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In the rest they were to grow up. The testimony of God concerning the person and mission of HIS SON is the one faith with which SALVATION is connected. This is the faith once delivered to the saints, for which they must contend earnestly, (Jude 3.) the faith of the Gospel, for which we must jointly strive (Phil. i. 27) with one spirit and mind. They may, perhaps, have different speculations and controversies of words among themselves, about what they esteem the faith, and this may greatly affect their visible unity, and lead them to look on one another as HERETICS, but it will be found that these differences ultimately are not about THE FAITH itself, but about something which they have added to it, or some inference or deduction from it, which they hold of equal importance. The faith of the gospel is admitted on all hands, and dwells in each of their hearts, but in reasoning they may, in many cases, be led to different conclusious*."

* See "SERMONS on the Doctrines and Duties of the Christian Life, by the late Mr. Archibald M'Lean, one of the Pastors of the Baptist church, Edinburgh, with a Memoir of his Life, Ministry, and Writings, by William Jones." Mr. Richards corresponded for many years with Mr. M'Lean, who stood at the head of the Scotch Baptists, dying Dec. 21, 1812, in the 80th year of his age. This subjected Mr. R. to the imputation of Sandemanianism. In Mr. Jones's Memoir of Mr. M'Lean, an essential difference is pointed out between the Scotch Baptists and the Sandemanians. Mr. Sandeman's Letters are written with shrewdness, but towards Erskine and Boston, Whitfield and Wesley, and even Watts and Doddridge, there is a

And now hear the almost inspired DODDRIDGE, when writing on this subject. He was neither perfect nor infallible, but drank deeply into the spirit of Christianity: While we live in the midst of so much darkness, and continue obnoxious to so many prejudices and errors, it will be absolutely impossible for us so to speak the same things, and so perfectly to be joined in the same mind and judgment, as that there should be no diversity of opinion or expression. But let us labour to obey THE APOSTLE's pathetic exhortation, so far as the imperfection of this mortal state may admit. Let us be entreated in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that venerable, that endeared, that sacred name, that there be no schism among us-no mutual hatred or animosity, no uncharitable contentions, no severe censures of each other! And as we desire that there may be not, let us take care that we do not impose upon our brethren indifferent things as necessary, and thereby drive them into a separation for conscience sake, and tempt them at the same time, by our ill usage, to that bitterness of resentment which would make them what the mere separation would not-transgressors of this precept, and us partakers of their sins! On the other hand, let none of us be disposed

woeful lack of what his followers are pleased to denomiminate" that unclean spirit called CATHOLIC CHARITY!!" On the other hand, Mr. Jones records an excellent trait in his friend Mr. M'Lean, "He was the most candid man living in his judgment of other persons, and remarkable for his cautious manner in speaking concerning them,"

to dispute merely for the sake of disputing, nor unnecessarily oppose the judgment or taste of OUR BRETHREN out of an affectation of singularity, or a spirit of contention; but let us rather labour, so far as with a safe conscience we can, to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace! And while we do this, if our brethren will exact such submissions from us as they are not warranted by God to require, and as we cannot in conscience pay-let us follow cONSCIENCE whithersoever it leads us, taking all necessary care that it be rightly guided, and if in that circumstance our BRETHREN will cast us out and say, let the Lord be glorified; and if to the rest of their unkindness they will add the further injury of branding us with the odious names of Schismatics, or of HERETICS, let it be a light thing to us to be judged of man's judgment! Let us not render railing for railing, nor injury for injury, but rather by our meekness endeavour to overcome their severity, and wait for that happy time when more of the spirit of KNOWLEDGE and of CHARITY shall dispose them to throw down those middle walls of partition by which the temple of God is straitened and defaced, and the convenience, the symmetry, and grandeur of its original plan so lamentably spoiled. Above all, let us wait THAT DAY, when the secrets of all hearts shall be made manifest; and THAT WORLD, where they who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, shall retain no remembrance of the controversies that once divided them, unless it be to

balance the alienations of Time with the endearments of ETERNITY!

"In the mean while let us avoid as much as possible a Party spirit, and not be fond of listing ourselves under the name of this or that man, how wise, how good, how great soever! For surely, if the names of Peter and Paul were in this view to be declined, much more are those which in these latter days have so unhappily crumbled the CHRISTIAN and Protestant interest; and have given such sad occasion to our enemies to reproach us. CHRIST is not divided, nor were Luther or Calvin, or even Peter or Paul crucified for us; nor were we baptized into any of their names.

"Happy shall that disciple of our compassionate Lord be, whom he shall most eminently own in healing the breaches which the artifices of the Tempter, too often abetted by the infirmities of CHRIST'S faithful servants, have already made in the Church; and which the great Enemy is endeavouring to multiply and widen. Happy he, who reverencing and loving his MASTER's image whereever he sees it, shall teach others to do so too; and who being himself an example of yielding, so far as he conscientiously can, and of not taking upon him to censure others where he cannot yield to them, shall do his part towards cementing into bonds of HOLY LOVE, all the children of GoD and members of CHRIST. How unsuccessful soever his efforts may be, amidst that angry and contentious, that ig

norant and bigotted crowd who miscall themselves CHRISTIANS; or by whatever suspicious or reproachful names his moderation may be stigmatised, his DIVINE MASTER will neither fail to consider it in its true view, nor to honour it with proportionable tokens of his acceptance and favour. Love is the first and greatest of his commands; and after all the clamour that has been made about notions and forms, HE who practises and teaches love best, shall be greatest in THe kingdom of HEAVEN!"*

Having transcribed these testimonies in favour of the exercise of CHRISTIAN CHARITY, and many more might have been adduced, I will add the renowned declaration of CHILLINGWORTH, the champion of Protestantism;-would that it were engrossed in illumined characters upon the front of every pulpit throughout Christendom

"The BIBLE-the BIBLE-I say, the BIBLE only is the Religion of Protestants.' I will take no man's liberty of judging from him, neither shall any one take mine from me. I will think no man the worse man nor the worse Christian-I will love no man the less for differing in opinion from me. And what measure I mete to others, I expect from them again. I am fully assured that God does not, and therefore man ought not, to require any more from any man than this to believe THE SCRIPTURES to be God's word—to endeavour to find the true sense of it—and to LIVE according to it.'

* Family Expositor, 1 Cor. i. 10-16.

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