existing abuses-was the proximate cause of the persecution' and death of our Lord, and of most of his apostles.

"In the audience of all the people, he (JESUS) said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in "the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts, which devour

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widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same "shall receive greater condemnation." (Luke xx. 45.) And "the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him, for they feared the people; and they covenanted with Judas "for money to betray him." (Luke xxii.) "And the chief priests and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; but Pilate said, I find "no fault in him. What evil hath he done? But they cried, Crucify him! crucify him!" (Luke xxiii. 14.)

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A similar wickedness of motive led to the death of the first martyr for Christianity--Stephen. (Acts vi. 9.) "There "arose certain of the synagogue disputing with Stephen. AND

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"THE SPIRIT BY WHICH HE SPAKE. And they stirred up "the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council; and "set up false witnesses, which said, this man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law. "For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and change the customs which Moses "delivered us. And they heard his defence until he declared that their fathers had persecuted the prophets - and themselves the betrayers and murderers of Jesus; then, they were cut to the heart, and gnashed on him with their "teeth; cried out with a loud voice; stopped their ears; ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and "stoned him."

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We will take but one more illustrative instance from the scriptures.

Paul sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. And there arose no small stir about that

way;" (the teaching of Christianity.)

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For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver "shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; whom he called together, with the workmen of like occupation, "and said, sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth, Moreover, ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but

"almost throughout Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying, that they be no gods which are made with hands: so that not only our craft is in danger to "be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess "Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And "when they heard these sayings, they were FULL OF WRATH, "and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

These instances, and the previous reasoning, will, it is thought, be sufficient to shew the impolicy, the injustice, and, generally speaking, the obliquity of the motives, which induce the persecutions against opinions. The spirit which, at that time, influenced the "craftsmen" in religion has continued the same to this day. What then, it may be asked, is to be done? Is it not the magistrates duty to take care of-to protect the morals of the people? Surely: but how is he to do this? By punishing immoral action, or by seeking to controul erroneous sentiment? The answer is given, by the practicability of discharging the one duty, and the impossibility of discharging the other. Who shall judge where all are equally parties? Men dissent from a mode of faith, because they think it false; and, from the nature of the case-in a dispute as to what is truth-no common standard will be admitted. Surely, in such case a government professing Christianity-a religion which had its inception, and was established under persecutionand which publishes, as its principles, love to God and man; and, as its rule of action, Do unto others as ye "would they should do unto you: "-surely such a government might be content to be instructed by Jesus and his apostles. "The kingdom of heaven," (the Christian religion) said our Lord, "is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field," but his enemy sowed tares. His servants inquired if they should gather them up. "But he said, Nay; ; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the "wheat with them. LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER UNTIL

THE HARVEST:" and, in explaining this parable to his disciples, he observed, "The harvest is the end of the world; "the reapers are the angels:" (the messengers of God.) "The "Son of man shall send forth his angels, and THEY shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity."

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Again: a dispute having arisen among the early converts, Paul thus writes, “ One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully

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"persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it to the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, "to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to "the Lord, for he giveth God thanks. For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ; so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. LET US NOT, THEREFORE, JUDGE ONE ANOTHER ANY MORE; but judge this “ rather, that no man put a stumbling block, or an occasion "to fall in his brothers way. For the kingdom of God is not "meat and drink; but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

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The absurdity of making the civil magistrate the judge of religious controversy is evidenced in this; he must, from the nature of his office, "teach for doctrine, the command"ments of men," or he must be left to determine at discretion. In the one case, the sufferer may reply, in the words of Peter, "Whether it be right, in the sight of God, "to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye;" and, in the other, he can plead his equal right, as an individual, to follow the dictates of his own conscience. The authority of God, and conscience, may always be pleaded against human authority; and whilst a Protestant hierarchy maintain the right to dissent from the Catholic religion, yet contend against the same right in the dissenter, they commit a suicide in argument, and refutation becomes needless..

Christianity, we are taught to believe, will ultimately become universal; but, if the true religion can be determined by human authority, and men may be punished for writing or speaking against its decisions, how shall Christianity be spread where other modes of faith are established by law? And if we condemn the disciples of Muhammed for compelling Christians to avow a change of faith; what can we say for ourselves if we also use coercion ?

