from Asia, I am persuaded you have often, while in heathen lands, exclaimed with Henry Martyn, "How small and unimportant are the hair-splitting disputes of the blessed people at home, compared with the formidable agents of the devil which we have to combat here!" and that, with David Brainerd, you have felt a deep abhorrence and loathing of every thing like party in religion. The question has often presented itself to those who have mourned over the breaches in the family of Christ, What must be done to heal them, so that the church may not only appear in all the genuine beauty of its original unity, as constituted by its Head, but may present an unbroken front to withstand the many and powerful adversaries which impede her march to the conquest of the world? This question is attempted to be answered in the following pages, in which the author has also assumed the task of proving that the division of the church into sects is unlawful, unconstitutional, and pregnant with evil. He has likewise presented such motives as appear to him to be of sufficient weight to induce every friend 'of the church, who may receive the doctrine herein advanced, to put forth his efforts to restore its unity. I am, Rev. and Dear Sir, Yours in the love of the gospel, THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. 2. That it involves a sacrifice of principle to unite with Christians who have not the same faith 5. The alarm manifested by the advocates of sect 106 6. The alarm manifested by the enemies of reli- 8. The diffusion of useful knowledge 9. The sure word of prophecy CHAPTER VI. 111 112 THE MEANS FOR RESTORING THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH. 1. Confess the sin of division, and ask forgiveness 2. Cease from unprofitable controversy 3. Return to scriptural principles in licensing ministers of the gospel, and receiving church members 120 133 136 141 4. Cherish love to Christians of all denominations CHAPTER VII. THE MEANS FOR RESTORING THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH, (CONTINUED.) 5. Labour to elevate the standard of religion 6. Encourage the benevolent associations of the 148 7. Return to the primitive mode of reading the Bi 8. Cherish the spirit of prayer appropriate to the times, especially for a more devoted and more efficient ministry CHAPTER VIII. THE OPERATION AND RESULT OF THE MEANS TO 178 PREFACE. THE main subject discussed in the following pages was some years ago pressed, by a particular providence, upon the attention of the author, and has continued to occupy more or less of his thoughts ever since that time. He has endeavoured to discover the truth by a direct application and study of the Holy Scriptures; and the result has been a strong and settled conviction of the correctness of the principles advocated in this work. He believes that the church was originally constituted by its Founder one and indivisible-that the divisions which have broken it in pieces are in direct violation of this constitution, and have brought a flood of evils upon the church, which have hitherto kept her from rising to the glory to which she is destined. The author does not advocate an immediate or hasty amalgamation of sects, or the formation of churches embracing all Christians of every creed. He earnestly deprecates such measures until a better feeling shall prevail than exists at the present time. But he insists that as the church was originally constituted one, and will be one in heaven, and also on earth in the period of the latter day glory, it ought to be one now; but since it is not, that Christians are under obligation to restore its unity, and ought to enter immediately upon the work of prepa |