ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page 22.

ESTABLISHED CHURCHES.

An Established Church, as established, is a political body, a corporation to which the law alone gives existence. Religious truth, religious spirit, are mere accidents of such bodies; for the legislature which creates them is not a competent judge of truth, unless we admit two positions, each of which is obviously untenable: 1st. That every Legislature is a competent judge of what is truth; and 2d. That every Legislature can see and pronounce what is in the heart of each man, and how far each sincerely holds the Faith which has been thus decided to be true. Religion, in the case of establishments, is only a name given to the distinguishing marks

which the Legislature fixes for the formation of the political body called Church. These marks consist in certain forms of words, which must be repeated by such as the law will recognize as members of the privileged clergy and laity. Whether these words contain truth or error, does not alter their nature, as an external sign fixed by law, and by nothing else. Whoever carries about that sign, is entitled to the privileges granted to the body: the whole collection of such men, whatever their real opinions and moral character may be, is, as long as the law continues in force, the Church. They may happen to be right in opinion, pure in conduct, sincere in profession-they may happen to be the reverse: still THEY are the Church. We now ask, is such a constituent principle, spiritual or political? If Christianity had not attached the idea of truth to religion, essentially and inseparably-if, as it had been believed all over the world before the Gospel, religion were only a system of national customs, implying reverence to the invisible powers, and respect for the rights of other men; an established Church would be exposed to little or no trouble on the part of dissenters; because the government might properly say, these externals are the law of the country: you must comply with them, or you shall be punished. And, why should any man, under the above supposition, decline to conform in externals to

the Established Church, or worship? It makes, however, an essential difference, when truth is considered the very essence of religion; for, it being a fixed principle of the human mind, that in things not subject to experiment, we cannot approach truth beyond the conceptions of that truth which exist only in ourselves; and since that must be the truth to every man, which he finds to be true in his own mind; nothing short of the most tyrannical violence will make a man, who is not a slave, submit to the declarations of any Legislature in point of religious truth, unless the law happens to be in favour of his own truth. To see others enjoying privileges, wealth and power in the name of Truth, when you are as much convinced that they hold error, as they can be themselves that they hold the truth; is more than human nature can patiently bear. Nothing but compulsion of some kind, can prevent these feelings from producing mischief.

The question, therefore, about religion established by law, belongs to politics, and must be decided according to political principles and circum

stances.

Page 51.

Evils of Metaphysical Questions.

There is a passage in the interesting and instructive work of M. Matter-Histoire du Gnosticisme, which we wish to recommend to the attention of the reader, in connection with those eternal sources of contention, the metaphysical or scholastic views of divines.

"Paul le pressentait bien: toutes ces spéculations, empruntées à des systèmes si divers, ne pouvaient qu' embarrasser la sociétè Chrétienne, et gêner le développement moral de l'homme, surtout ce beau sentiment d'amour ou de charitè, dont la puissance n' avait été appréciée encore dans une autre doctrine comme il le fut dans le Christianisme, et qui nulle part n'a produit autant de merveilles que dans les nations Chrétiennes. En général, ces spéculations tuaient non seulement la charité, mais encore cette résignation aux destinées humaines ou aux volontés suprèmes, qui est a la fois si belle et si nécessaire, et qui exerce sur l'homme religieux une influence si salutaire et si puissante, sous les formes de la foi et de l'espérance."-Vol. I. p. 151.

"Paul clearly foresaw it: these speculations bor

rowed from such a variety of systems could not fail to hamper the Christian society, and impede the moral growth of man, checking particularly that beautiful feeling of love or charity, whose power had never before been properly valued in any other system prior to Christianity—and which no where else has been able to produce the wonders which it has raised among the Christian nations. In a few words, these speculations were not only destructive of charity, but prevented that resignation to the lot of man and the divine will, which is as useful as it is necessary, and which, under the forms of Faith and Hope, obtains a most salutary and most powerful influence over a religious man.”

Page 65.

Metaphors in the 1st Chapter of John's Gospel.

The Editor is so deeply impressed with the importance of spreading true notions as to the character and power of the metaphorical or hieroglyphical language of the scriptures, that at the risk of exhausting the patience of some readers, he will add a few words upon that subject. The following is the substance of a note in his own interleaved New Testament.