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The Evening and The Morning Star/2/13
| ←Number 12 | The Evening and The Morning Star Volume 2, Number 13 |
Number 14→ |
| Source document in Mormon Publications: 19th and 20th Centuries online archive: The Evening and The Morning Star Vol. 1
Note: Some headings and bracketed texts are editorial and not part of the original text. |
| THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR | ||
| Vol. 2. | Independence, Mo. June, 1833 | No. 13. |
THE ARTICLES AND COVENANTS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.
The rise of the church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in the flesh;
It being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and commandments of God in the fourth month and on the sixth day of the month, which is called April:
Which commandments were given to Joseph, who was called of God and ordained an apostle of Jesus Christ an elder of this church:
And also to Oliver, who was also called of God an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of this church, and ordained under his hand:
And this according to the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be all glory both now and forever. Amen.
For, after that it truly was manifested unto this first elder, that he had received a remission of his sins, he was entangled again in the vanities of the world;
But after truly repenting, God ministered unto him, by an holy angel, whose countenance was as lightening, and whose garments were pure and white above all whiteness, and gave unto commandments which inspired him from on high, and gave unto him power, by the means which were before prepared, that he should translate a book;
Which book contained a record of a fallen people, and also the fulness [fullness] of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles;
And also to the Jews, proving unto them, that the holy scriptures are true;
And also, that God doth inspire men and call them to his holy work, in these last days as well as in days of old, that he might be the same God forever. Amen.
Which book was given by inspiration, and is called the book of Mormon, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and declared unto the world by them:
Wherefore having so great witnesses, by them shall the world be judged, even as many as shall hereafter receive this work, either to faith and righteousness, or to the hardness of heart in unbelief, to their own condemnation, for the Lord God hath spoken it, for we, the elders of the church, have heard and bear witness to the words of the glorious Majesty on high; to whom be glory forever and ever.-Amen.
Wherefore, by these things we know that there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting, the same unchangeable God, the maker of heaven and earth and all things that in them is, and that he created man male and female, and after his own image, and in his own likeness created he them;
And that he gave unto the children of men commandments, that they should love and serve him the only being whom they should worship: but by the transgression of these holy laws, man became sensual and devilish, and became fallen man.
Wherefore, the Almighty God gave his only begotten Son, as it is written in those scriptures, which have been given of him, that he suffered temptations, but gave no heed unto them;
That he was crucified, died, and rose again the third day, and that he ascended into heaven to sit down on the right hand of the Father, to reign with Almighty power according to the will of the Father.
Therefore, as many as would believe and were baptized in his holy name, and endured in faith to the end, should be saved;
Yea even as many as were before he came in the flesh, from the beginning, who believed in the words of the holy prophets who were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, which truly testified of him in all things, as well as those who should come after, who should believe in the gifts & callings of God, by the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and of the Son, which Father & Son and Holy Ghost, is one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen.
And we know, that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they can not be saved in the kingdom of God.
And we know, that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is just and true;
And we know, also that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength, but there is a possibility that men may fall from grace and depart from the living God.
Therefore, let the church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation.
Yea, and even he that is sanctified also.
And we know, that these things are true and agreeable to the revelation of John, neither adding to nor diminishing from the prophecy of his book;
Neither to the holy scriptures;
Neither to the revelations of God which shall come hereafter, by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost;
Neither by the voice of God;
Neither by the ministering of angels and the Lord God hath spoken it; and honor, power, and glory, be rendered to his holy name both now and ever. Amen.
And again, by way of commandment to the church, concerning the manner of baptism; Behold whosoever humbleth himself before God and desireth to be baptized and comes forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnesseth unto the church, that they have truly repented of all their sins and are willing to take upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him unto the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, then shall they be received unto baptism into the church of Christ.
The duty of the elders, priests, teachers, deacons and members of the church of Christ. An apostle is an elder, and it is his calling to baptize and to ordain other elders, priests, teachers and deacons and to administer the flesh and blood of Christ according to the scriptures;
And to teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church; and to confirm the church by the laying on of the hands, & the giving of the Holy Ghost, and to take the lead of all meetings.
