attributes and providence, as well as a more rational notion of moral obligation, of virtue, and vice, and the final deftination of man, than was ever reached by the ancient fages in the brightest days of Heathen Philofophy. Chriftianity, far from being calculated for any political conftitution in particular, is found to profper and flourish under every form of government; it corrects the fpirit of democracy, and foftens the rigour of defpotic power. An enlargement of mind, and fuperior intelligence, diftinguifh in a peculiar manner thofe nations that have embraced the faith, from those extenfive portions of mankind, who fight under the banners of Mahomet, or adhere to the more pacific Inftitutes of Brama and Confucius. The inhabitants of the Eaft groan under the oppreffions of arbitrary power, and little can their religion contribute to alleviate the weight of their chains. The Mahometans more efpecially are marked by peculiar ignorance; and fo far are they from being distinguished by the light of science, or the cultivation of ufeful knowledge, that they rarely adopt any foreign improvements, and even fmother in its birth the fpirit of liberal inquiry and research. To Chriftian nations belong the exclufive cultivation of learning and fcience, and the moft affiduous advancement of every useful and ornamental White's Bampton Lect. Serm. ix. art. art. By them every faculty of the foul is called forth into action; no torpid indolence ftops the bold career of their genius, or reftrains the patient and effectual operations of their induftry. Since the purity of religion was reftored by the Reformation, every part of Chriftendom has caught the flame of emulation; general knowledge is widely diffused, and the character of a Chriftian, and more particularly that of a Proteftant, is marked by a fuperior improvement of the intellectual powers. II. The Church of England. Our Church, which ftands at the head of the Proteftant Establishments, was, by the favour of divine Providence, purified from the corruptions of the See of Rome in the reign of Henry VIII. Her courageous and enlightened Reformers threw off the yoke of Papal fupremacy and fuperftition, revived the image of the primitive Eftablishment, and reftored the modes of worship, that had prevailed in the pureft times of Chriftianity. This conformity has been celebrated by its own members at home, and its admirers abroad, as its moft illuftrious and diftinguishing characteristic. The funda◄ mental Articles of her Faith are ftrictly confiftent with Scripture; her facred edifices, divefted of the gaudy decorations of Popifh temples, are furnished only with thofe appendages which give dignity to public worship. Her devotional exercifes, not confined to a foreign tongue, as is the cafe with the Papal Papal ritual, which is written in Latin, but intelligible to all, may be fairly pronounced fuperior to all other facred compofitions of human origin, for fimplicity of language, fervour of piety, and evan gelical tenour of fentiment. The orders of the Priesthood, confifting of Bishops, Priests and Deacons, deriving their origin from the Apoftles themfelves, are confirmed by the earlieft ufage, and are recommended by the great utility of clerical fubor→ dination. The Conftitution of the State, in return for the alliance which it has formed with the Church, derives from the affociation additional fecurity for the obfervance of the laws, and the prefervation of order. The unmolefted profeffion, and open exereife of their own particular worship, are allowed to Diffenters of all kinds. The prudent toleration, with which they are indulged, equally avoids the extremes of perfecution, which cuts afunder the ties of charity, and of that unbounded freedom, which may convert religion into an engine of poli tical mischief. Thus defervedly renowned for her institutions, and her modes of worship, the Church of England is as favourable to the cultivation of the mind, as to the advancement of pure Chriftianity; and the zeal of her fons for the promotion of her interefts has never been more confpicuous, than their learning, their talents, and their virtues. Conclufion. To the prevalence of Chriftianity, the study of its records, and the inftitutions and establishments to to which it gave rife, modern times are indebted for the prefervation of the invaluable remains of Grecian and Roman literature. When the barbarians of the North, and the Eaft, and the Mahometans of the South, overspread the provinces of the Roman Empire, the city of Conftantinople, where the Chriftian Religion was first established by Imperial authority, preferved its inhabitants from that general ignorance which overfpread the reft of the world. During the dark ages, the light of learning, however feeble, was ftill kept burning in monaftic cells; the Latin language, into which the Scriptures were tranflated, was cultivated; and the precious remains of claffical genius efcaped the ravages, to which every other fpecies of property was expofed by the ferocity and violence of a barbarous people. From thefe repofitories, happily fecured from deftruction by the fuperftition of the times, they were drawn at the revival of learning; and the fervice which they have afforded to the human mind has not been confined to its researches into philofophy, fcience, and literature, but extended to facred criticism, and the illustration of the Scriptures. As Chriftianity is thus aufpicious to the cultivation of the intellectual powers, as well as beneficial in its moral effects, it deferves the first attention of the ftudious. The duties which it preferibes indeed are admirably calculated to produce that docile temper and fobernefs of thought, thofe habits of perfeverance and patient investigation, which are abfolutely abfolutely neceffary in the purfuit of general knowledge. Religion ftamps its juft value upon all other attainments, and confecrates them to the best and most noble fervice. It afferts its own glorious and tranfcendent fuperiority, because it confines not its researches to objects of immediate utility only, but elevates our thoughts to heaven, and carries on the mind to the growing improvement of its faculties, throughout all eternity'. Such are the reafons for our urgent importunities to our young readers, to lay the foundations of their lives on the firm ground of Chriftian faith, and build upon it whatever is juft and good, worthy and noble, till the ftructure be complete in moral beauty. "The world, into which you are entering, lies in wait with a variety of temptations. Unfavourable fentiments of religion will foon be fuggefted to you, and all the fnares of luxury, falfe honour, and intereft, fpread in your way, which are too fuccefsful, and to many fatal. Happy the few that in any part of life become fenfible of To that elevation of mind above the common events of life, whether profperous or adverfe, which Chriftianity is capable of infpiring, may be applied the noble defcription of Claudian: Fortunæ fecura nitet, nec fafcibus ullis their |