But are there not many

Sunch Orta,” the isored Scriptures. graal members in the Church of England? Yes; and in the bat abilished Church of Home. They subsist in these political churches, in a trivas ei oil in water, altogether unmixed.

Frational churches originated in human wisdom; the church of Christ in the wisdom of God. The national church has been Protest cnt, Poquah, Orthodox, Arian.

The national Church of Rome has the Pope for its head, and his dietates for its foundation. The established Church of England is boult on an act of parliament. The church of Christ is “built on the doctrines of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone,"

What is the effect on the majority of the clergy? They swear to their belief of articles and liturgy, which they contradict in the pul pit Nome are Calvinists, others Arminians, and many Actieimana They declare all regenerated who are baptized; and a they bury, with a sure and certain hope of their resurrection to eter wal life! Well may Infidels increase, and Deists laugh. Well n Pisscuts a multiply, and occasion officers in the Established Chara to mound an alari," The church is in danger!" that is, their en

Pran uting ministers, who have nothing to depend on but chanc kr and takat most think; “but we," siad a cirgyman, " 1? * boined to examene, our erved and prayers are fixed by art of na All the h, pran yo movis and superstar nas mtes, 17

ay alwasi ma the esteem f eks W:

Is the assembly of whoremongers, drunkards, swearers, sabbathbreakers, at the Lord's table, "the communion of SAINTS," or holy persons?

Christians, in national churches, have no right to choose their own teachers: these are imposed on them by worldly men, however blind and frivolous, worldly minded and profane. If it so happen that a wise and holy minister has served a congregation, the next may be a mere fop, a sensualist, or a mere gamester. It is not the church of Christ which ordains these worldly ministers; but the Church of England, united to the state. This obliges them, and civil officers to take the Lord's Supper; and the sensual minister to declare that he is moved by the Holy Ghost to take the sacred office. This is lying to God and man. By the constitutional alliance of church and state, the worst of men, admitted to civil offices, at home and abroad, must take the Lord's Supper as a test; and be guilty of the body and blood of Christ. This, says the Rev. Mr. Newton," is a national curse."

The union of the primitive church, was by one spirit; the Roman church had a political union under a political head. Was this a spiritual or secular kingdom, or "Mystery, Babylon?" Hence, riches, honour, power, persecution, imprisonment, death to Christians for adhering to "the simplicity" of Christian truth and discipline.

Hence, gay attire to ministers, garnished temples, statues, images, busts of saints, of apostles, of the Virgin Mary, of angels, of Jesus Christ, and of the Father.

The church and state united by the same authority, decided at one time, that Jesus Christ was God; at another, that he was not.

The line of civil government is, to protect our natural, civil, and religious rights; not to invade these rights, and fetter conscience by worldly policy.

Creeds have been establshed by human authority, without conviction, and against it. Great men plead for respect to the national creed and institutions; not because they are established by divine authority, but by an act of parliament-by the law of man. This is assuming the authority of Christ; and the emperor, king, or civil authority says, "The people shall be willing in the day of MY power!" Psalms, cx., 3.

Is this equity? Suppose the power in the hands of dissenters. "As ye would they should do to you, do ye to them."

Were not Jesus, his apostles, and the martyrs, dissenters from the Established Religion? What then avails the title of NATIONAL

CHURCH.

Are they infallible? if not, how can they convince the understanding and bind the conscience? Do they establish uniformity of faith among their own members? No; but on the contrary, conformity and hypocrisy.

No. XXIX.

THE MILLENNIUM.

It has been, and still is the sentiment of many good and learned men, that the Millennium, or thousand years, in which the influence of Satan will be restrained, and the world filled with eminent or perfect Christians, refers to the personal and visible reign of Jesus Christ on the earth, during that period.

Dr. Gill and others, thus describe it. The former says, after the world is burned, the living saints changed, and the dead ones raised, Christ will personally appear, and visibly reign a thousand years; after which, the wicked will be raised, and the general judgment immediately succeed the resurrection. The passage on which these sentiments are built, is Rev. xx. 1-6, which is capable of another meaning, which I think is more consistent with the passage itself, and the general tenor of the sacred Scripture.

A valuable design may be answered, and numerous and weighty objections to the Millennium obviated, by understanding it as referring not to a personal and visible, but to a spiritual reign; or a dispensation of the Holy Spirit in his gifts and graces, answerable to the prophetic descriptions; "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." Joel, ii., 28, 29. Pentecost was but the first fruits of this harvest.

This will restore the Jews, and express the permanent favour of God to them, in a manner never yet experienced as Ezekiel declares, "Neither will I hide my face any more from them; for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord." Ezekiel, xxxix., 29.

The effects produced in the spirits and lives of men, will correspond to this glorious cause; as knowledge and piety, love and union, order and happiness.

