What did Christ teach us, as the becoming and requisite spirit of his followers? "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." "Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God." "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for my sake." These benedictions were spoken under circumstances which show that they were intended to be received as containing the leading principles of Christ's religion. They stand at the beginning of his first public discourse, and were addressed to those who flocked round him, to hear what his new doctrines might be. But how little are they applicable to many christians at this day! How many sects seem to labor to deserve the very reverse, and to say to their adherents, "Blessed are ye when ye revile men and persecute them and say all manner of evil of them falsely for Christ's sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for so did the ancient Jews persecute the Prophets, which were before you."

"Judge not, that ye be not judged," said Christ, in the same discourse, to the censorious and narrow-minded Jews; "for with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged." But at present, the christian who does not judge, and that too with severity, all those who differ from him, in what are called fundamental doctrines, is looked upon, by the greater part of his brethren, as very cold and indifferent in religion, and in fact not more than half a christian, if he deserves the name at all.

Upon one occasion, when Jesus and his disciples wished to pass through a village of Samaria, on their way to Jerusalem, the Samaritans forbade them, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. "And when his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, Lord will thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them and said, ye know not what spirit ye are of." The spirit of James and John was one which they had imbibed from Judaism, that of persecution; but the spirit of Christ was that which suffereth long and is kind, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; it was the spirit of brotherly love and gentleness, which returns blessing for cursing, and love for hatred. "For the son of man came not to destroy men's lives but to save them."

Which spirit is most common among christians at the present day, we need be at no loss to decide. It is but to pass

from one church to another through our land, if we would hear, not the inquiring words of James and John, "shall we call down fire from heaven and consume them?"-it would be well if christian ministers would now go with that question to their master and be humbled by his rebuke; but we shall hear the leaders of almost every sect, calling down fire from heaven upon all those who differ from them in religious faith, with an air of authority, as though they held in their own hands, the lightnings which play round God's throne, and were commissioned by him, to hurl them at whomsoever they please.

There is another incident recorded, in which the same mild spirit is exhibited by our Lord.

The disciples had just returned from their first embassy to preach the Gospel of the kingdom, and were probably much elated by the honor of being the chosen proclaimers of the Messiah's advent. They were evidently affected with the leaven of spiritual pride. It was in this state of mind that John came to Jesus and said,-without doubt expecting to be commended for his zeal,-"Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not with us; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us." But Jesus again rebuked his mistaken spirit, and said, "Forbid him not: for there is no man who doeth a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me." Or in words which are adapted to our own times, since no one now works miracles in Christ's name, our Lord intended to say, "The good works of a man which he does in my name, prove that he is my friend, and no man who obeys my commandments can be accounted my enemy, for he that is not against us, is on our part; therefore forbid him not, even though he followeth not in the same company with you." But how many among christian sects, at this day, are satisfied with asking, whether any one does good works in the name of Christ, when they are called upon to extend to him the right hand of christian fellowship? Not one in five. They ask with far more earnestness, "Does he follow with us? Is he one of our company?" and if he is not, the chance is, that they stigmatize his good works, as the selfrighteousness of the carnal mind, and instead of the name of christian, brand him with whatever terms of reproach are popular in the community.

"He followeth not with us!" why, what has.that to do with the question, whether he followeth Christ or not? Is there but one mode or fashion, in which many persons can follow the same master? Is there but one group, of all the crowds who are moving in the christian world, which is marching to

wards heaven? There is indeed but one group. But it is composed of all, of every name and nation, who are working the works of righteousness. It is one group, not because all in it are called by the name of one sect, nor because they think alike upon every point of religious doctrine, but because they have one heart, one purpose, to love and obey their God.

Nothing more need be said to show how entirely the spirit of persecution is condemned by our religion. The few passages, to which we have alluded, are barely specimens, as every one familiar with the New Testament must know, of the general tenor of Christ's instructions. The spirit of christianity is humble; that of persecution, proud. The spirit of christianity is gentle; that of persecution, harsh. The spirit of christianity is disinterested; that of persecution, selfish. The spirit of christianity is love; that of persecution, hatred. In short, if any two things can be diametrically opposed to each other, so that one cannot exist where the other is, christianity is thus opposed to persecution. The same fountain must send forth both sweet and bitter waters, before the heart which is possessed by the spirit of Christ, can be the temple of the many headed demon, persecution.

Having then, as we hope, established this first point, we pass to a few remarks, concerning the form in which persecution exhibits itself among us.

