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nent writer of the seventeenth century, John Hales, of Eton, who, as Lord Clarendon informs us, "would often say, that he would renounce the Church of England, if it obliged him to believe that any other Christians would be damned." Nor can this be imputed to excess of liberality, or culpable indifference to right or wrong, in matters of religion. His history completely refutes such an imputation. Intolerance is a very questionable test of sincerity. I do not know that it is at all true, that the latter quality abounds most in that Church, in which the former chiefly prevails. But I will not pursue this reflection, because it would divert me from that topic upon which it is my object today to fix our undivided attention, the joy which our holy religion is calculated to excite in our hearts.

Surely it is not without reason, that we indulge at this season in more than ordinary feelings of content and satisfaction. Is it doubtful that the many customs which prevail of a benevolent character, at this period of the year, are to be ascribed to the influence

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of the faith which we profess? Is it not natural that we should be grateful for the blessings which it imparts, and anxious to diffuse them? Who can live in a Christian community without being sensible of its inestimable value to society? Who cannot trace in his particular condition, his purest happiness to that source? What was it, which (humanly speaking) occasioned its speedy triumph over heathen superstition? Not surely the novelty, nor the sublimity of its creed, but the altered lives, manners, and dispositions of its converts. The excellence of the Christian morality has always been esteemed, not only a most valuable part of the religion, but also a powerful argument of its truth. Chillingworth', a writer, who, in some respects, is deserving of our attention, has not scrupled to say-" For my part I profess, if the doctrine of Scripture were not as good, and as fit to come from the fountain of goodness, as the miracles by which it was confirmed were great, I should want one main pillar of my faith And to come nearer to our own

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'See his character, as drawn by Lord Clarendon.

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"the pure

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times amongst the five causes of its success, assigned by Mr. Gibbon, one was and austere morals of the Christians.' Nor was it probably at all inferior in its operation to any of the others. Men, whose faith induced them to bind themselves by an oath, "to allow themselves in no crime or immoral conduct whatever',"-and who, doubtless, lived very much in conformity with that obligation, could not but attract notice, and wherever any good dispositions existed, could hardly fail to produce imitators. The singular combination of virtues which they displayed, must also have contributed greatly to their success. Their general meekness, and their peaceable and unambitious deportment, by themselves, would only have been calculated to secure the contempt of the Pagan world; but the courage and fortitude with which they endured the severest persecutions, must have excited the admiration even of their enemies, and led them to examine into the history and the doctrines of a religion, which was capable of producing such astonishing effects. What was the speedy result of that

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examination is well known.

The Word of

God grew mightily, and prevailed. Its progress was constant and rapid, insomuch that in little more than three hundred years from the first preaching of the fishermen of Galilee, the Roman Empire became Christian; and from that hour to this, notwithstanding various checks, and many very unfavourable circumstances, the religion has continued to advance. Nor have we any well-founded reasons to fear, that all its promises will not in due time be fulfilled. That it is destined.to become universal, seems not only to be foretold by the prophets, and declared by its Divine founder, but to be inherent in its very A religion authentically revealed from heaven, even though left to make its way by human means and instruments, must ultimately triumph over all obstacles. That Christians should themselves first be united in one profession of faith, would undoubtedly be an important step to this great end. Nor has this appeared to many wise and good men, to be by any means a visionary and impracticable scheme. An able writer whom I have already quoted, almost two centuries ago,

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thought that pride and passion, more than

conscience, were the cause of all separation from each others' communion: and that that only kept the world from agreeing upon such a liturgy, as might bring them into one communion: all points of doctrine, upon which men differed in their opinions, being to have no place in any liturgy." This last notion seems to me to be not very judicious, because its tendency is to reduce religion to an empty form, scarcely deserving of the name. But, instead of attempting to cut off every thing about which men differ, may we not indulge the hope, that a time is gradually approaching when they will cease to differ so widely; and by mutual concessions, founded upon more enlarged and more enlightened views of Scripture, come to an agreement upon all the essential points of Christianity?

When we consider that our holy religion is not to be sought in a variety of books, and much less of discordant books; but that the whole is contained in one volume, and that of no very great extent; and that the only question is as to its meaning; it does not seem by any means an unreasonable expectation, that

1 John Hales.

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