The elders are to conduct the meetings as they are led by the Holy Ghost.
The priest's duty is to preach, teach expound, exhort and baptize, and administer the sacrament, and visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret, and also to attend to all family duties;
And ordain other priests teachers and deacons, and take the lead of meetings; but none of these offices is he to do when there is an elder present, but in all cases is to assist the elder.
The teacher's duty is to watch over the church always, and be with them, and strengthen them, and see that their is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying nor back-biting, nor evil speaking;
And see that the church meet together often, and also see that all the members do their duty; and he is to take the lead of meetings in the absence of the elder or priest, and is to be assisted always, and in all his duties in the church by the deacons;
But neither the teachers nor deacons have authority to baptize nor administer the sacrament, but are to warn, expound, exhort and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ. Every elder, priest, teacher or deacon, is to be ordained according to the gifts and callings of God unto him, by the power of the Holy Ghost which is in the one who ordains him.
The several elders composing this church of Christ, are to meet in conference once in three months, or from time to time as they shall direct or appoint to do church business whatsoever is necessary.
And each priest or teacher, who is ordained by a priest, is to take a certificate from him at the time, which when presented to an elder, he is to give him a license which shall authorize him to perform the duty of his calling.
The duty of the members after they are received by baptism.
The elders or priests are to have a sufficient time to expound all things concerning this church of Christ to their understanding, previous to their partaking of the sacrament, and being confirmed by the laying on of the hands of the elders;
So that all things may be done in order.
And the members shall manifest before the church, and also before the elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy of it, that there may be works and faith agreeable to the holy scriptures, walking in holiness before the Lord. Every member of this church of Christ having children, is to bring them unto the elders before the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of the Lord, and bless them in the name of Christ.
There cannot any one be received into this church of Christ who has not arrived to the years of accountability before God, and is not capable of repentance.
And baptism is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who repent:
Whosoever being called of God & having authority given them of Jesus Christ, shall go down into the water with them and shall say, calling them by name:
Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Then shall he immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water.
And it is expedient that the church meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus;
And the elder or priest shall administer it, and after this manner shall he do, he shall kneel with the church, and call upon the Father in mighty prayer, saying:
O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, & witness unto thee, O God the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
The manner of administering the wine:
Behold they shall take the cup and say, O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them, that they may witness unto thee; O God the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
Any member of this church of Christ, transgressing or being overtaken in a
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fault, shall be dealt with according as the scriptures direct. It shall be the duty of the several churches, composing this church of Christ, to send one or more of their teachers to attend the several conferences, held by the elders of this church, with a list of the names of the several members, uniting themselves to the church since the last conference, or send by the hand of some priest, so that there can be kept a regular list of all the names of the members of the whole church in a book kept by one of the elders;
Whomsoever the other elders shall appoint from time to time:
And also, if any have been expelled from the church, so that their names may be blotted out of the general church record of names.
Any member removing from the church where he resides, if going to a church where he is not known, may take a letter certifying that he is a regular member and in good standing; which certificate may be signed by any elder or priest, if the member receiving the letter is personally acquainted with the elder or priest, or it may be signed by the teachers or deacons of the church.
THE BOOK OF MORMON.
Notwithstanding the church of Christ has received the fulness [fullness] of the gospel from the book of Mormon, and every member as a true disciple of the blessed Savior, studies it as a heavenly treasure, yet few, very few of our fellow men in the world, know any thing about the merits of this sacred volume. We therefore, have concluded to commence its publication to the Star, and shall continue from number to number until it is finished.
By this means the world will have an opportunity to read for themselves, and prepare for the great days to come. By this means those who are seeking for truth can find it, and compare the book of Mormon with the bible, and witness the great doings of the Lord in these last days, in bringing forth his everlasting covenant for the gathering of his elect, and the restoration of the tribes, and scattered remnants of Israel from the four quarters of the earth.
