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the preparation must likewise be universal and individual, embracing all and every one, and that it can consist in nothing else than the education of every individual, in obedience to, and consciousness of Him, who is dwelling in all, as a source of light, and as a power of life; that they may be both able and willing to acknowledge Him when` he shall come" in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory ?"

Such is the claim, which the Most High prefers against the men of this day; its fulfilment would be bliss unspeakable; its neglect will be the burden of this generation, in the day of judgment. The greatest part of that burden will, no doubt, fall upon the religious world, who, by their sectarian bigotry, have not only made the word of God of none effect to themselves, but also have put a stumbling-block in the way of many of their brethren, who would not so easily have slighted and set aside religion, had they seen it practically illustrated, not as a specious cloak to cover inward uncleanness, but as a power of truth and love. But, although a candid advocate of religion must admit the heavy sins, of which, in this respect, its professors are guilty, yet this fact is far from forming an excuse for those, who have taken upon themselves to turn away from that, which God has laid down for them, and which he has so clearly put before them. The bigotry of dogmatical men is, no doubt, a very great nuisance, not to speak of the sin; but are liberal men less bigoted, or is their bigotry any better? I, for my own part, confess, that, much as I disapprove of the former, on the grounds which I have stated, I cannot help feeling, that there is more hope of a man who holds and defends an opinion, though a narrow, or even an erroneous one, with great warmth and obstinacy, than of a man who adheres, with an equally sectarian spirit, to the principle of having no opinion at all on the subject of religion. Owing, it may be, in a great measure, to the controversial spirit, and the animosity of the religious world, a fashion has introduced

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itself in society, which is too often sanctioned even by men who, in private, hold religion in high estimation,—the fashion, in public matters, to pass over religion altogether, as a non-entity, or, at least, a non-essential, or to treat it as a nose of wax, which can be shaped at pleasure, to suit the taste of each individual. This profane fashion, to which no person who sees the full value of religion, can, and no one that professes to know that value, ought to, give his assent, has, as much as the sectarianism of the believers, found its way into the field of education; so that, whilst some teach for doctrines the commandments of men, there is another set, who teach, according to the peculiar wishes of the parents, any doctrines, or no doctrines at all. As an instance of this disgraceful indifference, this "gentlemanly" infidelity, I will adduce the profession of faith, on this chapter, of a celebrated school, or rather connexion of schools, which, as it has, among the recent system-makers for the education of the wealthier classes, the greatest run at present, ought not to be passed over without special notice on the present occasion. In the account of the "Plans for the government and liberal instruction of boys in large numbers, as practised at HAZELWOOD school,” the subject of religion is dispatched in the following manner, in a note under the text: "On the momentous subject "of religion, we feel we ought to say something, and yet "in common, we suppose, with all conscientious teachers, "whose pupils belong to different religious communities, we "have had great difficulty in ascertaining our duty on this head. It is almost impossible to enter into any 66 minute course of religious instruction, without entrenching upon disputed ground, and yet we feel that no pa"rents, except such as coincide with our own views, "can intend us to influence the religious opinions of "their children; and we should, therefore, conceive such "influence to be a gross breach of trust. At the same "time, whatever religious exercises can be joined by all, "are not omitted. Whatever formularies, too, are in uni

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"son with the respective religious feelings of the pa"rents, are taught; and provision is made for attendance "on such public worship, as is best calculated to prevent "the evils, which might arise from any dissimilarity of "religious views between the parent and his child.”

