cifully allowed to our weakness by Him who knows our wants and pities our infirmities. "The excellency of the power is" still exclusively " of God;" but while "we have this treasure in earthen vessels," no provision is superfluous which may tend to guard against the effects resulting from the fragility of the recipient.

means.

But in reply to this it is urged, that Christianity will propagate itself; or at least, that it may be safely committed to the providence of God and the voluntary agency of individuals. There is one sense in which this proposition is true, and another in which it is false. We may illustrate the case by a comparison. A valuable esculent introduced into a country will probably not be lost, but be preserved and multiplied; but this is through the use of The inhabitants, finding its value, propagate it for their advantage; but if they should neglect its culture it would soon become extinct. Thus Christianity, when once planted in a country, (we are still speaking only, as the Apostle says, ανθρωπινον) will be preserved if due means be taken for that purpose, of which a national church establishment is the most obvious and the most powerful; but we have great reason to fear that it will ultimately dwindle away, or at least be greatly circumscribed in its extension, as in a variety of cases has actually

happened, if this "dead hedge" be not planted to preserve the "quick."

But it may be objected, that the simile is at variance with the argument. A state regulation, it may be urged, is not necessary to induce the inhabitants of the South Sea islands to cultivate wheat or other newly-introduced vegetable productions which they begin to find by experience so conducive to their temporal welfare. In like manner, it is argued, the supply of religious instruction will always accommo. date itself to the demand: so that if a people feel its value, a national church establishment is unnecessary; and if they do not, it can be of

little or no use.

This objection is, however, clearly invalid; for in the first place, even in cases of temporal concern, and where the benefit of a particular measure is unquestionable, public encouragement is not unfrequently given, at least for a time, to promote its adoption. It would not be thought an unenlightened policy for a New Zealand Chief to offer a bounty for the growth of wheat, which has been recently introduced into his native islands; or for an African Prince to hold out a remuneration for the culture and exportation of rice or cotton, with a view to supersede a less innocent species of traffic. But this is not the whole; for, with grief it

must be spoken, religion is one of those things, which, though of essential importance both for the public welfare of nations and the individual benefit of their members, stands in need of every possible support on account of the natural hostility of the human heart to its provisions. Few persons comparatively feel its necessity or are conscious of its blessings*. It has to contend with the inherent corruptions of the sinful mind, and the temptations of a world" lying in wickedness." Whatever, therefore, may tend to promote its extension and preservation, or even, if we may venture so to speak, to keep it in countenance, is worthy of being adopted by a Christian Legislature. The sort of arguments which have been so forcibly urged to shew that a parliamentary sanction and pecuniary

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* "Whoever," says a late writer, "looks into the history of former ages, and observes how much religion has been obstructed and debased by tyrannic and corrupt governments, may see reason to congratulate a people when they are left to provide for themselves in their spiritual concerns, at the single impulse of their own consciences. Yet, considering the general disregard of mankind to every thing that relates to another world, he may see still greater cause of congratulation, when by the special favour of Heaven, a people is blessed with truly enlightened and Christian rulers, who are no less studious to promote their religious advantages than to establish and perpetuate their just rights, and secure their temporal welfare."-Bates's Christian Politics, p. 208.

assistance are necessary for the general extension of education, and for the perpetuation even of the plans already commenced for that purpose, may be aptly applied to the case in question. In the former instance, it is justly considered necessary to anticipate and guard against the mutability of events and the ordinary fluctuations of human opinions. We do not dare to hope, that because the cause of education is taken up with avidity to-day, it will be so to-morrow; or that the machinery, to recur to a former allusion, will continue to revolve and do its work to future ages, unless the natural decay of momentum be provided for by means of a legislative school-establishment for the general population of the country. A similar train of argument will shew the great necessity of a national church for the perpetuation of religion.

It may, however, be objected that this alleged necessity, if admitted at all, applies only to the preservation of some peculiar modification of Christianity, and not to the fundamental and essential parts of Christianity itself. We allow, the Dissenter may say, that a national establishment is necessary for the preservation of the English, or the Scottish, or the Genevese, or any other humanly adjusted system of doctrine or discipline; but not for the preservation of vital

personal religion, which would flourish in a country, under the providence of God, without this pretended adventitious assistance, and would be far more pure, both in doctrine and administration, than if cramped and thwarted by the trammels of an established church.

We do not, however, scruple, notwithstanding this objection, to contend for the proposition at the head of this chapter, That a church establishment is in a high degree necessary for the preservation, not merely of a particular mode of doctrine or discipline, but of Christianity itself in a country. In order to justify this position, we must be allowed to enter somewhat farther into the details of the question; and, in doing so, we should not think it is too much to affirm, that not only the general stock of national piety, but almost all that is exclusively Christian among our dissenting brethren themselves, would in all probability ultimately lapse and decay, were it not for the powerful influence of a public ecclesiastical establishment.

For let us suppose in the midst of a heathen nation a small society of sincere believers adorned with all that constitutes Christian perfection both in their doctrines and discipline, as far at least as perfection can be obtained in this imperfect world. But look again: several centuries have elapsed; and will it be