mind, than the Church dissented from, may be a question of some importance; and the same question may be asked of bodies of modern Christians. Into such questions it is not now proposed to enter. Indeed, they would resolve themselves into another question, which every one is prepared to answer, Whether civil liberty is to be infringed in order to support the Church?

The Reformed Church also has divided against itself to an extent so vast, that multitudes have declared that those who profess to teach Christianity, being so much separated, cannot all be in the right, and that the probability is they are all in the wrong and from this is derived much, if not all, of the irreligion, profligacy, and disrespect for the clerical character and functions that seem to be becoming daily more prevalent.

Notwithstanding the munificence of the provision made for teaching Christianity in every country where it obtains, its effects on the conduct and habits of thought of the people do not appear to have been of a commensurate kind. The records of crime against person and property might of themselves prove this; but there is most ample demonstration to be found of the levity and licentiousness of the highest ranks, surpassing the profligacy of the lower. The cause of this is not true Christianity; it is the mode of teaching it, and the conduct of too many teachers, who are more eager to feed upon the public than to feed their flocks. The practice of keeping the morality of Christianity in the background, of declaiming on the subjects of doctrine and mystery, and of deluging the country with trashy publications, which have neither reason nor common sense to recommend them to the attention of any but the weakminded and half-educated portions of society, is well calculated to perpetuate ignorance, the parent of every suffering under which humanity writhes.

When we consider Christ's moral precepts, in connection with the nature of man, with the attention which they merit, we see how far those who teach Christianity have succeeded in enforcing their practice. It is of no use preaching to men only what the preacher may think they should believe, and that without appealing to reason, of which most preachers are greatly afraid. It is a most important and necessary part of a pastor's duty to show also what men should do. And not only is individual practice to be adverted to, but the conduct of man as a social being. It may be ticklish to give reason any share in the enforcement of doctrine and mystery, but there is no risk in giving the intellect full swing under the guidance of moral feeling.

It is admitted on all hands that God rules external nature by

unvarying laws; and it is not less apparent to those who give their attention to the subject, that He governs the moral world also by unvarying laws. He has given to the external world a determinate constitution, and also to man's body. He has made the mind of man in perfect adaptation to all things around him; and it is surely the duty of man to exert himself to discover every law of God, relating to inward and outward things, that he may learn in what true obedience consists. The discovery of the laws which govern outward things and our own bodies, impresses upon us the liveliest ideas of the wisdom, power, and goodness of God. The discovery of moral laws, which must be obeyed by an inward power, exhibits His beneficence the instant we contemplate their connection with outward things and our fellow men. In the moral precepts of Christ he does not confine himself to our duty as social beings, but shows distinctly that that duty cannot be separated from religious duty. He does not attempt to force belief, as is done by too many fallible interpreters of his words. He leaves man to judge whether he does or does not appeal to human nature, and points out the true sources of happiness. The orthodox preacher seldom thinks of studying the precepts and commands of Christ in their connection with the nature of man, and of teaching his flock to know God in His works, and above all the others in man himself. Such knowledge would lead to virtue, the want of it leads to vice. It is a very natural and far from unimportant question to ask-How comes it that so many divisions have arisen among professing Christians, so as to obstruct the progress of truth towards the improvement of mankind in moral conduct? How comes it that men differ so widely in their interpretations of the Bible? How comes it that each sect is so desirous that all mankind should agree with it alone, and so ready to condemn all who dare to call its peculiar doctrines in question? To those who have studied the nature of man, the answer to these questions is not difficult. It is enough, however, to state at present, that every human being is prone to cherish opinions which his feelings wish to be true, contrary, perhaps, to the dictates of reason. These opinions seem to himself true, because he does not consider his want of title to set himself up as a standard, by which the mental dispositions and powers of other men are to be measured. Every one possesses specifically the same mental constitution; but no two men exactly agree in the proportions to one another of the parts of which that constitution is made up.

Without adverting more particularly either to the history of Churches, or to the diversity of religious opinion, let us observe

that, while the state of religion in the Christian world is such as it is, such the diversity of doctrinal belief drawn from but one source, it is of the utmost importance that mankind should have attention somewhat withdrawn from mystery, and the mind directed to and impressed by all that Christ recommended and enjoined us to do. Let foolish men go on to indulge in unmeaning uneffective idealism, neglecting conduct, and yet punishing misdeeds; but let the wise remember that it is not "the hearers of the law only that shall be justified, but the doers of the law." The precepts of Christ are the law, and contain the most perfect system of religion and morality ever given to the world, because it is adapted to the constitution which man has received from his Creator. But this is not yet understood. Some have affirmed that the morality of this system is impracticable; that it is too refined, too divine, for man. Some have tried to explain Christ's words so as to accommodate them more to the inclinations than to the higher powers of man. Such persons must have been weak-minded, or unwilling to discipline themselves to Christian purity. For what well-endowed being can be so inconsistent as to attribute inconsistency to that which he admits to be divine? Can he really believe that God could issue commands, knowing that they could not be obeyed to the very letter? Surely the Creator knows the capacity and power of the creature He called into existence. God is perfect, and nothing imperfect can proceed from him. Nothing can be true that is inconsistent with His moral perfection-nothing announced as having been said or done by Him, that contradicts his attributes, can be believed, come from whence it may.