1. Knowledge.-Satan being bound, he will not "deceive the nation." Errors and delusions, the causes of ignorance, and the impediment to progressive knowledge, will then be removed; "the veil over all faces, and the covering on all nations will be taken off.— Isaiah, xxv. 7.

This knowledge is represented metaphorically, as a seven-fold degree of it, compared to former times, (Isaiah xxx., 26.), “Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun," &c. There shall be no more old infants, or an infant of days; or old men infants in knowledge; "Nor an old man that hath not filled his days," that is, improved according to his years. "For the child shall die, an hundred years old." That is children in years, shall then surpass in knowledge, the oldest men of former days.

2. Eminent purity will abound.-Thy people shall be all righ

teous. (Isaiah lx. 21.) This consecration to God will be expressed in their common business and temporal enjoyments. In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, holiness unto the Lord. (Zech. xiv., 20, 21.)

3. Pure and ardent love of God.-Their own souls and the souls of others will be equally conspicuous in its effects. (Jer. xxxi. 33.) In that day the divine law, the substance of which is love, will be deeply engraven in every heart, and will appear in the

4. Union. When God shall gather his people out of all countries; he will give them one heart, and one way. (Jer. xxxii. 37–41.)

Union of hearts, as well as of Judgments, will then be produced by the Holy Spirit, as in primitive times; when, under the same influence, the disciples continued with one mind, of one heart, and of one soul. (Acts, ii., 46; iv., 32.)

5. Order, is the result of union; persons and things in their proper places and seasons. The spirit of God governing the spirits of men, will produce a wise, holy, and cordial subordination in families, churches, and kingdoms.

6. From these dispositions and principles, spring peace and joy. -The effect of these is peace. (Isaiah, xxxii., 18.) The sinful lusts and passions subdued, the causes of war and contention; harmony and felicity will be enjoyed. (Isaiah, ii. 4.) In the church there will be a feast of fat things, and wine on the lees well refined, then will be accomplished. (Isaiah, xi. 6-9.)

Eminent holiness and happiness will be followed by permanent health of body. Their sins pardoned, enjoying an exemption from temporal judgments, "The inhabitants will not say I am sick; the people who live in that time shall be forgiven their iniquity. (Isaiah, xxxiii. 24.)

No. XXX.

ON PREACHING.

IT has been said, that the primary object of the preacher is, to instruct, to convince, and to persuade. Not to commend himself to the taste and fancy; but to "the conscience of every man, as in the sight of God." If you preach as in the sight of man, only, your aim will be to please a few persons of taste, or to please many of low taste;-or to shine before men, and obtain their applause.

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Without a sincere desire to enlighten and impress "the poor,' our style may become to them, an unknown tongue.' If a preacher shall aim at displaying of fine thoughts, fine words, and fine periods;- -use "the enticing words of man's wisdom," to play the

orator-he preaches HIMSELF; and is of all triflers, the most eminent. A person in a private station may trifle with his own soul, and its salvation; but a minister of the gospel, whose praise is not of God, but of man, trifles with the souls of others, as well as his

own.

There may be persons of a refined taste in the congregation, who admire a preacher for his fine style; and expect in return, that the preacher should sacrifice the edification of the poor, to gratify their taste. If such preachers deliver good and great things, their manner of delivering them is their principal object, not the gospel itself, as "a true saying, and worthy of all acceptation." Such "wordpreachers" have their reward, "the praise of men," before whom they desire to "let their works shine." But let not the minister think, that those persons who pretend to great delicacy of taste, are profited, because they are pleased. No! it too often happens, that while they "corrupt the mind of the minister, from the simplicity of Christ, the vain conceit of their own minds is strengthened.

No. XXXI.

ON CONVERSATION.

How may conversation in mixed company be rendered most edifying?

FIRST-By avoiding those evils, against which we ourselves have taken just offence: for "as face answereth to face in the water, so doth the heart of man to man." Those evils in the conversation of others, which have digusted me, excited my resentment, or diminished my esteem of them, and confidence in them, will, if I indulge the same, speak with equal force against ME.

"A vain talker" insults you by unprofitable words ;-wearies you by the length and repetitions of his discourse.

An impatient man provokes you by his unseasonable interruptions; and an irritable man, by quick resentment of the least opposition to his opinion.

Of all the evils which counteract our usefulness in conversation, there is no one more powerful and extensive than pride; a sin which induces us to overrate our own opinion, and express a haughty contempt for that of others. The proud are selfish, impatient of contradiction, and passionate, under the cloke of zeal for truth. They make large demands on the attention of others-assume a liberty of interrupting them-degrade them by invidious comparisons; and by talking too much of themselves, defeat all the valu