to believe, that uniformity of doctrine may be advocated and desired, from far other motives than love to the truth. Indeed, when we see a man furious for union, and becoming violently intolerant, you may be as certain that he acts from sinister motives as that he acts at all. But whatever may be the motives of such men, how mistaken are they in the means by which they seek to gain their object! They cannot but incur suspicion-they cannot escape detection. Censure, hatred, and malevolence, are but different methods of bringing people over to their cause; and their policy, in any free country, will drive away ten persons, where it will conciliate one. You will hear them constantly talking what glorious times we should have, and what great things would be done, if all held to "the form of sound word." Ah! glorious times indeed! If all would unite in one church, and make these men chief rulers, they might immediately commence the building "of a city, and of a tower that would reach unto heaven." Their rage for union arises from the facility it would give to their schemes of ambition. In the divisions of the Church of Christ, however much blame may be attributed to men, there still is evident the hand of God. These divisions are to be viewed in no other light than that of their instrumental causes. The Almighty Ruler of the Church, and of the world, could have prevented them— could have caused that all his people should be of one heart, and of one mind; and it is believed that such a day as that will come. But, reader, if that day should come, it would be no day of rejoicing for these furious intolerant persecutors for uniformity it would answer their purposes still far less than the present divided state of the Church, when they are quite in a rage because so few will follow their standard. The day of the Lord will be to many of them "a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness." When therefore, they pray for the day of the Lord, they know not what they pray for. 4 As in heaven itself, there will be no object gratifying to the proud and selish heart, so the real prosperity of Christ's Church will not answer one of the purposes of many who are now most petulant and clamorous for union. It will not increase their fame or influence; it will put them in no better humour than they now are; it will not cause people to flock after them; and it is a great wonder, if it do not put a period to all their plans for building up the Church, and throw them into the shade of oblivion. The divisions and errors of Christians are suffered by Christ as a trial of the faith, the patience, and charity of his people. And I have often imagined to myself, how beautiful and love. ly the whole Church might appear, even notwithstanding she lies in different apartments,, did she but live, in all her members, in the exercise of fervent charity. There certainly is a limit of charity, as there is a degree of error, beyond which it cannot extend. But that is a barrier so palpable, and the features of heresy are so full and strong, that Christians, exercis ing the temper and spirit of their profession, need be at no difficulty to discover them. But under the exercises of that pure and heavenly temper, the differences of Christians about the minor articles and distinctions of doctrine, would be very like. ly to vanish before the light of evidence. Such would be the candour, the frankness, the simplicity, and plainness, with which every man would point out what he supposed to be erroneous in his brethren, having no motive for their conviction, but a disinterested desire to promote their spiritual good; and they, none to maintain their ground, but what sprang from love to the truth, there would be a strong probability of the final adjustment of their differences of opinion; since truth is always more obvious than error, and the state and proportion of evidence is ordinarily in favour of truth. A man has no motive to be angry with a fellow creature for differing from his opinion: for his views of religion, he is accountable to God alone, before whom he is soon to answer for his faith and practice. It is nothing but the combination of selfish views and worldly schemes with religion, that kindles up sectarian jealousy and intolerant party animosities. It is, indeed, for the most part, rank covetousness and base avarice that prompts to bigotry and intolerance. Let it become indifferent where a man paid his money, or gave his attendance to public worship, and this dreadful fear of Hopkinsian innovations would forever be done away-this terrible moralphobia would be cured this pretended holy jealousy of Arminian tenets would quickly grow cool. It is your cash, citizens, that is the sovereign charm; it is your combination with their views of interest that sharpens the edge of their weapons, which fly so thick and fast;—it is the majesty of crowded assemblies of followers, the gratifying consciousness of a supposed ascendant influence, that blows the furnace of their zeal into a seven-fold heat. It is not a care for your salvation, but an ambition to controul your faith :—it is not the fear of heresy, but fear for a favourite system, on which their popularity depends-a