as he shall feel himself moved. The very existence of the Scriptures will of itself refute this; for why are they given us, but as a law to guide and direct us out of error into truth? This they themselves. invite us to, in the text, "prove all things, and hold fast that which is good." Now this is the point, my brethren, to which I am anxious to direct your attention. We must all believe, every one whose actions are influenced by reason, that he is holding fast that which is good: how far he may have proved all things, that is, examined into those things which he professes to hold fast as good, or may have, on the contrary, taken them on the authority of others, is a question well worthy his consideration. I have frequently pointed out to you that the whole question of religion is a personal question: it is not what your friend, your neighbour, or others may think and do, but what you think and what you do. It is not by their virtues or their faults that you will be judged; but by your own, that you will stand or

fall; so is also your belief and doctrine in spiritual things a personal question, and one of the gravest importance. The Church, of which you are a member in its forms and ordinances, is it founded on the word of God? or are you prepared to give a reason for the faith or the hope that is in you? Have you, in short, ever seriously adopted the advice of the apostle, and having proved all things, convinced yourself that that which you profess to hold fast is that which is good? Now these questions in the present day force themselves on your consideration. The venerable fabric of our Church, which has so long fostered religious liberty, even to the protection of those who have differed and dissented from her, is threatened from without, and but feebly defended from within. As an establishment, however highly it may have contributed to the best interests of mankind, it is not my present purpose to speak of it: I am addressing you as individuals, and putting the whole question as one of personal importance,

anxious only to prepare you for its settlement as regards yourselves. "Prove all things, hold fast that which is good," is not only the voice of Scripture, but of our Church, which does not ask you to believe blindly what it asserts as truth, or to receive on its sole authority its doctrines or its discipline, but invites you to examine and satisfy yourself; and if you find that its doctrines are contrary to Scripture, that in its liturgy, its discipline, or its ordinances, it is unscriptural, it no longer asks you to join its communion, or to frequent its assemblies. Go where the prayers are more scriptural, where the doctrines of the Gospel are preached in greater purity: go where the whole spiritual service is done more to edifying, more in accordance with the divine commands. Try the splendid superstitions of Papal Rome, or the gifted, nay, why not, inspired effusions of the sectarian; till, blown about by every kind of doctrine, you return to the simple, unpretending structure which taught your boyhood and received your earliest vows,

and you shall find in her doctrines and services, that scriptural spirit of devotion. which you have sought elsewhere in vain.

Let me invite all those who, on the one hand, would know what it is they profess to believe, or on the other, to dissent from, to examine and re-examine the six first articles of religion, and judge for themselves, with the invoked aid of the Spirit, whether they are in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Scriptures. To the doctrinal truths of each, time will not permit me to refer. I shall confine myself, therefore, as the point of importance to those dissenting from her communion, to the same unerring grounds on which we are invited into that communion. The Scriptures, and the Scriptures alone, are declared the test by which any doctrine is to be tried or established: it is not by man's wisdom, it is not by reason, it is not by worldly disputation, but by the word of God, that every thing must be authorized and established nor does our Church ask its children to believe any thing that may not be

proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture. It is the Scripture, our sixth article declares, that contains all things necessary to salvation; so that, whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. This is the foundation on which our Church is erected; what other is there that a Christian would desire? It is the word of God we appeal to, it is to the word of God only that we ascribe authority; nor is there any doctrine we assert, that we are not prepared to substantiate by most certain warrants of holy Scripture. There may be those among us who dissent from our communion, without differing from us on points of doctrine or of faith. It is, perhaps, the liturgy, the prayers, the services, they are dissatisfied with. What are the grounds of their dissatisfaction? Are our prayers, or our services unscriptural? We appeal to them with the most confident boldness.