Jesus opposed the established religion of his day; and he taught his disciples to follow in his steps. The priests of that day caused him to be crucified. Did they do right? Unless we can answer this in the affirmative, let those who profess the name of Christianity avoid the error of its enemies; bearing in mind the observation of Paul

Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which "he alloweth,"

VIRTUE AND CHARACTER.

IT has been said, by the author of Lacon, "That virtue is "uniform and fixed, because she looks for approbation only "from him who is the same yesterday, to day, and for "ever: that no man can purchase virtue too dearly, for it "is the only thing whose value must ever increase with the price that it has cost, and integrity is never worth so "much as when we have parted with our all to keep it." It is an error to represent virtue as a thing of easy attainment; were it so, it must lose much of its value, and the candidates for the prize would not be so thinly scattered over the earth. Virtue is not to be won by an entrance at the wide gate and the broad way; to arrive at it there is no royal road; but although the pursuit be difficult and arduous, yet even in the pursuit there is the highest degree of gratification the most ample reward. The means, too, are simple, and Christianity affords adequate motives for their accomplishment. The first teachers of that religion are the models for all future generations; they taught the purest morality; they did more-they practised what they taught. Jesus, improving upon what had been said of "old time," that "thou shalt not commit adultry," commanded men not even to suffer their thoughts to cherish a desire for the crime; for if they did so they were morally guilty thereof.

About the teachings of this exalted man there was nothing mysterious, nothing impracticable. If you desire good fruit, the tree must first be good. If you are really benevolent perform not your good deeds for the purpose of being seen of men. If you are religious let actions, and not words, demonstrate it. Place no confidence in your having cried "Lord, Lord," but in doing the will of the Supreme Being. If you are concerned at witnessing the defects of others-the motes in their eyes-first take the beam out of your own. If you are exalted in situation, or possessed of talent, yet "be "cloathed with humility; humble yourselves in the sight "of the Lord, and he will exalt you; hearken unto me, and "understand, there is nothing from without a man that, "entering into him, can defile him; but the things that come out of him, these are they which defile him.' For,

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If a man purge himself, he shall be a vessel unto honour, and prepared for every good work. Flee youthful lusts— "follow righteousness, benevolence, and peace."

We have been led into these remarks by turning over the leaves of a Common Place Book, and meeting with a singular extract relative to the character of Jesus; not singular so much for the well-expressed truths which it really contains, as on account of the source from whence those truths proceeded.

"Whether the account of the life of Christ is established upon sufficient evidence or not, we think it will be universally admitted that, according to that statement, he was the greatest character that ever dignified the page of history. He was the most consistent, disinterested, wise, pure, and perfect; all his thought, words, and actions originated in, and were devoted to, a veneration for God and love to man. He was the best of teachers→→→→ in that best of sciences--morality. He was more than a patriot, for he was the greatest of reformers and philanthropists-living and laying down his life wholly for the good of mankind."-Criticism on Haydon's Picture.— Examiner, May 7, 1820.

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Similar opinions, concerning the character of Jesus, have been expressed by Paine, by Raynall, and Rousseau; and yet these latter writers, whilst they fully admitted the existence of such a person as Jesus, and the reality of the virtues ascribed to him, were so inconsistent as to hold that his pretensions were false, and his religion an imposition. We take the above description of Jesus (which we hold not to be too highly coloured, for what language can adequately describe such a man?) as the criterion of a really virtuous character. It has been said he taught a strict morality; he did do so; but, unlike other teachers, his life was a comment upon his doctrines; but can morality be too strict, can virtue be too severe? It has been said of the English codeof laws, that they are I complex and incongruous.' The laws of Jesus are, at once, few and simple; the student of his code must improve by communing with his own hearthe must be prepared to submit to difficulties, to suffering, and to calumny. If he succeed in overcoming them, and himself, his success is accompanied by increased excellence of character. He is called upon to reason right from right principles; to have his mind clear, his eye single, and his whole body full of light; to have no competitors but those engaged, like himself, in endeavouring to "be perfect even as their heavenly Father is perfect;" to imitate the character of Jesus, whose virtue was ever consistent, and was so, because, in the language of the Examiner, " all his thoughts, words, and actions originated in, and were devoted to, a "veneration for God, and love to man." To ourselves, and to all who desire to be really virtuous, we say, in the words of Jesus, "GO THOU AND DO LIKEWISE.”