blindness and impenitence; and the horrible consummation is-" the fool hath said in his heart there is no God."-Thus, they commence with profligacy, they proceed to scepticism, and they end in infidelity.' 2

The symptoms of this spreading leprosy are numerous :- For instance, the spurious liberalism and indifference to the truth, already noticed, the general war-cry raised against the ecclesiastical establishments, and which, it is remarkable was not raised, until those establishments experienced a religious revival; the running fire maintained against true religion in the innumerable newspapers, pamphlets, books, and magazines, which are daily issuing from the press, impregnated with a constantly increasing virulence, and circulated with an indefatigable industry, the ridicule of any recognition of the Deity in the legislative assembly. In brief, the duelling, sabbath-breaking, neglect of divine ordinances, and other manifestations of con

1 The remarkable fact appears to be, that the chief source of unbelief on the greatest of all subjects, is generally to be found in a previous moral corruption of mind. It arises from no defect of evidence, but from a state of mind on which the highest falls without power. This striking moral process begins by a man renouncing the guidance of sound moral principle, and the restraints of religious truth, both on his conduct and on the discipline of his heart. The great truths which he thus violates are then repelled as intruders, which disturb his mental tranquillity-and, from this stage in his downward progress, the career is short, and the mental process simple, by which he succeeds in driving the belief of them from his own mind. Such is the wondrous economy of the human heart, and such is the history of many a man who, after a certain course of moral degradation, has sought refuge in infidelity.-Dr. ABERCROMBIE. 2 Bishop Porteus.

tempt for the authority of Scripture, and the awards of eternity, which are continually exhibited—what are all these but practical incredulity? 1

There is an immense mass too of vague heterogeneous opinion upon sacred things, lying like a dead weight upon the popular mind; composed of false philosophy, socinianism, scepticism, popery, and other cognate modifications of error and irreligion; a mass, ready at the slightest impulse to move forward from its loose resting-place, and precipitate itself into the abyss of open unbelief. Nor is this state of things peculiar to our own country. 'Some of those best qualified to judge, have given us fearful pictures of the nature and extent of absolute infidelity among the priesthood of Spain. The neology of Germany and Switzerland is but scepticism and infidelity in disguise.' And in America, if reports be true, infidelity has been for some time propagated by agents paid expressly for the purpose; is infused through the population by its appropriate journals; yea, has even its own temples, in which it is publickly preached to congregations of approving thousands. In France, the

1 'We see not lawless authority laying violent hands on our rights and privileges, and property. We see not the arm of spiritual despotism attempting to enthral us in its bondage. But we see what, to the attached disciple of Christ, and the lover of his cause in this land, is equally, if not more to be deplored-we see the spirit of daring blas. phemy, and the spirit of bold infidelity, and the spirit of impious fanaticism, and the spirit of damnable heresy, and the spirit of open disregard to God's word, and ordinances, and Sabbath, pervading and increasing in the land.'-Dr. MACFARLANE. It is credibly asserted, that several congregations of professed infidels regularly assemble in London.

sale of the anti-scriptural writings of Voltaire and Rousseau is said to be amazing and indeed it is reasonably to be anticipated, that, according as the light of intelligence expands, and penetrates the thick darkness of papal communities, those individuals who are unacquainted with any true form of Christianity, perceiving the palpable absurdity of Romanism,1 will renounce Christianity altogether, and rush at once into positive deism, or something still worse. That this is the natural and direct tendency of Romanism has been evinced to a very considerable extent on the continent, and, there is reason to apprehend, in Ireland also.

The writer professes not a profound acquaintance with prophecy; but several passages, both of the Old and New Testaments, would lead us to expect in these last days, a more than ordinary defection from the faith. And certainly, when we consider existing appearances, there seems but too much reason to prognosticate, that this awful, this terrific period is drawing very near indeed to its com

mencement.

2

All these evils are in a great measure attributable to the grievous unfaithfulness of the churches in these kingdoms for a long period, terminating about forty years since. Britain was once the glory of all lands; prosperous at home, and respected abroad:

1The lowest superstition and the most daring scepticism, frequently pass into each other.'-Dr. JOHN ABERCROMBIE.

2 See Daniel xii. 1. Mark xiii. 19, 20. Luke xviii. 8. 2 Tim. iii. 1-5. Rev. iii. 10. xii. 12.

but pure religion and undefiled' was then her glory. Her prelates, as Cranmer and Hooper, and Latimer, and Jewell, and Hall and Beveridge, were apostolic. Her pastors, as Bradford, and Gilpin, and Baxter, and Herbert, and Henry, were clothed with righteousness, pastors after God's own heart, that fed the people. Then were the palmy days of the Church of England. Then was it well with us. But alas! it is the tendency of all things sublunary to degenerate. The fatal Act of Uniformity was passed, which drove from the pale of the English establishment such a goodly company of ministers, as occasioned her a loss of vitality, from which she is only now beginning to recover. Presently an ominons cloud came over her-chilling her devotional fervour, and obscuring her doctrinal brightness. Then succeeded a darkness that was felt. The priest's lips kept knowledge no longer. The law perished from the learned, and counsel from the prudent. The shepherds, indeed, eat the fat, and clothed themselves with the wool, but they fed not their flocks; so that they were scattered, and became meat to all the beasts of the field. They wandered through all the mountains, and none did search or seek after them.

The clergy, in place of being ensamples to the people in whatsoever things were pure, lovely, and of good report, were their leaders in all that was vicious and scandalous. They forsook the study of the Scriptures for the study of the world; the chamber of the sick for the scene of dissipation.

C

They had become dumb dogs that could not bark. They had forsaken the word of the LORD, and what wisdom was in them?

The truth being no longer clearly and constantly proclaimed from the pulpit, faith which cometh and is nourished by hearing, gradually declined. The people were destroyed for lack of knowledge. There was like people, like priest.' The worship of God in spirit and in truth was superseded by a cold and heartless formality; and nominal protestantism became little better than real popery. People rested in the opus operatum,' the mere act and letter of observances; and relied on their own doings, instead of the merits of the Mediator, to obtain them justification. During this dark age of the English church, the sun of Christianity not only did not remain stationary in her hemisphere, it absolutely retrogaded many degrees : so that of her it might, in a spiritual sense, be lamented, in the pathetic language of inspiration, "Her Nazarites were purer than snow; they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies; their polishing was of sapphire. Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become as a stick."1

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Could these dry bones live? yes; all things are possible with GOD. His Spirit came from the four

1 Note IV.