them? What would the replies of Christians be, if we could suppose they might be represented before a tribunal of secular Princes assembled to deliberate on this common benefit? I see, I hear, the mutual accusations and recriminations which would break forth with vehemence and indignation from the gathered multitudes." You are the causes of all this hatred and misery," says the Church of Rome to all who do not unite in its communion. "You are the heretics who have departed from the faith, violated the unity of the Church, compelled the severity of ecclesiastical censure, and provoked the Church to claim the protection and the power of the civil law. You are the foxes that spoil the grapes®. You are the wild boar of the wood that breaks down the hedges of the Lord's vineyard. You are the wild beasts of the field that devour the green pastures of the Church. You are the despisers of authority, the slayers of souls, the followers of Korah. You are the assertors of the right of private judgment against the decisions of the Holy Catholic Church, with whom we will hold no peace,whom we will tolerate only when we are weak, but whom we will subject to the laws of our Church if we had power to compel the uniformity and submission to the Church, which we believe we are commanded to enforce and preserve."

"No" is the reply to these charges. "You, the Church of Rome, and you alone, are the cause of the hatred of Christian against Christian. Differences of religious opinion among the believers in the same faith did not destroy their mutual love in the ancient days, when the Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of the East differed on the subject of Easter, yet partook of the Communion of the Lord's Supper together. The Church of Rome alone has been the curse of the Catholic Church, whose title it has usurped, whose authority it has perverted, whose faith it has corrupted. The Church of Rome alone made additions to the creeds of the ancient Church. It called the rejection of those additions Heresy while those very additions constituted the worst Heresy. By adding cruel and arbitrary laws to the early canons of the Church, the Church of Rome compelled the separation, which it calls schism; while those very laws created the worst schism, the schism of Rome herself from the body of Christians. It upheld by cruelty the system it enacted by treachery and fraud. It refuses to improve. It hates to be reformed. It not only stigmatizes the most humble and most reasonable of the opponents of its errors, as an enemy to God and truth, but it upholds its worst pretensions to rule by authority, where it persuades not by argument. It fetters and it limits, while it claims the power to permit, the free circulation of the Scriptures of truth. It wages war against the first, best, holiest privilege, duty, and obligation of every human soul which God has created reasonable and immortal,—the searching for truth, and receiving religion upon evidence, and not upon authority, and we solemnly swear, that we will not receive its errors, or submit to its dominion." So speak the two great masses of opposing Christians, contending with each other. The animosity of both increases with their mutually increasing zeal. The unchangeableness of Rome perpetuates the unchangeableness of the opposition to its discipline and opinions. The controversy of centuries

See the papal Bulls passim against the heretics.

continues the hatreds of centuries; and, unless some third power is found to prevent the evils resulting from this hateful collision, the ancient wars will be revived, or religious anarchy will ruin the peace of governments, or the persevering usurpation of the great corruption of Christianity will destroy their authority.

This third power exists in the united body of the secular Princes of Europe, all of whom are interested in the prevention of these threatened evils, and in the peace and union of the Universal Church. The first principle, therefore, on which the assembly of Congress of the representatives of the Sovereigns of Europe must act, arises from the conviction of the necessity of regaining the sceptres which the ruler of Rome has usurped. Both Papists and Protestants stand before the secular Princes of the world, accused of disturbing the happiness and peace of their subjects. The Princes of the earth are the judges of both. To both, therefore, the Sovereigns of the earth are intrusted with the power of declaring, "We will consider your pretensions and your pleas, and we will do "that which is best for our subjects. You, the sectarians, shall not dictate your "fancies. You, the ruler of Rome, shall no more interfere with our people. We, "the Christian holders of Christian sceptres, and the Christian wearers of "Christian crowns, believing that Christ, the one great Head of the Universal "Church, has committed a portion of His kingly power to ourselves, are resolved "to resume that authority which was maintained in the olden times of the Jewish "theocracy by the kings of Judah, by the first Christian Emperor after the time of "Christ, and by the early Sovereigns who succeeded him; till a long series of events threw the chief power over the minds of their people into the possession "of an ecclesiastical chieftain. As we did not permit revolutionary and "Jacobin France to interfere between ourselves and our subjects, under the pretence of giving liberty to our people—as we refuse to permit the Government " of England to interfere between ourselves and our subjects under the pretence of giving constitutions to our people-as we refuse to permit the Emperors of "Russia or Austria to interfere between ourselves and our subjects, under the "pretence of giving more conservative monarchy to our people-so also will "we refuse to permit the ruler of Rome to interfere between ourselves and our "subjects, under the pretence of giving Christ's religion to our people. The experience of the last ten centuries has proved to us, that however useful the ascendancy of the ruler of Rome may have sometimes been in Europe before "the balance of power was established, and before the science of government was "thoroughly understood-the supremacy of the ruler of Rome, one only of the "Princes of Europe, has failed, utterly failed, to give peace, union, and happiness "to civilized man; and we are resolved to affirm the independence of our people "in all cases, on any one of our brethren; and to seek the general good from "other sources than the Papal supremacy. We are Christian Princes, responsible "to God alone; and we will not be responsible for our government to any one of "our number. As we form our international unions in political matters according "to the law of nations, while we maintain our separate independence as political "States; so will we form one Catholic union in ecclesiastical matters according to