We have again inserted the articles and covenants according to our promise in a previous number, for the benefit of our brethren abroad who have not the first number of the first volume. As there were, some errors which had got into them by transcribing, we have since obtained the original copy and made the necessary corrections.
CHAPTER I.
I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days-nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days; yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. And I know that the record which I make, to be true, and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.
For it came to pass, in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father Lehi having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days;) and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people, that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed. Wherefore it came to pass, that my father Lehi, as he went forth, prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.
And it came to pass, as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard, he did quake and tremble exceedingly.
And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit & the things which he had seen; and being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open; and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.
And it came to pass that he saw one descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his lustre [luster] was above that of the sun at noon-day; and he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament; and they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.
And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord, and he read saying, Wo wo unto Jerusalem! for I have seen thine abominations; yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem-that it should be destroyed, & the inhabitants thereof, many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon.
And it came to pass that when my father had read and saw many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as, Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy is over all the inhabitants of the earth; and because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled because of the things which he had seen; yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.
And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account; but I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days-Behold I make an abridgement [abridgment] of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after that I have abridged the record of my father, then will I make an account of mine own life.
Therefore, I would that ye should know that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, & began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard.
And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; & he testified that the things which he saw & heard & also the things which the [he?] read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world.
And when the Jews heard these things, they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out and stoned and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord is over all them whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.
For behold it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and saith, Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold they seek to take away thy life.
And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.
And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and he departed into the wilderness; and he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he travelled [traveled] in the wilderness, in the borders, which was nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, which were Laman, Lemuel and Sam.
And it came to pass that when he had travelled [traveled] three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley beside a river of water. And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and he made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God. And it came to pass that he called the name of the river Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof.
And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness. And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm, and steadfast, and immoveable [immovable] in keeping the commandments of the Lord. Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold, they did murmur in many things against their father, because that he was a visionary man, and that he had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, and to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.
And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them. Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews, which were at Jerusalem, which sought to take away the life of my father.
And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore they did do as he commanded them. And my father dwelt in a tent.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceeding young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit.
And it came to pass that he believed in my words; but behold Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words: And being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, I cried unto the Lord for them.
And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper,
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and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands. And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren. For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed, except they shall rebel against me also. And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.
And it came to pass that I Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father. And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem. For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews, and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass. Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness. And now, behold, thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord. Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father, I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words, he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord. And I Nephi, and my brethren, took our journey in the wilderness with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem.
And it came to pass that when we had come up to the land of Jerusalem, I & my brethren did consult one with another; and we cast lots which of us should go in unto the house of Laban. And it came to pass that the lot fell upon Laman; and Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with him as he sat in his house. And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy of my father.
And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have the records. Wherefore he said unto him, behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee. But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceeding sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness.
[TO BE CONTINUED.]
THE SECOND COMING OF THE SAVIOR, No. II.
In the 4th number of the Star, the second coming of the Savior was commenced, and we again continue the same subject, for the instruction of those who hope to see him in the flesh. This is one of the greatest subjects that we can write upon in these last days. It is a subject that concerns all men. For the warning voice has gone forth in these last days, for all men to be prepared for the time when he comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Notwithstanding all, or the most of christendom, pretend to believe, that the Millennium will soon be ushered in and cause a spiritual reign of the Savior over mankind, still, the plain fact, that he will come down in person and reign on earth with the righteous, a thousand years, seems to be as foreign to the minds of those who pretend to believe that the bible is true, except those who believe in the fulness [fullness] of the gospel, as his birth and ministry were to the Jews.
Now if the church of Christ had no other prophecy than that of Moses, and Peter's words added to it, the disciples would be bound to believe that Jesus Christ would, at some time or other, come on earth, and that all who would not repent and become righteous, would be cut off.
Moses said, The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken. Peter said, that Christ should come again, for said he, the heavens must receive him until the times of restitution of all things, &c., and that this Jesus was the same of whom Moses spake.
