some darker of Scripture, to some such scene as page that recorded in the fifteenth chapter of the book of Judges for instance, where we have an account of Samson's foxes howling through the corn-fields, the vineyards, and the olive banks, tied tail to tail, with firebrands between. Such is the complete inversion of all that ought to be, when the disciples of Christ, instead of "keeping themselves secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues," * are-unlike their Master-everywhere striving, and crying, and making their voices to be heard in the streets.†

THE APOLOGY.

Such is the unhappy state of things under which the churches of Christ and our country are labouring, and in the painfulness and responsibility of which we are all more or less involved. And, in these circumstances, ought not every one who loves the Lord Jesus Christevery friend of religion, of his country, of humanity, deeply to deplore such a state of things, and do what in him lies to bring about one that shall be more holy and healthful? This must be granted. But why, it may be asked, write another book upon the subject, why attempt anew what has been so often attempted already, and all in vain? Have not exclusive zealots (it may be said) been often, often, addressed already by every conceivable argument in favour of a catholic spirit and Christian unity? Have not writers of the most devoted piety given utterance in every touching form to the distress they have felt on beholding a spirit of such intolerance in their Christian brethren? Have they not endeavoured to shew that such a spirit is not the spirit of the Gospel, but, on the contrary, the old spirit of self-righteous pride, which Matt. xii. 19.

*Psalms xxxi. 20.

used to shew itself under Judaism and heathenism, as well as under the Christian name-the old spirit, in short which has made pharisees in all ages and countries? Has it not been proved, that a conscientious adherence to one's own particular communion, does not require a commination of all who differ from us? Has it not been shewn that all evangelical Christians might fraternise, so as at once to honour the dictates of conscience and the demands of the spirit of love, which is the Spirit of Christ? Has not all this, it may be said, been attempted again and again, and has it not utterly failed to produce the effect intended? Nay, have not those who have made the attempt, only brought upon themselves a suspicion as to their love of the truth and of holiness, and earned for themselves the reproach of latitudinarianism. True. But previous failure is no sufficient argument against ultimate success. There is a time for all things. The nineteenth century may ac complish what the seventeenth attempted in vain. Time teaches better than words. Time teaches still by that method so much admired in the ancient geometers-the method of exhaustion. Time tries all ways of it, and holds up the results to the coming generations; and thus. at last the true way is seen, and the many at last fall in with the few who were right in their day. But because the many do so at last, nothing that is right is ever to be despaired of. And if the treatises and testimonies in favour of a catholic spirit in religion, which a former age produced, were now culled from the pondrous volumes of that epoch, and-presented to the Christian public in a separate work of a size suited to our times, effects might result of which no traces appeared when they were first published. A book, however full of truth, falls dead from the press when it does not speak to the times in which it appears. But "a word fitly spoken, is like apples of gold

B

in pictures of silver."* And let the course of Providence, or the more immediate influences of the Spirit, bring any state of feeling on any given subject to the hearts of the many, and then a book which addresses that feeling, and by cogent illustration and argument builds it up into a reasonable and defensible conviction, will not be published in vain. Now, it is the belief of the author, that the day is near at hand when thousands who are possibly quite close this moment, will be convinced that their hearts must be opened to a catholic spirit, before they can enjoy the peace of God in its fulness, or see the pleasure of the Lord prospering in their hands. And this has induced him to compose the following pages. They are not indeed of the nature of a compilation, such as he has alluded to. They are the thoughts of an individual mind. Nevertheless, they consist of views and arguments which have affected the author, and which, trusting in the blessing of God, he hopes will affect the minds of some of his readers likewise. But the event will prove. Meantime the author feels it to be a great encouragement, that since he began to arrange his ideas on this subject, several treatises have appeared in the English language, all having more or less the same object in view with that in the reader's hand. If it be asked why, when the field has thus been so well filled up already, he continued his labours, and now adds another volume to the previously great number referred to, he answers, that the line of argument he has adopted, and even the leading ideas of this work, are still to be found in the following pages alone. And if they were ever good for any thing, they are not diminished in value by the recent publication of the respectable treatises he has referred to. On the contrary, the way is rather paved by them, for the argument which follows. In proceeding with

* Prov. xxv. 11.

his publication, the author has also this encouragement, that if the truth of his views be but granted, they admit of being immediately realized, demanding no great and impracticable revolutions, no punctilious and effectless conferences, nothing more in short, but the opening of the hearts of the redeemed to one another. Let but this be done, and all besides that is desirable will follow in its own time. Along with party feelings denominational distinctions will die away. One member of the body of Christ will not say of another, "I have no need of you." And believers all through the Churches, loving each other, and seeking mutual communion, will unite without an effort, so as to form, along with those who are set over them in the Lord, one great visible church. All particular visible churches will unite into one visible church, as the invisible and catholic church is united into one already. The visible will come to resemble the invisible. The earthly will come to possess the image of the heavenly. The bride will be adorned for the bridegroom.

THE MANNER.

It may perhaps be thought by some readers, from the manner of the following work, that the author is of no particular communion, no particular opinions himself, and that thus it was easy for him to write in favour of a catholic spirit. But this is a mistake. Besides his faith in the indisputable essentials of Christianity, which are everywhere inwoven in the following pages, he has his own opinions and convictions on those disputable points about which chiefly dissensions arise. But in composing such a work as this, in which his endeavour has been “to sow in peace," and "to follow the things which make for peace," he has deemed it right to have his convictions on

these disputable points "to himself before God."* And as an illustration of the manner in which he has endeavoured to write, he begs the reader's attention to the following paragraph, especially since it contains also the statement of a mighty principle of Catholicism. It is from the work of one of the lights of a former age, still high in the esteem of the Church of England. "There is no part of this work (says Bishop Burnet) in which I have laboured with more care, and have writ in a more uncommon method, than concerning predestination; for, as my small reading had carried me farther in that controversy than in any other whatsoever, both with relation to ancients and moderns, and to the most esteemed books in all the different parties, so I weighed the article with that impartial care that I thought became me, and have taken a method which is, for ought I know, new, of stating the arguments on all sides with so much fairness, that those who know my own opinion on this point have owned to me, that they could not discover it by anything that I had written. They were inclined to think that I was of another opinion than they took me to be when they read my arguments on that side. I have not, in the explanation of that article, told what my own opinion was. Yet here I think it may be fitting to own, that I follow the doctrine of the Greek Church, from which St Austin departed, and formed a new system. After this declaration I may now appeal, both to St Austin's disciples and to the Calvinists, whether I have not stated their opinions and arguments, not only with truth and candour, but with all possible advantages. One reason among others which led me to follow the method I have pursued in this controversy, is to offer at the best means I can for bringing men to a better understanding of one

* Rom. xiv. 22.-Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God.