produce a feeling of hostility to every rival party. Sometimes, too, when carried to excess, minor points of coincidence will unite together certain members of a party, and separate them from the rest, thus occasioning dissension in the party itself. These abuses, however, must not render us unmindful of its use, or prevent us from uniting in the cause of truth.

'Those who, in their dread of strife and party-violence, would seek to preserve union by abstaining from all mention of every doctrine that is likely to afford matter of controversy,-by laying aside all formu laries, and confessions of faith,—and by regarding with indifference all varieties of opinion among professors of Christianity,-would, in fact, put an end to the very existence of the society itself, whose integrity and concord they would preserve. In preventing hurtful contentions, by giving up every thing that is worth contending about, they would be rooting out the wheat belonging to the tares; and for the sake of extirpating noxious weeds, would be condemning the field to perpetual sterility.' We are not then to hold a society together by renouncing the objects of it; nor to part with our faith, and our hope, as a means of attaining charity; but rather seek to combine the three; and by earnest zeal, without violence or bigotry,-by firmness, accompanied with moderation, discretion, and temper,-by conciliating adversaries without sacrificing the truth, and by hearty, yet mild cooperation with friends, to obtain the advantages of party-feeling, yet avoid its evils; and promote peace, without falling into indifference.'

The Second Lecture goes into a detail of several of those abuses or excesses of party-feeling, by which it degenerates into what is usually termed Party-spirit. One of the most prominent of these excesses is the tendency to prefer the means to the end; the prosperity of any party to the objects for the sake of which the party is established. Many instances of this occur in the proceedings of the Jesuits: examples, indeed, abound in every page of history, of men who are ready to sacrifice, for the aggrandizement of the state, not only themselves, but also the lives, the property, and the happiness of their fellow citizens, though the security of these is the very object of civil society. One or two of the circumstances which are apt to lead the members of a party into forgetfulness of its original object, we will give (with some curtailment) in the words of our author. They are good instances of his mode of illustration.

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'Almost every society has some institutions, whose immediate end is the preservation of the society, and which have no intrinsic value; like the fortifications of a town, which are worthless in themselves, but are essential to the security of the citizens' habitations and goods, &c.' -It is generally, too, found desirable, that a party should have some external badges of distinction, to indicate their internal sentiments; that the members of it may be mutually known among themselves, and held together. These are like the standards in an army; which the, soldiers

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soldiers are taught to defend at all hazards, because though in themselves not worth defending, they are the signs by which they are to distinguish friend from foe, and by which they are to be kept together in proper order. All these signs of distinction have the effect, not only of keeping the party united and entire, but also of increasing men's attachment to it.'

We sometimes find, that these secondary objects of a society come in turn to be regarded as primary; that the fortifications are sedulously guarded, while the city itself is suffered to fall to decay; and that men cling to their standard, while they forget the cause for which they were enlisted. Other abuses or excesses of Partyfeeling are an over-readiness to form parties on frivolous grounds, and a disposition to bigotry and selfishness.

Besides these, there are other propensities, which have an especial tendency to mix themselves with this feeling, to call it into action, and to aggravate its mischiefs. Such are vanity aud ambition; fondness for novelty; love of disputation; and lastly, that proud spirit, which delights in humbling and mortifying others. The operation of these several propensities is pointed out and illustrated by Mr. Whately in a clear and interesting mauner. The evil effects of party-spirit are sufficiently obvious. One of the most prominent of them is the extinction of charity. one should go through St. Paul's description of charity,' says the author, reversing every point in the detail, he would have no incorrect description of party-spirit.' Another is, scandal to the cause of truth; and a third, the establishment and propagation of error; each member of the party, adopting its doctrines and practices in the mass, without separating the sound from the unsound.

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"A Carnal Mind the Cause of Division' forms the running title of the Third lecture, which restates the excesses of party-feeling and the evil propensities connected with it, already mentioned, and points out the conduct and temper of mind respecting them, which ought to be maintained. This lecture shows much sound judgment, and high moral feeling: but it is little more than an expansion of the first part of the preceding lecture, in some degree reversing the order there observed. Had Mr. Whately been writing a treatise on the subject, instead of a series of sermons, he would, we think, have thrown these two lectures into one.

The Fourth lecture contains some very sensible observations on the conduct which we should maintain with respect to those, who really or apparently differ from us, without being at all, or in any high degree, blamable, that we may avoid the mischiefs which may arise from condemning them unfairly. Of this unfairness most men are guilty who, if they meet with any one who main

tains a single doctrine which belongs to the system of some suspected sect, at once regard him as holding the entire system, even though there be no necessary connexion between the opinion in question and the rest. Thus some Arminian divines impute the adoption of all the tenets of Calvinism, even to those who expressly renounce them, if in any one doctrine they appear to take the same view with Calvin, or any of his followers. And thus, on the other hand, do some Calvinists attribute to such as do not coincide with their peculiar views, the rejection or neglect of the great doctrine of the atonement, and other essential parts of the Gospel scheme.

The following passage upon this part of the subject seems to be dictated by the genuine spirit of Christian wisdom:

Let the most candid and favourable construction possible be put on every profession, till we are compelled to understand it otherwise, Where the case will allow of it, let blame be laid rather on the form of expression, than on the doctrine intended to be conveyed; and lastly, where it is manifest that incorrect notions are entertained, let it always be considered whether they may not be attributed rather to weakness of intellect, and inaptitude for accurate statements, than to culpable perversion of the truth.'

