which, by straining them to an extreme point, may have an evil effect, must have an evil effect on all who profess them, we avoid those who differ from us on religious subjects, because we have assumed that they are actually immoral by virtue of their opinions; and thus we miss the opportunity of convincing ourselves of our mistake by a more intimate knowledge of their lives. "By their fruits ye shall know them," says our Lord; but we seldom approach them closely enough to see the fruits.

If we would be content to sink minor differences, and be satisfied that "in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him," we should soon meet on better terms; for we do not hold at a distance from those on earth whom we expect to meet in heaven; and thanks be to God, there is no religious persuasion that cannot boast of many such as Cornelius.

St. Paul recommends to the churches that they be kindly affectioned one towards another, in honor preferring one another:"*"by this shall men know that ye are my disciples," says our Great Exemplar, "if ye have love one to another;" but alas! if we contemplate what is called the Christian world, where shall we find Christ's true disciples? Grievous indeed it is, as has been well observed, that that religion, which "should most correct and sweeten men's spirits, sours and sharpens them the most." But surely "we have not so learned Christ." Let us for a moment contemplate His conduct towards those who differed from him in religious opinions; his compassion towards them; his meek reproofs not only to the Sadducees and the Samaritans, but even to the more hardened ;† and then let us turn to our own hearts

*Rom. xii. 10.

"No national prejudices, no religious differences could hinder our Saviour from doing good. We should consider that men's understandings naturally are not all of the same size and capacity, and that this difference is greatly increased by different education, different employments, different company and the like. No man is infallible. We are liable to errors, perhaps, as much as others. The very best men may sometimes

and confess with shame that we have fallen miserably short of that charity without which "whosoever liveth is counted dead before God."

So clear is the command to exercise universal benevolence, that whatever obscurity there may be in other parts of Scripture, however men, even wise ones, may differ as to the real signification of certain passages in the Bible, here at least there can be no caviling. It is intelligible to the most ignorant as well as the most learned, so that "the wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein."

Archbishop Tillotson relates of Mr. Gouge, an eminent nonconformist, that he allowed men to differ from him in opinions that were “very dear to him,” and provided men did but "fear God and work righteousness," he loved them heartily, how distant soever from him in judgment about things less necessary: "in all which," observes the Archbishop, "he is very worthy to be a pattern to men of all persuasions." "I abhor two principles in religion," says William Penn in a letter to the same archbishop, "and pity them that own them. The first is obedience upon authority without conviction; and the other, destroying them that differ from me for God's sake; such a religion is without judgment, though not without truth. Union is best, if right; if not, charity."

I have given the opinion of these two eminent men of different persuasions, partly to show that the evil I complain of is one of long standing; partly to justify my own opinion as to the remedy; namely, the paying more attention to the fundamental doctrines of Christianity; less to those minor differences which, from the very obscurity of the texts on which they are founded, come more frequently under discussion, and thus, from a mental operation somewhat analogous to that of the laws of perspect

differ in opinion, as St. Paul withstood St. Peter to the face;' and if there was such a difference between two of the chiefest of the Apostles, well may there be between inferior mortals. About modes of faith there will always be dispute and difference; but in acts of mercy and kindness all mankind may and should agree."-Newton.

ive, seem large and important because they are close under our eyes, though they are in fact minute in comparison with those which we have not been examining so closely. Thus men inadvertently reverse the order of things, and zeal for the maintenance of peculiar tenets too often supersedes the far more important virtue of Christian benevolence, to the scandal of all good Christians, and the mockery of unbelievers.

The Quakers, in their address to James II. on his accession, told him that they understood he was no more of the established religion than themselves. "We therefore hope," said they, “that thou wilt allow us that liberty which thou takest thyself:" and it would be well if we took a hint from this, and reflected that we differ as much from other sects as they do from us,* and that the greatest heresy is, as a Christian Father declared it to be long ago "a wicked life."