system supported by pride and ambition that prompts their intolerance. But their attempts are vain, and their zeal shall dissolve like smoke in the air. The Genius of my country will not be crushed by the arm of spiritual despotism; she has triumphed where thunders roared and lightnings played their volleysand a voice more loud than thunder, more piercing than the lightning's shaft, shall wither this impotent rage. The voice of truth shallyet prevail. Having proceeded thus far on this essay, I received the following letter, in which, I think, the reader will find amusement, if not instruction. TO THE INVESTIGATOR. Sir, I perceive, by your former numbers, that you sometimes dream. I must say by you, as the SPECTATOR said some of his correspondents used to say of him, that they wished he would sleep oftener. But that you may know that other folks dream sometimes as well as yourself, I make bold to send you a dream of my own, and if you think proper, you may give it a place in the Triangle, though I think you and your readers must allow it to be a quadrangular dream. If it be true, that, "from the multitude of business the dream cometh," you need not be much at a loss what I am, or into what company I have fallen. I am, sir, your very humble servant, S. C. SOMNIFICATOR. I fancied myself standing in the court-yard of an edifice of great size and regular proportions. This court was spacious, far exceeding in extent any thing I had ever seen, seeming to contain an extensive field. Its surface was smooth and green, and interspersed with shady trees, aromatic shrubs, and clumps of rare and beautiful flowers. Marble fountains, and jet d'eaus of pure water, variously disposed, gave freshness to the verdure; while birds of bright plumage and melodious notes disported through the shades, filling the scene with life, cheerfulness, and beauty.* This spacious court, with a gradual ascent towards the building, was bordered on one side with rich and cultivated fields to an interminable extent, which in remote distance disclosed hills, valleys, and mountains; on another, it was skirted by a vast forest whose trees were tall, and whose foliage was deep and bold. In the remaining direction, it opened to a distant view of the ocean. The edifice, compared to which all the buildings I ever saw would appear inconsiderable, and which, whether palace, tower, or temple, my eye seemed unable to determine, faced the east, and as, at that juncture, it was illuminated by the cheerful beams of an ascending sun, its appearance was bright and glorious beyond conception. A peculiar tranquillity reigned everywhere; the distant ocean seemed to slumber in peace beneath a calm and cloud. less canopy, curling in silver morris to the breeze; the gentle waving of the forest showed the quiet of the elements, while over the wide country seemed the sacred smile of the sabbath. In the grand courts, and round the spacious buildings, I saw • The American people may be said to form the outer court to the visible church. The forest represents the savage nations.—Investigator. many persons whose appearance spoke the language of peace and concord;—and they were all dressed in white.* In a scene so entirely new, and so grand and charming, I was wholly at a loss where I could be; whether I had fallen upon some neighbouring planet; whether it was the celestial paradise, or whether I had been transported by some invisible power, to contemplate the beauties of the morning star, I could not tell. Finding myself alone, and fearing I might trespass on some sacred enclosure, forbidden to the foot of a stranger, I was in suspense what course to pursue, and seemed scarcely to venture to move from my position. But on turning towards the building, I perceived that it bore no marks of royalty, as there were nothing of the equipage or pageantry of monarchs about it. It was no fortress of war, as none of the military munitions, or guards, were to be seen. It resembled not a palace of pleasure, and though it seemed the seat of cheerfulness and tranquillity, there were no indications of hilarity and mirth, nothing of the daring and dissolute, the fierce gentleness, and threatening urbanity, which marks the polished air of fashionable parties of pleasure. 19 As little did it bear the marks of domiciliary habitude, as was evident from its amazing size and grandeur, and from the absence of the domestic appearrance of all houses, from the superbest palace to the humblest cottage.f Emboldened by these appearances of peace and order, I walked towards the edifice, and was amazed at its stupendous height and dimensions. I passed various parties leisurely walking among the shades, enjoying the fragrance of the flowers, and the pleasantness of a region so entirely delightful. I could distinguish none of their conversation, but the air of tranquillity and reflection, bordering on devotion, which was obvious in their gesture and countenance, bespoke something sublime and awful, and I perceived must have some connexion with religion. As I approached, I perceived the building was in three parts; its site resembling three sides of a hollow square, open on the White was the ancient, as well as modern token of peace.-I. |