dure the inconsistency of a smooth and complimentary speech on the platform of a public meeting, when perhaps within a few hours the Church and her worshippers will be vilified and abused in the strongest language? An honest man cannot be blamed by any party, one would think, if he should conclude against identifying himself in any way with such an enemy, lest he should be suspected of defective allegiance to his own communion. We are very sure that a Dissenter would not for a moment venture to say that he could expect a Churchman's cordial sympathy under such circumstances.

We should be sorry if we could be supposed, from these remarks, to vindicate the course which we fear many are pursuing, with regard to our religious charities. We never cease to regret the defection of Churchmen from the British and Foreign Bible Society.

We never fail to think that every dictate of reason, as well as Christian principle, should lead men to distinguish between the grandeur and unexceptionable character of the object contemplated, and the awkwardness and infirmity of the machinery wherewith it may seem to be carried out. There is something so sublime and delightful in the thought of supplying the whole world with Bibles, that it should at once engross and absorb, with a paramount influence, and supersede every thought of annoyance from the co-operative system by which it is accomplished. Oh, that Churchmen, if they cannot be brought to stand by the side of a Dissenter in celebrating in the assembly the achievements of this great enterprise, would, at all events, make it manifest that their hearts are rightly interested in the object of it,by not failing to throw in their subscriptions in aid of a society which is the only one pursuing the work of the world's supply with any degree of adequacy.

But still, we must speak of the hindrances which Dissenters present in the way of that Christian union which they would advocate, and we can speak feelingly from our own experience. We thank God that we

have never grown cold in our attachment to the Bible Society, because of its constitution; nor failed to avail ourselves of every feasible opportunity for enjoying the privilege and delight of a Bible meeting. We may have heard occasionally a speech or a sentiment that we could have wished suppressed, but besides the joy of hearing testimonies in favour of the free course of God's word throughout the world, and the consequent glory accruing to its Divine Author, we have never failed to hail the assembly of differing Christians as a sweet resting-place, as something of a forerunner of the glorious days yet to come, when "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim."

Yet how has friendship been interrupted, and how has the heart been saddened by the conduct pursued of late years by so many Dissenters. We can truly say there have been those amongst them with whom we have taken sweet counsel, and with whom we have walked as friends; but they have principally been of the old school, and are now in heaven. And when we see those who come after them associating and identifying themselves with Socinians and Papists, in order to carry out their inveterate hate against the Established Church; when we hear one, for instance, under his Socinian partisan, decked in laurel, and acting as his leader when we hear him, in his harangues to the populace, say "that he hoped he should live to see the Church of England in ruins, and that if, in his efforts to destroy her, he should himself perish, he would cry with his last expiring breath, Down with her, down with her, even to the ground!"-how is it possible to do otnerwise than retire in sorrow of heart from all identity with such spirits, and in secret pray and wait and hope for brighter and happier days to come for the poor, distracted body of Christ's Church militant here on earth. We must withdraw from a brother that walketh disorderly, if he be one of our own communion; and surely we are not justly chargeable with bigotry and narrowness of

spirit, if we feel constrained to withdraw from a Dissenter under such circumstances. We cannot quite think that Mr. James has put the Church of England in her true position, when calculating upon the various forces that may be assembled for the purposes of Christian union. We again repeat, the Church has no constitutional principles to prevent it, and she has a goodly company of faithful children longing to reciprocate any honest call to the exercise and manifestations of brotherly love. But they cannot be blamed for guarding against treachery and hollowness of profession. Let not Mr. James suppose that we are suspecting the sincerity of his Essay. We think, indeed, after all the previous course that he has pursued towards the Established Church, he should have accompanied such an Essay with some expression of deep regret for the bitter invectives and railing accusations in which he has so notoriously and habitually dealt. It would have placed his sincerity beyond any one's suspicion, and it would have commended, beyond all conception, the value and effect of his excellent suggestions. We cannot be surprised if a reader should let the book fall out of his hands with the feeling of desponding hopelessness, however he has admired and been animated by what he has read, if perchance he suddenly calls to mind that all that he has been reading, and that seems to carry him into a new and heavenly element of universal love, comes from the pen of one who has been prominent as a religious agitator and railer against the Established Church of his country; and one, too, who has never intimated his regret or his repentance for all that he has done. Still, we would gladly catch at this Essay of Mr. James as an olive-branch of peace, and would readily regard it, not with misgiving, as inconsistent with his previous line of conduct; but rather as a document designed to swamp and obliterate all that has gone before, and to show the world the principles on which Mr. James, and we trust many along with him, are now resolved to act.

But if union is to be placed on a sure and permanent basis, we cannot but think that much has to be done which the Essay before us scarcely touches upon. We are persuaded that every reform and amendment in the professing Church of Christ, must begin in penitence. There must be the deep and selfabasing consciousness of all that has been amiss; there must be the ready and unreserved and public acknowledgment of it. The Churchman must mourn and weep and pray over his bigotry and selfishness and uncharitableness towards those who differ from him. The Dissenter must do the same. Godly sorrow and true repentance must be the soil out of which brotherly love must spring up. In social as well as private prayer, the feeling must be uppermost, that it is a day of rebuke and blasphemy, and that lamentation and mourning are most befitting. The priests must weep between the porch and the altar, and say, "Spare thy people, O Lord! and give not thine heritage over to reproach." In one word, if all denominations were only ready to respond with full and generous accord to a remonstrance whtch was proposed about five years ago by some Independent ministers in London, we might well expect a harvest of blessing. The document is so precious, that we do not hesitate to lay it before our readers, as we suspect it is little known, and we fear was suddenly suppressed soon after it came into existence. We can only say for ourselves, that we received it with such a hearty welcome, that we could not refrain from expressing our delight to a leading Independent minister in London, when having occasion to write on other business; but from that day to this we have had no reply from the Rev. Dr.

sent posture and aspect of the Church of Christ.

