strong impression made in early life of the identity of these doctrines with the Gospel of Christ? Convictions early imparted, not unfrequently resist evidence of a character the most satisfactory to an impartial mind; but men, from their earliest years, led to restrain inquiry on the subject of religion, led to believe that all the wisdom and all the truth and virtue belong to the sect of their fathers, deem it an act of impiety to listen to the arguments of other modes of faith, and are strengthened in this feeling of implicit reliance, by the fear which their spiritual guides inculcate, that the arch-enemy, who, through subtlety, beguiled the mother of mankind, might be permitted to entangle them in the mazes of sophistry, and lead them "into damnable heresies, even to deny the Lord that bought them."* Trinitarian Protestants, in their arguments with Roman Catholics, are led, for a time, to deny their principles, and appear in the character of the advocates of religious liberty. They tauntingly use the expressions, "implicit faith," "infallible church;" but where they have to encounter the Unitarian Christian, they put off this armour of light, and again assume the carnal weapons of bigotry and intolerance. They intrench themselves behind the fence of Creeds and Catechisms-they raise the cry of mystery-they denounce reason as carnal -they require the prostration of the understanding-they refer to the authority of forefathers-they make an appeal to numbers and, at last, have recourse to loud anathemas. Actuated by these feelings, the consequence of their system of religious education, many "swear and promise before God, that they will persevere in the doctrines of their Catechisms all their life long, and defend them with all their power." Thus, Protestants of the orthodox persuasion assume, in spirit, all the infallibility of the Romish Church, and give and require a faith as implicit. Such is the effect of the Catechisms and Creeds of Trinitarian Protestants. No more effectual plan can be devised for securing the complete subjugation of the human mind, for depriving rational beings of the liberty wherewith

* How constantly are these passages pressed into the service of bigotry and intolerance! and yet it must be well known to many, who sanction this violation, that heresy is never used in Scripture in the sense of opinion, and that instead of damnable heresies, we should read, destructive factions. Asσπorns, Lord, refers to the Father.-See Whitby's Last Thoughts.

Christ has made them free. From the pernicious effects of this system of religious education, some parents who have, by a concurrence of favourable circumstances, thrown off the yoke, have been led to the other extreme, of neglecting the early inculcation of religious principles. They have a natural dread of bigotry and intolerance, and think that the mind can be preserved from all bias, only by suffering it to follow its own suggestions, and receive its impressions indiscriminately. But, we have good reason to apprehend, that if religious principles are not sown in early life, the mind will, at a subsequent period, be too much engrossed by the necessary occupations and attractions of the world, to allow the all-important subject of religion to enter and diffuse its sanctifying influence over our dispositions and conduct. Men who boast of their

freedom from prejudice, should avoid the too common error of arguing from the abuse, against the use of a thing. The mind which receives no early impressions of religion, will probably become indifferent to its doctrines and duties, or tares of scepticism and libertinism may take root, and drain up all the sweet, refreshing, and exhilarating streams of spiritual life.

Greatly as we object to the ordinary system of religious education, followed by Trinitarian Protestants, and deeply as we deplore the bitter fruits of bigotry and intolerance which it produces, we cannot but deeply lament, that any parent should object to the religious instruction of his children, and we think that the objections would cease, if he only consulted some of the works which are published by anti-trinitarian Christians, to aid in the formation of the Christian character. Several little books are now in circulation, which, whilst they inculcate the general principles of religion, do not prescribe any peculiarity of opinion, usurp authority over conscience, or in the least degree interfere with the utmost freedom of thought, and liberality of sentiment. We know of no elementary work on religious instruction for children, better adapted to promote the interests of pure religion and virtue, of truth and candour, than the little book, the title of which stands at the head of our present article. Written by a lady, evidently accustomed to the most useful and interesting occupation of instruction, it contains the kind of information suited to the inquiring minds of children, and is written in a style not above the capacity of any who have

the benefit of a teacher. This manual of religious instruction, is divided into eight chapters, and the first portion of each contains, in a didactic form, the lesson on which the catechetical part is founded. Thus we think, that the pupil can scarcely avoid understanding and retaining the important principles, which it is the object of the work to inculcate. How many children who can repeat every word of their Catechism, and yet have scarcely any notion of its meaning!

