formers? No: for among all these, as to the points in controversy in this city, there was great diversity, and they were generally against him. Did he mean the doctrines which Calvin preached? Hardly for Calvin did not teach the doctrine of original sin, as some now preach it. And I ask that man, or any man, to show the public where Calvin taught a limited atonement. All that is nothing; there was a hook in that pious declaration, which many an honest fish greedily swallowed; it was a hoax, and deserves no better name; and that, one of the lowest and basest kind. Who does not preach the doctrines of the Reformation? It is a term of no definite meaning, but calculated to mislead the ignorant and the simple. The reformers were not agreed in doctrine. Calvin was scarcely known in the group of the first reformers, and to such of them as he was known, his particular notions of predestination and grace were generally offensive, however correct they might be in themselves.

The Reformation of the sixteenth century is regarded by the protestant part of Christendom as a grand event an event in which many millions of people take a deep interest. What member of the church of England, or Scotland, or Holland, or of all the protestant Germanic provinces, or of the protestants in France, or America, is there, who does not regard the Reformation as a glorious era in the Christian Church? Yet each one of this immense mass of people, who have the means of information, view the reformers, and their doctrines, not without discrimination. They see much to admire and revere, and much left, as the work of subsequent reformations.

But, people of New-York, there has been another reformation; a reformation in our days, in which we have a deeper interest; a reformation not less extraordinary in its nature, or glorious in its consequences: We have seen a nation rise into a state of perfect freedom and civil liberty. Even this event, and going no farther, is beyond all parallel in history. There is a marked providence even here, which I fear many, calling themselves Christians, have not regarded with the attention it demands, nor the pleasure, that might be expected. Is it nothing that, from the discordant chaos of European aristocracy

and despotism, a government should spring up in the new world, founded in all the essential rights, and guarding all the rights of man? Is it not worthy of notice, that thirteen independent states should amicably unite in this grand project? Was there any thing like it in ancient Greece-was there ever a parallel? · But it is said, in reply, that this was all a civil or political transaction. Be it so: and was there nothing civil or political in the Reformation of the sixteenth century? What severed England and Scotland from the Roman see? Doubtless, the most ambitious prince and greatest tyrant that ever filled the British throne began that work. And Germany was more reformed by states than by individuals. In fact, the Reformation consisted externally in throwing off the yoke of the Roman pontiff; which, partly by spiritual, and partly by temporal claims, he had fastened on the most powerful states in Europe, and had, for ages, maintained by the sword; by which all tyrants maintain their dominion. It was, in a great degree, à political revolution.

But has this country witnessed nothing but a political revolution? Has not a phenomenon marked that revolution which indicates juster notions of religion, and of the true character of Christ's church, than were entertained by Luther, Melancthon, or Calvin-by Knox, Cranmer, or Ridley ?-or, I add, by any, or all, the reformers put together? By some surprising influence, the American people, when severed from the British empire, came to the knowledge of the grand truth, that all men are naturally free, and have equal rights; among which liberty of conscience, and the right of inquiring after truth, and worshipping God, are the first. Connected with this, another truth of equal importance was discovered, viz. that the church of Christ, being a spiritual body, has no right to enforce her censures by temporal penalties, or by the arm of civil power.

first, but the last, the Or, to vary the figure, heaven, and the sight

Here, reader, perished, not only the greatest, the grandest, pillars of popery. "the tree whose height reached unto thereof to the ends of the earth," had been, indeed, cut down by the "watcher;" but, in the language of the same prophet, "the stump of the roots was left, with a band of iron and brass,

in the tender grass of the field." A band of iron and brass indeed! For notwithstanding the greatness of the Reformation, latterly become so popular a theme, and trumpeted so loudly, to withdraw the attention of mankind from a much more recent reformation, what church, or what nation, became so reformed as to discover that people have a right to think for themselves? What nation came out so pure from this refining fire as not, in their turn, to erect the bloody standard of persecution, and fall upon heretics, i. e. all who presume to differ from them, right 'or wrong, with fire and faggots ?

