RELIGION consisteth in CHARITY. The great lesson which every sect, and every individual of every sect, ought to learn from the history of the church, is Moderation. Want of genuine Moderation towards those who differ from us in religious opinions, seems to be the most unaccountable thing in the world."

a profound Humility, and an UNIVERSAL Dr. WHICHCOTE.

WATSON, Bishop of Landaff.

THE CHRISTIAN WORLD is divided into denominations, each of which is discriminated by sentiments peculiar to itself. To delineate the nature, point out the foundation, and appreciate the tendency of every individual opinion, would be an endless task. My only design is briefly to enumerate the leading tenets of the several parties which attract our notice, and to make this variety of religious opinions a ground for the exercise of moderation, together with the improvement of other christian graces. The móderation here recommended lies at an equal distance between an indifference to truth and the merciless spirit of uncharitableness. It is a virtue, alas! much talked of, little understood, and less practised.

-B

But before we delineate the tenets of the several parties, the Atheists and Deists shall be just mentioned, two descriptions of persons frequently confounded together; and also a general outline given of Theophilanthropism and Mahometanism, of Judaism and Christianity. These topics will form an introduction to an account of the Sects and Denomi nations of the RELIGIOUS WORLD.

ATHEISTS.

THE Atheist does not believe in the existence of a God. He attributes surrounding nature and all its astonishing phænomena to chance, or to a fortuitous concourse of atoms. Plato distinguishes three sorts of Atheists; such as deny absolutely that there are any Gods; others who allow the existence of the Gods, but deny that they concern themselves with human affairs, and so disbelieve a Providence; and lastly, such as believe in the Gods and a Providence, but think that they are easily ap peased, remitting the greatest crimes for the smallest supplication. The first of these, however, are the only Atheists, in the strict and proper sense of the word. The name of ATHEIST is composed of two Greek terms, a and bɛos, signifying without God, and in this sense the appellation occurs in the New Testament, Ephes. ii. 12, Without God (or Atheists)