Now, I should like to ask the Gentile, who penned these lines, full of hypocritical eye-service and inward infidelity, how he dare to call the subject of religion a "momentous" subject, when, in fact, his own words prove that he regards it as being of little or no moment? I can conceive a teacher stating, coolly, in his prospectus, "Of whatever cut "a father wishes to have his boy's jacket made, we shall, "make a point of getting our tailor to do it to his wishes." But that a man should as coolly say: "Of whatever cut "a father wishes his boy's religion to be, we shall take care to have it made to order," is exceedingly base, and betrays the spirit, both of an hireling, and of an infidel. But where is the point on which the whole matter hinges? He considers his pupils, I state his own words, as "belonging to different religious communities." But if he were not as ignorant of religion, as he is indifferent, and affects to be anxious, about it, he would know, forsooth, that there does not exist more than one religious community; and that the different communities of which he speaks, are (the Apostle is my authority) carnal communities, and, so far as their differences go, irreligious communities, "because the carnal mind is enmity against God." Of a piece with this mistake, is the other, that he must conform, in the religious education of his pupils,-not to the will of God, as made known to him by the Spirit of Truth, on the ground of the revelations extant in Christendom-but to the wishes of the parents, who "cannot intend him to influ"ence the religious opinions of their children, except they "coincide with his own views;" which, I should suppose, will be the case with none, but such as care, in truth, nothing for the religious opinions of their children. It is not in the name of God, but in the name of the parents, that

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he educates, a perfect man after the heart of the world. And why not? Why should he not serve him, of whom he is hired? He does not anticipate a heavenly reward for his education—and this is the only part of his creed which is correct--and, therefore, he does the will of him, from whom he gets his reward. Therefore, he is extremely scrupulous about the supposed breach of trust, towards the sectarian spirit of the parents, whilst he cares not a whistle about that breach of trust which he commits against the Spirit of the Lord God. If this is not "like unto whited sepulchres, which, indeed, appear beautiful outward, but are, within, full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness,"-I am at a loss to know what is? Has he ever considered, that his office of a teacher is either a trust from the Lord, or that he has assumed it without authority, in a presumptuous spirit? Never!-But all this, which seems so unaccountable, easily explains itself, when we come to his idea of religion. The perfection of religious education, in his opinion, seems to be the entering into a minute course of religious instruction; and this desirable object he gives up at once, owing to the great apprehension, under which this man of peace lives, lest he should "entrench upon disputed ground." Of a living spirit of religion, who is one and all, and in all, and before whose holy countenance "the disputed grounds” of religion will not stand, he knows nothing. With him, religion is a phylactery, which he engages to bind upon his boys, to make it broad, or narrow, as the fashion runs, and to cause it to be worn inside the garments, or outside, according as the father is, or is not," ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." Hence it is, that he rests satisfied, as with a full discharge of his duty, with the "non-omission of religious exercises," and the inculcation of "religious formularies." Would he submit to such interference with his instruction, in other branches; for instance, would he teach mathematics upon any formularies prescribed to him by the parents? Or is it in religion only, that he is so

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easy? The fact is, he is a cunning fox, who knows well that the height of inconsistency is the best way, in these days, to insure the credit of "a consistent character." He is willing to make himself all things to all men, that he may by all means get pupils.

There is another institution, of recent origin, which, as it has put itself, not under a bushel, but on a candlestickthough a candle not lighted--is not to be forgotten on the present occasion-I mean the London University. Here we have the example of an institution, raised, in common, by the believing and the unbelieving world, a bastard child of religious profession and infidelity, in which the fashionable notion of leaving religion out of the question, has been carried to the very pitch of perfection. In an institution which professes to impart, to young men, all the knowledge that is needful for them-(for what can the term University mean, but a place where all knowledge is to be had, outwardly at least ?)-no arrangement whatever is made for imparting to them any religious knowledge, nor even any knowledge connected with religion. It is true, religion is not persecuted in it,—that would be far below the enlightened spirit which presides over it;-nay, it is even tolerated, only it must, like the lepers among the Jews, "dwell without the camp." I am very far from recommending any official mode of enforcing religion, such, for instance, as the compulsory attendance on divinity lectures, and public worship, by which, in the Universities of the establishment, many a hypocrite is manufactured. I know that religion ceases to be what it is, when it is not embraced with freedom, and, therefore, I wish a young man, when arrived at years of discretion, to be left free, if he likes to withdraw himself from all religious instruction;-but then I would have him, at least, equally free to place himself under it, if he feels disposed to do so. Now, it is the want of that equal freedom, on both sides, which I complain of, in the London University, where a young man, though left free to be an infidel, if he choose, has not a fair oppor