positions, no virtuous desires; that the partner of his life, has nothing in her, which God can love; and that his friends are perfectly hateful in his sight. No man ever learned the doctrine from his own observation. And yet, if human character were such a mass of corruption, we could not avoid seeing and feeling it at every time. So far as daily experience goes-say what you please of human crimes, I know they are but too many, and too great, and too common-yet let every man judge from his daily experience, and he would as soon believe that heaven is the favourite home of pollution, as that the natural character of man is the abode of nothing BUT pollution.

Common observation is quite as adverse to the other doctrines of this system, and proves them to be little better than fictions. Common sense wonders at them. Reason stands aghast, and Faith itself is half confounded.

And there is no better evidence of the falseness of the whole scheme, than the fact, that it is not believed by the great majority of those who profess it. If you state it to them in naked terms, as it is written in the BOOKS, they exclaim against it as a misrepresentation, and declare that they have no such faith. Looking to their Bible, and guided by their common sense, and native conscience, they essentially mitigate the doctrines, which they feel bound to receive. This justice I rejoice to do them. And I find in this circumstance a strong corroboration of my belief, that this system, with its five points of faith, and its five times five contradictions, is not the truth of the Holy Scriptures.

On believing what we do not understand.

From Benson's Dialogue.

An ingenious gentleman of my acquaintance, whom I call Novatianus, was in company with the lady Aspasia, who was exclaiming bitterly against a certain preacher, whose historical name shall be Eusebius. For Eusebius had asserted something in one of his sermons, which gave the lady great offence. Upon which she condemned him with a warm zeal, and great fluency of speech, and declared she would never hear him more as long as she lived. This occasioned the following dialogue between her and my friend.

Novatianus. What was it, Madam, in Eusebius' sermon, which offended you so much?

Aspasia. He asserted that we are to believe nothing but what we can understand.

Novatianus. Was that the thing which gave you so much offence?

Aspasia. Yes, Sir, and enough too. I wonder how any body can venture to assert such a thing.

So far the dialogue proceeded; and then they conversed for an hour or two about other matters; by which means this affair was quite forgotten. Then Novatianus begged the favour of a pen and ink and a small piece of paper; all which a servant readily brought him. Upon the paper he wrote down the following words in Greek, ὁ Θεός αγαπη εσιν, and then very gravely gave them to the lady and desired her to read them. That revived the dialogue, which proceeded as follows;-Aspasia looking first upon the paper and then looking earnestly and with surprise and confusion in Novatianus' face, said, "Sir, I cannot read them. What do you mean by

this? It is not English, and they are strange letters to me. I cannot imagine what you design by asking me to read what I know nothing about." Novatianus gravely said, "Do you believe them, madam?”

"How can I," answered Aspasia, with great quickness, "unless I understand them!" "Hold, madam" replied Novatianus, "you may surely believe things which you cannot understand."

Aspasia. That is impossible.

Novatianus. Then I find that you are, after all, of Eusebius' opinion, notwithstanding his sermon offended you so much.

This startled the lady and caused her to say, "I profess I believe I am wrong. The thing never appeared to me in this light before. I really begin to suspect that I was mistaken, and that Eusebius was in the right. I beg his pardon for condemning him before I had duly considered the reasonableness of what he said. But what is the meaning of these words? For I cannot so much as read them."

Novatianus said, "I will assure you, madam, they are the words of holy scripture; and that according to the original. They contain a plain truth, and a very great and important truth. I would therefore have you try once more whether you cannot believe them." Aspasia was now impatient to have them explained, and said to Novatianus, "Tease me no longer, I freely acknowledge that I was too rash and inconsiderate; and I am now ful ly convinced, that I cannot tell, whether I believe what you propose to me, or no, till I understand what is meant thereby. Pray tell me, therefore, what the words signify, and keep me no longer in suspense. As soon as I understand them, I will then tell you fully, whether I be lieve them or ne."

"Well then," said Novatianus, "I will gratify you by telling you, that you may find the passage 1 John iv. 8. and the English of it is, 'God is love." "That proposition," said Aspasia, "I most readily and firmly believe; but I ǹnd I could not believe it, till I understood it. I heartily beg Eusebius' pardon, and sincerely condemn mine own folly and imprudence, in censuring what I ought to have applauded. I will promise you I will go and hear him again; and I shall now have a better opinion of him than ever."

The next time Novatianus visited Aspasia she continued of the same mind, and severely condemned herself, but applauded Eusebius; and thanked Novatianus, for taking so kind and ingenious a method of leading her into right sentiments upon that head. But was ready to wonder, that she had not before seen the matter in the same light; as it appeared so very obvious, now she had attended to it.

Forster's Sermons.

[THE following notice is from the CHRISTIAN REGISTER, a publication to which we have already called the attention of our readers. We are happy again to bear our testimony to its value. Every friend of virtue and of pure religion must be gratified, that a work is gaining on the public, which is so well calculated to diffuse just principles, to soften the asperity of the illiberal, and diminish the unholy influence of sectarism. We cordially unite with the writer in his sentiments respecting the Sermons of the late lamented Mr. Forster.]

A volume of sermons by the late Rev. ANTHONY FORSTER, of Charleston, S. C. has been recently published, which deserves to be known and read. It is accompanied by a memoir of the author's life, containing a sketch of the history of his mind and the progress of his

opinions, which exceeds in interest almost every thing of the kind which I recollect to have seen. No one can peruse it without instruction and delight. The sermons are of a practical character, deeply imbued with the spirit of serious piety, and, what I consider as a great recommendation, eminently christian. By which I mean, that they constantly appeal to the Scriptures upon every subject, especially to the language and character of our Lord Jesus, and very rarely indulge in any reasoning, or speculation, or train of thought, which has not for its basis the authority of the divine word. This characteristic gives them a peculiarly evangelical unction, well suited to affect serious readers, and to improve the humble and devout spirits that rest all their hope of instruction and salvation on the revealed will of God, and have less taste for the moral reasoning and reflection, which is so rich and powerful in other writers. As a valuable collection of scriptural discourses, this volume deserves, and I hope will receive, extensive patronage and circulation.

A MAN, says Milton, may be an heretic in the truth; and if he believe things only because his pastor says so, or the Assembly so determines, without having other reason, though his belief be true, yet the very truth he holds becomes his heresy.-Let truth and falsehood grapple. Whoever knew truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter? Her confuting is the surest and best suppressing.

The Eighth Letter to the Rev. Dr. Miller, On the Faith and Morals of celebrated English Unitarians, will appear in the next

number.