such a case hesitate how to act? Were one universal cloud of error to spread thick darkness over the church of this empire-were all, save one individual, to profess a false religion, not from conviction, but through fear; how noble would be the conduct of him who thus boldly stood forward as a witness to the truth-who alone, and unsupported, refused to follow the multitude to do evil; choosing, with Moses, rather to suffer affliction than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season: and how certain would he who had worn the thorny crown here be of winning the crown of immortal glory hereafter!

Let the christian, then, in this age of, I will not call it religious liberality, but of licentiousness, arm himself against the errors of the times-let him openly, and without fear, bear in his hand the Redeemer's cross, not craven-like cast it away-let him with patient resignation endure every name of obloquy save that of APOSTATE. Now that schism has raised its deformed head so high, and whether tricked out in the gaudy frippery of Romish tinsel,-its gilded mitres, and embroidered vestments, and all the pomp and circumstance which decoy the simple;-or whether in the persons of the poor street preacher, whatever guise it wears, it still is the same hideous excrescence on the vine-the same blot on the christian faith; but our eyes are so familiar with the

sight, that we forget its monstrosities-and our perceptions of the truth are become so dull, that we cannot discern the danger we incur by violating the church's unity. Even Rome herself, though her garments are crimsoned o'er with guilt-though her hands are red with the blood of the saints-though her forehead is branded with the stamp of schism, yet hath preserved unity to such an extent as to warrant her pointing with derision to the miserable wreck of a church which disgraces our country-and with all their faults, the Romanists have a zeal for their sect which protestants would do well to imitate: the sin of Laodicea lieth not at their door: they spare neither labour nor money, and rest not day or night in their efforts to make proselytes. While we who pride ourselves on the purity of our faith-on the scriptural character of our services-and on the catholicity of our church, shrink as it were from an open avowal of our principles, and are disposed rather to deny than to support the holy venerable mother whose children we profess to be.

It is greatly to be feared that the latitudinarian spirit, almost universally prevalent, proceeds more from an absence of sound religious principles, than from a genuine spirit of toleration and pure liberality. To persecute any one on account of religion is utterly repugnant to the word of God, and revolting to every • L 2

really liberal and enlightened mind. But to vacillate between opposite classes of christians-to give an equal share of support to professors of creeds diametrically at variance with each other, to be so regardless of the church to which they belong as actually to be in total ignorance of the doctrines which it teaches, and to crown all, without one ray of light on the subject positively to affirm that there is no difference between conflicting communities of believers, is so monstrously absurd as to lead us to question the sanity of men of this generation. What tyro in politics knows not all the essential articles in the creeds of Tories, Whigs, and Radicals? Most people, without aiming at cutting any very notable figure in society, but simply desiring not to be distinguished for extreme ignorance, take some little pains to acquaint themselves with that very important species of information; yet what multitudes of people there are, well educated, of rank and influence in society, decent, orderly, well living, church frequenting people, who are equally ignorant of the articles and liturgy of the church of England or of Scotland, of the Westminster Confession of Faith, and of Romanism, as of the koran; and doubtless these enlightened people, if the subject be broached in their presence, will stoutly maintain that there is no difference among them. Such ignorance of any ordinary

branch of profane knowledge would be very discreditable in persons pretending to be generally wellinformed, and it is sinful to be ignorant of that highest of all knowledge-knowledge of God's most holy religion, and of the surest and the safest roads which lead unto everlasting life. True it is, that "where a man's treasure is, there his heart is also." If this treasure be of the earth, earthy; if all his anxiety and care be to guard or to augment the wealth which God hath given him, (though frequently it is thought, by my own arm have I gotten my riches) probably he will learn and adopt the best method to effect his purpose, and if this treasure be in heaven, his heart will be set on the wisest and the surest way to reach unto it: no labour will be too great, no investigation more patient, and no time will be thought too much to bestow on that most interesting, most vital inquiry.

Can there be a doubt on this all-important subject, as to the real constitution of the church of Christ, (and this constitution affects the very existence of the church) and that doubt suffered to remain unsolved? Our blessed Lord distinctly declared to his apostles, “Abide in me and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me and I in

him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing." What is easier to be understood than this? Every body knows that a tree is composed of a root, trunk, and branches, and that all these are nourished by sap or juice flowing from the roots. Jesus calls himself a tree, a vine, the true vine, of which God the Father is the husbandman, and the apostles are the branches, or the limbs growing out of the trunk. The limbs of a natural vine or any other tree, we also know, have attached to them smaller branches or twigs, all of which are covered with buds, and if one of these branches be broken, (though still adhering to the parent stem) from the lack of a full supply of sap, the fruit will be small in size and quantity, and of inferior flavour; but if the branch be entirely severed from the parent stem, if it falls upon the ground it must die, and rot, and with it every incipient bud; all, all must perish. This parable, then, teaches us how necessary it is to remain in the vine, in Christ, and his apostles in the church; and as the natural vine can produce grapes only, and no other sort of fruit, so the spiritual vine can only have one church proceeding from, or growing out of it. We see not grapes, apples, figs, pomegranates, walnuts, mulberries growing from the vine, but grapes only; therefore from the spiritual vine we cannot possibly expect to see growing Episcopal and