From the foundation of the world, the honour, and pleasure, and advantage, of perfect civil and religious liberty has been reserved for this nation. No other nation, ancient or modern, savage or civilized, ever enjoyed them both before. It was reserved to be discovered by the leaders in the American reformation, that a man demeaning himself peaceably in society, and conducting as a good citizen, is accountable only to God for his religious opinions. Should he even chance to differ from what is called orthodox, or from the popular faith, he does not expect to be dragged before a ghostly Jesuitical tribunal, to whom he must deliver up the keys of his conscience, or be delivered over to the tormentors. A man in this country is not obliged to hurry away to Canada, the West Indies, New Spain, or Europe, a voluntary exile, for fear of suffering the fate of a heretic; and, perhaps, when arrived there, in hourly dread that letters missive will reach the magistrates, desiring them to seize and bring him to justice: But for what? for murder, arson, burglary, or treason, no doubt!-O no! because he is "unsound in the faith;" when, perhaps, in the sight of God, he is the Christian, and his persecutors are the heretics. This, reader, was the general mode of proceeding in those delightful times which certain persons so ardently wish might return. This was then the fashion.

Neither the gospel, nor the spirit of Christ, ever moved men to persecution: every persecutor, therefore, of whatever description, sect, or denomination, is unsound both in faith and practice, and is no model for an American.

The American reformers have discovered that a nation is not

a church, and that a church cannot be a nation. They per ceived that there was an import in our Saviour's declaration, that his kingdom was not of this world; which, if every kingdom be a church, and every church a kingdom, can mean nothing. And it is a fact, of which I have no doubt, that next to downright persecution, the greatest injury any government can do a church is to establish it by law, that its decisions and censures shall be enforced by civil penalties; it renders it "the stump of the roots" in earnest, " with a band of iron and brass." But, to the confusion and discomfiture of every religious tyrant, the band of iron and brass is broken, and the stump of the roots is dug up, in this country, favored of heaven above all others. To this it is owing that we see every man resorting to the place of worship he may prefer, and adoring the Supreme Ruler in such modes and forms as his conscience may dictate. To this it is owing that we see no stern and haughty lords of conscience hurling the censures of the church at one and at another, with a servile set of syndics and magistrates at their elbow, and a still more servile gang of delators at their heels, to point his vengeance, expecting, at least, to purchase heaven by gratifying the holy malice and bigotted pride of a spiritual judge. To this, in a word, it is owing that our country is not, at this instant, torn with religious fury and persecution; for, I call heaven to witness, that a stronger propensity to that horrid business was never visible at any time or place.

I said, in a former series, that these people had forgot the age in which they live, by three hundred years. They seem not apprized of the grand events of our times, which have broken the slumbers of six thousand years. Soothed in the lap of spiritual pride, by the cordial flattery of minions whom they have trained to their hands, their eyes are covered with scales, and they are strangers to the sublime and awful providence which moves before us, and has lifted our country above all nations in her civil freedom and religious order. They are ever restless under these events; they wish for the restoration of the reign of bigotry, and that the sun, broke forth on this happy nation, would return into those clouds which covered him for ages. As for this country, there has been no reforma

tion, no increase of knowledge, no new light, no religious advantages. They would esteem the restoration of the jargon of school logic, the sublime mysticism of peripatetic philosophy, and the principles of religious intolerance, a glorious event; that is, if their conduct and feelings are of a piece. . For it must be admitted that those were fine times for ecclesiastical lords and tyrants of every grade.

In the mean time, they desire no reformation-no change that shall eradicate any remaining fibre of "the stump of the roots with the band of iron and brass." Every thing like an increase of light is terrible to those whose glory depends on darkness; equally so is an increase of liberty to those whose power is built on usurpation. As for the enlargement of their churches, were they permitted to use their favourite arts, they would immediately gather in all the fishes of the deep-even sharks, sword-fish, and whales. They want no reformation for that purpose. As one of our little Calviniculi lately declared, before the synod, he had had "ninety members added to his church the last year, though with none of the northern blast attending." I fear he might have added, none of the southern! "Awake, O north wind, and come thou south, blow upon thy garden!" "The wind bloweth where it listeth," said the Son of God, "and ye hear the sound thereof, &c., so is every one that is born of the Spirit." That man was unfortunate in the metaphor by which he attempted to ridicule the work of God, and I shall be glad if his ignorance shielded him from the guilt of blasphemy, in that vain attempt to appear witty and brave.

The grand object of these men is to arrest the progress of free inquiry, and to bring the church back to the ground it occupied three hundred years ago, when the wretched dogmas of Aristotle, and the peripatetics, were still conflicting with moral and philosophical theories little better; while, as yet, a ray of light bad not broken into the church relative to civil or religious liberty; while the very best of the reformers had no idea but of following the steps of Rome, in destroying heretics by fire and sword: For surely, said they, if a wicked church may persecute and destroy good men, it is very wonderful if good men, when clothed with the authority of Christ, may not punish