The introductory chapter contains general remarks on the doctrines and duties of religion. The second chapter gives an interesting outline of the state of the world before Christ. From the great wickedness, ignorance, and superstition of the heathen nations, children will perceive the want of a divine revelation, to recover mankind from their degenerate state; and from the spiritual pride and bigotry of the Jews, they will learn the importance of guarding the mind against prejudice and intolerance. How many Christians imitate the narrow-minded prejudices of the Jews, and wish to circumscribe the sphere of divine benevolence within the narrow pale of their own sect! How many, appropriating to their own denomination the whole care and mercy of the Father of all mankind, are ready to exclaim, that, in their church alone, acceptable worship is offered-considering not that every sincere and pure mind is the most acceptable temple of God-considering not that "Jesus taught," to use the words of our author, " that the most acceptable sacrifice was subduing every worldly passion, checking every sinful desire, and submitting, with resignation, to God's holy will."

The mind being impressed with the necessity of a divinely-instructed messenger to reform the world, so deeply sunk in depths of superstition and vice, is in the following chapter led to meditate on the blessings of Christianity. "Of the importance of the event of the mission of Christ," it is remarked, "we may form some idea, when we consider how many Prophets were instructed to foretel it, how much the Jews expected from it, and how ardently it was desired, for centuries before it took place." After briefly considering the character of Christ, the obligations of gratitude and obedience to him, the writer adverts to the conduct of the Apostles, after the scales of prejudice had fallen from their eyes, and satisfies

the ardent curiosity of youth, respecting the fate of these extraordinary men, who counted not their lives dear unto them, in comparison with the interests of their religion.

Having stated the blessings of Christianity, and deeply impressed them on the mind, by the aid of a series of questions and answers, the duties of religion are explained and inculcated. One chapter is occupied by detailing the duties which we owe to God; the succeeding chapter relates to the duties to our neighbour; and then follow the duties which we owe to ourselves. The two remaining sections are devoted to the subject of prayer and selfexamination. Two forms of prayer are subjoined; and this useful manual concludes with a table of the miracles of Jesus. We hope that this work will become widely circulated, and render that service to religion and virtue, to truth and condour, which it is well calculated to afford. May it be the means of inducing some parents, who at present give their children a very desultory and imperfect kind of religious instruction, to train those, for whose spiritual and moral welfare they are in a great measure responsible, regularly and systematically, in the principles of Christianity.

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The Question, "What is Unitarianism?" Answered.By J. R. Beard. Hunter, London.

AND the question is answered-clearly, fully, and powerfully. The author first explains what Christian Unitarianism is not-and then delineates it, as it is, in all its simplicity and beauty, its Scriptural truth, its moral loveliness. This discourse must be of great service, in the removal of prejudice, and the abatement of bigotry. Widely should it be circulated. It has been inserted in the list of the Scottish Unitarian Christian Association, and all our Associations should aid its dissemination. The Sermon was preached, in a course of Evening Services by various Ministers, at Blackwater-St. Chapel, Rochdale. A few days subsequent to its delivery, a pamphlet, entitled, "What Unitarianism is not," was published in that town, in which a garbled representation of this sermon was given. It was then deemed right to correct misrepresentation, and at the same time to diffuse truth, by publishing the discourse. And we rejoice in the decision. It presents another instance of the good service which the

advocates of popular opinions, have unwittingly afforded. to principles they denounce as perversions of Scripture and ruinous to souls. Let the friends and believers of those abused principles, only do their duty, and the result will be still more beneficial.

Illustrations of Political Economy, No. 1. Life in the Wilds: A Tale.-By Harriet Martineau; p. 144. C. Fox, London.

MAN is, without doubt, a rational and thinking being; but it is not a little striking, as well as lamentable, to observe the perverse ingenuity with which, since the days of Nimrod, he has shrunk from the application of his reason, or rational power, to those more important purposes for which it was obviously intended. If this be true of man, as an individual, or independent agent, it is still more true of him in his social capacity, as a member of the community. In the latter capacity, indeed, there have been scarcely any bounds to his deliberate reluctance to avail himself of that quality of his nature, a free and unconstrained use of which would have conducted him to all the happiness of which that nature was capable. In the pursuit of that which lay within and around him, in matchless profusion and force of colouring, the knowledge of his Creator, and the nature and character of his relation to this Great Being-how severely has he abstained from applying to those simple and unfailing sources of truth, thus opened upon every side, and disdaining the exercise of his reason, listened only to the unprofitable promptings of a heated imagination-till, a trembling and subdued slave, subdued by his own enchantments, he mistook the altars of an unreasoning superstition, for the true worship of the Father of truth and reason. And thus again, in his intercourse and relations with his fellows, the same melancholy abdication of his reason is no less conspicuous. Alternately a tyrant or a slave, he has exercised his boundless ingenuity, and taxed the powers of his inventive mind, to increase the amount of social happiness to the few, and not to the many. Instead of basing the broad system of his social relations, upon the natural principle, of the greatest happiness of the greatest number, its narrow foundations have supported no more valuable a structure than the ruinous proposition, that the greatest good of the