pute the basest motives. Benevolence secks the good of all, even of an enemy; but party spirit will injure either enemy or friend, if he stand in the way of a party purpose.

In the contests of parties in this land, thousands have been made to war against each other who really aimed at the same end the "good of their country; and thousands more have been enlisted who were ignorant of the grounds of controversy and of the real ob jects of their leaders.

It is a melancholy consideration, but it is believed to be an unquestionable fact, that the greater portion of the political controversies, which so long agitated our country, had their origin in ambition for of fice. It ought to be under stood and deeply engraven on the minds of all our citizens, that those men who have such a thirst for office as to be willing to obtain it at so great an expense as the agitation of society and the alienation of brethren, are very improper characters for fathers of a christian people.

When party spirit is once excited in society, it is kept a five and increased by mutual accusation, recrimination, and indiscriminate censure. By such means the minds of the multitude are misled; the best characters are often considered as the worst, and the worst as the best; and the feelings even of good people, of the different parties, become embittered one towards another. In consequence of the various means of irritation and

excitement, the passions of parties are often raised to such a pitch, that, like some kinds of chemical powder, they are' ready to explode with a trifling agitation.

In this time of public tranquility, and in view of the evils to which individuals and communities are exposed by the indulgence of party spirit, it is proper to inquire, whether any thing can be done to prevent the recurrence of such a state of society as has been formerly witnessed in this favored land? If any thing can be done to prolong the present tranquillity it is certainly an object which would justify very great exertions. If the account of party spirit which has been given is correct, it is very far from being a desirable or a useful thing under any government. It may indeed, like other diseases, be overruled for goɔd; but in itself it is a great evil-its genaine tendency is sin and misery. Considered as a watchman or a guardian, it is bewildered, deceitful and often malicious. It imagines wrongs where none is done or intended; it imputes to wicked mo. tives what should be regarded as mere errors of judgement; it will magnify real defects in an opponent a hundred fold; and it will palliate and justify the most flagrant wrongs on its own side.

A nation is a great family; and a family of fifteen or twen-ty persons is a nation in 'miniature. Would party spirit be useful in such a family? or would it be desirable to di

To the Editor of the Christian Disciple.

DEAR SIR,

HAVING endeavoured to imbibe the spirit of a disciple of Christ, to cherish sentiments of peace and love, and to promote the cause of "pure religion" to the extent of my abilities and opportunities, with a lively interest in the "Christian Disciple," I feel desirous of adding my mite to the advancement of a cause I have long since espoused. In doing this, I shall, at this time, beg leave to offer a quotation from a valuable work, which few have seen, and which, perhaps, few will ever have the pleasure and benefit of perusing. Should it meet your approbation, you will gratify a constant reader, by inserting it in the "Christian Disciple." Your's, &c.

AMANDER.

This author, after showing the danger, the strange and fa. tal inconsistencies, and bewildering tendency of many doctrines, which have long disturbed the christian church, says, "If, knowing our duty here, we perform it to the best of our power, we shall certainly be accepted of God. Whether we square our faith by the precepts of Athanasius, or Arius, or Socinus, we shall, enter into life, if we keep the commandments; and follow, as nearly as possible, the steps of Jesus, which points the way to immortal light. Vainly to attempt to pierce the clouds and darkness that surround

the christian sanctuary, may waste our time, but cannot improve our piety. To meditate on things, that are above the sphere of our comprehen-. sion, and on which, if we lived for a thousand years, we could never form any distinct ideas, only serve to bewilder the understanding without mending the heart The religion of Jesus consists more in beneficent actions, than in contemplative raptures; more in the calm and serene sensations of meekness, gentleness, and forgiveness, than in the wild emotions of enthusiasm."

"I feel a firm, unshaken, conviction, that it is the vital benevolence of the heart and affections, and not the mere assent of the mind to any mystery of doctrine, which constitutes that religion which is most pleasing in the sight of God. There cannot be a more concise and just description of religion than that by St. James, i. 27. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." There are, certainly, good and bad men among all sects; and perhaps, it would be difficult to say, on which side the sum of moral worth preponderates. Hence, ought we not to learn that what opinions we entertain about certain dark and inexplicable matters, are not religion? And ought they to kindle any animosity between us? Ought

we to behold the splinter in our brother's eye, and to neglect the beam in our own? HOW LONG WILL Christians continue To HATE EACH OTHER?

