and the world, virtually if not formally, has been under its feet. But this would be apart from my object. I wish to do some good to the ostensible church; the natural church; the visible church; the manifold, divided, sectional, and temporary church. Therefore, I must submit to some pain; for this church has not always retained its connexion with Christ, as its Head; its members have not always been subordinated to his authority; and the world, instead of being under its feet, has too often trodden upon it, and triumphed over it.

Now, here, just as we found it to be among individual men, so it is among the visible churches. Some are great and others small. And here, too, I have sentiments to express, in relation to the several classes, similar to those which were uttered on a former occasion.

I am an admirer of great churches. I cannot help it. They appeal to certain susceptibilities of my nature, which are easily impressed, and quickly respond to their call.

I think, first, of the Ancient churches, and especially of those, which, after all their dismemberments, still retain the name of Catholic-the Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic, churches. I think of their asserted Antiquity, dating even from the time of the Apostles. I think of their extent-not, of course, separately Catholic, or yet unitedly Catholic, but, notwithstanding, so obviously immense, both in space and population. I think of their alliance with renowned and imperial States; and of their occasional haughty supremacy over them. I think of their magnificent and splendid hierarchies, with the palaces that shelter them, the galleries that amuse them, the gardens that refresh them, the retinues that attend them, and the revenues that enrich them. I think of their hosts of dependent, obsequious, and ubiquitous agents, with the central retreats that supply them, and the boundless plans that employ them. I think of their gorgeous cathedrals and solemn rituals, with the accompanying enchantments for every sense, and temptations to every passion. I think of their venerable universities, reposing among the endowments of ages; illustrious with the genius and learning of their ample faculties, and everywhere strengthened by the position and influence of their graduates, and the ever-enlarging relations of their new successions of students. I think of the comprehensiveness and variety of the social classes assembled in their communion; from the monarch on his throne, his counsellors, courtiers, and nobles, down, through all intervening gradations, even to the humblest soldier, sailor, laborer, pauper, serf, or slave. I think, moreover, of their silent and saved cities of the dead, around all their temples of the living, and of the blended affections of subject nations in the mightiest attachments

of ancestral memory and heavenly hope, which no current oppression is strong enough to break, And, as I think of these and other imposing distinctions, I cannot be insensible to the profound impression of the incomparable power, which such a survey so naturally occasions; and, as power, mere power, whether for good or evil, is always admirable, I cannot but admire it here.

And yet, with this glance at the greatness of the Ancient churches, when I ask myself the question-How have they used their power? Who can wonder that I grieve and weep?

True, there is just reason for some restraint in my utterance here. That is whatever incidental good has been accomplished by these Ancient churches, by taking the places of prostrate States, and rescuing society from lawless anarchy; by checking the ferocity, enlightening the ignorance, refining the manners, and changing the religion of overwhelming hordes of Barbarian invaders; or, by preserving the literature, both sacred and profane; and, to some extent, the arts, of the olden civilization, for revival and improvement in the new, or in any other way of public benefit-should be unguardingly and even generously acknowledged. More particularly should any more personal, direct, and saving influence of their holy men, in honest fulfillment of the offices of piety and benevolence, be held in grateful recollection. And, moreover, even the tyranny, frauds, exertion, and persecutions, which have so strongly marked their general progress, should not be attributed to mere demoniac malice-or unmitigated love of evil. In all such connexions there is a proper demand for discrimination.

But, after all just allowances are made, when the question is renewed-How have these churches used their power? I feel that it is impossible to return any other than a mournful answer. It should have been used in love to God and man, in pure, disinterested, sacrificial, Christ-like love. But has it been so used? Alas! if the tyranny, frauds, extortions, and persecutions already alluded to, do not prove sheer demoniac malice, it is at least indisputable that they are utterly inconsistent with Christian love. The plain truth is, that the same great Antichrist of Self, which we saw to be the curse of individual man, is also the curse of the church. Self in the heart is like a household idol; but Self in the church is the Juggernaut of Nations baptized-the horrid monster image of the whole Christian world. Especially, the entire system of false authority, in the Catholic churches, has been forged, during the lapse of ages, part by part, to meet the exigencies of Self. Self has fabricated their creeds, complicated their governments, and multiplied and mystified their ordinances-adding article to article, canon to canon, and sacrament to sacrament, as the increase

of its majesty, and the improvements of its possessions, the expense of its pleasures, and the state of its funds demanded. So, for a thousand years, or more, “the man of sin" stalked abroad over the earth, in the guise of the church, as Lord and Master of the globe. But his head was Self, and his body was the world, and the true church-the witness of Christ, and of the open Bible, and of the free conscience, was either actually severed, and trampled in dust and blood, or driven as a panting fugitive to hide in the caverns of the mountains. Even to this day similar scenes are witnessed— though within comparatively narrow limits. Had it not been for the Reformation, doubtless all other modern improvements would have been subjected to the same relentless oppression, or else utterly destroyed. And, with all my admiration of power, I cannot but believe, that, if the self-denying Nazarene should re-appear, as he appeared of old, with the same personal and official claims, the same doctrines and precepts, and the same lowly Galilean attendance, he would be as certainly and ruthlessly rejected by these Ancient churches as He was by the Jews. Ancient as they are, and though they have looked back, as long as the Jews looked forward, to the Messiah, it might be said again: "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." Extended as they are, incomparably more so than were the Jews, still it might be repeated throughout all their boundaries: "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head." What would their hierarchies be to Him, with all their palaces, galleries, gardens, retinues, and revenues! What would their ubiquitous agents be to Him, with all their supplies and all their plans! What would their cathedrals and universities be to Him! Which of their social classes would commune with Him! Which of their cities of the dead, though professedly full of the relics of Ilis martyrs, would afford Ilim even a Gethsemane, in which to hide His agony; a calvary in which to expire, without a broken bone; or a rocky cleft, in which His corpse might rest through the hours of Sabbath peace? Alas! to speak particularly of the Church of Rome, as more arrogant and intolerant, if not more superstitious or idolatrous than the Greek-its constitution and history alike constrained the presumption: that the Pope, surpassing the High Priest, would issue infallible bulls, flaming with anathemas against the Anointed Son of God; that the cardinals, equalling at least the Sanhedrim, would plot his destruction in their secret conclaves; that every Bishop in his diocese would be on the watch, ready at a moment's warning, to lay hands upon Him; that the Jesuit spies would track his steps to His remotest retreats, and that the Inquisition, if at last it should arrest Him, would subject him to torture in its subterranean cells, and then

