to what has been faid in a former difcourfe upon the advantages attendant upon communion with our church; the forms of which are neither fo multiplied as to engross the attention, nor yet fo infignificant as not to convey a fufficiently instructive meaning to the mind, of the worshipper. Indeed, if any church has been fo judicious, as to keep the golden mean between loading the fervice of GOD with external forms on the one hand, and stripping it fo bare on the other, as not to leave fufficient for the purposes of bodily worship and mental contemplation, the Church of England may juftly lay claim to this diftinction. And he who perfuades himself that religion is to be preserved in the world without forms, makes himself wiser than GOD; at the fame time that he manifefts his ignorance of the nature and character of man.

The general view of the fubject, which has been here laid before the reader, is defigned to lead him to the confideration of his own particular cafe.

The established church of this kingdom is a branch of the church of CHRIST. The congregation to which fome Chriftians are joined, is a manifest separation from it. The teachers to whose care they have committed themselves, own no relation to that fpiri

tual fociety, to which all Christians ought to be united. To make use, then, of the language of the primitive church, here is altar fet up against altar, and pastor against pastor. From whence it follows, that if there ever were fuch a fin as that of fchifm, in any age of the Christian church, it is now to be found among us. It behoves those, therefore, whom it may con cern, to take this fubject into ferious confideration. Should our church require any terms of communion with which they are perfuaded they ought not to comply, fo long as that perfuafion lasts, their separa. tion from the church ought to continue. But it must be remembered at the fame time, that their perfuafion in this cafe will be their justification in the fight of GOD, in proportion only as it has been built upon rational and confcientious conviction. Should it have been taken up with paffion or prejudice, or adopted without examination; and fhould any means of information have been neglected, which might have been made ufe of for the direction of their judgment, their error in this case will be their fin, because it has been derived from their neglect; and their confequent feparation from the church will be also a fin; for one fin will not be permitted to be pleaded in excufe for another.

Let me intreat fuch Christians, then, to examine fairly the ground upon which their feparation ftands. Let the objections which they have to communion with our church be brought to a fair trial; laying aside every prejudice, not being too wise in their own conceits, but advising with those who are better qualified to judge than themselves, and from whom they have a right to expect light and direction: remembering, that the Christian ministry was instituted for the very purpose of preventing Chriftians" being carried to and fro with every wind of doctrine, by the fleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; and that profeffing the faith in the unity of the fpirit, and in the bond of peace, they might be edified in truth and love."

Having thus brought to recollection the principal defign of the foregoing Difcourfes; which was to furnish that uniform and confistent notion of the nature, defign, and constitution, of the Christian church, which might qualify the reader to judge of the confequences attendant upon a wilful feparation from it, I hasten to a conclufion; craving time only to prefs that part of the fubject upon his mind, which it was one object of the establishment of CHRIST's church upon earth to promote; namely, that whilft men with one mind

and one mouth glorified GOD, their communication with each other in the fame acts of religious worship, might form a bond of Christian fellowship, effectual for the fecurity of peace and good-will among themselves.

It was a remark long fince made by a learned writer, that the fame fate (if the expreffion may be admitted) has attended the Chriftian, which of old attended the Jewish, religion. The great commandment, which constituted the foundation and principal characteristic of the Jewish religion was, that the Ifraelites should worship the LORD their GoD, and that to Him only their fervice fhould be dedicated. But, alas! this was the commandment which they were most disposed to break; idolatry being that prevailing fin of the Jewish people, to reclaim them from which all the methods of Divine Providence proved for a long time ineffectual.

2

ye are

Charity, or a difpofition to peace and unity, is the fecond great commandment of the Gospel, and a principal characteristic of the Chriftian religon. "By this fhall all men know," fays CHRIST, “that my difciples, if ye have love one to another." But of all the commandments obligatory upon the Christian profeffor, this, perhaps, is the one to which leaft attention has been paid. Indeed, through the num

berless divisions which have unhappily taken place among Christians, and that alienation of mind from each other confequent thereupon, it is a commandment which seems almost entirely to have loft its force. Hence it has happened, that Christians, fo called, have too frequently borne no refemblance to that amiable character, by which, in conformity with the Gospel standard of perfection, they ought to be diftinguished.

The first and great defign of Christianity was to reconcile man to GOD; the second, to reconcile men to each other.

If then we are right in our principle, that one ob ject which the Friend of fallen man had in view in the establishment of his church upon earth was, to promote peace and good-will, by engaging the members of it in the uniform and focial pursuit of the fame interesting concern; we shall not be wrong in our conclufion, that the cause which has produced an effect fo contrary to this benevolent object, muft proceed from the very oppofite quarter; and that the grand enemy of man, confequently, is the parent of divifion. "The greatness of God," as a found writer* of our church has well expreffed himself, "is measured by his goodness; his power is exercifed in communicating

* W. JONES.