"It is the doctrine of the Trinitarian Church of England, in her first article, that THERE IS BUT ONE GOD, WITHOUT BODY, PÁRTS, OR PAS

SIONS..

"It is plain, therefore, that when we talk of three persons in the Godhead, the word person has no relation whatever to those ideas of corporeal figure which we annex to it in common use, and which, from the grossness of our conceptions, we can hardly help associating with any term expressive of personality. But it is certain, that though the Church of England worships what are, for the want of a better word, or from the choice of a bad one, called persons," IT ACKNOWLEDGES

three

BUT ONE GOD. When therefore we worship three persons, we can evidently worship only one and the same God under these different personal appellations. And if the Church had adopted the word appellation instead of person, the whole dispute about the Trinity', and which is rather a dispute about words than a bout things, might have been avoided. Arians and Socinians, undoubtedly worship the same God as the Trinitarians, without body, parts, or passions.

What then should keep them asunder, if they differ only about expressions? And it is clear to me that their greatest difference is nothing more than a difference, not in the substance, but in the phraseology of their adoration.Trinitarians, Arians, and Socinians, consider this, and learn charity and forbearance towards each other !''

1

LV.

Matth. v. 33, 7. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths. But I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His foot-stool ; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head; beVol. VI. No. 9.

35

cause thou canst not make one hair white, or black. But let your communication be, yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil.

The precept, (Exod. xx. 7,) "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain,” was rendered by the Jews, "thou shalt not swear in vain, or falsely, by the name of the Lord thy God." It was considered particularly as a pro

hibition of perjury. But still more explicit is the command, (Lev. xix. 12.) "Thou shalt not swear by my name falsely." The Jews were also expressly forbidden to swear by false gods. But Jewish sentiments, both of an oath and perjury, as far as we can learn them, appear to have been very loose; and we have at least very ancient testimony, that the forms of swearing to which our Lord alludes in the text, were common among Jews. "A man," says Maimonides, may forswear himself four ways. For example, he may swear he hath not cast a stone into the sea, when he hath cast it; that he hath cast It, when he hath not; that he will not eat, and yet eats; that he will eat, and yet eats not." But, says the Talmud, he that swears that he will not eat, and yet eats that which is not proper to be eaten, is not guilty. The distinction was also made of a vain, or a rash oath. As, 1st, when one swore of what was impossible, and contradictory, as that a pillar of stone was a pillar of gold; or 2dly, when one swore of that which could not be doubted, as that a stone is a stone; or, 3dly, when one swore that he could do, what was impossible to be done, as that he would not take food for a week; or, 4thly, when one swore that he could abstain from things plainly commanded, as that he would not wear phylacteries. Against him who made a vain, or a rash oath, beating and cursing were denounced. Yet so narrow was made the cir

cle of vain oaths, that a man might sware a hundred thousand times, and yet not transgress the limits of the caution against vain swearing.

Care was indeed taken to give great solemnity to the judicial administration of an oath. He who was to make it, was seriously exhorted to consider and weigh the circumstances, concerning which he was to swear; having be fore his eyes the fear of God, that he might not swear rashly. "Know thou," said the Judge to him, "when God speaks, the world trembles. Take not therefore the name of thy God in vain. Better is

it that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay." For other of fences against the law, he was told, punishment was inflicted only on the transgressor; but the punishment of perjury extended to his family and friends. Of other transgressions, punishment might be deferred to another generation. perjury, it would begin with him who committed it.

But of

When a question arose of great and peculiar concern, the ark which contained the book of the laws was opened ; and he who was to swear, was required to put his hand into the ark, and to lay it upon the book of the law. If the affair of which oath was to be made was not of the most solemn nature, the books night be substituted, in which the name of God were written. But they who carried phylacteries upon their hands, upon which the words of the law of the