too often forget that "covetousness is idolatry." They profess religion which consists in benevolence, and which teaches them that riches are valuable only as the means of doing good. They profess to have devoted themselves, and all they have, to the Lord Jesus Christ; and have solemnly promised to employ themselves and their wealth entirely in promoting his cause. But in times of declension, they are too apt to forget these professions, and to violate these engagements. They are too much inclined to make their own gratification their great object, and to set their hearts on worldly good. They sometimes engage so eagerly in the pursuit of wealth, as to give great occasion to the enemies of religion to speak reproachfully.And such inen often say, that Christians are more selfish and more covetous than others; and that the reason why they abstain from the gratifications in which others indulge, is not because they are sinful, but because they are expensive. But when religion revives in their hearts, they let go their eager grasp of the world, and feel and act more in character.

7. Professors of religion are more consistent and thorough Christians. In times of declension, it is not uncommon to see them extremely unequal and inconsistent in their belief and practice. They fix their attention upon some one part of Christian doctrine or duty, which is more suited to the natural turn of their minds, and attach a great importance to the belief or observance of this, while they undervalue all others. And not unfrequently, this particular part, which they thus magnify into the whole, is one of the smallest, in point of real importance, in the whole Christian system. Very few, at such times, appear to be consistent and thorugh Christians. Some fix upon

one part, and some upon another; and while each one thinks his own comprises about the whole of Christianity, he censures the other for his disregard of it; or perhaps even condemns him as no Christian, because he does not take the same one-sided course. But when religion revives, they are more consistent. They then feel their obligation to believe the whole of what God has said, and to practise the whole of what he has commanded.

8. There is an increasing spirit of prayer. I do not mean that prayers are longer. Long prayers are generally unfavourable to a devotional spirit. As one well observes, "they are not unfrequently the offspring of spiritual death, and the parent of it too." But I mean, that there is more real prayer; there is more fervency of desire for spiritual blessings, and they are sought with greater earnestness and importunity.

9. Religious meetings are better attended. I do not so much mean that the number of them is increased, as that they are attended by greater numbers, and in a better manner, Those who attend are more disposed to "take heed how they hear." They hear with fixed and solemn attention, and with self-application.

10. There is an increase of religious knowledge. Divine things are more the subject of conversation among professors of religion, than they once were, and far more so among others. The public attention is turned to the doctrines and duties of the Christian religion. They are more thought of, they are examined with deeper interest, and they become more known, and understood, and felt, by all classes of persons.

11. There is an increase of feeling, in view of divine things. The. things of eternity appear more like realities. They produce more

good feeling towards all sects and parties; not, however, without an Occasional expression of bitterness towards the orthodox. Mr. Channing of Boston seems to have been selected as their defender. He published several pamphlets, which were answered by the late Doctor Worcester, well known as the Secretary of the American Board for Foreign Missions. Mr. C. does not call himself a Socinian. He and his brethren generally decline. that name. They call themselves Unitarians; as this name embraces all, who make Christ a mere creature, and consider those who pay him divine honours as guilty of idolatry; whether with Mr. Belsham and Dr. Priestly, and open Deists, they consider Christ "a fallible, peccable, ignorant. man," er, with others, consider him a creature of a higher order.

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The Denomination of Liberal Christians" which they are fond of using, is of somewhat more extensive signification still. It embraces the Unitarians, and some who have believed in the Trinity, but have been disposed to favour the views of Unitarians in other respects.

I find much in these pamphlets to confirm the opinion I have expressed. The very sentiments and maxims which the advocates of Socinianism in New-England have most studiously endeavoured to propagate, as the best means of advancing their cause, are sentiments and maxims which are entertained and propagated by many anong us.

Mr. Channing gives the following account of those who have been denominated the liberal party:

ards of Christian faith and of Christian character, but the word of Jesus Christ and of his inspired apostles. He thinks it an act of disloyalty to his Master to introduce into the church, creeds of fallible men as bonds of union, or terms of Christian fellowship. He calls himself by no name derived from human leaders, disclaims all exclusive connexion with any sect or party, professes himself a member of the church universal on earth and in heaven, and cheerfully extends the hand of brotherhood to every man of every name who discovers the spirit of Jesus Christ.

"According to this view of liberal Christians, they cannot be called a party. They are distinguished only by refusing to separate themselves in any form or degree from the great body of Christ. They are scattered too through all classes of Christians. I have known Trinitarians and Calvinists, who justly deserve the name of Liberal, who regard with affection all who appear to follow Jesus Christ in temper and life, however they may differ on the common points of theological controversy. To this class of Christians I profess and desire to belong. In this part of the country, Liberal Christians, as they have been above described, are generelly, though by no means universally, Unitarians, in the proper sense of that word."

The following extracts are taken from the account Mr. Channing gives of the manner in which himself and his brethren fulfil their ministry:

scious of having contracted, in the least degree, the guilt of insincerity. We have only followed a general system, which we are persuaded to be best for our people and for the cause of Christianity, the system of excluding controversy as much as possible from our pulpits. We think it best to preach what we esteem to be the truth, and to say very little about error, unless it be error of a strictly practical nature. A striking proof of our sentiments and habits on this subject may be derived from the manner in which you and myself have treated Calvinism. We consider the errors which relate to Christ's person as of little or no importance, compared with the error of those who teach, that God brings us into life wholly depraved and wholly helpless, that he leaves multitudes without that aid which is indispensably necessary to their repentance, and then plunges them into everlasting burnings and unspeakable torture, for not repenting. This we consider as one of the most injurious errors which ever darkened the Christian world. And yet our hearers will bear witness how seldom we introduce this topic into our preaching. The name of Calvinist has never, I presume, been uttered by us in the pulpit. We esteem it a solemn

Such is the representation, which Mr. Channing, with all his liberal feelings, chooses to make of Calvinism; "than which," says Dr. Worcester, in his answer, "I am grieved to say, I have sel. dom seen a more distorted and injurious one." And Mr. Channing thinks the sin of worshipping a creature instead of God, with which all Trinitarians are chargeable according to this scheme, an error of "little or no importance," compared with the Calvinistic doctrines of depravity and future punishment. And yet, he would have us believe, that he is overflowing with charity towards these same Calvinists, and anxious for the strictest union and fellowship between himself and them?

duty to disarm instead of exciting the bad passions of our people.We wish to promote among them a spirit of universal charity.-We love them too sincerely to imbue them with the spirit of controversy. In thus avoiding controversy, we have thought that we deserved, not reproach, but some degree of praise for our self-denial. So deeply are we convinced that the great end of preaching is to promote a spirit of love, a sober, righteous and Godly life, and that every doctrine is to be urged simply and exclusively for this end, that we have sacrificed our ease, and have chosen to be less striking preachers, rather than to enter the lists of controversy.-We have seldom or never assailed the scheme of the Trinity, not only from our dislike to controversy in general, but from a persuasion that this discussion would, above all others, perplex and needlessly perplex a common congregation, consisting of persons of all ages, capacities, degrees of improvement, and conditions in society.-This doctrine we all regard as the most unintelligible about which Christians have ever disputed.-Many of us have been disinclined not only to assail systems which we do not believe, but even to enforce the views which we have given of the rank and character of Jesus Christ; because we have known how divided the best men have been on these topics-and because we have all been persuaded, that precision of views upon these subjects is in no degree essential to the faith or practice of a Christian.-We have been fully satisfied, that the most effectual method of promoting their holiness and salvation, was to urge on them perpetually those great truths and precepts, about which there is little contention, and which have an immediate bearing on the temper and the life. Accustomed as we are