man, and of the certainty of a future just and impartial retribution; these were the important conclusions to which Mr. Forster's inquiries conducted him. These he believed to comprise the substance of that Revelation which God had made to man by his beloved Son. To that Son he looked up with love, and gratitude, and veneration; but his worship he reserved for his Father and our Father, for his God and our God; in obedience to the direction of Jesus himself: "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve; and believing with St. Paul that "there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus." On the foundation of this faith he was content to rest his hopes for eternity: and it was a foundation, which the experience of his subsequent life, often amidst circumstances trying and afflictive in no ordinary degree, proved to be firm and unfailing.

This imperfect sketch of the history of our author's mind during the progress of this important change in his opinions, it is believed may not be altogether uninteresting or useless to others in similar circumstances. Few men

have been possessed of more vigorous, more upright, or more independent minds than Mr. Forster. Yet the prejudices of education, and the prevalent mistakes industriously propagated by the bigots and religionists of the day, regarding the character and tendency of Unitarianism, effectually deterred him from the examination of a system, the evidences of the truth of which he afterwards found, when circumstances awakened his attention to the subject, so clear, so convincing, so irresistible.

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Can there be any doubt that others have been, and are, deterred from the same examination by the same causes? Can there be any doubt that, if this inquiry were commenced and pursued by others in the same spirit as it was by Mr. Forster, it would lead them too to the same conclu

sions? Can the Trinitarian be found, who has thoroughly examined the arguments on both sides of the question with an honest determination to follow the dictates of his understanding alone, uninfluenced by every consideration but the love of truth? Such persons there certainly may be the writer would fain hope there are many-he can only aver that hitherto he has never met with one. Generally speaking, persons of this persuasion have distinctly avowed, that they considered such inquiries attended with a hazard which they had no disposition to incur. Under these circumstances, assuredly, whatever it might do in others, the general prevalence of the opinions alluded to affords not even a presumption in favor of their truth.

It has been already mentioned that Mr. Forster, at his entrance on the ministry, had united himself with the Presbyterian Church. It is obvious that the change in his rcligious views, which has been described, could hardly have taken place without affecting his notions of ecclesiastical discipline. The claims of this body to regulate the faith and prescribe the opinions of its members, must, to his awakened attention, have appeared altogether untenable. Accordingly, almost at the outset of his inquiries on these subjects, he came to the determination of withdrawing from the Harmony Presbytery, of which he was a member.

In his letter to the Moderator of this body, announcing this determination, and which is dated April 29, 1816, he states very concisely, but forcibly, the grounds of his secession; the principal of which were, "the inconsistency of this system of Church government with our civil institutions-with our habits, and our mode of thinking on other topics; its establishment of a tribunal, by whose decisions the exercise of private judgment is fettered, and by which a difference of opinion might be treated as involving as much of crime as a violation of moral duty."

It was no part of his object, on this occasion, to impugn the system; but merely to point out to his former associates the principles on which he acted. But in his pulpit performances, about this period, he frequently enforced the importance of these principles, and showed how void of foundation, either in reason or scripture, were the claims of authority over the consciences of men urged by their votaries in behalf of all creeds and formulas of doctrine whatever, expressed in other language than that of scripture. Deeply convinced himself of the importance of drawing his religious opinions from the scriptures themselves, unbiassed by early prepossessions, uninfluenced by the authority of names, by the array of numbers, or by any extraneous considerations whatever; he often and earnestly urged this subject on the attention of his hearers. Aware of the efficacy of these causes in beclouding the mind, and shutting out the light of Heaven from the conscience, he expatiated on the necessity of guarding with vigilance against their admission. He often and eloquently pourtrayed the pernicious consequences to the Church, and to the cause of truth, which had resulted from the relinquishment by the great body of Christians, in every age, of any effective exercise of the right of private judgment. The frequent introduction of these topics into his discourses, gave a tone and character to his preaching too remarkable to pass unobserved by the great body of his hearers. It did, in fact, awaken no little attention, and excite no small portion of speculation, on those subjects. Some few persons, of that class, which exists, probably, in almost every religious society, whose business it is to watch over the faith and practice of their neighbours, began as early as the summer of this year to breathe suspicions with regard to the entire soundness of the preacher's creed. They intimated, that, in their opinions, the peculiar doctrines of the Calvinistic School were not so often

or so earnestly inculcated as it was desirable they should be. The truth is, that while his mind remained unsettled on these points, Mr. Forster avoided the introduction of them into his discourses. He neither attacked nor defended them; he neither illustrated nor alluded to them; simply, because he was in doubt regarding them, and was anxiously engaged in examining their claims to scripture authority. His heresy, therefore, if heresy it were, was, as yet, merely negative. He by no means thought it the duty of a Minister of the Gospel to perplex, and perhaps mislead, his people, by making them acquainted, on the instant, with every fluctuation of opinion, which, in the course of his studies, his own mind might experience. He thought that he more adequately accomplished the purposes of his high vocation by enforcing the great practical truths of the Gospel, and exhorting his hearers, with regard to all points of doubtful speculation, to make use of their own powers, and consult the records of truth for themselves. Indeed, from the peculiar circumstances in which he was placed, to have pursued any other course would have been a dereliction at once of prudence and of duty. He had entered on the ministry with no misgivings of mind, with no wavering convictions. His religious opinions were settled, as he believed, on a secure foundation. Subsequent and unforeseen events had given birth to new trains of thought, and opened to his mind new views of truth. With regard to some points, his opinions had, perhaps, at this time, undergone a change; with regard to others, he was still enquiring, and the balance still hung in doubtful poise.

In this state of mind, had he not already been engaged in the ministry, he might probably have deferred, for a time, his entrance into it. But now, the case was far different: the question presented for his decision was, what course he ought to pursue in a situation in which

Providence had placed him; and from which, had he been so disposed, he could hardly have felt himself at liberty to retire. For, notwithstanding the apprehensions awakened in the minds of some by the tenor of his discourses, the great majority of his hearers were not only warmly attached to him as a Man, and as a Pastor, but perfectly satisfied on the score of his religious opinions. Manyand it ought to be mentioned to the credit of their liberality-even of those who still retained their attachment to that system of doctrines, with regard to which the foundations of his faith were shaken, were nevertheless disposed to allow him the right of speculating for himself, and to admit, that, though his views should differ from their own, on some points, they might still be profited and edified by his ministrations.

Such was the state of affairs in the Society with which he was connected, and such the state of his own views of truth, and convictions of duty, when, in consequence of the death of Dr. Hollinshead, as mentioned above, the Society proceeded to take measures for the permanent settlement of a successor.

It ought to be premised, that, according to the Constitution of the Society, every Pastor was required, on his election, to subscribe to the creed and articles of the Church, in extenso; which creed was avowedly grounded on the Confession and Catechism of the Westminster Divines. It is necessary further to premise, that this Church, in common with most others of the class denominated Independents, in the United States, presents, in its organization, the strange anomaly in ecclesiastical affairs, of a sort of imperium in imperio-a kind of inner and outer court, like the Jewish Sanctuary-the former comprising those only who are in the habit of participating in the celebration of the Lord's Supper; and the latter, those who are not. These distinct, yet united bodies, are