to some parts of Rhode Island, and what do you find the state of society? All who are acquainted in those places know very well that the Sabbath is made a day of business, or pleasure, or dissipation; that the education of the rising generation is grossly neglected; that poverty is gaining ground; that open immorality is increasing with rapid strides. Take a survey of the world; and you will be convinced that where Christian institutions are best supported, there is the most intelligence, goodness, and happiness. Should the time ever arrive, when our temples of worship shall be demolished or deserted, that time will find us an ignorant, degraded, enslaved people. Let every one look well to his own example. Let us never be kept from the house of prayer and instruction by any causes which would not detain us from engagements of business, and pursuits of pleasure. us never rely on excuses which will not satisfy our consciences in seasons of reflection and sorrow; which will utterly fail us in the hour of sickness and death, and which may hereafter rise up to our condemnation. Let us rely on no excuses, but such as we shall be willing to offer our heavenly Father, in the period of judgment and eternity.

B. W.

Let

THE FINAL TENDENCY of the Religious Disputes of the Present Day, Impartially Considered. By Old Experience.

"A PLEA AGAINST RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY"-a Sermon by Rev. N. L. Frothingham.

THE theological opinions which at present divide our community are of most solemn and affecting interest. They concern the moral character of God and the accountability of man. On such subjects it is impossible to hold an opinion as true, and to be indifferent whether one's neighbor believes it or not. There can be but one true belief, and that belief firmly embraced and honestly carried out into all its practical results will of course produce, in the highest degree, that purifying, elevating, holy influence, and that substantial and enduring happiness which Jesus came to confer on his followers. No sect probably holds this truth pure and unadulterated, and no honest inquirer fails of attaining enough of it to sanctify and save his soul. God forbid that any sect should arrogate to itself the exclusive possession of it, and presume to place beyond the pale of its own charity and denounce as outcasts from the favor of God, those who differ from it. That this abstract truth exists somewhere is self-evident. That it is a most important and interesting subject of research will be as readily acknowledged; for the more nearly it is approached, and the more completely its original brightness is brought out, the more powerful will it be to produce true holiness;—to suppose otherwise would be to suppose that the errors of men are of more efficacy in the regeneration of the world than the truth of God. Every man must necessarily

regard the opinions which he himself holds as the nearest approach to this truth. But let him who takes on himself the responsible task of guiding the faith of others, take good heed to his motives and to the grounds on which he makes up his opinions. Let him sincerely endeavor to throw away as far as he can, the chains of system, of education and prejudice. Let him cherish a pure and ardent love of truth for her own sake, and a single purpose of following her direction whithersoever she may lead. Let him make a faithful use of the reason and of the means of knowledge afforded him, looking for light and instruction to the God of all truth. The results he shall thus arrive at must be to him the truth, and must claim from him that service and allegiance which it is the prerogative of truth to command from every man. In defence of this he must stand forth meekly, yet firmly. This he must assert and maintain through evil report and good report, and for this he must be ready, if necessary, to lay down his life. Benevolence as well as veneration and zeal for the truth calls him to it. Christian charity which bids us bind up the bodily wounds of our brother and administer to his earthly wants, and pour into his benighted soul the light of worldly knowledge, calls on us still more imperiously to look to his immortal interests, to give him our support and direction in the way to heaven. There is no greater good than religious truth, and no higher exercise of benevolence than the imparting of it.

We confess, however, than when we set ourselves to defend religious controversy, we do not search its past history for arguments. The history of the church from beginning to end is little more than a history of the abuses of controversy. We agree with all that can be

called historical in the remarks of Old Experience, but if he require us to infer from it that controversy must ever be what it almost always has been, we must there join issue with him. Still less can we agree with Mr Frothingham, that discussion never can, from its very nature and the nature of truth, promote correct views of religion. We see not why this should be the case in religion more than on every other subject. Nor can we think with him that the most trivial and unimportant points alone have been disputed, while the great and fundamental doctrines of religion have been left untouched. It seems to us as we have already said, that opposite opinions of most vital influence over the formation of character and the conduct of life, are held by the two great parties which at present divide the community. What precept of charity requires us to disguise this fact from one another? It is a sickly kind of charity which must put every difference out of sight before it can love a brother. True charity consists in loving him in spite of differences. We allude in what we have said to such doctrines as native and total depravity, election, irresistible grace. If these doctrines are true in any intelligible sense, there is an end to man's accountability. It is idle, it is cruel mockery to call upon him to make a single effort to work out his salvation. There is no motive or power to do it left. Such are the necessary and unavoidable inferences from these doctrines until they are frittered away by theological subtilty to mean nothing. Are they unimportant consequences?

But, it will be asked, have such been indeed the practical effects of these doctrines? Have all who have ever held them sat down in indolent acquiescence with the disabilities of their nature, without moving so much

as a finger to secure their everlasting happiness? We rejoice to answer this question in the negative. We rejoice to believe and acknowledge that many, very many who have professed these doctrines, have been eminently pious and holy men. But we fearlessly appeal to common sense, could it be these doctrines that made them so? Whilst they uttered them with their tongues and persuaded themselves that they believed them in their hearts, must not their reason and conscience have silently rejected them every time they performed a good action? It has been well said that all practical religion is the same. But we consider it a great evil to hold in addition to these vital articles of faith, a dead inoperative set of opinions, which, so far as they have any influence at all, clog and obstruct the natural influence of the great practical truths of religion; which chill man's ardent aspirations after excellence ;-in moments of despondency press him yet more heavily to earth, and in the season of hope and elation must be forgotten before he can yield to the generous impulse within, which prompts him to virtuous actions. There is a great difference between being good in consequence of one's creed, and being good in spite of it. In the first case, everything a man believes will conspire to encourage him in the unwearied pursuit of christian holiness; in the other, his faith will too often introduce doubt, hesitation and timidity into his practice. Whilst, therefore, we believe that there have been many good men who have held important errors, we cannot but think they would have gone more cheerfully, constantly, and rapidly onward, had they believed nothing but truth.

But the evil does not end here. All men have not within them this vital principle of religion which neutral