well as the injustice, of fuch proceeding might have ftared them in the face.

These circumftances, humiliating to man, as a reasonable creature, have been brought forward to convince the reader, that feparation from the church as generally leads to further difunion among the feparatifts themselves, as it certainly does to the breach of that charity, by which the Chriftian religion, when profeffed in purity, binds all men together.

But, for the confideration of bigots of every defcription, whether in the church, or out of it, (for the principle upon which they act is equally to be condemned) be it obferved, that the honour of GOD can never be promoted at the expence of Chriftian charity; and he that maketh the glory of GoD the end, must take the word of God for the rule, of his actions. We are told, indeed, that "it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing;" and we readily fubfcribe to the doctrine. We are, moreover, exhorted by the Apoftle to contend earnestly for the faith;" and GOD forbid, that Chriftians fhould at any time be otherwife difpofed. But whilft we guard against that general indifference in religious matters, which constitutes one of the striking characteristics of the age; we must at the fame time re

member, that Chriftian zeal, under the direction of that wisdom which descendeth from above, will be

pure and peaceable, full of mercy, and of good fruits;" in contradiftinction to that, furious and deftructive quality, which has at different periods ufurped its facred name, but which bears the unequivocal mark of its difgraceful origin; it being "earthly, fenfual, devilifh."

In a word, the zeal of the Christian must not be of a kind with that which the Difciples felt, when they would have called down fire from heaven to destroy the city that was indifpofed to receive them; but muft resemble, as far as may be, the holy and affectionate zeal of that bleffed person, who came into the world, not to destroy men's lives, but to fave them. And that man knows nothing of the Christian religion, who does not know it to be what it has been here represented; and where what is called by that facred name, is unaccompanied with the fruits above specified, depend upon it, fome poisonous doctrine has been mixed up with it, destructive of its falutary effect; or the profeffor, how zealous foever he may be, has fubftituted the creature of his own imagination, for the truth as it is in CHRIST JESUS.

"It were well, (fays an old writer*) if, instead of wild enthusiafm, we would come to learn the fobriety of religion. In which let us heighten our zeal and Divine enthusiasm, to adhere strictly to the revealed will of fcripture; to have a flaming charity for the good of the body, and the unity of the church; that our enthusiasm may tend to heal, and not to divide; to advance the glory of GoD, and to humble ourselves in our own conceits; that we may be willing cheerfully to fubmit ourselves to our fuperiors both in church and state; and not be so apt to judge others, as to cenfure ourselves: and then, though we had different opinions, yet we fhould have no fchifm. We fhould live together, as members of the fame body; that though one were more honourable or useful than another, yet there would be no ftrife, no emulation, but which should exceed moft in mutual good offices, and care for the whole. Such a heaven we fhould fee, if we had no fchifm."

But the evils refulting from fchifm are not confined to men in their private character of Chriftians, but affect them alfo in their public one, as members of a civilized state.

* LESLEY.

Schifm and rebellion have, in all ages of the world, been intimately connected with each other. The fame difpofition of mind that leads individuals to make their own church, if uncontroled, leads them also to imagine themselves qualified to form their own government. Hence it is, that fchifmatics have been at all times, more or lefs, what they were in ST. JUDE's days, murmurers and complainers. By fuch men this kingdom has once been brought to defolation. The minifters of the church were driven from their pulpits by them; that the godly preachers,

as they were then called, might step into their places. And the fruit of their doctrine, when ripened to perfection, was this: a moft pious prince was murdered, because he would not join with them in pulling down that church, which he had worn to fupport; and the conftitution of this country was destroyed, because it was not built upon a plan of their own forming.

The fame leaven of wickednefs, which produced those scenes of mifery and confufion in the last century, is, it is to be feared, now working in this kingdom; and it will be no breach of charity to say, that the doctrines, which are at times delivered by fome of those irregular preachers, with which, unhappily for us, this country fo much abounds, tend in a

great degree to spread the mischief. In contempt of former experience, and in defiance of an exifting example, the most wretched in its kind that the world ever produced, of the effects attendant upon a general diffolution of order in fociety; there are not wanting men, who, either from vanity or design, are defirous of making hazardous experiments, under the plaufible idea of improving a fcience, upon which few heads are competent to form a judgment; and to the confequences of a mistaken theory, upon which the very existence of a state may eventually fall a facrifice.

Reformation, it fhall be readily granted, is at all times a defirable thing, when the honesty as well as judgment of the reforming party are fully to be depended on. But there is a further and very im portant confideration belonging to this fubject, which is feldom taken into account; and againft which neither honesty nor judgment are a fufficient fecurity. In politics, the most important events are ofttimes unforeseen, and derived from caufes with which they have no immediate or apparent connection. Circum ftances in proof of this position are to be met with in the history of every country. A plan fet on foot by wife and honeft men may be fo diftorted in its work?