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They must " buy True religion is an

willing to make in their own. the truth, but not sell it." entailed inheritance, which they are bound to preserve and transmit, unalienated and unimpaired, to their posterity," that the generation to come may know it, even the children that shall be born, who shall arise and declare it to their children." They are only "stewards of the mysteries of God, and it is required in stewards, that they be found faithful." In proportion, therefore, as they are persuaded, that the honour of God, and the interests of truth, and the welfare of souls are concerned in the subjects which are litigated, and enter into the grounds of difference between them and other Christians, it may be expected that they will shew themselves firm and tenacious. And, as this must be supposed to be the persuasion of persons of different parties, and indeed of all who maintain a separate communion on conscientious principles, it is easy to perceive what an obstacle it presents in the way of conciliation and union.

Feelings of personal offence and injury form no inconsiderable obstacle in the way of removing divisions in the Church. In one degree or another these are unavoidable, when religious differences arise and grow to a height. They are no proper ground of separation, and the recollection of them ought not to be allowed to stand in the way of a desirable re-union. If in any instance personal injury has been combined with injuries done to truth, those who have been the sufferers need to exert the utmost jealousy over

their own spirits. Self-love will lead us insensibly to confound and identify the two; and what we flatter ourselves to be pure zeal for religion and hatred of sin, may, in the process of a rigid and impartial examination, be found to contain a large mixture of resentment for offences which terminated on ourselves. Perhaps we have, while endeavouring to act faithfully, been evilentreated by those with whom we were connected in church fellowship. If we permit a sense of this to rankle in our breasts, or even to live in our recollections, if by recurring to it in our conversations, although without any angry or revengeful feelings, we transfuse it into the minds of others, this will infallibly operate in preventing or embarrassing any negociation for peace, however fair and promising in itself. Or, let us reverse the case. Perhaps we have behaved ourselves unkindly and harshly to our brethren, we may have been instrumental in spoiling them of their goods for conscience' sake, we may, from mistake or misapprehensions of them, have cast out their names as evil, reproached, misrepresented, calumniated them. Let not the consciousness of this keep us at a distance from them; let us not do them farther injury by harbouring the thought that they cannot forgive or forget the offences which they have received. They are men" of another spirit ;" they know how much need they themselves have of forgiveness; and will be forward to prevent our acknowledgements, and dissipate our apprehensions, by saying to us, not in the spirit of assumed superiority, but in the

bowels of brotherly kindness, "Be not grieved, neither be angry with yourselves."

In surveying the causes which obstruct a desirable re-union of Christians, we cannot overlook the influence of party-spirit, and unreasonable respect to the credit of particular seets and denominations. The only thing that can warrant the establishment of separate communions is their being necessary for asserting and maintaining the purity of the truths and institutions of Christ. As soon as this object is gained, they become unnecessary and useless, and ought to cease and disappear. It is not the name of any party, or of its founder or leader, but the name of Jesus Christ, that must: " endure for ever," and every true lover of him will be disposed to say with his harbinger, "He must increase, but I must decrease," and will rejoice in seeing the saying verified. Provided the scriptural doctrines which they have been honoured to maintain be acknowledged and embraced, the enlightened friends of religion will cheerfully consent that the names of Protestants and Calvinists, and Presbyterians and Seceders, together with the parties desig nated by them, should be forgotten and sunk in the more honourable and catholic name by which "the disciples were first called at Antioch." But is this spirit common, even in an age advancing high claims to liberality? How ready are we to associate our own honour with that of the religious society to which we belong, and under the influence of this compound feeling to forget the paramount homage we owe to that "Name

which is above every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come!" How much does this enter into our public contendings! What regard is often shewn to it in negociations for union! Victory, not truth, is too often the object of litigant parties, and provided they can gain this, though it should be achieved by over-reaching one another, and by practising the low tricks of a worldly policy, they will boast of a religious triumph. Every candid and observing person will admit, too, that, in those religious denominations which have truth and right on their side, there are persons whose choice has not been determined by enlightened views of the importance of the cause which they have espoused, and who would stoutly resist every conciliatory measure from attachment to certain ve nerated names, from early associations, and preference of some external forms, which have varied in different periods and places without any infringement of the laws of Christ or any real injury to Christian edification. Even those who are not averse to sacrifice truth to peace often shew themselves keen sticklers for the credit of a party, and rather than compromise it in the slightest degree, or admit the most distant reflection on themselves or their associates, would break off or endanger the success of the most promising and reasonable overtures. With them the question is not, Can we make such concessions and accede to such terms, without relinquishing truth, and acting unfaithfully to God? but, Can we do this without constructively con

fessing that we have been so far in an error, and acknowledging that others have been more righteous, or honest, or intelligent than we? My brethren these things ought not so to be. So long as a spirit of this kind prevails, every attempt at healing divisions in the Church will prove abortive, or will lead to such general, ambiguous, or contradictory arrangements, as merely cover over the disease, while they plant the seeds of future disquiet and disunion.

In fine, self-interest will be found a hinderance to this desirable event. How general the influence of this principle is among professed Christians in the best of times, appears from the Apostle's exclamation, "All seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ!" When undefined and sinful schemes of union and comprehension happen to be popular, self-interest will prove a powerful temptation to unfaithfulness. But it has, in every age, clogged the wheels of those noble undertakings which had for their object the public good of human society. When religious parties are established in great numbers, and have subsisted for a long period of time, the interests of individuals may come in various ways to be involved in their support and maintenance. Liberal notions often float in the head, while the heart is contracted with selfishness; and many who exclaim loudly against bigotry would not disarrange their connections, nor sacrifice their worldly interest, to promote a measure, the most decidedly advantageous to religion, and to the general welfare and peace of the Church of Christ.

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