pears to be a very ancient custom. Pelagius, whose followers were called Pelagians, who was one of the orthodox divines, and lived 180 years after Christ, taught that, "infants might be saved without baptism."

The fundamental doctrines of the church of England are, repentance, faith and holiness of life: these are held forth in her catechism, homilies, and liturgy. 'Repentance whereby we forsake sin, and faith, whereby we stedfastly believe in the promises of God.' And again, 'My duty towards God is to believe in him, to fear him, and to love him with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength; to worship him, to give him thanks, to put my whole trust in him, to call upon him, to honor his holy name and his word, and to serve him truly all the days of my life. My duty towards my neighbour is to love him as myself, and to do unto all men as I would they should do unto me.' Thus does the church of England, in her purity, comprehend the sum and substance of the religion of the scriptures, which is, LOVE TO GOD, AND CHARITY

MAN.

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In this place I wish to recommend An Address,'

1 This Address has already gone through three editions, and is well calculated for distribution among our poorer neighbours.

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published by the REV. DR. VALPY, to his Parishoners, where under the head of Works without faith, says, "The morality of Jesus Christ enjoins us to observe all things whatsoever he has commanded us; to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction; and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. But the morality which is usually meant, is the morality of the world, and not of Christ. The morality of the world only plays about the head, the morality of Christ is deeply rooted in the heart." And again, under the head, Faith without Works, "Hence it appears that justification cannot exist without sanctification. Hence, although you cannot be saved by works, it is clear that you cannot be saved without works."

On the whole, it is wonderful, that among every tribe and tongue, from pole to pole, the savage hordes of Africa, the untaught Indians, as well as the learned and civilised nations, worship a Divine Being, or first cause, under some form. It is inherent in our nature, it is the language of gratitude for our being:

For God has stampt it on the heart of man;
It is a part of his eternal plan.

Come then, Religion, lead me to that shrine,
Where dwells the awful Majesty divine:
O teach me, thou, who art the secret spring
Of inward adoration, how to bring

An hallowed sacrifice-thy grace impart,
To sanctify the off'ring of the heart

In life, and death. And when the golden bowl 1
That holds the brain is broken, may the soul
To its great Father lift the humble eye,
And soar to brighter worlds beyond the sky;
Up to the mansions where the angels dwell—
Where the fair humble Seraphs ceaseless tell,
How mortals, led by God's paternal hand,
For ever rest in Eden's happy land;

That hand, which ever condescends to give ;
For those who live to die-will die to live.

From what has been advanced, it must be evident to the intelligent reader, that there can be no more than two religions, viz. the religion which under some form embraces the worship of the true God; and idolatry, which comprehends the worship of idols.

It must also appear that there have been only four true churches of God, exclusively of the state in which the first people were placed. For a new church must of necessity include a new dispensation, which, we find from scripture, has taken place four times since the creation of man, viz. The first church, or the first dispensation given to Adam after the fall, and which may be properly called

Eccles. XII. 6.

the Adamic dispensation, or the Adamic church, which ended at the time of the flood.

The second church, or the dispensation given to Noah, which is properly called, the Noahotic dispensation, which ended at the time of Moses.

The third church, or the dispensation given to Moses, called, the Mosaic dispensation, which ended at the coining of Christ.

And lastly, the CHRISTIAN CHURCH, or the dispensation given by Christ himself, which will endure for ever.

Hence we may charitably conclude, that though there may exist a difference of opinion, which has in all ages laid the foundation for different sects, yet under what form soever the true God is worshipped in sincerity, such worshippers constitute the true church of God; agreeably to those words of the Apostle: Of a truth I perceive, that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.'

ENTHUSIASTS.

It was not my intention to say any thing concerning the religious enthusiasts of the day, because

such cannot be acknowledged as belonging to any sect of the Christian religion, who assert things inconsistent with those plain truths held forth in the gospel; had not a modern writer introduced the misguided followers of an ignorant, presumptuous woman, to the notice of the public. It may, however, serve to caution the well-meaning Christian to avoid the senseless clamor of fanatics : and this is the only apology I can offer to the intelligent reader for intruding on his time and patience.

In all ages from the time of the prophets to the present day, in all ancient nations, and among the moderns, from Joan of Arc, to Joanna Southcott, some infatuated men and women, preferring their own silly dogmas to the plain scriptures, have pretended to receive divine communication. Not in the way which God appointed under the Mosaic dispensation, nor by living faith, as under the gospel; but they have impiously asserted that it is by a vocal and externally audible conversation with the AWFUL MAJESTY OF HEAVEN. And although this is sufficient of itself to procure them a residence in Bedlam, yet numbers of individuals have fallen, as it were, a sacrifice to the pride and vanity of these impostors.

If the intelligent reader will turn over the pages