It is, however, needful to distinguish between the Christian spirit of forbearance towards those who differ from us in religious opinions, which Christ and his apos

*❝In fact, all the religious persecutions in the world, all the penalties and inflictions upon those who differ from ourselves, however conscientiously, take their rise from an imperfect and erroneous notion of what really constitutes the glory of God, and the manner in which we best can assist its display and extension. The angels at the birth of Christ sang that the glory of God was in unison with Peace on earth, and good will towards men. No!' said the Schoolman, the glory of God consists in thinking of the Deity as we think."No!' said the Inquisitor, the glory of God consists in worshiping as we prescribe.No!' said the Covenanters, the glory of God consists in exterminating those whom we call his enemies.' Mistaken men! who thus propose to honor the God and Father of the universe, the merciful God, and the gracious Father of all his rational creatures! Instead of perusing with delight and conviction the plain declaration contained in our Sacred records, too many Christians have in almost every age passed over the characteristics of kind design throughout nature: they have mistaken or forgotten the clear delineations of Divine Mercy and Goodness in the Book of Grace, and have had recourse to the narrowed circle of their own prejudices."-Maltby's Ser

mons.

tles so strongly inculcate, and the indolent latitudinarianism which induces many to declare that "a man cannot help his belief," that "sincerity is everything," that "all religious sects are alike," &c.: positions which, as you well observed on one occasion, ought rather to be reversed; for when men are not sincere, all sects certainly are alike for then it is but a lip service which will never influence the life, and it matters not what opinion is professed; it will be equally powerless.

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Sincere belief must be the consequence of proof, without which we cannot believe truly; with it, we must. If then we content ourselves with the mere ipse dixit of others without seeking proof, our belief is the result of indolence, and for that indolence we shall be accountable when we are called on to give an account of the talent committed to our charge, if error has been consequent upon it. He, on the contrary, whose education or whose means have not put proof within his reach, although he may wish earnestly for it, may be wrong in understanding, but he will never be wrong in heart: his tenets may be wrong, but his life will be right. It behoves us, therefore, to be cautious how we pass sentence on one another in religious matters, since, as has been well observed, 66 we are ourselves amenable to a tribunal where uncharitable conduct towards others will bring down a just and heavy sentence on ourselves. We are not to erect ourselves into judges of other men's consciences, but leave them to the judgment and disposal of ONE who alone can see into the heart of men, and alone can ascertain the real nature and ultimate consequence of all questions which admit of "doubtful disputation."

There will be some danger of losing our way among the almost numberless divisions and subdivisions of sects, which present themselves as soon as we begin to consider the subject at all narrowly. I therefore propose to simplify my task, and make our course a little plainer, by adopting the two great divisions into which the reformed churches may have been said to have arranged

* It would be well if Rom. xiv. were more attentively studied and more universally practised among Christians.

themselves at the era of the Reformation, as a foundation for the classification of Christian sects at present. Calvin and Melancthon may be considered as the prototypes and heads of these two divisions, which, however they may sometimes vary, and sometimes intermingle, are continually reproduced, because they are grounded upon two great natural divisions of human kind, the stern and the gentle. My own leaning is to the latter, because it appears to me most in accordance with the spirit of that Gospel whose great Promulgator made universal benevolence the test of his disciples; but at the same time I must acknowledge, and shall indeed prove before I have done, that the sterner theoretical view may coexist in the mind with a large share of true Christian charity and benevolence. Be the abstract belief of the Christian what it may, if he be really at heart a disciple, the example of his mild Master will always influence his life and feelings, and he will tread in the steps of his Lord, even if his judgment should sometimes have mistaken the true meaning of some of his words.

These two views of the Divine dispensations towards man were first arrayed in actual hostility at the Synod of Dort in 1618, where the doctrines of James Arminius, Professor of Divinity in the University of Leyden, who had followed the opinions of Luther and Melancthon, were condemned, and those of the Calvinistic church of Geneva affirmed. From that time the various sects of the reformed church have generally been known as Arminian or Calvinistic, according as they embraced the peculiar tenets of either party on the subject of man's salvation: I shall therefore thus distinguish the two classes into which I propose to arrange them, though they may not follow out either in the whole of their opinions.

1. Quakers.

I. ARMINIAN.

2. Socinians and Unitarians.

3. Wesleyan Methodists.

4. General Baptists, Moravians, Swedenborgians, Plymouth Brethren.