In doing this, we entirely disclaim all party and sectarian views, and are conscious of being actuated solely by a pure and pacific spirit. We desire, if it be possible, the adoption of such healing principles and measures as shall restore unity and concord to the distracted Christian community. Without assuming to ourselves any superiority, either of wisdom or piety, we deeply deplore the strifes and animosities which have rent brother from brother, and brought them into a state of distressing conflict with each other. We do not lay blame upon any one, nor do we undertake to affirm with whom the evils which now afflict us originated, or in which of all the parties the things we mourn over have most prevailed; but we deem the following facts to be indubitable:

1. That a bitter and acrimonious spirit has been extensively awakened, which has produced a blighting and withering effect on multitudes of professing Christians, to the great personal injury of each, and, in many instances, to the hindrance, in some to the utter extinction, of brotherly love.

2. That harsh and resentful language has often been employed on all sides, by which the command of the Holy Ghost has been fearfully violated before the world: "See that none render evil for evil to any man, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing, knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." (1 Pet. iii. 9.)

3. That the peace and holiness of families have been exceedingly endangered by the frequent introduction of disputes and vain janglings, which have no tendency to godly edifying; and that instead of the cordialities of Christian friendship, alienation and animosities have, to a grievous extent, arisen in the private circles of life.

4. That the preaching of the Cross, and prevailing concern for the glory of God and the salvation of the souls of men, have yielded, in many instances, in the different sections of the

Church, to the angry discussion of comparatively minor points of discipline and ceremony, to the great hindrance of united exertion for the spread of pure and uncorrupted Christianity at home and abroad.

5. That a great stumbling-block has been laid in the way of the profane world. Evil and unbelieving men have gloried in the contentions of the professing Church, and have not been backward in affirming that our objects are all secular like their own; the temper and language of the respective parties towards each other, giving too much colour to the charge.

6. That a pernicious publicity and an engrossing importance have been given to the matters of dispute, as if they constituted the essentials of religion.

7. That a large portion of the Christian community, both in the ministry and in private life, have been misrepresented, inasmuch as they have been supposed to participate in the spirit of measures publicly adopted by men, appearing to assume to themselves the right of representing the interests of the whole body of their respective denominations.

8. That for many years antecedent to these times, the cause of Christ was rapidly advancing through our country; private, as well as great public institutions were peacefully progressive; and the whole condition of affairs gave the promise of rising to a more prosperous elevation than had ever been attained. Much of this has now been impeded. Resistance has been made to various endeavours to disseminate truth, which never would have been provoked, but for the angry and exasperating influence of disputations. Resources have been withdrawn, which would have continued to flow to the advantage of all parties, had it not been for these new methods of reciprocal aggression.

Lastly, The general result of the whole has been, that men have been driven to extremes, while the place of conciliation and concord has been disastrously abandoned; and this at a juncture, when Romanists, Infidels, and worldly men, have been keenly on the watch to make the promptest

use of our disagreements, by turning our weapons against ourselves.

We deem this to be a simple statement of facts, and therefore incapable of contradiction. We presume_the things to which we have adverted are afflictive and distressing to every wise and holy mind, and very displeasing to God the Holy Spirit; and that no large and copious communication of his influences upon the Churches can be expected, till we come to a much nearer resemblance to the state of the disciples which preceded the day of Pentecost, when they were of one accord and of one mind-not in dispute and reciprocal accusations, but in peace, prayer, and supplication.

Under these circumstances we consider it obligatory upon us, as it regards ourselves, our flocks, and our connexions, to avow it to be our purpose,

First, On all occasions, as the grace of Christ shall enable us, and in humble imitation of the meekness and gentleness which he exhibited,

o repress a bitter and retaliating tpirit, and to discountenance all ransorous and reviling language, whenever or by whomsoever employed.

Secondly, To pursue with diligence and zeal the proper duties of our sacred and spiritual office, giving ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word, after the example of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, To take no part in any acts of violence, tumult, or intimidation, as we should deem our character, as ministers of Christ, degraded, and our office defiled by such procedure; and feel it to be our privilege and honour to keep at a distance from all strifes for secular power and political pre-eminence.

Fourthly, To maintain the inalienable rights of conscience; fully yielding to others what we claim for ourselves, the freedom of every man to judge and decide for himself, in all questions of Church polity. We have no desire to interfere in the regulation or adjustment of the internal affairs of other ecclesiastical communities-least of all, have we any

wish to participate in their property and possessions. We are simply concerned for our own liberty, and the true prosperity of the Church of Christ, which we shall endeavour to promote "by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left."

Fifthly, To maintain and preserve the most friendly relations with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ; persuaded that Christians, and especially Christian ministers, should be men of catholic mind; free from sectarian bitterness; cultivating the spirit of universal love; extending good-will to all; and endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Finally, To do our utmost to diminish the feuds and controversies which divide us, by which our own hands are weakened, and the hands of our common enemies and assailants made strong; and by all Scriptural means to promote that charity, harmony, and peace, which are the beauty and strength, the ornament and joy of the Spirit of the living God. Thus we may hope, in a great measure, to accelerate the time when the prayer of the Saviour, the Divine Redeemer, shall be visibly realized, “ that they may all be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me."

وو

We cannot wish for anything more than this truly Christian document embodies. Christ must see His Church in tears, bitterly lamenting her neglect of His last and great command, and then he will not leave her comfortless, he will come unto her; and all the strongholds of prejudice and party spirit and uncharitableness, being deserted and laid waste, He will form of ten thousand hearts one common, universal temple of love, which he will beautify with his presence and make a praise throughout all the earth.

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