and OUR Father. One Christ redeemed both them and us. One Holy Ghost alone can sanctify both them and us. No Christian disputes that they are amongst the gentile tribes of the earth, who are to be brought to the knowledge of the one true God, Whom now they ignorantly worship. But, Christian brethren! if they are to be converted to the Christian faith, the lives of men called Christian men must be better than the lives of heathen men, or the heathen will abhor the very Name by which the Christian men are called.

This of itself seems to be reason strong enough to induce the people of this Christian nation with one voice to support, to sanction, to cherish, and to promote the National religion amongst the Colonists, wherever there exists a British Settlement. If the ministrations of our holy religion were so aided by acts of public munificence and private charity, the Colonists might be provided with Christian privileges and means of grace, which are their own by birthright and may justly be demanded at the hands of the State empowered to dispense them. Their example, then, as Christians, manifesting to the natives the holy influence of Christianity, will make an high way for the doctrine of salvation by our crucified Redeemer: then they may be turned away from idols to serve the Living God, and be sanctified by the Spirit of Christ.

Having now tried this all-important question: whether the work of spreading our holy religion should be the nation's care, or whether the glorious work of evangelizing the world should be left to the voluntary labours of private individuals--by the peculiar circumstances in which this nation is providentially placed by the principles of the doctrine of Christ,-by the spirit of Christian prayer-and by the respective claims of the persons interested, I hesitate not to appeal to your judgment

in favour of national exertion to dispense the blessings of our holy religion.

Add yet to your consideration this circumstance: if in our practice we are to aim at that for which we are taught to pray, it must be our chief care to promote the spiritual welfare of mankind. For out of the six petitions which Christ our Lord hath taught us to offer to our Father which is in heaven, ONE only is for the supply of things pertaining to the body: the other FIVE are all for spiritual things. The first is, that the Name of God may be hallowed the second is, that His Kingdom may come, and the third is, that His Will may be done in earth, as it is in heaven. But these are the very things, which God is pleased to bring to pass by human agency. Whereupon we conclude, that it is every Christian man's duty, and every Christian Society's duty, and the duty of every Christian Ruler, and of every Christian Nation to cherish, to promote, and to spread the true religion of the Gospel to the full extent of their respective means, whether publicly or privately possessed.

In the discussion of this vital question, it may be observed, that we have appeared to consider our Colonists alone to be interested in the result, and that we have omitted more than the bare notice of those invested with authority and power to protect their persons and their properties in the several positions and territories which they occupy. But principles are of universal application; and as the official document which has given rise to this discussion, related especially to our Colonies, so did it seem to suit our purpose better. For our minds having been thus made to regard, as it were in a parable, the case of others only, they have been more completely divested of self-interest, and we have thereby had less of

prejudice to interrupt our judgment in drawing a just

conclusion.

Now, however, that we have established our proposition upon principles common to Christian men of every name and calling, upon the first principles of religious and moral obligation laid down in the Holy Bible, and by the spirit of the Lord's prayer therein written for our learning; I need no longer omit the mention of the Church of England, their best defence on earth, or of her "Form of sound Words," the surest pledge of purity in public worship. Neither can I, without a dereliction of my duty, fail to resume my high calling as a minister of Christ for the purpose of faithfully applying the conclusion we have drawn to the aspect of the times in which it has fallen to our lot to take our part, and this must compel some animadversions upon the proceedings of those in power in the State which will supply the omission noticed.

In the Church of England, then, with her clergy and laity united in the sacred bonds of Christian fellowship, we may discern a Branch of Christ's Holy Catholic Church, established in these realms under the Providence of God, for His own purposes, as an instrument of spiritual benefits, not to this nation only, but also to the world at large.

It is the peculiar office of the Church thus consisting of the Laity and Clergy, to cause the Name of God to be hallowed, to uphold and to increase Christ's Kingdom upon Earth, and to cause His Will to be done.

The clergy in their office-by declaring, according to the Scriptures, God, the Lord, to be the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier of mankind-by preaching Christ crucified-by preaching the doctrine of the

expiation of human guilt, through the shedding of the blood of Christ upon the cross, as the only means contrived by the unerring wisdom of God, and perfected by His almighty power, for the salvation of the souls of men*-by "making known His ways unto all conditions of men, His saving health unto all nations," and by proclaiming the gospel of His grace, that it may influence their hearts and improve their lives, by bringing their minds and their affections into subjection to the will of God.

The laity (which when united with the chief pastors of the Church in their legislative capacity, we call the State) in the discharge of their office, not indeed, in the plenitude of temporal power-by forcing upon the world the doctrine or the discipline of the Church; but by giving efficacy to her ministerial functions-by granting pecuniary aid for the extension of her spiritual ministrations and by openly countenancing her Creed and Liturgy as the "Form" which has been adopted by common consent, and established under the sanction of the law for the NATIONAL RELIGION, because the best adapted to promote the glory of God, and to supply the spiritual necessities of all.

If thus, standing in the gap before the Lord, opposed to the Powers that be, I appeal to public opinion, it is because these our holy things are brought into jeopardy by the machinations of papist and infidel adversaries for the first time in the pages of our history leagued together for their destruction,† and, for the first time, encouraged as it seems by those in power. It is not to excite popular feeling, but to persuade you to make up the hedge that has been broken down, lest the Lord should

* 1 Cor. i. 18, 24.

See Note D. at the end.

suffer our enemies to pluck up and to destroy our holy religion, which is the glory of our land.* Should I have been so happy as to state the case clearly for your consideration, you can of yourselves judge whether the withdrawal of the public grants in aid of our holy and national religion, and the transfer of them to those who are adverse to our communion are consistent either with the Christian character of the nation, its Christian obligations, or its Christian welfare.

In appealing to public opinion, I would excite feelings more hallowed than mere popular notions. I appeal "to public opinion, as to the persuasion of the public mind, resulting from the calm deliberation of the most religious portion of the community-the judgment of well-cultivated intellect, influenced by Christian principles, and directed by the Force of Truth, as it is established on the basis of Revealed Religion."† To public opinion thus deliberately formed on Christian principles I appeal, because our national religion is put in peril by the measures of the State, both at home and abroad. I appeal to public opinion thus formed, as to the legitimate power, which, under Divine Providence, must eventually determine whether the NATIONAL RELIGION, which is the Religion of the Holy Bible shall be supported, or whether the Religion of the Roman Church, which is the religion of tradition, whereby the word of God is made of none effect, shall be permitted to supplant it.§

Upon this question, which affects the dearest, the best, the vital interest of the nation, the public mind should be well informed. To this question the public mind should

* Compare Ezekiel xxii. 30 with Psalm 1xxx. 7, &c.

+ Letter III. To Sir R. Peel, Bart., "On the Necessity of a National Church."

Matt. xv. 6. Mark vii. 13.

§ See Note E. at the end.