It is not worth while to spend time in defining what religious persecution is: every one knows it when he sees or feels it. When we see one man made unhappy by the instrumentality of others, on account of his differing from them in religious opinions, whether it be by taking away his liberty, his property, his friends or his character, we are all agreed that this is persecution. When we see a sect of christians avoided, denounced, defamed, as deists, and infidels in disguise, we cannot conceal it from ourselves that this is persecution. When we hear anathemas pronounced against men because they do not come up to a certain standard of faith, and agree with certain human interpretations of the, scriptures, we are at no loss to declare, that here also is persecution. They are all forms of the same spirit, and do not materially differ from each other. A more important remark is, that the form which this spirit takes is a thing of altogether secondary importance, and does not materially affect the guilt of the offender. It is determined by outward circumstances, such as the customs of the community, the state of refinement and civilization, and the like, and therefore does not de

pend upon the choice of the persecutor. It changes from age to age, and is different in different countries; but the spirit changes little. It is the same now that it was a thousand years ago, and always aims to cast out from the pale of christianity, all "who follow not with us." We must not imagine, therefore, that the bitterness of persecution has passed away from the christian church, because it is now seen in a less disgusting form than in early days. "The form of persecution has always been the worst, which the age or country would bear," and if it is milder now than it was a century since, it is only because this age will not bear such flagrant outrages as were then common. The life, the limbs, the liberty, the property, the civil rights of supposed misbelievers, have each of them been successively attacked by the intolerance of dominant sects, who have never consented to a relaxation of their demands, until public feeling has refused to satisfy them. At last, in our country, all the old forms of persecution are forbidden, and there is "no other possible resort, but what are called ecclesiastical censures. These consist in denouncing the misbeliever, as an apostate from christianity, a disguised infidel; and in doing every thing which can be done without the aid of the civil arm, to lessen his credit and influence as a christian among christians." A mode of persecution not less real, or much less injurious, than those which are condemned as barbarous.

. We have indeed reason to thank God that, in our country, the spirit of christianity has so far prevailed, that religious intolerance is kept within bounds. We have no Smithfield at which heretics are burnt, no Inquisition in which they may be shut up, no court at which they can be fined, no laws by which their rights are restricted. But in our self-gratulation we cannot deny, that intolerance still sits on a high throne among us, and denounces penalties, in the true ancient spirit, against all who, in the right of untrammeled inquiry, dare to shake off its yoke. Our ears are still every day pained with the sound of harsh epithets, which are heaped upon those who hold forbidden opinions. The Catholic is held up as the object both of hatred and terror, and all men are called upon to behold in him, the deluded victim of the grossest superstition; he is denounced, slandered, insulted, and declared to be unworthy of the trust or friendship of christian men; while his institutions, even those of them which have the kindest purposes in view, are aspersed as dens of iniquity. We should

See an admirable Tract, on "the Exclusive System," by Rev. James Walker, of Charleston, Ms. Published by the American Unitarian Association.

hesitate in using so strong language, if its truth were not known to everybody. Now what is all this, but persecution? We are not defending Catholicism; on the contrary, we do not wish it to prevail, and shall not be backward in expressing, at proper times, and in a proper way, our objections to it. At present we merely ask, whence is the right obtained, which christians so boldly exercise, of defaming and denouncing others. It is no matter from what quarter such treatment of a fellow-christian proceeds, whether Catholic or Protestant, it is not warranted by the commands of Christ.

The Catholics believe too much, and are denounced as superstitious; others believe too little, and are proclaimed to be infidels. They reject doctrines which the majority have been accustomed to regard as essential to christianity, and are forthwith branded as rejecting christianity itself. Men are warned not to walk with them, not to hear them, not to reason with them, not to regard them as brethren, And why? Because they are of corrupt manners? No: perhaps they have this testimony, even among their opposers, that they are "a moral people." Because they are a proselyting, sectarian, ambitious sect? No: perhaps the more plausible charge is, of too great backwardness in the religious world. The true reason is, that they have dared to use their own eyes in reading, and their own heads in thinking upon religious truth, and have come to conclusions, different from those adopted by the body of the church. Therefore they are cast out from the church by the usurpers of God's heritage, as branches, lopped off from the vine of truth, fit only to be burnt. Is this right? Is it christian?

It is by no means our object, to say a single word to lessen any one's zeal for truth. We regard christian truth as of the utmost importance, both to individuals and to society. Its importance cannot be overrated. And it is because we feel that every man ought to exert himself to promote its progress, and because we hope to do something towards removing obstacles now in its way, that we have consented to subject ourselves to new reproach from our fellow christians, by establishing this journal. Our most fervent prayer, continually, is that the truth may prevail. But God forbid, that our zeal for truth should ever deceive us into thinking, that we have a right to denounce others.

Are we, on the one hand, so persuaded of our own infallibility, that we are sure that we are right, and all other men wrong? Or is it not possible that, in the last day, it will appear that they are right and we wrong? Certainly, it is pos