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Holiness will gain ground among them, converts will be multiplied in every quarter of the globe, and hill to hill, mountain to mountain, continent to continent, and ocean to ocean will proclaim the flying joy, that the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.

CHAPTER III.

On eminent attainments in piety.

The influence of a high state of religious character and attainment, in healing the dissensions of christians, is the only topic that remains to complete our design in these pages. It is to be regretted, my brethren, that our endeavors after holiness of heart, are so disproportioned to our labors for the upbuilding of our respective parties. While our sectarianism will, to say the most, give but a doubtful title to heaven, without holiness no man shall see the Lord. If we would be useful and happy, or even if we would secure for our favorite form of christianity a legitimate ascendency over all others, it must be done by transcending them in every grace and virtue. A superiority gained by such means will be the balm of the soul in an hour of peril, will confer upon the world the most useful legacy, and will in fact be the triumph of the better over the worse cause. There is no sect so lost to a sense of what christianity is in itself, as not to accord to those who excel in piety and goodness, the meed of pre-eminence. All regard the characters in whom these qualities are in the highest degree combined, as furnishing the truest reflection of what the Bible teaches, and the most faithful counterpart of the example of Christ and his holy apostles. The acutest logic and most brilliant displays of controversial skill and talent may be resisted. But who can withstand the argument of a blameless life?

We might, therefore, were it admissible, appeal to the sectarian preferences of christians as a motive for holy living. If there must be a strife for pre-eminence, O let it be the pre-eminence of likeness to Him who was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners.

It is aside from our purpose to dwell upon the characteristics of eminent piety, upon the duty of attaining it, or even upon the means by which the attainment is to be made. With these the ordinary advantages of christian reflection and instruction render us familiar. We shall, therefore, confine our remarks in this chapter, to the influence which eminent piety will exert in leading to healing measures between the christian sects-in purifying the churches -and in transfusing through the religious atmosphere the peaceful spirit and maxims of hea

ven.

SECTION I.

Influence of eminent piety in leading to healing measures between the
sects-christian courtesy.

And

It is true that some of the best of men have dipped their pens into the sectarian strife of past ages. should this be thought a sanction for continuing the practice, or an objection to the position that eminent holiness will tend to heal religious dissensions, we might add, that the best of men have in time past been concerned in other practices, without the suspicion of wrong, which all now unite to reprobate. It is not to

be expected that even good men will be much in advance of their age. And when piety is hemmed in by false notions of duty, it is not to be expected that its legitimate fruits will appear.

It is difficult also for us to recall the precise circumstances that operated to embark the labors of such men in the sectarian strife of past ages. We would tread lightly upon the ashes of the pious dead. Our remarks have reference chiefly to the present state of the denominations, with all the passions which have been excited by ages of collision between them, together with the vast openings for doing and getting good which recent events have brought to our view. Whatever the piety of pious men of other times may have dictated, we believe that if they were now alive to contemplate the present posture of the church and of the world, they would entertain different views of the course to be pursued. They would gird themselves, not for sectarian strife, but, first, to secure the absolute triumph of their heaven-born principles over their own natures; and next, to effect the same triumph over the common enemies of christianity and of man.

Not only so, but many of the conflicts of former ages must be wholly stricken from the list of sectarianism. Of this kind were those in which Calvin, Luther, Knox, Zuingle, Melanchton, and others were engaged with the church of Rome. They were called to this conflict by the souls under the altar, who were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held, whose unceasing cry had been, "how long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood upon them that dwell on the earth! The time for vengeance had come, and those fearless spirits, whom neither danger nor bribery could divert from their purpose, stepped forth girt with the panoply of celestial truth, and begun the work of returning upon the mother of abominations her long arrears of blood. So far their controversy was legitimate and has conferred the richest blessings upon mankind. But if they had confined themselves to the single object of opposing the light

of inspired truth to the darkness of Rome, and giving that light to the nations in the very words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, instead of rearing up their conflicting abstractions as objects of debate, they would have done much more still. The sectarianism of these men, so far from being the legitimate fruits of their piety, was the foulest blot upon their cause. But for the internal divisions of protestant christians, they might long ere this have been the conquerors of the world. These have made their power like that described in prophetic vision, as iron mixed with miry clay. And it is difficult to say, whether their weakness or their strength has preponderated.

That pious men have dipped their pens into these controversies between the protestant denominations, will not, therefore, be found to clash with the position, that had the true dictates of their religion been consulted, it would have led to a different course. They simply obeyed that exclusive spirit of their times, which denied the possibility of salvation to all beyond the precincts of its party. How then could they fail to insist upon peculiarities which they deemed so essential? Or how could they refrain from exertion, to overthrow abstractions that could not be believed without the ruin of the soul? And in some cases they may have judged correctly. For, sectarian positions were urged to the utmost extreme; and how much necessity there may have been for balancing against them counteracting arguments it is difficult for us to judge.

But under the present state of the parties, and especially those which are called evangelical, we believe that high degrees of holiness, united to good sense, would deter a man from their controversies, and impel him to a course of procedure, that would tend to heal these old wounds. Such a man will see in them all, so much that is excellent, and will find so many occasions for joy at their zeal and success in

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