of a Christian parent to entrust the training of the spirit entrusted to him, to any one who is unprincipled in Christ's Gospel, and uncareful of its obligations: even as it is likewise beyond the power of a Christian government to constitute schools which shall not acknowledge, in the ordering of knowledge and the instructing of mind, the same authority of Christ, the universal Governor, which every Christian polity should acknowledge in all its acts and ordinances. When I say beyond the power of the Christian parent, I mean inconsistent with the baptismal covenant, by which he bound himself; and when I say beyond the power of a Christian government, I mean inconsistent with the covenant which it enters into with Christ, when, for the benefits of his laws and ordinances, and word and Spirit, it doth acknowledge him as Lord of all, and expect the blessings of his good providence, which are on this condition bestowed upon every state. They may, both parents and governors, violate the one covenant and the other, yea and do so continually; but they do it at the risk of offending God, to whom they have devoted their children and their people, of calling down his judgments in due time, and, if they repent not, of being finally cast off as apostates, and long enduring his wrath and indignation in every form;-as at this day you see in the case of the apostate Jews, the apostate Mohammedans, and the apostate Papacy, which are every one of them blighted with the stern and constant east wind of the wrath of God. Whereas, we who do, amidst our manifold errors and contradictions daily increasing, maintain the national and parental covenant in a certain measure of force, have been

preserved and blessed in a wonderful manner, yet nothing to what we would have been, had we kept the covenants of our fathers, and not worshipped the gods of silver and gold, adored the gods of our own reason, and paid a certain respect to the gods of the nations; from whence have come corrosion in the strong and lusty limbs of the body politic, corruption near the heart, confusion in the head, and alarm and dismay throughout the whole, though no man can tell his neighbour why or wherefore. Oh that my country would fear God! oh that all the people would agree to praise him! then would the earth yield her increase, and God, even our God, would bless us.

I take it, therefore, to be established upon broad doctrinal principles, that it is a solecism in a Christian government to authorise, and in Christian parents to patronise, any school for youth, be the subject taught in it what it may, when that subject is not taught with a view to the glory of God, the eternal salvation of the soul, and the Christian well-being of the land. Now, if any one say, 'Oh but we cannot trust the religion of our children to be under the tuition of those whom the church and state,' or as it should rather be said, whom the believing nation, hath approved for that end;' the answer is, No one obligeth thee to delegate thy child's education to any one: it is thine own act to do so. Thou art the guardian of the spirit of thy child: do that which seemeth unto thee good. But do not thou hinder others from having the advantage which they may need : neither do thou set up such an anomaly and solecism in a Christian land as education without the acknowledgment of God's propriety in the bodies

and minds of the children, who are his creatures,' and by baptism his redeemed creatures. And if a sectarian spirit amongst religionists hinder their union in this matter, it is not to hinder a Christian government from fulfilling its duties unto the Lord, by providing Christian education for the children of the people, take advantage of it who will, and lose the advantage who will. And that spirit therefore which is said and sung in so many various forms, Oh yes; but religion is too sacred a thing to be meddled with, men's minds are so diverse in it; therefore leave it to every family apart,' is both a foolish and a wicked speech; foolish as contravening all sound doctrine of Christian government and education, and wicked as encouraging that sectarianism and schism among the professors of the same faith, which, if it exist, ought to be blamed, not commended, discouraged and wrought out, not encouraged and engrained into the people. It is certainly an evil; for our religion is community and love, and the church is a brotherhood, not a diversity of parties. The spirit, is moreover, a poor subterfuge for ignorant indolence in divining good measures, or for malicious dislike to religion altogether. What would they say if any one were to retort upon them, That political economy is so uncertain a thing, and men are so divided upon it, hardly two agreeing, in any question-it may be of the currency, or the corn laws, or the silk-trade,-that the government had better leave it altogether at once, and follow in the course of ancient customs.' Or, again, when any bill is presented before the legislature upon which there are various separate interests manifested, it ought uniformly to be cast out until they

806

preserved and blessed in a wonderful manner, yet nothing to what we would have been, had we kept the covenants of our fathers, and not worshipped the gods of silver and gold, adored the gods of our own reason, and paid a certain respect to the gods of the nations; from whence have come corrosion in the strong and lusty limbs of the body politic, corruption near the heart, confusion in the head, and alarm and dismay throughout the whole, though no man can tell his neighbour why or wherefore. Oh that my country would fear God! oh that all the people would agree to praise him! then would the earth yield her increase, and God, even our God, would bless us.

I take it, therefore, to be established upon broad doctrinal principles, that it is a solecism in a Christian government to authorise, and in Christian parents to patronise, any school for youth, be the subject taught in it what it may, when that subject is not taught with a view to the glory of God, the eternal salvation of the soul, and the Christian well-being of the land. Now, if any one say, 'Oh but we cannot trust the religion of our children to be under the tuition of those whom the church and state,' or as it should rather be said, whom the believing nation, hath ar for that end;' the answer is, No or

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and by baptism his redeemed creatures. And if a sectarian spirit amongst religionists hinder their union in this matter, it is not to hinder a Christian government from fulfilling its duties unto the Lord, by providing Christian education for the children of the people, take advantage of it who will, and lose the advantage who will. And that spirit therefore which is said and sung in so many various forms, 'Oh yes; but religion is too sacred a thing to be meddled with, men's minds are so diverse in it; therefore leave it to every family apart,' is both a foolish and a wicked speech; foolish as contravening all sound doctrine of Christian government and education, and wicked as encouraging that sectarianism and schism among the professors of the same faith, which, if it exist, ought to be blamed, not commended, discouraged and wrought out, not encouraged and engrained into the people. It is certainly an evil; for our religion is community and love, and the church is a brotherhood, not a diversity of parties. The spirit, is moreover, a poor subterfuge for ignorant indolence in divining good measures, or for malicious dislik eligion altogether. What would they

may be of the currency, or the k-trade, that the government altogether at once, and follow cient customs.' Or, again, when ated before the legislature upon re various separate interests manit uniformly to be cast out until they

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