Paul was made known the mystery of his will, that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he would gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and on earth. I as firmly believe as yourself, that none will be happy until they are made holy; when sin and unbelief, the source of all our sorrows, ceases, misery, of course, will not exist. I believe "there is no peace to the wicked." With the Psalmist, that "the wicked shall be turned into hell, (a state of darkness and suffering of mind, as I understand) and all the nations that forget God." Also, that "all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him. All nations whom thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name; for thou art great, and doest wondrous things."

In these divine testimonies I rejoice, for which I am doomed by the Presbytery, to undergo a public excommunication! My name may be excommunicated by man, and stigmatized with reproach, in the eyes of the world, but the soul, secure beyond their reach, trusting in the promises of its Creator, remains unmoved,―to whose unerring wisdom I cheerfully submit my case.

I have no doubt trespassed on your time and patience, but as it is probable this will be my last communication, I hope you will bear with me; and I conclude, by desiring that we may be enabled to see more clearly, and rejoice in the truth as it is in Jesus.

With respect,

M. T.

In the letter of the 10th of February, 1822, Mrs. Townsend is charged with "persevering disbelief of the doctrine of the everlasting punishment of the wicked." And in a letter from the Clerk of the Session, dated June 29, 1822, informing her of the intended excommunication, he states, that a minute in the same words is ordered to be made. WE DO MOST SOLEMNLY PROTEST against this mode of expression; inasmuch as its tendency is to leave an impression on the mind of the hearer, that we consider sin a matter of less importance than the Scriptures represent it to be; whereas, we have ever zealously maintained, that sin is ever followed by a corresponding misery, and holiness by happiness.

Dr. Spring, at the time he excommunicated Mrs. Townsend, was in possession of her last letter, in which she says, "I as firmly believe as yourself, that none will be happy, until they are made holy." And again, in the same letter, she says, "I believe there is no peace to the wicked." This letter she requested to be read at the time of excommunication, but it was not done!

To the legitimate use of the word everlasting, (or age-lasting,) we can have no objection. But when we find that it is used in Scripture to designate the hills, which are to be destroyed in the great conflagration, and to the priesthood of Aaron, which, by the determinate purpose of God, came to an end nearly eighteen hundred years ago, we cannot believe that it necessarily implies an endless duration. It must ever be considered according to the nature of the subject with which it is connected; and we are yet to learn, that there is a single passage in the Bible, which by a fair and honest construction, taking its context in view, will support the doctrine of the endless misery of any creature. In the letter from the Clerk of Session of the 16th of February, 1822, it is "Resolved, that the case of Mrs. Townsend be referred to the Presbytery of New-York for their advice." Whether this step has

been taken or not, we have no evidence.

In the form of government of the Presbyterian Church of the U. S. of America, Book 2d of Discipline, Chap. 1. Sec. 3. we read—“ An offence is any thing in the principles or practice of a Church member, which is contrary to the word of God; or which, if it be not in its own nature sinful, may tempt others to sin, or mar their spiritual edification." Now the first letter of our excommunicated friend, is principally made up of quotations from Scripture; the remainder is made up of brief, but plain reasoning, which, we think, it would be much better to refute, (if it can be refuted,) than to condemn.

In the letter of February 16, 1822, from the Clerk of Session, it is "Resolved, that Mrs. Townsend be, and hereby is, suspended from the sealing ordinances of the Church."

In the form of government, under the head, Directory for Worship, Chap. 10. Sec. 2. it is said, "When any member of the Church shall have been guilty of a fault deserving censure, the judicatory shall proceed, &c. And in the 3d Section of the same Chapter, when the sentence of suspension is to be passed, a form is recommended, in which the offence is denominated sin. Sin is the transgression of the law, and is usually considered as the commission of an immoral act; but, thank God! there is not the shadow of a charge of the slightest impropriety of conduct brought against Mrs. Townsend; and if there had been any ground for such charge, can we suppose it would not have been made!

an error.

This accounts for the mild form of expression in some of the letters, respecting what is, no doubt, considered her transgression. It is called But the form of government speaks of offence, fault, sin. Can an error of judgment, (allowing that she is in error,) honestly, and therefore innocently, entertained, be denominated sin? If so, then none but those who are infallible, are fit to be members of the Church: for an error of judgment, however sincerely entertained, is sin; and for sin, the party must be excommunicated. Mrs. Townsend believes, with the great apostle to the gentiles, that "God is the Saviour of all men." And because she so believes, she must be denied the privilege of obeying the commandment of her once despised and crucified, but now triumphant Lord and Saviour, who says, "Do this in remembrance of me." Any authority, that can forbid obedience to one commandment of the Redeemer, may forbid obedience to another, and to every other. Exclusion from the communion, is the greatest punishment that any ecclesiastical court in this country can inflict. Thanks be to God, the laws of our country protect us, in person, property, and character. We do not say that there is any disposition to injure us, where the law protects us. But we repeat, We rejoice, that there is no power; for the history of the world tells a sad story of what men, possessed of great power, have done, under the pretence of zeal for the good of souls; or under the influence of a zeal not according to knowledge.

We next notice the contemptuous language used in the annunciation of the 29th of June, where this house is called a "place of pretended worship." Who has a right (without evidence,) to call in question the

sincerity of another? This is not argument, it is slander! and the only excuse we can make for the party using it, is, charitably to hope, that it was only the effervescence of the moment, and not the result of calm deliberate thinking. Nay, we will be glad to find satisfactory evidence, that the friend who furnished us with this note, was mistaken in what he heard; and will give the same publicity to correct an error, as we now do to what we have reason to believe is the fact. One word more on this subject, and we have done with it.

Contrast this sentence with the mild and humble language of Mrs. Townsend, in her first letter to Dr. Spring, where she solicits a dismission, and hopes that her name may be withdrawn, without giving offence, in love; and then say, in which of these do we find most of the spirit of our Redeemer? Which of these is the best practical comment, on the precept of Christianity, which enjoins upon us to let our moderation be known to all men?

We will now suppose that the party who has innocently entertained an erroneous opinion, doubts the truth of it, and finally thinks it best to give it up, and be restored to the church; How is this to be done? If we are to take the Directory for worship as the rule, we find, chap. x. sect. 7. that in the presence of the congregation, a part of the first question asked of the party desiring to be restored, is, "Do you, from a deep sense of your great wickedness, freely confess your sin, in thus rebelling against God, and in refusing to hear his church?" Now, if the error was innocently entertained, would it not be gross hypocrisy, to acknowledge it as a great wickedness, and rebellion against God? This would be the commission of a great sin, for the purpose of being relieved from the consequences of that which is no sin.

The second question is in these words: "Do you now voluntarily profess your sincere repentance, and deep contrition, for your sin and obstinacy; and do you humbly ask the forgiveness of God, and of his Church?" Can any man of common sense, and common honesty, repent of having continued to acknowledge that as true, which he esteemed to be true, though he now finds it to be an error? Sinful obstinacy in matters of faith, we think, must consist in maintaining as true, that which we have found to be false. Had Mrs. Townsend continued to maintain the doctrine of endless misery as true, after she found it to be false, she would have been guilty of sinful obstinacy indeed. She has chosen another and a better course.

The third and last question proposed, is, "Do you sincerely promise, through Divine grace, to live in all humbleness of mind and circum