of Jesus Christ, which he gave to his servant John," and addressed to the seven churches in Asia, the visions of which contain so many solemn and instructive scenes: and what is the pervading spirit and immediate tendency of the whole, but to draw us away from all unbelief, vanity, selfishness, and the world; to enlighten the understanding, quicken the conscience, and refine the heart; to raise us above all puerile observances and material forms, by the ennobling power of a living faith, till "we shall perfect holiness in the fear of God, and desire to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." Here you will find no solemn warnings, or tedious dissertations, respecting the line of apostolical succession, the divine right of episcopacy, or of ministers ordained by the bishops; the saving power of the sacraments, when administered by a duly authorized priest; or the necessity of going daily to the parish church, to say their prayers with the minister."

But, alluding to the efforts of certain Judaizing teachers, who laboured to impose the Mosaic ritual on the believing Gentiles, St. Paul says, "Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Referring also to various circumstantial and ceremonial differences, which then existed, and always will exist, the New Testament writers say, as with one voice; "in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature, and faith which worketh by love. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but wisdom, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, meekness, patience, gentleness, goodness, and truth against which there is no law. Let every man, therefore, be fully persuaded in his own mind, and follow after the things which make for peace, and things whereby one may edify another. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."*

CHAPTER VIII.

On the Exercise of Charity in Cases of Heresy and Schism.

IT will be readily acknowledged that there is no virtue more strongly recommended in the New Testament, or more essential to personal christianity and the prosperity of the christian church, than charity or christian love. In the discourses of Christ, and in the writings of his apostles, its necessity is positively declared; while its cultivation is urged by precept and example, by the divine origin and intrinsic loveliness of the sentiment, by the pernicious consequences springing from the want of it, by its benign effects, and the prospect of its permanent and entire ascendancy in heaven. So clear and unquestionable is their language on this point, that no person who is destitute of charity can be a true christian; while every system, opinion, or practice which is hostile to it, or hinders its cultivation, must be essentially antichristian. For this reason, therefore, we again repudiate high-churchism, because we believe it to be inconsistent with christian charity, and the chief cause of schism.

But the question arises, what is meant by charity or christian love? What does it include? And how should it induce christians and christian churches to treat one another amidst the errors and imperfections now prevalent? The term charity is now vulgarly used to denote almsgiving, or beneficence to the poor; but in the New Testament it is used in a higher and more extensive sense, in immediate reference to our moral and social relations. The obligation to be charitable is not limited to circumstances of poverty and distress, but is co-existent

with the essential properties and common affinities of our nature, and especially with the developement of our intellectual and moral powers. Although christian charity includes almsgiving, that is by no means its principal idea, nor can it be allowed to usurp such pre-eminence without lowering the standard of christian morals, and confounding some of its most important distinctions. For the apostle Paul supposes that "he might bestow all his goods to feed the poor," and give his body to be burned as a martyr, and yet be destitute of charity, and disapproved of God.*

The charity which the gospel enjoins, in its fullest extent consists in loving our neighbours as ourselves," and doing unto others in all things as we would be done by; which our Lord coupled with supreme love to God, as forming together the two great commandments, on which "hang all the law and the prophets." It is in fact the noblest kind of philanthropy, a principle of universal benevolence, love to mankind as such, disposing us to do them all the good in our power, both as to the body and the soul, for time and eternity. It contemplates mankind individually and collectively as kindred beings, and constrains us to regard them with benevolent affections, according to their condition and character, the relations they bear to us, and the means we have to know and serve them. This of course does not set aside or impair the bonds of consanguinity, friendship, or patriotism, but owns and strengthens them; while it refines the private and domestic affections, and renders their warmth and tenderness consistent with equity and good-will to mankind at large. Charity, therefore, includes compassion for the destitute and distressed, disposing us, as far as possible, to relieve them and to improve their condition, without regard to local circumstances or to sectarian and national antipathies, as exemplified in the parable of the good Samaritan. With this it couples placability of temper under all the provocations of life, inclining us to suppress all vindictive and angry passions, to bear injuries meekly and patiently, to love our enemies rather than hate them, and by all possible means to return them good for evil. It also requires mutual candour and forbearance

* 1 Cor. xiii. 3.

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amidst all the errors and sins of our fallen nature, inducing us not to judge others rashly and severely, nor to alledge against them unfounded charges, nor to exaggerate their acknowledged faults, but to estimate their conduct and motives by the same candid and impartial rule we would wish for in reference to ourselves. But towards our fellow disciples in the christian church, "partakers of like precious faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," charity finds a wider scope, and rises in some cases to the highest state of mutual complacency and esteem. Here it assumes the character of brotherly love, properly so called, to which the Redeemer and his apostles attached so much importance as the distinguishing mark of his disciples, and the surest proof of a renewed and justified state. This consists in a sincere and affectionate regard for each other as disciples of Christ and members of the household of faith; while it shows itself by acknowledging one another's integrity, by mutual kindness and respect, by unfeigned sympathy in affliction, by drawing a veil over venial errors and failings, or making the most charitable allowance for those which are more serious, by prayer for each other's preservation and success, by social intercourse and co-operation in the cause of humanity and religion, by a delightful interchange of thought and sentiment in reference to things spiritual, and by loving to commune together in the church on earth, in hope of the perfect and everlasting communion of heaven. In this respect, "charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

Is then such christian love due to those only who agree with us in sentiment, and are members of the same church or the same denomination? Or must it be cherished towards all who hold the essentials of christian truth, and maintain a consistent character, so far as they come within our • 1 Cor. xiii. 4-7.

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acquaintance, and providence may give us an opportunity of shewing it, although their opinions on some points differ from ours, and we know that they prefer some other section of the christian church? To suppose that Christ meant the former, when he enjoined mutual love as the most prominent mark of his disciples, is to impeach his divine wisdom, and to represent him as investing one of the most common place sentiments with all the magnificence of a new and divine command. Mankind in every age, clime, and nation, have furnished not a few examples of a warm and devoted friendship among members of the same fraternity, and adherents to the same creed, combined with implacable antipathy towards others. It is in human nature, even in its lowest state, to love those who love us, and are bound together by sameness of opinion, and a community of interest. While persons flatter our vanity and gratify our self-love by professing to believe exactly as we believe, and by yielding in all things to our wishes, it would be doing violence to the commonest feelings of our nature not to embrace and love them. To cultivate mutual good will in such a case, requires no voice from heaven; nor could our Lord mean to say that all men would know his disciples by such a mark, when every sect, whether Greek or Jew, might have set up the same distinction.

The mutual love enjoined by our Divine Master in terms so remarkable, was designed to take a wider scope, and to call into action nobler though more latent principles, as well as to take a firmer hold on the mind, and to be more uni. form and powerful in operation. It was designed to control those mental and moral infirmities which are inseparable from our nature, and which christianity cannot and was not intended to remove.

So long as we continue in this fallible and probationary state, and endeavour to act as intelligent and accountable agents, there will be ample need of charity. Even in the small andselect company to which this new commandment was given there was a strong tendency to mutual indignation and strife, and frequent occasion for the law of love. And most assuredly the Lord foresaw that such incentives