antness, and all His paths to be peace;" is there any room for hesitation, what should be the main object and principal care of such parents, in the education of their children? must it not be, to do all in their power to bring them acquainted with this Holy Leader, and guide their feet in the footsteps of the flock of His companions?

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agree with thee, they ought to be carefully guarded against indulging any degree of slight or contempt, or uncharitableness, with respect to the religious opinions and practices of any other people.

When I consider the human offspring, with all the advantages of human learning and mental cultivation, recommended to the exertion of their own powers, under the conduct of human reason, in order to explore the paths of peace and endless happiness, even with the help of a written and attested revelation; the subject is to me very affecting. I do not undervalue reason; I esteem it as a precious gift of God; but I believe it is no more capable of leading us to heaven, than our hands were made to reach it, our eyes to see it,

or our feet to carry us thither. Reason, however useful in its proper place, under the influence of Divine Light, is, like all our other faculties and powers, when under the government of the old or natural, unregenerated man; capable of dreadful prostitution. Let its own works praise it; what hath it done for those who have professed to devote themselves most to its guidance, free from all the systems and shackles of their education? how are these agreed, how are they united, are these "of one heart and of one soul," speaking the same thing? No, no; nothing is more evident than the contrary of all this, to those who are acquainted with the state and labours of this description of people, the reputed wise and learned of this world: Babel has always had men, for its builders, but the kingdom of Heaven hath ever been made up of "little children."

Admitting all thou hast said, concerning the most important truths of religion, to be generally true; and that thy remarks, on things of subordinate importance, are generally just, I do not see how much instruction

is likely to be derived from them; for we are far from being agreed about what are fundamental truths; and, I fear, we have very different sentiments concerning those things, which some count little or indifferent. That

which I believe, according to the best light and understanding I am favoured with, to be my duty to do or say, and in the doing of which I have peace, and in the omission of which I feel trouble, is not to me a little or indifferent thing; though I by no means wish other people's liberty to be judged by my conscience, but would have all to attend to the discoveries of Divine Light, and pursue those things that make for peace.

The fall of all mankind, in our first father, by whose transgression "sin entered into the world, and death by sin," and our restoration by the second Adam, "the Lord from Heaven," the "Quickening Spirit," "the Resurrection and the Life ;" these, surely, are the fundamental doctrines of religion; and if these are not admitted amongst its most important truths, I am sure, for my part, I can see no foundation in the nature of things, for any religion at all; cer

tainly there can be none for the religion of the Gospel, by which we are every-where called to self-denial, and a renunciation of this world. "Except a man be born again," said our blessed Saviour, "he cannot see the kingdom of God." "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Agreeably to this, is the doctrine of the apostle: "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." To this purport, is all the doctrine of Christ and his apostles; how strangely then must they have read the declarations of the Gospel! and how little must they be acquainted with the book of all books-their own hearts, who can believe that they are not by nature in a fallen, very corrupt, and degenerate state?

I think, a great deal of truth.

The paragraph on scepticism contains, I have only to say of this subject, that I believe the most

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common cause of scepticism, though most remote from human observation, is the working of satan in the fallen reason of man, which E. Burroughs somewhere calls the habitation of the serpent. Indeed, thou hast said something very like this, when thou sayst, it originates in selfishness.

All endeavours to make the terms or conditions of church-membership amongst us more extensive, broad and easy, so as to admit a greater latitude and variety of sentiment and conduct, will always be in vain. Those who stand upon the sure Foundation, and whose principal care it is to act in the church under the direction of the Holy Head, will always have to bear their testimony against, and endeavour to preserve the Church clean from those stains, defilements, and impurities, which spring from "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life," all of which, in their endless diversity and operation, prevent us from entering in "at the strait gate," and persevering in that "narrow way which leadeth unto life." With love to thyself and thy wife, I am thy affectionate friend,

JOHN THORp.