This prophetic language, in connection with what precedes it, is enough to convince any rational man, that the Savior will come again in person, and the wicked be destroyed. For the language is equally as plain that he will come the second time in person, as it was that he would come the first. And all who deny this fact, deny his word. For it is plainly set forth in his word, that he will come again on earth before the last great day of judgment; and all who believe his word, who are acquainted with his Spirit, and who know his voice, know that this is true.
If Peter did not mean that Jesus Christ should be sent again, (for this was after his crucifixion) what did he mean? But he proved his words from the prophecy of Moses, that the Lord had come once, and then said that he should come again. The great mistake which the world, or which the Jews made, and which the Gentiles now make, is, in supposing one thing for another, or, thinking, that when the word of the Lord directly says one thing, that it does not mean as it says, but must be supplied some other way, or be turned into some other meaning; when they deny that any one can speak moved by the Holy Ghost in these last days, that God does not inspire men now to give revelations, and that his word is infallible, eternal truth, and will never pass away, and yet they will, by their own wisdom, figure a something directly different from the plain, precious, and easy word of God; and say, listen ye to my precept, for behold, I show unto you a more excellent way. And all have a different precept, and all show a different way, and we ask where are they all going, and where will they all land?
The Jews supposed that when the Messiah came, he would come with power and great glory, and subdue all enemies under his feet. They expected the Savior to come but once; they were disappointed and fell upon that Rock, and were broken and scattered.
The Gentiles received the Savior spiritually, and they never expect him in person again: When Paul says: And to you, who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe in that day.-And also the Lord said, that he would come in the clouds of heaven.
It is really strange that men blind themselves, and miss the truth; but so it is. The Gentiles are in the same dilemma for the second coming, that the Jews were for the first, and although the Jews fell upon the Rock and were broken, yet they have the promise of mercy, while those upon whom the Rock shall fall, will be ground to powder.
Enoch, who walked with God while Zion was upon the earth in the first thousand years, said, the Savior was to come in the meridian of time, and then again in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfill the oath which he made unto him concerning the children of Noah.
The day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day, the heavens shall be darkened, and a vail of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth, and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth to bear testimony of mine Only begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men: and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an holy city, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called ZION, a New Jerusalem.
It is clearly expressed in the sacred volume, that before the great day of the Lord, there shall be great distress and trouble, such as was never before, nor should be afterward: But immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Our Savior said to the three Nephites who desired to tarry: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, which was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me; therefore more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death, but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father, unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled, according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory, with the powers of heaven.
GOOD PROOF.
No people that have lived on this continent, since the flood, understood many of the arts and sciences, better than the Jaredites and Nephites, whose brief history is sketched in the book of Mormon. The facts following, from the Star in the West, is not only proof of their skill, but it is good proof, to those that want evidence, that the book of Mormon, IS TRUE.
In Rowan County, (N. C.) on the summit level of a piece of tableland, in the first settlement of that section of the new world, a stone house was found, completely imbeded [imbedded] in the earth even the funnel of the chimney was covered by the growth of the earth.-This relic of antiquity, was discovered by one of the early planters in plowing up a piece of land. Finding some stone on a particular part of his farm, in a position which seemed to indicated the work of art, he fell to removing the same, and soon found he was taking off the funnel of a stone chimney This circumstance excited the curiosity of the neighboring planters, who met and agreed to examine the edifice by excavating the earth from the stone wall. They soon found that the chimney was attached to a large stone house; by tracing the angles of the same, and digging to the very foundation, they found its dimensions to be 23 feet 11 inches, by 36 feet 3 inches, with a wall 15 feet in height, constructed with doors and windows according to the strict rules of architecture. At the foundation of this ancient edifice, which appeared to be built with much taste, was found relics of house-hold furniture, such as broken pieces of earthen pots, &c. which showed the arts of civilized life were well understood by the inhabitants of this antique dwelling place of human beings.
In Cincinnati, when excavating the earth, at the first settlement of that place, 27 feet below the surface was found an artificial peach and pear, cut out of stone, with a complete imitation of the stem and blossom end, which proved beyond the possibility of a doubt, that the skill of some human being had been exerted in imitation of nature's beautiful works.
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