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religious state of the colony. As I have already intimated, they knew the importance, better than the nature of religious liberty. A very few, they did indeed oppose and hang for het rodoxy; but now for orthodoxy.

Under such principles and moral influence, theological science was carried onward towards perfection. Christian friendship and fellowship did not exist in mere name and profession. Christians loved each other "not in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." And for a century or two, the church exerted a powerful, if not controlling influence over the State. So much so, that the civil institutions were based upon the religion of the country, and so constructed, that religion could not be weakened and pulled down, without also weakening and pulling down the civil government.

During this happy period or golden age of the colony, "the great truths of the gospel were defended, error was confuted, and the church rejoined in the presence of her redeemer. Still the coming of his kingdom, and the general influence and spread of the christian religion, were, for a time, delayed. Ministers and churches had not attained to that union of affec tion, strength of faith, fervency of prayer, or faithfulness in duty, which were necessary to the highest advancement of Christ's empire. Their light did not shine before the world with sufficient clearness. And amidst the glorious displays of divine power and mercy, the spirit of the world, developing itself here and there, exerted a pestilential influence, and brought innumerable evils upon the ministry and the church."

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The world was taken "half way" into the church, and secret alliances, with a certain "handmaid,” and with "men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth," were formally ministers and influential professors. And though "fears existed in the minds of some good men," and though diversity of opinion and feeling existed among the friends of the measure, it was at length determined upon, to have at least "ONE GREAT CHRISTIAN ESTABLISHMENT," to raise up a more accomplished, liberal and united ministry. It now began clearly to appear, that love of popularity and influence had not left the heart of man. The world, which had been voluntarily taken "half way" into the church, began to think it ought to have at least half of the government. And though it was in a good measure finally turned out of some churches, it obtained the complete ascendency in others, so as, on the whole, to maintain its general influence without loss.

It now, of course, began to be a desideratum, "to keep the peace," and maintain union and strength. As for truth and principle, they had long been established, and every body, of course, knew and expected that they must be maintained. But when a storm is raging who does not know that the great concern is not to make things stand erect, but so to steer as to save the ship. Such an exigency of the church demanded

* See Spirit of the Pilgrims, for August, page 466. See same, page 469.

prefound managers. It had become necessary to catch people, as Paul said he did, "by guile."

And I dreamed that a very wise and profound manager, was elected to the chair of the first "Christian establishment." The creed of the establishment was of course correct; since no body at this time denied that truth and principle ought to be maintained. And though some general and indefinite lines of demarkation between the church and the world were deemed essential, yet it was much insisted on that "charity covereth a multitude of sins." The mantles of charity and orthodoxy were made very wide; and it was found necessary for the chief managers to continue widening them.

But during all this period, there were more or less who believed and would teach, that all was not right. Not only the scriptures, but their experience and common sense taught them that "Christ's kingdom was not of this world." And they would not be persuaded, or bribed, or compelled to cease making war upon the world and the worldly part of the church, on the high ground of truth and principle. These refractory spirits often thought of such texts as thesė, "be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partaker of her If there come sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. For he that biddeth him God speed, is a partaker of his evil deeds. Now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine ye have learned; and avoid them. And he said unto them, take heed what ye hear. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps' clothing, &c. But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Beware of men. "Think not that I am come to send but a sword. Wo unpeace, peace on earth; I came not to send It is enough for the to you when all men speak well of you. disciple, that he be as his master. Watch thou in all things. Reprove, rebuke, exort, with all long suffering and doctrine. Endure afflictions, make full proof of thy ministry. Call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your master, even Christ. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." These men would have it, that the Christian life is a conAnd they praystaut and vigilant warfare with error and sin. ed that God would "teach their hands to war and their fingers to fight." And they would sometimes carry the war into the

enemies camp, and attack error and unfaithfulness in their most plausible and pious forms. They insisted upon it, that peace in error, dishonesty and unfaithfulness, however venerable and plausible, even in the form of "an angel from heaven," is the very spirit of hatred and war towards God and Christ, and his cause upon earth; and the fell spirit of division and strife, towards the real followers of Christ. They maintained that religious flattery and intrigue, and all courting or following the world, was the best way in the world, for the church to lose its character, and influence and prosperity; and referred to such texts as these, "therefore have I made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my word, but been partial in the law." "Speak unto them all that I command thee; be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them." "For the Lord will cut off all flattering lips." Indeed they taught, that peace, at the expense of truth and faithfulness, is a real evil and very dangerous, like sleeping over a volcano. And they fearlessly predicted the worst of consequences from religious flattery and worldly unions and truces. Nor were their predictions false. For soon after the world was taken to a great extent into the church, the latter so lost her character and influence, that the civil institutions of the state began to totter, and threaten both the state and the church with anarchy. When these men were accused of being "troublers of Israel," they affirmed boldly that they were the true peace-makers. When they were accused of" splitting hairs," they admitted the fact, and charged their accusers with neglecting to split even oaks, and of passing over essential distinctions. When they were accused of being "fierce minded polemics," they admitted that they ought to "be angry and sin not," and charged their accusers with being so fierce for moderation" in theology, as to leave the intellects of their people to rust. When they were accused of not paying 66 a nice regard to each other's feelings," or the feelings of those who differed from them; they insisted that "a nice regard to the feelings" of Christ, is always of sacred and paramount importance. When they were accused of being bigots, they denied the charge, by accusing their opposers of being latitudinarians. When they were accused of contention, they affirmed that it was their duty to "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." When they were accused of being deep metaphysicians, or of putting into requisition "whatever there is that is lively, or powerful, or acute, or profound in their minds, to give their favorite notions currency, and to expose the shallowness of those who dissent from them," instead of admitting "the consequence of all this" to be "evil and only evil"* they were so mortified and ashamed at the stupidity of their accusers as to admit it was indeed a very great evil" to hazard a plunge into any unfathomed abyss," or beyond what their opponents can fathom, after new pearls

