are to the kingdom of the evil one, who is the author of all uncharitableness, and the friend of all forward fufpicion!

Many there are, who are so little acquainted with the falshood of their own hearts, " lusting " to envy," as not to know that they are in the spirit of wishing all the evil to be, which they furmise; and not feeing it come to pass, they burn, but not with the holy fire of love. These have their "zeal for GOD, but not ac"cording to knowledge." Heaven grant, that the number of such religious professors may lessen in Christendom, and that the charity which rejoiceth not in iniquity, but which hopeth all things, and rejoiceth in the truth, may spread!

XLIX.

There are confiderations of truth and error -advantages and disadvantages of religious conduct, peculiar to every state of mind, and all the circumstances in which we stand.

Hence it seems to be, that calm and temperate men in every age, are feeling and proclaiming claiming strong impreffions of mind respecting the main end of a religious life; and their doctrines of this kind have refolved the sum of the matter into quietude.

So far as religious association is conducive to the attainment of that quietude, it is valuable in a high degree. But when a confcientious declaration of any particular belief, which the Holy Scriptures leave a man at liberty to receive or not, and injoin us not to fall out about, is found incompatible with the harmony of that association, and to excite sentiments of unbrotherly affection, then quietude is destroyed, and the main end of association feems to be loft.

L.

Notwithstanding the difference of opinion which has ever been making its appearance in the sentiments of men, seriously concerned for a right understanding, they may nevertheless be children of light in a dark world, and on that ground worthy of each other's love.

What a pity it is that such men should often find it more difficult to love and esteem each other other as brethren, than the worst part of mankind do to confider them with due respect!

LI.

The more seriously I consider what the christian religion is, in itself-that it primarily and ultimately proposes, not an outward, but an inward work; an inward conviction of fin; an inward belief in the neceffity of a Saviour from the power of fin; and a love of the Supreme Being, as the merciful fource of all good in the heart and thence a love towards men, as the children of GOD, and our brethren; the more am. I constrained to fear the prevalence of a party love the more I see the infirmity of bringing into religious confideration, outward systems, and making account of outward differences of church ceconomy:

For as substances differ in form, varying as men's faces vary; and no criterion of truth, in formal matters, is divinely set up, either as a reality in itself, or as most pleasing to God; so the fincere in heart, under every form, are equally acceptable to God, and are universally

the

1

I am convinced that men always err in judging any one form necessary to salvation; and erring in that grand point, they err proportionably in shaping their love and fellowship according to this or that form.

Have we not all one Father? Are we not all sinners? And must we not all be made righteous, through the one washing of our bodily affections, by the one pure water of regeneration; and the one influence of the blood of fprinkling from an evil confcience?

LII.

It hath been a query, not improperly agitated by some ingenious and liberal-minded men-a query which perhaps the forward spirit of church cenfure, in less enlightened times than the present, hath occafioned; -Whether it be the duty of any christian church to excommunicate at all, even for matters of notorious immorality?

VOL. II.

D

I have

I have often seriously reflected on the subject, without regretting that such arguments should have been urged, in opposition to the presumption with which many have rushed into domination over their fellow-beings as GOD's spiritual vicegerents amic Lang nà

Our Saviour, the great pattern of wisdom, and perfection of conduct, gave no precept to countenance it. And in the whole of his facred administration, no instance of fetting poor finners at a distance, as unworthy of that kind of communion which he held amongst men: Insomuch, that one part of the accusation brought against him was" He eateth and drinketh " with publicans and sinners."

He taught them, he wept over them, he died for them! But where did he ever command that finners, under his difpenfation of love, should be cast out?

It is true indeed, that he established no regular and distinct society; and perhaps a distinct society, circumfcribing itself by particular bounds of religious belief and economy, is not necefsary to chriftianity. But he shewed forth abundantly