regarded as attempting to add another name to the long list of religious denominations already distracting the church; or be viewed in the same light with the petty sects of Christians, Mormonites, and others, which profess not to belong to any of the pre-existing denominations, and to have no other creed but the Bible.

The subtle enemy of God knows well, that so long as he can succeed in fomenting divisions in the kingdom of Christ, his own dominion in the earth is secure; but he hears of the reunion of the protestant church as the knell of his departed power, for then shall the seed of the woman be endued with strength to crush the serpent's head. The cunning adversary has therefore, like a master spirit, contrived to magnify and multiply the obstacles to the reunion of his broken enemy; and perhaps one of his most artful devices has been to thrust forward his own instruments to take in part the same ground which he knew his enemy must occupy to deliver the church from the curse of division. He has accordingly excited fanatics, infidels, and men who hate the holy truths of the Bible, to arrogate to themselves the honour of being its most devoted friends, pretending to receive the Scriptures as the only standard of their faith. He has instigated these enemies of the church to assume the form of religious societies, professing to receive into their communion all Christians upon the broad ground of the Scriptures. That these are wolves in sheep's clothing has been so manifest from their unchristian conduct and palpable errors, that they have succeeded to decoy only a few of the ignorant and unwary,and they have become the subjects of odium and contempt. And now it may be feared that the true friends of religion will be regarded with like feelings, when they propose to reunite

the church upon the broad ground of the constitution ordained by its head.

We have stated this obstacle thus fully in order to exhibit it in its true aspect, and thereby show that there is nothing formidable in it. All designing errorists, it is well known, mingle something of truth with their falsehoods; otherwise they would secure no adherents; and if the sectarians to which we have just alluded have adopted any one principle which is true, that principle is no less true for having been avowed by them, although they are the enemies of the church. Satan himself uttered some scriptural truths when he tempted the Saviour in the wilderness, and no Christian can justly be hated or despised for using the same for a lawful purpose. If it be a true doctrine of the Bible that God constituted the church one, and that its divisions into sects is unlawful and pregnant with evils without any countervailing advantages, then it is right and honourable to advocate and promote by proper means a return to its original unity; and if they find it necessary or profitable to assume principles, which have been perverted by fanatics and ungodly men, but which are nevertheless true, it seems to require only a small share of Christian fortitude to bear all the scorn and reproach to which they may in consequence be subjected.

V. The many objects of attention already before the public.

Those who view this as an obstacle in the way of the friends of union, must suppose that there are already so many schemes of benevolence engaging the time and care of the Christian community, that the plan for re

uniting the church cannot be hoped to receive the atten→ tion and support necessary to its accomplishment.

"We believe this to be a mistake. Wonders have been accomplished by a division of mental and bodily labour. And so in all the operations of religious charity, much can be done by the occupancy of his proper place by each, according to his capacity and inclination. The American Bible Society found agents and patrons to sustain it, notwithstanding the number already embarked in the cause of foreign missions; and when home missions were subsequently undertaken, Christians were found prepared to attend to the concerns of that enterprise. The Tract Society caused no diminution of attention or effort to any of the preceding. The Sunday School Union, the Education, Seamens' Friend, Prison Discipline, and Temperance Societies, as their successive claims have been presented to the public, have commanded as much of attention and interest, and the means of commencing and sustaining them have been as readily supplied as if they had respectively been the only benevolent enterprise on foot in the country. The Temperance Society, though last on the list, has been more vigorously sustained than any of its predecessors.

All these associations are now in progress, but are not combining the power they ought and which they would combine, if the whole body of Christians were held together in one bond of union. This would give them tenfold more of strength and efficiency. Admitting that to bring about this union, it will be necessary to secure an additional amount of attention and labour; it' must also be conceded that as yet, but a small proportion of the whole number of true believers is actively employed in any Christian enterprise, and that it is very

desirable that all who are competent should find something to do in the service of their Master. The evils of division are palpable to the understandings of all classes of Christians, and all are capable of bearing some part in restoring the prevalence of love, forbearance, and unity in the church. Why then should we indulge the fear that this holy and all-important enterprise will fail of commanding the support necessary to its accomplishment? Let it be commenced, and it will not only be sustained, but give tone and vigour to every other scheme of benevolence.

VI. The low state of religion..

Many who entertain the belief of the ultimate reunion of the church, do not view it practicable at the present time, or at any except a remote period, and are consequently discouraged from any effort towards accomplishing it, while the standard of religion is so low; and are induced to postpone even the consideration of the subject until a more favourable era shall have dawned upon the church.

It is indeed of vital importance that the standard of religion should be elevated to a much higher point than it is at the present day; and we agree that until it shall be so elevated, little will be done to advance the great interests of the Redeemer's kingdom in any form. But how is a better state of things to be brought about? We answer, the church must be purified by action and trial; and we are happy in the belief that the process has commenced. Those benevolent enterprises which require contributions of money, such as the cause of missions, the spread of the Bible, and the like, are trying Christians on their love of mammon, when the love of Christ

requires them to surrender it. The temperance reformation tries them on their attachment to appetite, habit, and fashion; while those plans which call on Christians for their personal attention, thought, and active exertions, such as the distribution of tracts and teaching in Sunday Schools, are trying their love of ease. We cannot conceive of any means better adapted to forward the salutary process of trial and action, than the scheme of healing the divisions of the church. It will act like the refiner's fire and the fuller's soap. It will test the love of Christians for the universal church of Christ on earth, and their regard for the authority of God in constituting the church one and indivisible. It will distinguish between the love of party and the love of the brethren; between the love of sectarian emoluments and dignities, and their love of the service of Christ. It will discover to men the strength of their attachment to their own temporal interest, and to their own peculiarities, and to the traditions of men when brought in competition with the commands of the Saviour, and the requirements of God's own word.

In what manner Christians generally will be brought into active efforts to advance Christ's kingdom, by prosecuting the scheme for reuniting the church, will be shown in a subsequent chapter, where we shall point out the means to be pursued for its attainment.

While, therefore, we admit that the low state of religion forbids the hope of an immediate abolition of sects, it furnishes no reason why the work needful to accomplish the object should not be commenced. This appears to us to be the point to which Christian effort should now be directed, and we perceive, little ground of