cause our eternal misery; nor can any virtues, however distinguished, save us from their consequences.

The other approaches us as a man fallible like ourselves. He reminds us of the great importance which must appear to every rational being to belong to religious truth, and of our mutual interest in obtaining it. We agree (we will take such a case) in receiving Christianity as a revelation from God, but it seems we have formed different notions respecting its doctrines. We may, probably, agree on some important points; he hopes we both partake to some considerable degree in its beneficial influences; but we cannot both be right; and we can enjoy its blessings only in proportion as we possess its truths. He imposes nothing. He threatens nothing in God's name; nor would he in his own if he possessed all earthly power; but he has used the means which seemed to him fittest for forming a correct judgment; he has decided, and he is as confident as erring mortal may reasonably be of any opinions. He would not force his views on any one; he would not promote them by terror, nor does he undervalue the excellencies of those who differ from him; but he feels himself authorized and bound, to the extent of his ability, to instruct the ignorant, to reason with the candid and inquiring, and to repel the calumny and abuse, and resist the various unworthy means by which it is attempted to crush that cause which he be

lieves to be the cause of truth, and consequently of man's best interests. He comes to us as feeling a brother's interest in our welfare. He desires not to command, but to convince us; he wishes for no assent but a reasonable one; and if unsuccessful, he leaves us, it may be, with feelings of disappointment and regret, but not of anger; for no one, he is aware, can force his own convictions, and truth, on whichever side it lies, is under God's care, so that it requires not his support though it claims his exertions; nor of disgust and abhorrence, for he thinks opinions important only on account of their tendency; but no one is altogether in error, and whatever advantages and blessings may be lost through erroneous views, he is sure that no vengeance will pursue them in another state.

To suppose that the Almighty Creator of mankind can condemn and abhor his creatures on account of the incorrectness of their belief, that is, for the want of those powers and opportunities which he has himself withheld, is so directly to contradict those glorious attributes which we are taught both by nature and revelation to ascribe to him, that the evidence must be clear and strong indeed by which we should suffer ourselves to be compelled to it. Seeing as we do the differences of opinion which prevail on all subjects, and which have necessarily resulted from the nature and structure of the human mind, the

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notion that error can be in itself criminal and destructive, is in the highest degree horrible and repulsive, whilst, that the advantages of divine knowledge should be variously and partially dif fused, and only gradually extended, is in perfect analogy with other dispensations of Providence, and not irreconcileable even with our imperfect -ideas of wisdom and benevolence.

But whilst we decisively declare against that doctrine of the value and efficacy of mere belief, which is the foundation of bigotry, intolerance and spiritual pride, which gives much of its fierceness to religious controversy, has been the grand pretence for persecution, and is the great bar to liberal and friendly intercourse between persons of different opinions; it is certainly not less necessary, nor does it less become us as the sincere friends of truth, to guard against the opposite extreme, more dangerous to the benevolent mind from the false air of candour and charity which it assumes, of attaching little interest to our opini ons, and considering the belief as so unimportant, that hardly any change can be sufficiently benecial to be worth the consequences of a disturbance of established prejudices and habits of thought. All Christians, we are accustomed to hear it argued, agree in what is most essential; they all believe enough for practical purposes; and the great difficulty, not to say impossibility, of coming to a satisfactory decision on the disputed

points; the number of truly pious and good men who have adorned almost every party; the liberal declarations of Scripture respecting the diffusiveness of the Divine favour; and the pre-eminence amongst the characteristics of pure Christianity of that charity which controversies respecting matters of faith must, it is asserted, necessarily disturbare all pleaded as excuses for inactivity and indifference in the promotion of truth, and for rather keeping back than pressing on public attention our own peculiar views. Religion, it is observed, does not consist either in blind faith or ingenious controversy, and whilst we are relying on the imagined correctness of our creed, we are by no means likely to pay equal attention to that which alone is really essential, and to the improvement of which all our endeavours should be directed our conduct.

To all this it may readily be answered, that although there is a strong bond of union amongst all believers in the divine mission of our Saviour, and there must, one would hope, be many good effects produced in common upon them all, so far as they are sincere and serious; yet, that their differences relate to the most important features of the Christian revelation, and render the charac ter of their religious views and feelings strikingly distinct; that the conclusions we derive on religious subjects from the use of proper means, are at least equally satisfactory with those which direct our conduct in most of the affairs of life;

that the differences which have existed amongst those whose deep study and extensive knowledge might tempt us to implicit confidence, teach us the important lessons, that learning is not the chief thing for the discovery of divine truth, and that we can have no infallible human guides; but, whatever assistance we may obtain, must trust finally and chiefly to the exercise of our own understanding on the word of God-that though the Scriptures clearly shew the equitable nature of God's judgments in his gracious consideration for those who have not had the means of knowledge, yet that they are so far from undervaluing truth, that they constantly represent it as the origin and foundation of Christian excellence-that true Charity, enjoining us to serve our brethren even if it be at the expense of offending them, does not suffer us to sacrifice their real interest, which we believe to be in the knowledge of the truth, to the preservation of friendly relations with them, and that one of the qualities especially ascribed to it, is rejoicing in the truth-finally, that on this principle of indifference to opinions, all divine communications must seem to have been useless; that the mission of law-givers and prophets and of our blessed Lord himself-the labours of apostles and evangelists, and the sufferings of martyrs and confessors, have all been to no purpose. If they have not exalted the moral and religious condition and promoted the true happiness of mankind, wherefore were they sent, or