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practically reap from it, abstracted from its religious character. It has, I dare say, been oftener attacked by

The gentleman who arhimself too much to em

sarcasm than by good sense, guéd against us, has respected ploy that weapon, and I believe he has said all that good sense could urge against it, which we take in very good part.

But while this ordinance has been openly exposed to scoff and ridicule, its excellence has been concealed by the very secrecy it enjoins. If it led to licentiousmess or danger, that licentiousness, or that danger, would have come to light, and there would be tongues enough to tell it. Whilst on the other hand, its utility can never be proved by instances, because it cannot be shewn how many have been saved by it;. how many of the young of both sexes, have been in the most critical juncture of their lives, admonished from the commicion of some fatal crime, that would have brought the parents hoary hairs with sorrow tó the grave. These are secrets that can not be revealed,

Since however, the avenues that lead to vice are many and alluring; is it not well that some one should be open to the repenting sinner, where the fear of punishment and of the world's scorn, may not deter the yet wavering convert? If the road to destruction, is easy and smooth, si facilis descensus averni, may it not consist with wis.. dom and policy, that there be one silent, secret path,. where the doubting penitent may be invited to turn aside and escape the throng that hurries him along? Some, retreat, where, as in the bosom of a holy hermit, with in the shade of innocence and peace, the pilgrim of this checquered life, may draw new inspirations of virtue

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and repose. If the thousand ways of error, are tricked with flowers, is it so wrong that somewhere there should be a sure and gentle friend, who has no interest to betray, no care, but that of ministering to the incipient cure? The syren songs and blandishments of pleasure, may lead the young and tender heart astray, and the repul sive frown of stern authority, forbid return. One step then gained or lost, is victory or death. Let me then ask you that are parents, which would you prefer, that the child of your hopes should pursue the course of ruin, and continue with the companions of debauch and crime, or turn to the confessional, where if compunction could once bring him, one gentle word, one well timed admonition, one friendly turn by the hand might save your child from ruin, and your heart from unavailing sorrow? And if the hardened sinner, the murderer, the robber, or conspirator, can once be brought to bow his stubborn spirit, and kneel before htfrail fellow man, invite him to pronounce a penance sud to his crimes, and seek salvation through a full reperance, there is more gained, than by the bloodiest spectacle of terror, than though his mangled limbs were broken on the wheel, his body gibbetted or given to the fowls of the air. If these reflections have any weight at all; if this picture be but true in any part, better forbear and leave things as they are, than too rashly sacrifice to jealous doubts, or shallow ridicule, an ordinance sanctioned by antiquity, and founded on experience of man's nature. For if it were possible for even faith, that removes mountains, as they say, to alter this, and with it to abolish the whole fabrick, of which it is a vital part, what next would follow? Hundreds of millions of chris

tians would be set adrift from all religious fastening! Would it be better to have so many atheists than so many christians? Or if not, what church is fitted to re ceive into its bosom, this great majority of all the chris tian world. Is it determined whether they shall become jews or philanthropists, Chinese or Mahommedans, lutherans or calvinists, baptists or brownists, materialists, universalists or destructionists, arians, trinitarians, presbyterians, baxterians, sabbatarians, or millenarians, moravians, antinomians or sandemanians, jumpers or dunkers, shakers or quakers, burgers, kirkers, independents, covenanters, puritans, Hutchinsonians, Johnsonians, or muggletonians. I doubt not, that in every sect that I have named, there are good men, and if there be, I trust they will all find mercy, but chiefly so as they are charitable each to his neighbour. And why should they be otherwise? The gospel enjoins it; the constitution ordains it. Intolerance in this country could proceed from nothing but a diseased affection of the pia mater, or the spleen.

The constitution is remediate of many mischiefs, and must be liberally construed. It is also declaratory, and pronounces toleration. What toleration ? Not that exotic and sickly plant, that in other countries subsists by culture, bearing few blossoms and no fruit. No, but that indigenous tree, whose spreading branches stretch towards the heavens-in which the native eagle builds his nest. It is holy as the Druid's oak and sacrilege to wound it. If its authors are yet alive, or if looking down from a happier abode, they have now any care of mortal things, how must they rejoice to see it flourish, to see that all these churches, are but so many temples of one

only living God, from whence his worshippers no longer sally forth with tusk and horn to gore each other, but meet like sheep, that are of one shepherd, but of another fold. If my neighbour cleaves to his own wife, shall I quarrel that he does not prefer mine, and love her better; and if he loves his own religion better, is that a ground of enmity ?. I think it should not. The pres byterian may assert the independent tenets of his church, yet greet his catholic brother in gentleness and charity, fearing no evil, thinking no evil. Let the peaceful friend enjoy without molestation his silent devotion, his solemn meditation and his inward prayer, his simple communitation, by yea and nay, by thee and thou. In like manner, let the methodist indulge the enthusiastic extacies of his devotion, without unkindness to his fellow citizen. Let the episcopalian, more like the catholic, add music, shew, and ceremony, to charm the senses and fix the wandering attention. I have been educated in that church. I am no bigot, I see in it no certain token of exclusive grace, and yet I claim the right to love it above all others, if so I am disposed; and I turn to it with the more affection, because those nearest and dearest to me, by every mortal tie, have been, and are its ministers, and have been good and virtuous men. I challenge for the catholic, the self same right, and I should despise him as I should myself, if force or violence should make him swerve from any tenet of a religion which he held as sacred. It is not however, nor never shall be, an offence to me, that the pious catholic glories in his faith, that he boasts of› the long and uninterrupted succession of Christ's vicars, the sanctity of its apostles, the learning of its doctors, thre holiness of its countless martyrs, its unity, integrity

catholicity, and apostolic origin; in the universality of its doctrines, dogmatical and moral; in the unanimity of its councils, in its miracles, victories, and sublime antiquity. What right have I to cavil at all this? It is enough for me, that amongst the friends I have had, none havebeen more true, more loyal, or more noble hearted, than catholics have proved. Without being a confessor, I have had occasions of knowing their inmost thoughts, in the hour of trial and sincerity, and I am convinced that a more intemperate or unreasonable construction could not be given to the proviso in question, than to apply the terms of either dangerous or licentious to any part of their religion or their practice !

We are not called upon to shew how the words of this proviso, may, or may not be satisfied. It lies upon the adversary to shew that they necessarily attach upon

us.

But I have no hesitation to meet the question, and I solve it thus: In as much as the constitution permits to all mankind, the free exercise of their religious worship, and the makers of it were aware that there were many heathen or pagan nations, whose devotional prac tices were repugnant to every acknowledged principle of law and morality; and yet that all these might in the course of time, become inhabitants and citizens of this country; it became necessary, therefore, to hold out some defence against the universal introduction of untried practices. To define them all, in like manner, as the exceptions in favour of the quaker was not possible; and however they might feel the necessity of clear and explicit definitions, the thing was here impossible.They might have said, indeed, that Hindoo women should not burn themselves; that savage tribes should not make human sacrifices, or feed on human

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