It is said that God's ways are not as our ways. True it is that we are inconceivably remote from perfection. But the Creator has given us powers enabling us to determine what is just and what is unjust-what is good and what is evil-what is right and what is wrong-what is true and what is false. No one possessing such powers can believe that God can ever act unjustly-inflict evil wantonly-choose what is wrong—or speak what is false. It is utterly inconsistent in any one to call himself a Christian, and especially in any one who assumes to be a teacher of what Christ taught, and to say that any command or precept spoken by him is not adapted to the nature of the beings to whom they were addressed. Yet this has been said, though it be an affirmation that strikes at the very root of the Christian system. Such an affirmation has arisen from ignorance of the real nature of man; and while that nature is not sought out and discovered, it will be in vain to preach mystery, doctrine,

or morality, with a view to induce men to amend their lives. These have proved vain hitherto; and, consequently, it is sounded in our ears, "There are none good, no, not one;" a truth which no one is disposed to deny in reference to the present state of society.

Nothing can be done towards the substantial improvement of man as a moral and truly religious being, until he be taught to know his own nature. When he knows that nature, then he will have true motives for improving himself, and of adding to his happiness, by becoming fit for the station he was destined to occupy in creation. He will not then be slow to acknowledge that the precepts and commands of Christ are divine, because he will feel they are applicable to him, and not above him. They are the natural rules for the direction of human conduct, and much may be gained by obeying them, and much lost by neglecting them.

Christianity has not had the degree of influence it ought to have had on the conduct of men. The obstruction of its influence is to be found in its perversion, in the exclusive preaching of doctrines (many of which neither Scripture nor reason sanction), and in the neglect of showing the connection of Christ's preaching with human nature. The obstruction is to be removed by teaching man his true nature, and the wonderful adaptation of Christian precept to that nature, and showing him that, in perfect obedience to the laws which govern his own nature, and to the laws of religious and moral obligation, are his true interest and real happiness involved. But where, it may be asked, is to be found an exposition of the true nature of man. To answer that question is not our present purpose. It is, or ought to be, the chief branch of Natural History, to investigate the structure and the nature of the Chief Work of the Almighty Architect of the Universe. It is a work distinguished by the manifestations of mental power. Until we search into ourselves, we cannot tell that the will of God accords with our nature.

But of this we may be assured, à priori, that there can be no inconsistency between our nature, and the manner in which the Creator desires that we should act. Should such inconsistency appear, or be felt, we may rely on our being deceived by our own ignorance, and this ought to be a spur to research. A prying nature-a natural tendency to inquire for causes-a propensity to ask, Why? have been declaimed against, but only by those whose interest it is to conceal. Seeing, however, that human nature is never satisfied with evasion, the interest of priests has suggested the notable expedient of asking ques

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tions, and prescribing the answers. This expedient is undoubtedly a clever one, while it is most pernicious to the human mind. It is resorted to in reference to infancy, when reason is immature, and obedience regarded as a thing of course. impression is made, and so strong, that, in after life, even mature reason can with difficulty shake it off. Had it not been that priests became too confident of their power, and betrayed themselves, they might still have been trampling on the intellect of the most enlightened among men.

Am I to believe the entire Catechisms agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster some two hundred years ago? Or am I to separate the chaff from the wheat?

1. What is the chief and highest End of Man?

The manner in which this question is put, is enough to puzzle a man, and much more a child; and were no answer provided, the reply would naturally be, What do you mean by the word End? As no man can say unto God, What dost thou ? it is surely impious to set about imagining what it was that induced the Creator to do what he hath been pleased to do. It is impossible that we can pretend to discover what passed in the Divine mind when he planned the universe, or for what specific purpose he created man to inhabit the little speck on which he lives. To presume, therefore, as is done in this first question, that God's purpose can be defined, has a taint of Roman assumption and arrogance, too strong for a mind humbled into an imitation of Jesus.

The answer is so indefinite as to be sufficient of itself to furnish materials for a catechism. "Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him for ever." Here we have the existence of God taken as granted while it remains to be demonstrated; the nature of enjoyment-its reference to God-eternity and the immortality of the soul-all included— but unexplained. We have a question asked in reference to what is unknown, answered in terms abundantly obscure. It would be as profitable to teach these words to a parrot as to a child.

2. How doth it appear that there is a God?

This is a question that takes for granted a very extensive acquaintance with Natural Theology; a subject beyond the power of infant faculties, and requiring powers of observation and discrimination, to be previously and duly exercised before a rational answer can be given. Nevertheless, it is possible to satisfy very young minds, by a simple and judicious process of induction, provided there is a good endowment of faculty, that there has been a power superior to all that exists, and from