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and the truth together, the choice has been their own; and they will have two things to answer for: firft, the embracing error, when truth was before them; and in the next place, the breaking the peace of the church, of which, according to CHRIST'S inftitution, and upon the fuppofition that no unlawful terms of communion have been required from them, they ought to have continued dutiful members.

The loose way of thinking that prevails upon this subject, can make no alteration in the fubject itself. The plan upon which CHRIST has established his church in the world must continue, till its object fhall have been accomplished. And though this church, from the days of its first fettlement, hath been paffing from country to country, as the inhabitants of each became refpectively unworthy of its longer continuance among them; yet for our comfort we are affured, that the gates of hell fhall not completely prevail against it. In one part of the world or another, it will be found to the end of time.

How long it may be in the counsel of GOD to continue it in this country, He only knows. But the present divided state of Chriftians, fo much lamented by all found members of the church, together with that too general indifference for all religious

opinions, which, under the fallacious term of liberality of fentiment, now prevails, holds out to us no very promifing profpect.

So long indeed as a notion prevails, to which the practice of the world gives countenance, that it matters not what religious profeffion a man makes, or with what religious fociety he connects himself; it will be impoffible to fay any thing upon the fubject of religious conformity, that will not be liable to cavil and objection; because, under these circumftances, we are not dealing with the reafon, fo much as with the prejudices and paffions of mankind; which are always, more or less, in a state of rebellion against every thing that wears the appearance of restraint or fubmiffion.

But if men will mistake the liberty with which CHRIST has made them free; namely, a deliverance from the dominion of over-ruling paffions, from the abfurdities of heathenifh idolatry, and the yoke of the Jewish ritual; for a freedom from all reftraint, an uncontroled exertion of private judgment in religious matters, and an independence of ecclefiaftical inftitutions; we cannot be surprised, that their conduct upon this fubject should militate against the plan laid down by CHRIST for the establishment of his

church. Whilst those prejudices and paffions, which the Christian religion was defigned either to regulate or fubdue, maintain their ground in the human mind, the standard of judgment fet up in the Gospel will be rendered in a great degree ufelefs. Men, under these circumstances, will perfuade themselves, either that it does not apply to them, or by fome fallacy or other will contrive to evade the conclufion, that must otherwife have been drawn from it. Thus felf-deception is industriously put in practice, in order to steer clear of that troublefome thing called felf-conviction.

In fact, human pride is, generally fpeaking, fo much mixed up with human error, that till one can be separated from the other, there is little hope of effecting an agreement of fentiment upon any disputed fubject; for men will not see what they are not difposed to acknowledge.

But when men "become as little children," poffeffed of that meek, lowly, and teachable temper, which alone renders them capable or defirous of information; the Bible, although it cannot speak a plainer language than it does at prefent, will then be better understood; because men will fit down to it, not with a view to confirm opinions already embraced, but to draw from it, in fimplicity and fincerity,

that knowledge, which by Divine grace it was defigned to convey to all disposed to receive it.

In that cafe, they will perceive, that one great object which CHRIST had in view in the establishment of his church, was, that the members of it might be joined together in the bond of peace and unity; in the language of ST. PAUL, that "there might be no fchifm in the body:" and confequently, that no gratification of private fancy or opinion, much lefs of prejudice or paffion, ought to be weighed in the scale against this most essential confideration. ST. PAUL has fo fully determined this point in the cafe of fome of his Corinthian converts, by telling them, that even the miraculous gifts of which they were in poffeffion, would prove no juftification for their disturbing the peace and order of the church, as to leave nothing neceffary to be added on that fubject. In the judgment of ST. PAUL, the gift of prophecy, the understanding all mysteries, and all knowledge, and all faith, were as nothing in comparison with that charity, by which it was defigned that the members of the Christian church should be joined together.

In the judgment of the world, what was of such confequence in the early days of the church, is now,

we are forry to think, become of no confequence at all; and that harmony among Christians, for which Our SAVIOUR earnestly prayed, and which the Apoftles and primitive rulers of the church laboured fo constantly to promote, is now become a matter of comparative indifference: as we must conclude to be the cafe, when we fee men, not only without those miraculous gifts, upon which the Corinthians prefumed, but oft times without that degree of knowledge neceffary to qualify them to understand the letter of the Gospel, which they undertake to publish, drawing congregations after them, and making the fupport of some private conceit, or the flightest difference of opinion upon matters not effential to the Chriftian caufe, a fufficient ground for feparation from their appointed teachers.

But would men confider, that charity and humility are two diftinguishing marks of a Chriftian, they would feel themselves difpofed to believe more, and to difpute lefs. Would the men to whom we now more particularly allude confider, that the fubmiffion of human reafon to the revealed word of God is part of that self-abasement, which the Chriftian is called upon to practise; whose every "thought is to be brought into captivity to the obedience of

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