splendid illustration of the power and heavenly spirit of our religion.

2. But if we would derive improvement from religious controversy, we must not be shaken by it. My second remark, therefore, is on the importance of being settled and established in our faith.

The changes and agitations of the outer elements, while they nurture the growth of every thing else, do wither and destroy all the hasty, shallow, and imperfect productions of the soil. It is so in the concern of our moral improvement. In our Christian standing we need to be firm; we need to be rooted and grounded in the faith, that we may not be blown about by every wind of doctrine. In all matters but those which are fundamental, it is perhaps more favourable to piety—at least to the strength, if not to the purity of it-to be settled in a wrong doctrine, than to be hesitating about a right one. This is one of the difficulties that is incident to the progress of opinion, and it is our concern to guard against it. Hesitation about the objects of belief is likely to be injurious, on two accounts. It chills the affections: and it exposes us to be unduly impressed by the confident and bold pretensions and admonitions of others-which will commonly be so much the more imposing and solemn, as the person who uses them, knows less about the matter. It is surprising, indeed, that this weapon is not, at length, worn out. When did truth ever advance one step on earth, that it was not met with expressions of horror and warning? Christianity was at first received with horror. The Reformation was regarded with horror. And every attempt to prosecute this great work has met with the same fate. We must, therefore, arm ourselves against dangers common to this, with all former times. It is a needful preparation for these days, that we should read and reflect till we are satisfied-till we are settled and grounded in the truth,-and when we are, it were as well, perhaps, if we should never open another book of controversy. But satisfied or not, we may, and should be convinced, that the reasonings of polemics are not the essential matters of religion, that they are only the first principles' of the doctrine of Christ, and settled or unsettled, we may safely leave them to go on to perfection,-to perfection in virtue and piety.

3. But though we may be fully established in our religious views, there is still another exposure. This I shall denominate, as the third and final topic, now to be mentioned, the danger of a controversial way of thinking about religion. This danger affects our views of religious men, and religious subjects. With regard to religious men, we are too prone, under the influence of this habit of mind, to think of them, not as Christians, but as New Series-Vol. V.

34

sectarians, and of ourselves, in relation to them, not as brethren, but as opponents. We thus narrow the large and liberal views we ought to entertain, and overshadow with our prejudices the virtues of our brethren.

Christians speak of one another too much in the way of comparison. You hear it said of some individual, that he is a very good man, though he is a Calvinist ; and, again, it must be allowed of another, that he is a truly pious man, though he is an AntiCalvinist; and it would seem as if men were half offended at these good qualities in their opponents. Some noble and benevolent action is done, and it is not only referred to the individual who has performed it, but the individual is referred to the class of Christians to which he belongs, and then it comes to be viewed more or less through the medium of religious prejudice. From the same cause, Christians fail to derive the benefit which they ought, from each others' good examples and good enterprises. There is some instance of eminent devotion, or of admirable self-denial, or some noble project of benevolence, presented to the mind. Ah! but these are people of another class'—is the reflection that rises-I do not belong to them, and their measures of duty and of conduct do not at all concern ine.' And when we pronounce the name of a sect-when we speak of an Episcopalian, a Presbyterian, a Quaker, a Methodist, we are more apt, I suspect, to think of the peculiarities of each, than of the virtues that more or less belong to them all. I say, of the virtues that belong to them all. For who, that has any knowledge of the world-who that has been among different classes of Christians, has not found among them all, men of the most undissembled and admirable worth and piety-men, whom to know, was to love-to whom your affections would cling, even in spite of their distrust, and to whom you felt that they must cling forever? And it is a fair subject of regret, that we should fail to perceive and acknowledge their worth. Besides all the other evils I have mentioned, it is, in itself, a very great misfortune, not to appreciate and admire the piety of our brethren. Since goodness is comparatively the only good thing on earth, and there is so little of it to be found, it seems lamentable, that any portion of it should be lost to us. I would not look upon other men as schismatics and heretics—I would not think it my sad duty to condemn and pity them continually, for a thousand times the comfort of a fancied monopoly of all the wisdom and goodness on earth.

Thus much with regard to our views of opponents; but the controversial way of thinking of our associates in opinion, is scarcely better. A great and good cause ought never to be

thought of, as depending at all on the virtues or faults of any man. And especially is it a dishonour to exalted worth, to eminent devotion, to make them a matter of sectarian boasting. The good man's character is the gift of heaven, and it is the property of the world. Let there be no selfish monopoly here. Let no man say, 'this belongs to us. Let it be diffused abroad to enrich and bless the world. Above all, let not that which should quicken and humble us, unworthily administer to our pride and security.

It has been said, also, that our views of religious subjects, as well as religious men, are injured by the controversial way of thinking. And our views of religion itself are injured, in the first place, because its most noble and elevating themes are not matters of controversy, and the controversial way of thinking will, of course, lead us to topics which are inferior. The greatest and most sublime subjects of religion are not matters of dispute among Christians. Without controversy, there is a Godthere is a soul, that shall exist forever-there is a glorious reward, or a fearful penalty for it. Without controversy, the gospel is an infinite blessing, and the Saviour, who taught it and sealed it with his blood, is worthy of our most tender and profound admiration and love. Without controversy, the essential and eternal worth and welfare of every soul, is to be found in the knowledge and love of God. Now what to us are all disputes about the mode of God's existence, if there is a God in whom we may confide and rejoice?--or about the precise metaphysical nature of our Lord, if we have a Saviour, to whom we may come, weary and heavy laden as we are, and find rest? I do believe, that the mind may become dull and dwarfish in religion, by thinking more of what is doubtful and disputed, and less of what is clear, and high, and ennobling. And on the whole, such thinking is as unworthy of the subject, as it is injurious to the mind. There must be controversies, but they come from the infirmities of men. There must be walls of separation, but they are mounds of earthly mould. The tendency of religion is to escape from these restraints. It no more naturally dwells in such low abodes, than the eagle when it escapes from the cage of its confinement, and spreads its unfettered wing for heaven.