*See Spirit of the Pilgrims, for August, page 461. See same, page 471.

and gems; but on the whole a less evil than always to swim upon the mere surface of the gospel, and to be such profound anti metaphysicians, as to be justly set down as superficial declaimers. And when they were accused of being enemies and opposers of revivals, they boldly contended that their kind of honest, thorough, and discriminating preaching had always promoted those revivals that secured true peace and order and morality, and permanent holiness of heart and life. In short, they were somewhat apt, like other men, to justify themselves. And they were frequently so unkind as to do it, at the expense of their opponants. For they could never be convinced that the foibles and faults of which they were accused, were so wicked and dangerous, as "shunning to declare all the counsel of God," as being "partial in the law," and as "causing the holy one of Israel to cease from before their people."

I then saw in my dream, that the leaders and principle managers in the church viewed with an evil eye, these troublers of Israel, whose honesty reproved their intrigue-whose metaphysics refuted their sophistry-whose light revealed their works of darkness-and even whose dreams exposed the hollowness of their visions. But though the chief managers felt these evils to be quick, they hoped to overcome them, and Fall others, by managing-forgetting that the "wise are often taken in their own craftiness," and that a primary design of providence is to try and reveal the human heart.

[To be concluded.]

66 ENTER INTO THY CLOSET."-Matt. vi. 6.

"Do you think," said to a friend whom he lately visited in, "that generally speaking, christian professors here pay much regard to the duty of religious retirement?" "I fear," replied he, "this is a tender point."

How then can it be wondered at, that religion is at a low ebb? Imagine, only, a person not rising in the morning, until the duties of the family, or of business, imperatively require his attention, and perhaps scarcely in time for them; occupied with these all the day, until weary evening finds him under an urgent necessity of repose; and this process repeated, day after day, week after week, month after month, and perhaps year after year; nay,imagine only such a case as this, and what would you expect to be the result? Undoubtedly a dreadful leanness and barrenness of soul! How should it be otherwise? Are eternal things to operate by magic? Are they to work their wondercus influence while overlooked and disregarded? Impossible. The heart that is always in the world will be always worldly; and there is no way to have our affections in heaven but to be often at the gate of it, contemplating its unutterable grandeur and soul-attracting joys.

O, behold the reason why churches dwindle, why the progress of religion is slow, why there is need of so loud an outery for a revival, and why revival prayer-meetings leave you as dull and cold as before. Hear, therefore, the word of the Lord! Hear it, amidst all the din of business, amidst all the calls of life, amidts all the plesures of society, amidst all the gaieties of the world! It is brief, but emphatic and all important:-"Enter into thy closet."

Ah! think how much and how long it has been neglected; and see in your present decay the bitter fruit of its neglect! Is it not enough? Can you bear to think of being yet more barren? Or are you willing, rather than take the trouble of returning to exercises of secret piety, to yield yourselves forever to the influence of the world? The very question is horrible. Return! O return! Behold the door is still open to you; you may still enter. And God is there, waiting to meet you; and, O wonderful! waiting to be gracious. He must indeed chide you for your absence; for what has he done to deserve it? But he will welcome your return. There shall your hearts be quickened and converted anew; there the chains of worldliness be broken; there the icy bosom be dissolved. Rescue for this sacred purpose the early morning hours. Why should the bands of sleep detained you, to the ruin of your souls?-Burst them asunder; they are as weak as withy bands to a resolved spirit, and now it is high time to awake out of sleep.-Christian Index.

THE UNITY OF CHRISTIANS IN THEIR DOCTRINAL SENTIMENTS.

There is, in the religious experience of christians and in their religious affections, a foundation and a preparation for unity in their knowledge and love of the fundamental and essential doctrines of the gospel. And if they were properly instructed, they would be united in their religious sentiments. If they were fed with the sincere milk of the word, they would grow and be strong and lovely in their knowledge of divine truth. But they are constantly exposed to the subtle and dangerous influence of the deceiver and destroyer; and they are surrounded by error and delusion on every side and in every form. They are taught error for truth by religious conversation. They are taught error for truth in books on religious subjects. They are taught error for truth by sectarians of every denomination. They are taught error for truth by religious professors of every party. They are taught error for truth by professed preachers and teachers of the gospel, with the highest confidence, boldness and zeal. Among these preachers and teachers there is not a small number, who are highly popular, who assume the fairest appearances of piety, and are accounted the most able and successful reformers of the present day.

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