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"the law of Christ, while we maintain the separate independence of our Churches. "We will no longer be governed ourselves, nor permit our people to be governed

by one of our number, against whom so many complaints for so many centuries “have been urged, and of whom we ourselves have so many just causes of con"demnation. We are Christian Sovereigns, Christian Rulers; and we are able, " and we are willing, and we are resolved, to rule our people in the fear of God, "independent of any laws but those which God has given in revelation, or which "experience has demonstrated to be useful."-The first principle to be laid down for the guidance of Princes, if they can ever be induced to consult together for the common good of all men, must be to affirm their separate independence as ecclesiastical and civil powers. This alone is the foundation of international law, for the securing not only of political but of ecclesiastical and religious union. This independence of Princes can alone give the Christian impartiality with which they might hope to suspend the burning, deadly, bitter hatreds which now alienate the hearts of Christian believers from each other. This alone would enable them to call in and melt down the gold of Christianity as it is found in the various coins of the Churches, sects, and parties of the civilized world; and to reissue the pure metal in a new form of currency, which should be of universal reception in the Catholic Church of Christ. The superscription of that currency must be "Holiness to the Lord." On the obverse side must be engraven, "God's government and truth," on the reverse must be engraven, "Man's government and peace." It is the currency which will be every where received by all who desire to unite the double precept,-The things of Cæsar to Cæsar, the things of God to God.

The other principles, therefore, on which the hoped-for Council or Congress would act, must be the adoption of those conclusions on which their Christian subjects may be said to have the least and fewest controversies. Among these propositions may be mentioned:

That the written Revelation in the Old and New Testament is the chief guide to present peace and future happiness.

That the decisions of the three first centuries may be received as the next guide in all controversies of discipline and doctrine.

That as the peace of mankind, and the union of Christians, would be most effectually upheld if they could pray together and meet together in the Churches of every country where they met, as it was in the ancient Churches, the attempt to frame an universal Liturgy, to be used in all Churches when the influence of the Christian Sovereignties of the world could command it, would be advisable and useful.

That because faith and discipline, as well as worship, must be the bonds of union, the attempt be made, and I know it can be effected, to commend in the same manner a Scriptural Creed and a Scriptural Canon Law to the people. To this Scriptural Canon Law may be added such Canons of the Universal Church, and such Canons of the several Churches as the modern Catholic Church might be willing to receive because of their general usefulness.

1 Which could be drawn up from Van Espen, Devoti, and Boehmer, and on which, as well as on the Scriptural Creed and Universal Liturgy, I am employed.

