more or less evil, we should be thankful that they are all doing more or less good.

There are other evils, my children, of a more sweeping and formidable character, than those to be found in the protestant sects, against which I would have you spend the force of your lives. They are such as ignorance of the true God and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent,-ignorance even of useful science and art, the degrading vices to which our natures have become most alarmingly subject— the belief of all the dismal and damnable errors included under the formidable systems of Paganism, Papacy, Mahometanism, Judaism, and Infidelity. In hunting these plagues of man from the social state, and freeing the world from their control, I would have you live, labor, and die. And then I shall hope for a reunion, ere long, of our happy domestic circle, on those peaceful shores where "the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest."

Could the spirit of posterity be suffused with such sentiments, how long before christians would, not only forget that they are different, but actually cease to be so! Their common interest in the great object of alleviating suffering, of removing ignorance, of elevating human nature by extending universally the arts and sciences of civilized life, and of glorifying God, would cause those prejudices to die away, which now prevent their union on principles of truth, and so they would become one, as Christ is one with the Father.

Some such considerations as the above, carefully weighed by all true christians, might do much to obstuct the flow to posterity of those turbid waters of controversy, which have poured down upon us from former ages. Our children might have their thinking, acting and feeling thrown into channels which would produce an ultimate confluence; and thus, a consummation be realized, the most glorious that can be conceived.

Brethren in Christ, the purchase of blood divine, the common expectants of a blissful immortality, wherever situated, however distinguished by sectarian nomenclatures, to you the words of this most solemn appeal is sent. Are you prepared for an effort, that shall tend to an ultimate amalgamation of our too long disserved interests? Will you not in the retirement of your closets; in those peculiar moments, when the mind acts the most freely and the soul has the nearest intercourse with Heaven, take the thoughts presented to your view in these pages, into dispassionate consideration, and determine before God, as in presence of the judgment seat, the extent to which you ought, to which you will, be controlled by them? That these thoughts are free from objection, we do not pretend; but we must be permitted to say, that they flow from a heart, if we are not deceived, whose earnest aspiration is, to know and exhibit only what is true,and whose fervent prayer is,that the tendency of every error may be counteracted. Coming to you, brethren, under such circumstances, we hope you will give due weight to all that is true, and be secured against the adoption of any of our mistakes.

We do not pretend that the foregoing pages, embrace all the causes of dissension among christians ; but only that they furnish an outline of those that have fallen under the observation of the writer. By uniting with his, therefore, the result of your own reflection, you may gain perhaps a much keener insight into these causes, than it has been possible for him to obtain. Trusting to your christian integrity, and your desire for harmony in the family of God, that you will do what you can to secure such an insight, we shall close this part of our subject, in the beautiful language of the one hundred thirty-third Psalm. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious

ointment upon the head,that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forever."

Not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual.- Paul.

SECTION I.

Opening of the subject.

Those who have glanced through the preceding pages, pained no doubt at the gloomy pictures of human nature which they present, will reciprocate with us the pleasure, of advancing to the consideration of topics connected with the removal of these evils. We think that specifics may be pointed out, which, if thoroughly tried, would heal all the most considerable wounds of the spiritual family, and thus prepare them, not only for greater happiness among themselves, but for much more efficient action in bringing this world under the reign of Immanuel. If thoroughly tried, is a qualification, however, which may be thought to foreclose the success of any specific that can be pointed out. The exhortation, it may be said, which fabulous history represents to have been continually on the lips of John, when age had deprived him of the ability to say more; "my little children love one another," if reduced to practice, would harmonize all the conflicting interests of the christian world. If christians would also obey the laws of

their religion, requiring them to be less selfish, more candid and open to conviction, and more disposed to receive the truth as it is in Jesus, their divisions would immediately cease. But how shall we induce them to try these specifics? When the remedy is found, if the patient cannot be induced to take it, it is the same to him as if there were none.

The force of objections like these, which we have had in view throughout this work, will be found to rest against all mere appeals to christians to be more lovely, more holy, more affectionate to each other, and less inclined to fan the flames of dissension; considered in the light of means for adjusting their differences. Such appeals must always be ineffectual in accomplishing this result, so long as they interfere with the convictions of duty, in so large a portion of every denomination. Though these persons should approve every word of your appeal,it would not deter them from a single dissensious measure; because they judge, and rigthly too, that it would be treachery and impiety in them, to sacrifice truth, to a peace with those who would effect its overthrow. Hence, we have made few appeals of this kind; nor do we design to, till we have gone as deeply as possible into the merits of the subject, to see whether there are not measures, of which all parties, with their present sentiments and feelings, can approve, which, if legitimately followed up, would produce the consummation so much to be desired.

Though the principle is right, that union is not to be purchased at the expense of important truths, great caution and candor are necessary in its application. Truth is one thing, and general statements in language quite another, the practice of any given church or denomination may, or it may not agree with the records of primitive christianity. All christians, therefore, should prayerfully examine whether the truth, which they feel that it would be wrong to