World (though now so much enlarged) is still professedly a Sketch; and that therefore an elaborate delineation must not be expected. It is intended, by its brevity, for the rising generation; more especially for the youth under my tuition, and for the young people who attend my public ministry. Accordingly, in drawing up the work, I never imagined myself bound, like the ecclesiastical historian, to record every fact connected with the rise and progress of sects, or to pourtray minutely the shades of difference by which they are distinguished. I rather considered myself as occupying the province of the natural historian, who, when classing together the different kinds of the human race, attempts not to delineate every variation of feature, but holds up those more prominent traits of physiog nomy, which are impressed on mankind throughout the several regions of the globe!

The purport of this little volume, Sir, is to inspire religious denominations with more respectful sentiments of each other, and to lead them to study the benevolent ends for which the

Gospel of Jesus Christ was promulgated. Being a believer in the truth, and an admirer of the excellence of the Christian religion, I would fain remove any one obstacle which impedes its progress, or diminishes its efficacy, where it is already known. Should, therefore, this manual bring only two Christians of different denominations to a more just knowledge of each other's tenets, and prove the means of inclining them the more cheerfully to exercise towards one another that charity which thinketh no evil, it will afford me more real satisfaction than the publication of a work of the most pompous nature. It is observed by the late celebrated Edmund Burke, who possessed no inconsiderable knowledge of human nature, that "In all persuasions, the bigots are persecutors; the men of cool and reasonable piety, are favourers of toleration; because BIGOTS not taking the pains to be acquainted with the grounds of their adversaries' tenets, conceive them to be so absurd and monstrous, that no man of sense can give into them in good earnest. For which reason, they are convinced that some oblique bad

motive induces them to pretend to the belief of such doctrines, and to the maintaining them with obstinacy. This is a very general prin- ́ ciple in all religious differences, and it is the corner-stone of all PERSECUTION. The Emperor Charles the 5th, also, we are told retired. at the close of life into a monastery, and there, says Dr. Robertson, "he was particularly curious with regard to the construction of clocks and watches; and having found after repeated trials, that he could not bring any two of them to go exactly alike, he reflected, it is said, witha mixture of surprise as well as regret, on his own folly, in having bestowed so much time and labour, in the more vain attempt of bringing mankind to a precise uniformity of sentiment concerning the intricate and mysterious doctrines of religion!"

The infamous falsehoods, Sir, which have been propagated by sects concerning onc another's tenets, in almost every age of the church, are incompatible with Glory to God in the highest-on earth peace-good will towards

men. Nothing lends more to arrest the progress of true religion, than the implacable spirit of bigotry. Its ignorance and its folly are written in characters of blood. Wollaston, the learned author of the Religion of Nature Delineated, once asked a bigot "how many sects he thought there might be in the world?" "Why," says he; "I can make no judgment-I never considered the question." "Do you think," said Wollaston, "there may be a hundred ?" "0, yes, at least," cried the bigot. "Why then," replied the philosopher, "it is ninety-nine to one that you are in the wrong!" This anecdote is introduced for the purpose of generating that modesty of temper, which forms one of the loveliest ornaments of Christianity. William Penn has, in a letter to Archbishop Tillotson, these memorable words" I abhor two principles. in religion, and pity them that own them. The first is obedience upon authority, without conviction; and the other, destroying them that differ from me, for God's sake. Such a religion is without judgment, though not without teethunity is best if right-else charity." And as

Hooker said "The time will come, when a few words spoken with meekness, and humility, and love, shall be more acceptable than volumes of controversy, which commonly destroy CHA RITY, the very best part of TRUE RELIGION." Of the terms Prejudice, Bigotry, Candour, and Liberality, Dr. Aikin, in his Letters to his Son, gives this happy exemplification: "When Jesus preached, PREJUDICE cried, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth 2-Crucify, crucify him! exclaimed BIGOTRY. Why, what evil hath he done? remonstrated CANDOUR. And LIBERALITY drew from his words this inference-In every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

Upon my first sitting down, Sir, to this work, a closer inspection of the discordant materials of which the Christian world stands composed, almost deterred me from proceeding to its execution. I, however, relied on the candour of the public, and have not been disappointed. The most respectable literary journals of the day were pleased to sanction my attempt with their appro