That while the general Sovereignty of Christian Princes be thus exerted to sanction and encourage a common creed, common discipline, and a common mode of worship, which should be acceptable to the general body of believers in the Christ's divinity, no law be made to punish or coerce the free inquiries or the deliberate opinions and conclusions of Jew, Turk, infidel, or heretic; but that the only arms which the Christian subject be permitted to exercise against any reasoner, be those which he derives from the harmony of Scripture, antiquity, reasoning, and argument; or, in other words, that toleration be the last great principle upon which the Congress or Council of the representatives of Christian Princes depend for the more effectual promotion of the happiness of their people, and the reunion of Christians. The adoption of a Scriptural universal Creed, Liturgy, and discipline, commended to their subjects by the influence of the united Sovereigns of the Christian world, but not enforced, not compelled by the severities of the public law, would give the Christian world that advantage which the ruler of Rome now claims as proceeding from himself alone ;—it would give A CENTRE OF UNITY, WITHOUT THE PAPAL SUPREMACY 2.

SECTION XI.

The persons to whom the power of deliberation may be entrusted, and the oath they should be required to take.

FROM considering the principles on which the deliberations of a Congress on the subject of the divisions of the Holy Catholic Church might be conducted, the question presents itself,-By what persons should those deliberations be conducted?

When the representatives of the people are sent from the cities, and boroughs, and counties of this empire, they are not to be considered (such is the interpretation of their office by our laws and customs) as delegates, whose duty it would be to preserve the interests and privileges of the people of the places which send them to the Parliament, but as senators, who shall consider the general welfare of the state and nation, through the length and breadth of the whole of the Sovereign's dominions. So also should it be with the persons who may be commissioned to this great and holy Senate. From the courts, from the universities, from the well-educated, moral, Christian believers in the truth of the Revelation which God has given to the children of men, those persons, whether of the clergy or of the laity, in whom the Sovereigns can confide, should be selected, who can take an oath, and are willing to take an oath to this effect; namely, That they will consider, not the exclusive interests and advantages of the Church of France, the Church of England, the Church of

2 When the principles I am advocating shall be acted upon, as they most assuredly will one day be, POPERY will become "like a taper in the open air, under a July mid-day sun. Its dim "light will be useless, and its flame harmless."

Russia, or the Church of Rome, or any other Church alone from which they may be commissioned to deliberate; but that they will deem themselves to be the representatives of the Holy Catholic Church; and that they will so consider the interests of all Christians and all mankind as if the great Head of the Church was among them; that they will endeavour to submit to all, who name the name of Christ, the Scriptural creed, the Scriptural prayers, and the Scriptural regulations of an universal worship, which may serve as a bond of union to all those who are anxious and earnest in their prayers to become the members of one visible, peaceful Catholic Church on earth. There are persons to be found in all Churches who believe that the human mind cannot be always stereotyped into one or other of the two forms of Popery or Protestantism. There are persons to be found of the same rank and of the same accomplishments with those who are usually employed by Princes and Sovereigns, who would be willing to accept this high office under such conditions. The first, best, fittest persons to be invested with such powers, ought to be found among the Bishops of the Universal Church, whom I shall address in my next Dedication. With them may be associated any number of religious laymen, whom their people, or the universities, or their governments, may commend to their Sovereigns. The Bishop of Rome, as a secular Sovereign, but not as a spiritual person, should be entitled to send his representatives; if he could find Bishops or laymen in his dominions who would be willing to swear, that they would promote the reunion of Christians on other foundations than the assumption of the mediæval Papal supremacy. Whatever place the primitive Churches gave to the Bishop of Rome, would still be assigned to him by the Congress or Council which acted on the principles I have enumerated. No Deist might be elected, nor any who had been known to despise the common faith, or to reject the Christianity of the Fathers for the false German Neology. The object of the Princes of Europe should be, to restore, not to destroy; and to build up their laws and thrones on the foundation neither of the Lutheran reformation nor the Papal system, but upon the wellconsidered religion, which, while it gives real liberty to the people, and true honour to God, identifies both religion and happiness with obedience to the public law and allegiance to Sovereigns and their governments.

SECTION XII.

The extent to which the decisions of such Council or Congress would be received as a part of the international laws of Christians.

BUT to what EXTENT, it may be asked, would the conclusions of this Council or Congress, if it could be assembled, be received and welcomed as part of the law of nations, or as the foundation of a more international communion of Christians?

The majority of the Universal Church, we answer, would eventually so