doctrine of the churches, and adopt, on every other point of doctrine, a general system of christian toleration. The correspondence, which is very interesting, may be seen in the last volume of the English translation of Dr. Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History. To facilitate the accomplishment of the object of it, Dr. Courayer published his celebrated treatise on the Validity of English Ordinations. Both Dr. Wake and Dr. Dupin were censured by the members of their respective communions, for the parts which they had taken in this business. Several rigid members of the English church, and even some foreign protestants, blamed Dr. Wake, for what they termed his too great concessions. In France, the worst of motives were imputed to Dr. Dupin and his associates; they were accused of making unjustifiable sacrifices in order to form an union between the jansenists and the members of the English church. Even the regent took the alarm he ordered Dr. Dupin to discontinue the correspondence, and to leave all the papers respecting it with the minister. This was done, but the most important of them have been printed in the interesting and extensively circulated publication, which has been mentioned. V. Miscellaneous Remarks on the Re-union of Christians. IT does not appear that, subsequently to the communications between archbishop Wake and Dr. Dupin, any attempts for a general or partial reunion of christians were made in the last century: but, early, in the present, Buonaparte conceived the project of effecting such a re-union. He is said to have particularly had in view the catholicizing, it was termed, of the northern part of Germany. To forward his design, many works were published: one of them the essay sur l'Unité des Cultes of M. Bonald, is written with great ingenuity. That essay, and several others by the same author, are inserted in the Ambigu of Peltier, and deserve the attention of every reader. Though they contain some things, to which a roman-catholic writer would object, they are evidently written by a roman-catholic pen. The first point to be considered by those, who meditate the project of re-union, is its practicability-those, who are disposed to contend for the affirmative, will observe the number of important articles of christian faith, in which all christians are agreed, and the proportionally small number of those, in which any christians disagree. All christians believe, 1st. That there is one 3d. That he directs all things by his providence; 4th. That it is our duty to love him with all our hearts, and our neighbour as ourselves; 5th. That it is our duty to repent of the sins we commit; 6th. That God pardons the truly penitent; 7th. That there is a future state of rewards and punishments, when all mankind shall be judged according to their works; 8th. That God sent his Son into the world to be its Saviour, the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him; 9th. That he is the true Messiah; 10th. That he taught, worked miracles, suffered, died, and rose again, as is related in the four gospels; 11th. That he will hereafter make a second appearance on the earth, raise all mankind from the dead, judge the world in righteousness, bestow eternal life on the virtuous, and punish the workers of iniquity. In the belief of these articles, all christians,roman-catholics, lutherans, calvinists, socinians, and unitarians, are agreed. In addition to these, each division and subdivision of christians has its own tenets. Now, let each settle among its own members, what are the articles of belief peculiar to them, which, in their cool deliberate judgment, they consider as absolutely necessary that a person should believe, to be a member of the church of Christ let these articles be divested of all foreign matter, and expressed in perspicuous, exact, and unequivocal terms; and, above all, let each distinetion of christians earnestly wish to find an agreement between themselves and their fellowchristians the result of a discussion, conducted on this plan, would most assuredly be, to convince all christians that the essential articles of religious credence, in which there is a real difference among christians, are not so numerous as the verbal disputes and extraneous matter, in which controversy is too often involved, make them generally thought. Still, some articles will remain, the belief of which one denomination of christians will consider to be the obligation of every christian, and which other christian denominations will condemn. On some of those, a speedy re-union of christians is not to be expected: but, to use the language of Mr. Vansittart, in his excellent letter to the bishop of Landaff, and John Coker, esq. "There is an inferior degree of re-union, more within our prospect, "and yet, perhaps, as perfect as human infirmity "allows us to hope for; wherein, though all dif"ferences of opinions should not be extinguished, yet they may be refined from all party prejudices "and interested views, so softened by the spirit of charity and mutual concession, and so controlled 66 66 by agreement on the leading principles and zeal "for the general interests of Christianity, that "no sect or persuasion should be tempted to make religion subservient to secular views, or to employ political power to the prejudice of others.-The "existence of dissent will, perhaps, be inseparable 66 66 |