I cannot leave this general topic, without attempting something more definite and specific, in two or three concluding observations.

It has been all along implied, that the controversial way of thinking, is apt to be narrow, and unworthy of the greatness and sublimity of religion. Let us now dwell on it, for a moment, as a distinct remark. One evil of this contracting of the mind in

controversy, is an increase of its zeal, at the very time when it ought to be most cautious and diffident. This is often seen in the case of new converts to one system or another, and especially, (as is natural) to that, which professes to be an advance on the opinions of the age. It is precisely when they know the least, that they imagine themselves to be surrounded with a flood of light. They are like insects about the evening taper, that create much noise and annoyance, that are dazzled and bewildered by excess of light, and are often scorched by the flame to which they rush with apparent eagerness and complacency. Indeed, what, in the general,-what can be more pitiable than the zeal of a narrow mind, when it fastens upon the poor distinctions and peculiarities of a sect!-the zeal of a man, who can talk to you of nothing but the controversy-who is ever enquiring how the cause prospers-who is counting up partizans, and boasting of proselytes ;and who, on the other hand, is ever prying into the movements of the adversaries, and sees nothing but policy in all that they do-who is confident, chiefly because he is ignorant-who is eager to dispute, and who spends his breath almost as soon as his ideas.

There are men, indeed, of a different class, whose zeal is to be honoured, who are desirous to propagate their opinions, for great and noble reasons, reasons of philanthropy, and not selfishness, reasons drawn from reverence for God, and not from pride of opinion. I apprehend, indeed, that the zeal of such men is far more concerned for moral objects, than for the subtleties of theological disputation. Yet perhaps it were well for the loftiest minds, if they could view our controversies not so much through the narrow medium of actual dispute, and more in the light of other ages; of ages that are to come. It were well for him who is growing warm about some contested dogma, to look back on past times, and to see how every such matter of mere speculation, and every man who wasted his talents on it, have together sunk to oblivion, while it is the great moral features in the religious history of past ages, that attract the attention of mankind. Most of the disputes that have been agitated in the church are now recalled but to be ridiculed. And it may yet be thus with some of our own. Not so the moral aspects of the age. The puerile contests of the Fathers and monks and schoolmen have passed away. Not so the great controversy of the Reformation. One powerful work on the broad basis of intellectual and moral illumination, is better than twenty defences of a disputed doctrine; is intrinsically better, and is more efficacious For the truth is, after all, that the progress of just opinions depends more on the progress of character, of improvement, of

too.

the general mind, than on any elaborate works of controversy. He who shall teach men to think liberally, to shake off the horror that attaches to reputed heresy, to fear God and not to fear one another, will do more to advance their ideas than if he marshalled a thousand texts against them. And it is right that it should be so. It suits with the largeness, the liberality, the grandeur of religion, that it should chiefly and permanently interest men as a moral principle, that it should be founded on the basis of moral sentiment, that it should go on with the great progress of human improvement. This the controversial way of thinking leads us to forget, but this is true. We fight out our little battle of zeal, vanity, and pride-we carry it high and scornfully-not Homer's heroes were more haughty and courageous; but there is no Bpays Tʊxe?—no resounding of arms; the world " Βραχε τεύχεα. is not shaken by our exploits, nor does it long echo with the blows of the contest. Nor will any poet arise to celebrate our deeds. Nor will men remember them. The field of battle will retain no marks of the conflict. Men will not know where the plain of Ilion was, and they will not care.

It is a striking fact, and might be a lesson to us, that while whole libraries of ponderous controversy have sunk to oblivion or are mouldering on the shelves of the learned, a few works of moral sentiment, or fervent devotion, are living on through centuries, and seem destined to go down to the end of time.

Another observation on the controversial way of thinking is, that it tends to magnify the differences which exist among us. This, indeed, is a very common and just remark. And like many other good observations, we are apt enough to think that it might be turned to excellent use in the proper hands. We earnestly commend it to our brethren. We wish that our orthodox friends would think of it.'. But is there no occasion for the remark among ourselves? Let a single illustration be offered, for we must hasten to conclude this already too protracted discussion. We sometimes hear Trinitarians charged with idolatry, and I am sorry to observe that some of them seem fond of the charge, because it justifies them in their refusal of common worship and Christian fellowship. But let us look at this matter as it is, and aside from all subtleties and words without meaning. Does not every Christian believe that he worships one God? In every DISTINCT act of devotion, does he not conceive of one God only? Now take the strongest supposition. Suppose that he worships Jesus Christ as this God. Shall we very seriously quarrel with him about a name? For aver with confidence, that in this act of devotion he does not, he cannot, worship the Father as another God; he does not think of the Father as ano