It appears, moreover, from the fact that the Church is a society of men for a particular purpose, that it must have law; while, from the fact of its embracing such extensive varieties of mental and personal character in its members, it must also allow great liberty of opinion and action. The least law needed to secure its objects, and the greatest liberty in all things which do not interfere with those objects, are also cardinal principles to be applied in the formation of a Church which shall correspond to its true idea.

In attempting to settle the system of such a Church, we see, at the outset, that there must be compromise in a thousand comparatively unimportant particulars; we mean, particulars for which individual Christians may have preference, but which are not really and indispensably important to the grand objects of the Church; while, as immediately correspondent with this, there must be conformity by all upon those points which are generally held important to the character and constitution of the Church. The basis upon which the settlement of the system shall proceed must be-compromise in matters acknowledged by all to be relatively nonessentials, conformity in matters received by each to be 688ential. Thus both liberty and law can be secured, and universality and unity together be effected.

We have not time for detail in showing the working of these principles toward promoting the perfection of the Church. We state the principles, that our reader may test their propriety in his thoughts.

We cannot dismiss this topic, however, without oc

continual succession of General Councils, which should accurately represent the sense of the majority of all the clergy and laity of the Christian world.

cupying one moment in contrasting this, as we believe it to be, the true idea of the Church of Christ with the true idea of sectarism. The reader is requested to keep in mind the definition of sectarism in our third chapter.

The Church is founded upon unity and universality. Sectarism is founded upon unity without universality.

The Church is founded upon law and liberty. Sectarism is founded upon law without liberty. The Church is founded upon conformity and compromise.

Sectarism is founded upon conformity without compromise.

The Church, in its practical operation, produces forbearance.

Sectarism, in its practical operation, produces intol

erance.

The Church requires practically, from all its members (and Christ's disciples must have "a cross daily "), some self-denial.

Sectarism allows practically to all its members the utmost self-indulgence.

As we aim at brevity, our readers are requested to try for themselves these points of contrast, and see if they are not correctly stated. We wish them also to recollect that we are discussing principles, and desire to do so candidly and thoroughly; and withal, we would not be supposed to intend disrespect toward any existing denominations in our land.

CHAPTER VII.

Notice of certain denominational peculiarities—a Comprehensive Church for our age and country practicable-no existing Christian denomination should be excluded from the Comprehensive Church, neither Protestant Episcopalians nor non-Episcopalians—a question for pious non-Episcopalians.

E

We have noticed the principles upon which the Comprehensive Church must be organized. And we inquire: Is the construction of such a Church in the nineteenth century, and in the United States, impracticable? Is there any natural impossibility or hindrance to prevent the formation of such a Church which may unite the various and now opposing denominations of Christians in our country? We think not. Such a Church may be constructed upon the principles which have been just laid down, even if none such does now, as we believe such does, exist.

To illustrate our view: One denomination holds that the apostolical and regular ministry of the Church is in three orders-Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons. Others are of the opinion that any particular arrangement of the ministry is unimportant, so long as the essential idea of a ministry-or, as with some, of a ministry of Presbyters-is preserved. The same denomination holds that on certain occasions the public use of a precom

posed Liturgy is necessary to stability, and edification, and harmony of the Church. Others have never been habituated to the use of a Liturgy on any occasions; and some lay great stress upon the advantages of extemporaneous prayers, and of various social meetings for religious improvement. A second denomination thinks that the government of the Church should be mainly in the hands of the clergy; a third, that it should be mainly in the hands of the laity. A fourth contends that only adults should be baptized, and then by immersion; while others think that infants also may be baptized, and that sprinkling or affusion of water is equally justifiable with immersion or with dipping. Some contend that no creeds should be required of men to admit them to the benefit of the Christian Sacraments. Others suppose that creeds are important in the arrangements of a well-ordered Church. Not to extend the illustration, it will be perceived that there are a great many points upon which the various denominations are agreed, and that the distinctive idea in each sect is a prominence of some one particular point of ecclesiastical belief or discipline.

Furthermore, the one distinctive point in each of these various denominations is generally a truth. Each has gone off upon a single idea, and this a true one, but made disproportionally prominent among the many ideas to be embraced in a body designed to represent the one universal Church. St. Augustine has uttered the aphorism: "Nulla falsa religio sine veritate-there is no false religion without a truth in it." And it is this truth which sustains the system that holds it as well as the errors associated with it in the system. Much

more does the aphorism apply to the several Christian denominations which hold the main articles of the Christian faith as contained in the Apostles' Creed. Each accepts and testifies to some one truth of belief or of order, which it emphasizes, and in reference to which it has been established. Thus Presbyterianism is based upon the idea of the power of presbyters in the government of the Church. Congregationalism or Independency is constituted upon the power of the laity in the same. Methodism affirms the liberty of the worshipper in the assemblies of believers. Quakerism gives its testimony to the essential necessity of the spiritual and subjective element in genuine religion. Romanism asserts a compact discipline, and the natural need of an objective cultus. Unitarianism is an organized protest against the unjust minutiæ and over-particularity of creeds. The United Presbyterians stand for a purely Scriptural worship. The Baptists maintain that a personal and conscious confession of Christ is vitally involved in the Christian baptism. Pedobaptists contend that infants and little children are proper subjects of Christian baptism. Now each one of these several ideas expresses a great truth. They seem to a careless observer to be inconsistent with each other, and positively irreconcilable. But they do really harmonize. They ought, all of them and every one of them, to be exhibited and combined in the one Church. Why may not all these denominations slide into one Comprehensive Church, that shall recognize and reconcile them all-in which each man, while he is indulged with his own favorite idea, shall allow to his brother a similar indulgence-in which no man shall sacrifice anything