Beloved Brethren and Kind Readers:--Through the mercy of God I have recovered and feel like I want to thank the Lord, and express my love and concern for you.

When I look at myself my imperfections or vileness makes me ashamed, but when I look to Jesus my soul runs out in love to God and to men, and I long to see you that we may be mutu­ally encouraged. But as this cannot be, let me beg you in all my nothingness to forgive my wrongs and help me to do right, and let me try to help you.

As the Christian is known "by his fruit," so the church is known by her doctrine and prac­tice. Then that body of believers holding the doctrine and practice of Christ and the apostles, is the true church.

From this origin to the present, the church of Christ has ever been distinguished from other people, by sound or scriptural doctrine, proven by good works.

From apostolic times, we and our fathers have avoided the proud ways of the world, and stood firm in the apostles' doctrine of salvation by grace through the imputed obedience of Jesus Christ. Unmindful of the reproaches or ap­plause of men, we seek to obey and please our Lord. With the Scriptures, our ministers insist on free salvation to helpless sinners, adorned by purity of heart and plainness of life. We would "beware of philosophy" or doctrines of men, and rejoice in free grace.

During this age of boasted progression, various errors or new forms of philosophy have been taught, to the spoiling of God's chosen people; but Arminianism and spiritual Two-Seedism have troubled the Church most. Both of these unscriptural theories are contrary to salvation by grace; and never have been nor never will be held in fellowship by true Old School Baptists.

Arminian philosophy says that a man is saved because he is better than others by his obedi­ence; Two-Seed philosophy holds that the sup­posed eternal child was a part of God and was saved before time, because he is better than others by eternal origin. Now as Arminianism holds that a man is saved partly because of his meritorious obedience, it opposes salvation by grace; for grace is unmerited favor. And Two-Seedism claims that the chosen ones are a part of God and are saved because of their supposed spiritual union with Christ before time, or their meritori­ous origin--so Two-Seedism s contrary to salvation by grace; for grace means God's unmeri­ted favor freely bestowed on His undeserving and inferior creatures.

Oh, brethren, let us stand firm in the doc. trine of salvation by grace: that long before their smallest origin or existence, even before time, God purposed to save His chosen ones; and now, according to that "eternal purpose," He does save them. Yes, God now saves sinful men --creatures worms of the dust, not because of their works or false claims of better origin; but He saves them because of the atonement of Christ, and His everlasting love for them..

We rejoice that after all the cunning crafti­ness of philosophy and storms of persecution, the doctrine that man is saved by grace remains the uninjured truth of God. Therefore, my brethren, with hearts filled with love for Jesus and His beloved church, let us humbly and ten­derly try to save them that believe. Yea, though they be stupefied by the poisonous doctrines of Arminianism and Two-Seedism, and do not want their dreamy views exposed--let us in love, I say, try to save them from these cold, love-blighting and peace destroying doctrines of men.

Yours in love,

M. D. DENMAN.