of seeing fome of thofe many evils confequent upon a deviation from God's plan in the establishment of his Church upon earth; I should do less than my duty, did I not take occafion to speak plainly on this fubject; trusting that what, from a motive of pure charity to all, may be faid upon it, will be received charitably by all; without, if it be poffible, any mix ture of that prejudice, which is able in a manner to convert truth into error, when the mind of the party, to whom it is addreffed, feels indifpofed to receive it?

The object in view on this occafion is two-fold; to qualify, in the first place, the members of the Church to give a reafon for their communion with it; and thereby prevent their being carried about from one place of public worship to another; upon the mistaken idea, that it is a matter of indifference where the word of God is preached, or by whom and in the fecond place, to open the eyes of those, who, with perhaps the best intention, may, through ignorance, have feparated from the Church; and who, were they better informed, might not fcruple to prefer its sober and edifying worship to that in which they are at prefent engaged.

He must be little acquainted with the world who does not know, that religious prejudices leave the

moft powerful impreffion upon the human mind; and that till these are removed, it is impoffible to form a fair judgment upon a subject of this nature. Thofe who have taken their religion upon trust, or have received it as a fort of hereditary poffeffion from their forefathers, feldom give themselves the trouble to form any judgment upon it. Whilst others, who, in the choice of their religion, confult the gratification of paffion, intereft, or the promotion of fome particular object; are, for the most part not in a condition to bring this matter to a fair difcuffion. The only hope of fuccefs therefore in this case must be, from an appeal to the honeft and well-difpofed; those who seek the truth in fincerity, and are refolved to follow wherever it may lead.

: Such are doubtlefs to be found in all congregations of Chriftian people; fome of whom, in confequence only of their never having had the truth properly laid before them, have taken up with erroneous opinions; which, from prejudice of education or incapacity, they are prevented from bringing to the teft of reafon and Scripture. Deriving their natural growth in error from their parent stock, they have by years acquired an habitual attachment to it; at the fame time that the earnest zeal even of those who

might be qualified for the purpofe, will not let them ftop to examine the fource from which it has been derived. Such men may be confidered as not far from the kingdom of GOD; and it must be the earnest wish of every minister of that kingdom to bring them into it. Could these men be but once brought acquainted with the nature of CHRIST's church, they would never feparate from its communion; becaufe they would be convinced that the plan upon which CHRIST has established that church, must be conformed to by all, who expect to enjoy the privileges annexed to it.

On looking into the writings of the Apostles, we find frequent mention made of the unity of the Christian church, as neceffary to the prefervation of that peace which CHRIST left with his followers; and repeated and earnest cautions against those divifions, by which it must be unavoidably difturbed. The Founder of this church is emphatically ftiled the Prince of Peace; because he is not only the maker of peace between Gon and man, but also the author of a religion calculated to promote that bleffing upon earth. The mark or distinction, therefore, by which the profeffors of this religion ought to be known, is, that love and harmony by which they are joined

together in the fame mind and in the fame doctrine: agreeably to the description given of them in the earliest stage of their connection; before the prince of this world, that deftroyer of peace, had fown his feeds of divifion among them; when, as we read, "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one foul." Acts iv. 32.

As the time of our SAVIOUR's departure from the world drew near, the future establishment of his church appears to have constituted the most interesting fubject of his thoughts. That most earnest and folemn prayer addreffed to his FATHER almost immediately before his fuffering, ftrongly marks out to us his dying with upon it; where, after having first prayed for thofe particular disciples, to whofe immediate care and direction he thought fit to commit his church; that they might be duly fanctified for the great work of their miniftry, he thus proceeds: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them alfo which fhall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one, one, as thou, FATHER, art in me, and I in Thee, that they alfo may be one in us; that the world may believe that Thou haft fent me." JOHN xvii. 20, 21.

Unity, therefore, was defigned to be an effential characteristic of the church of CHRIST; the members of which were to be confidered as constituting one body, animated by one fpirit, imparted to them by their regular communication with one head, JESUS CHRIST. Agreeably to which idea, the Apostle addreffes himself to his Ephefian converts: "I befeech you (fays he) that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called; with all lowliness and meekness, with long-fuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." As a reafon for their fo doing, the Apostle proceeds to remind them, that "there is one body; and one fpirit; one hope of their calling; one LORD, one faith, one baptism, one GOD and FATHER of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all." Ephefians iv. 1, &c.

We have here a picture of the Christian church in its perfect ftate; in which, in conformity to CHRIST's inftitution, it ought at all times to be found; a fociety joined together by the bond of charity, in the profeffion of the fame faith; into which the members of it are admitted by one and the fame baptifm; in confequence of which they become partakers of that fpirit, which is derived to