gaping multitude-his power they acknowledge, and his mandates they obey, whose authority is founded in rebellion, and whose mandates under whatever form, end in destruction-the consequences of this new established authority soon appeared-Princes were deprived of their dominions, and subjects of their estates; and those who possessed sufficient courage and integrity to bear their testimony against the usurpations of the demon, were thrown into prison, or suffered death on the rack or in the flames-and have these abuses proceeded from the mild and benevolent religion of Christ, which commandeth men to love their enemies, and do good to them that hate them,* or are they not fairly attributable to the introduction of pagan pride and pagan superstition-undoubtedly the latter-the philosopher Epicurus Sadducee is therefore unjust, in charging the crimes and disorders of christian Rome so called, upon the genius and nature of the christian religion; it produceth no such fruits, as the general character of the church evinced before the introduction of Jewish and Pagan ceremonies-a period of two or three centuries-the simplicity of the lives of its members during this periodtheir proverbial affection for each other-their non-resistance of the constituted authority-their fortitude in suffering-the joy with which they laid down their lives in confirmation of their testimony, all argue a religion divine the present state of Pennsylvania, where the very prisons are become houses of reformation-cities of refuge де * Christ's sermon on the mount. to the transgressing members of society-where the present and future welfare of the worst criminals are objects of state-prove to a demonstration the nature of the christian religion; and put to confusion every impudent attempt to slander its dignity, or to derogate from its harmonious influence upon society-while even to the dim eye of reason, the miserable consequences of heathen pride and ambition (trampling upon the rights of man, and terminating its misfortunes in suicide as its last resource) are evident as the beams of the sun-Boast not therefore Epicurus Sadducee, of the wisdom of heathen antiquity, nor pretend to compare its stygian superstition with the fair and unadorned form of christianity-one christian state existing refutes the calumny; and manifests that the disorders thou hast introduced as arguments against her, flowed from the fountain head of thy own favourite country-they were the offspring of that nature, which the boasted advocates of reason* vainly labour to represent as perfect-but which experience has always proved (when abandoned to its own guidance,) becomes the principal source of public and domestic calamity. And now I appeal to the christian reader, whether I have not fairly traced the disorders complained of to the fountain head of the philosopher's own country, and clearly proved that they were not the offspring of chris * Advocates of reason-the reader is requested not to pass over this irony. The sublimity of this reason and its fruits are touched upon in the last note but one-its effects were also recently exemplified in the reign of Robespierre--Englishmen beware of the rocks and quicksands which lye on the right and left of christianity, tianity She sheddeth no man's blood-she putteth no man to the rack for his faith-she oppresseth no man-she defraudeth no man-on the contrary-she suffereth long and is kind—she envieth not-she is not easily provoked-her language is-" Peace on earth and good will to men."-This christianity of the gospel is the last best _gift of God to man—the revolutions of states and empires have been rendered subservient to its progress, by the conduct of an over-ruling Providence-and it shall go on from conquering unto conquer, until the earth is full of the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the sea. THE WHEEL OF LIFE. PART THE FOURTH. In our last we took a cursory survey of its roll through ages and empires,-let us now descend to the lower walks of this great amphitheatre, and we shall find that precisely the same springs animate the great portion of its operations in these departments-it would pollute cur page to recite the numberless instances of low intrigue by which persons destitute of religion and honour, have obtained fortunes and offices of trust; and by which they have accomplished the ruin of families-the history of these occurrences for quarter of a century in a very small district of country, would alone fill a volume-if we add to this the scandalous neglect of the comfort and morals of the poor-the education of their children—and of insane persons in the lower classess of society-at least in many parts of this neglected land, we must acknowledge that virtue has not as yet become the main spring even of the lower wheel of life-it is however pleasant to hope that its credit is gaining ground, and that even at this period with the assistance of supernatural aid, it sometimes gains the ascendancy of its rival. THE BALM OF GILEAD. AN ALLEGORY, This sovereign simple has been greatly adulterated by the mismanagement of unskilful botanists in every country-not careful to preserve unmixed the artless seed, in process of time it became so deformed, as to require the most profound sagacity to distinguish it from its multiplied spurious imitations-It had been transferred pure in the early ages of christianity, from Judea where it originated, into almost every soil in the then known world, and the demand for it became prodigious, in consequence of the cures which it effected; but the doctors of that age, like many of their successors, were averse to its propagation, for it purged the mental as well as the visual ray, cleansed leapers, and even animated putrefactionthe discovery of such a simple, was the death-warrant of their fame and fortune-and it is therefore almost unne cessary to inform my readers, that they conspired its destruction the better to accomplish their design, they obtained the enaction of a law, by which it was rendered penal for a Jewish botanist to persevere in his profession, or even so much as to name the detested balm-the doctors of their own province led the van in this conspiracy of mankind; or to speak with propriety of language, were its first instruments—for it is supposed that the plan was originally laid by their prince, who is a sworn enemy to the art of healing-In consequence of this edict, many botanists were put to death-for being lovers of mankind, they could not but recommend what they knew to be a universal restorative-and in the face of death and danger, they did plant and propagate it, in most parts of the then known world-and not only planted and propagated, but even watered it with their blood, which was observed to agree extremely well with it-In process of time the prince at whose instigation these botanists were put to death, held a council in his dark dominions, and observed to his nobles and ministers in full assembly, that they had notwithstanding their long experience, been deceived as to the nature of the balm, but that of late he had discovered by virtue of a chemical process, that the seed of that plant was generated in blood divine-that it also contained a correspondent particle of celestial spirit— and that the blood of the martyrs, instead of extinguishing accelerated its growth, that thenceforth they must adopt a new plan of operations, as death could not destroy it-and instead of persecuting the successors of the botanists who had planted and watered it with their blood, we |