The preceding lectures have related principally to the regulation of our own temper; of course we must expect to find in our opponents the same faults which we have to guard against in ourselves; the same party-spirit,-the same vanity,-the same love of disputation, the same pride. The most likely mode to check these faults in our opponents is to meet them with candour, gentleness, and modesty. Some more particular cautions, however, with respect to our conduct towards opponents follow, which bear strong marks of our author's accurate knowledge of human nature. One of the first of them is, that errors and the maintainers of errors should be opposed separately, rather than collectively. 'Men may be driven to make common cause with those from whom they differ in many points, for the sake of repelling a common attack.' And again, when we have to contend both against heretical doctrine and party-spirit, each affording strength to the other, the wisest way will be to combat those two evils separately;" first, to endeavour, by all fair means, to dissolve or weaken the union of those who are banded together against the truth; and thus to assail error on more fair terms, unsupported by intrinsic aids. Let not the orthodox lend their aid to the combining of errors into a system, and of heretics into a sect.'

Another rule is to endeavour, when we honestly can, to mitigate the spirit of party in our opponents, by extenuating rather than aggravating the differences between us. We should not lengthen

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the distance they have to retrace in order to regain the right path. Bitterness and angry feeling in our opponents are best encountered by gentleness and mildness, and by the full exertion of Christian charity; and whenever unchristian wrath, satire, and reviling have been employed against those at variance with us, he is the most judicious advocate of true religion, who is the first to condemn such conduct in his own party. There is especially much wisdom in avoiding every thing which may unnecessarily wound the pride of our opponents, than which nothing presents more powerful obstacles to conversion from error. This part of the subject is treated by Mr. Whately with great ability, and fulness of illustration.

In order to repress or check a controversial spirit in others, it is advisable that we should make it plain that we have not ourselves any delight in controversy, but regard it as always an evil in itself, though sometimes a necessary evil. It is desirable also, as far as is practicable and safe, to adhere to the didactic style of reasoning, rather than the polemical; according to the precept of St. Paul, which directs the ministers of the Lord not to strive, but in meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves. When it is absoJutely necessary to engage in controversy, it is advisable to examine the whole of the system adopted by our opponents, and the consequences it leads to, instead of combating it in detail and merely seeking flaws in this or that particular argument. It will be wise, too, to consider whether our object is to convert and recall the erroneous, or to warn others against being seduced by them.

The Sixth lecture contains some useful cautions with respect to the subject matter of controversy. It recommends the keeping clear of such questions as are too abstruse and mysterious to be fathomed by the powers of the human intellect;—such as are too minute;—and such as are too speculative and remote from Christian practice. Of the former description are some bold disquisitions on the mystery of the Trinity, and the rash attempts fully to explain the whole order and process of the counsels of the Most High in the atonement; such too are many of the inquiries respecting fatalism and free will. These all have their origin in that pride which disdains to acquiesce in things inexplicable, and in an unrestrained thirst for knowledge.

The former of these errors should be guarded against, by steadily keeping in view the purposes for which a revelation was given; viz. not for the increase of our speculative knowledge, but for our instruction in what is needful to be known, in order to our serving God, and conforming our lives to his commands.'

We stand, in short, (as many passages of Scripture seem to indicate) in somewhat the same relation to our heavenly Father, as that of little children towards their parent, who communicates to them indeed

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enough to entitle him to their love, confidence, and cheerful obedience : but whose character and designs are very imperfectly and indistinctly understood by them.'-p. 183.

In this part of the discussion Mr. Whately makes some very just remarks upon several mistakes into which men are apt to fall particularly upon that very common mistake of confounding familiar acquaintance with accurate knowledge, and imagining themselves capable of clearly understanding the nature of whatever they have been much accustomed to think and speak of. As instances of minute and trifling questions, our author mentions the controversies which distracted the church concerning the proper time for the observance of Easter, and the use of leavened or unleavened bread at the Lord's Supper.

Next follow some cautions with respect to the language of religious discussion; the most important of which are, first, to be aware of the ambiguity of words, and watchful against being misled by it; secondly, to guard against attaching too great importance to the use of any particular term; and lastly, to avoid, as much as possible, introducing or keeping up the use of any particular set of words and phrases, as the badge of a party. The evils resulting from the neglect of these cautions, and the manner in which such neglect tends to excite groundless and unsatisfactory disputes, are clearly and forcibly pointed out.

The conduct which we ought to observe towards Dissenters, is considered in the Seventh lecture. Previously to entering upon its more immediate subject, however, Mr. Whately makes the following very just observation on the indifference clad in the garb of candour, which prevails among many of the laity with respect to heresy and schism.

"Laymen are too apt to consider themselves as little more than bystanders in the dispute between the church and her opponents: they give her the preference, indeed, but rather as a matter of taste than of conscience; or at least, rather as umpires between two contend. ing parties, than as making the cause their own; and many a one may be found who would allow, and even expect, in the clergy, some zeal in that cause, yet would seem to regard it as altogether their concern; not as one in which he himself has a common interest. These sentiments often arise, not so much from weakness or perversity, as from thoughtlessness, and want of due attention to the subject; for every sincere and candid Christian, if he can be brought to reflect attentively on the solemnity with which the church was instituted, as a society, not of ministers merely, but of Christians at large, and on the earnestness with which its divine founder and his apostles inculcated the duty of preserving its unity, and promoting its welfare, will hardly fail to be convinced, that if he would claim a share in the benefits of Christ's redemption, he cannot be indifferent to his institutions; and that therefore, as he is not only permitted but bound to withdraw from

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