lead Him forth to the multitude, crowned and robed with painted devils and fires of hell, and so burn Him at the stake, and scatter his ashes on wind and wave, as an 66 auto du fe," or acts of faith.

And why is there reason for such an awful presumption as this? Not because man is naturally worse in the Ancient than in the Modern churches; not because there are no spiritual men in the Catholic, as well as in the Protestant communions; but, because, speaking of them as great organic dominions, Self has seized their thrones; and, for its own advantage, has pledged all its powers, and the powers of all its political allies, to the maintainance of doctrines and practices so contrary to Christ and His Gospel, that, in their presence, and supposing them to be true and right, Christ would appear as Antichrist; and His Gospel as the grandest heresy that ever arose, to distract and destroy the world. In a word, if the Roman and Greek churches-and all that symbolize with them-be the Divinely and authorized exponents and exemplars of Christianity, as history reports them, and as mankind still behold them; if the Peerless Love described in this Golden Chapter, the love which irradiates earth and heaven, time and eternity, and glorifies at once both man and angels, Christ and God-if thus, love be indeed already crowned and enthroned at Constantinople, or St. Petersburg, and at Rome, then what we, as Protestants, understood by Christianity, ought to be put down, and that, of course, according to precedent, by the combination of all Catholic Authorities against us, with all the terrors of fire and sword.

But now, let us glance, in like manner, at Protestant churches. Some of these are great-others small. Taken in whole, I admire them. Taken separately, I admire many of them. I suppose we can all unite in saying, that we honestly and earnestly love them all.

Their foundation of principles, certainly, are worthy of all commendation, These are-that the Bible is the Book of God; and private judgment the duty and right of man. Upon these principles, various Ecclesiastical Systems have been built, as might have been expected; and as, in some sense, would seem even desirable. The chief fault to be found with them is, that, in some respects, many of them, at least, are at variance with the principles on which they rest. That is, they formally or virtually deny the sufficiency of the Bible and private judgment-introducing certain extra decisive, exclusive, and therefore, as it seems to me, false authorities. Were it not for these, there would be far greater hope of unity and efficiency in the conversion of the world.

The great Protestant churches are-the Lutheran, Reformed, and Anglican; the Lutheran prevailing in Prussia, and several smaller German States, as well as in Denmark, Sweden, and Nor

way; the Reformed, in Switzerland, Holland, Scotland, and among the comparatively few French Protestants; and the Anglican, not only in England itself, but also throughout the vast Colonial dependencies of the British Empire. Each of these, moreover, is represented by a sympathetic confederation in our own country. In Europe, they are all connected with the State; and in some cases, are formal State establishments. For instance, in Sweden, Lutheranism is a regular Episcopal State Establishment; in Holland and Scotland, Calvinian Presbyterianism is a State Establishment; and again, in England, what may be styled Cranmerian Episcopalianism is a State Establishment.

Before the smaller Protestant churches are noticed, I would like to pause here, and intimate at least the tremendous power of the great ones; and then inquire, as in relation to the Catholic churches-How have they used their power? But, there is not time for such a detail. Suffice it to say-so far as unfaithfulness is attributable to these Princes of Reformation; so far as they have suffered because of it; so far as Rationalism, or Erastianism, or Romanism, or downright Infidelity, has invaded their precincts and desolated their strongholds; so far, in a word, as the love of God and man has declined among them-in just so far, the cause is the same which has appeared in other connexions, the enthronement of the Antichrist of Self, and the consequent open shame, or renewed crucifixion of the Son of God.

But, let us turn to the smaller Protestant churches going back -for the principles, if not the names demand it-to the Waldenses and their compeers, to the Lollards, the Bohemian Brethren, and the Moravians, and so coming down again to the Baptists, the Independents, the Friends, and the Methodists. To these, if there were time for it, I would gladly add the title of every sect, however recent or apparently insignificant, that is nevertheless dignified by the profession of constraint of conscience, and honest zeal for the honor of Christ and the rights and privileges of His people. Often, indeed, I lament when I see the humble retreats of Christian parties yet feeble, and therefore despised or neglected; and compare theirs with the costly temples of their richer and more fashionable brethren-who, after all, in the sight of God, have haply little reason for the pride and scorn they sometimes so unkindly display.

I say again, that true Christians love them all. If they are tempted to do otherwise, they determined, that, by the grace of God, they will love them all, and so at last, they love to love

them all.

But now, if, with all these parties before me; nay, if, with the Hundred Protestant sects all in full view to the eye of my mind at