"wrote his Discourse on the Validity of English "Ordinations. A curious history of the contro

versy to which that treatise gave rise, is contained "in Commentatio Historico-Theologica de Con“secratione Anglorum Episcoporum, ab Olao Kiorningio, 4to. Helmstadii, 1739.

"That such men as Melancthon, Grotius, Bos"suet, Leibniz and Molanus, should engage in the "project of reunion, is a strong argument in favour "of its practicability; that it failed in their hands,

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may show that it is more than an Herculean "labour; but it does not prove it utterly imprac"ticable. It is evident, that, at one time more than "another, the public mind may be disposed to peaceful councils, and to feel the advantage of "carrying mutual concession, as far as the wise and "good of each party wish them carried. Perhaps "the time is now come:

"The soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed,

"Lets in new lights through chinks which time has made."

WALLER.

"Through the flaws and breaches, the yawning "chasms, (as they are termed by Mr. Burke), which "the events of the times have made in the civil and "ecclesiastical institutions of almost every country, "a flood of light seems to break in, and to point out "to all who invoke the name of Christ, the expedience "of mutual forbearance, mutual good-humour, and "a general coalition in defence of their common "christianity*.

* An able history of the attempts, which have been made at different times for the reunion of christians, is given in a

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"It is observable that early in the present century, "the emperor Napoleon conceived the project of effecting the reunion of all christians on the con"tinent of Europe: he is said to have particularly "had in view the catholicizing, as it was termed, of "the northern part of Germany. To forward his

design, many works were published: one of them, "the Essay sur l'Unité des Cultes of M. Bonald, is "written with great ingenuity. That essay, and "several others by the same author, are inserted in "the Ambigu of Peltier, and deserve the attention "of every reader: though they contain some things, "to which a roman-catholic writer would object, they " are evidently written by a roman-catholic pen.

"The first point to be considered by those, who "meditate the project of reunion, is its practicability; "-those who are disposed to assert it, will observe "the number of important articles of religious faith, "in which all christians are agreed, and the proportionally small number of those in which any "christians disagree.

"All christians believe that, 1. There is one "God; 2. That he is a being of infinite perfection; "3. That he directs all things by his providence ; "4. That it is our duty to love him with all our

learned and interesting work, intituled "De la Réunion des "Communions Chrétiennes, ou Histoire des Négotiations, Con"ferences, et Correspondences, qui ont eu lieu, des Projets et "des Plans qui ont été formées à çe Sujet, depuis la Naissance "du Protestanisme jusqu'à présent. Par M. Tabaraud, Prêtre "de la ci-devant Congrégation de l'Oratoire. Paris, 1808, 1 vol. " 8vo."

"hearts, and our neighbours as ourselves; 5. That "it is our duty to repent of the sins we commit; "6. That God pardons the truly penitent; 7. That "there is a future state of rewards and punishments, "when all mankind shall be judged according to "their works; 8. That God sent his Son into the “world to be its saviour, the author of eternal salva"tion to all who obey him; 9. That he is the true "Messiah; 10. That he taught, worked miracles, "suffered, died, and rose again, as is related in the "four gospels; 11. That he will hereafter make a "second appearance on the earth, raise all mankind "from the dead, judge the world in righteousness, "bestow eternal life on the virtuous, and punish the workers of iniquity.

"In the belief of these articles, all christians,"roman-catholics, lutherans, calvinists, quakers, "anabaptists and socinians, are agreed. In addition

to these, each division and subdivision of chris"tians has its own tenets. Now, let each settle 66 among its own members, what are the articles of "belief peculiar to them, which, in their cool deli“berate judgment, they consider as absolutely ne"cessary that a person should believe, to be a mem"ber of the church of Christ:-let these articles be "divested of all foreign matter, and expressed in "perspicuous, exact and unequivocal terms ;—and, "above all, let each distinction of christians ear

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nestly wish to find an agreement between them"selves and their fellow christians :-the result of “a discussion, conducted on this plan, would most "assuredly be, to convince all christians that the

"essential articles of religious credence, in which "there is a real difference among christians, are not "so numerous as the verbal disputes and extraneous "matter (in which the controversy is too often involved) make them generally thought.

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"Still, some articles will remain, the belief of "which one denomination of christians will consider "to be the obligation of every christian, and which "other christian denominations will condemn. On "some of those, a speedy reunion of christians is "not to be expected: but, to use the language of "Mr. Vansittart, in his excellent letter to the bishop of Landaff, and John Croker, esq.-There " is an inferior degree of reunion, more within our prospect, and yet, perhaps, as perfect as human infirmity allows us to hope for; wherein, though "all differences of opinions should not be extinguished, yet they may be refined from all party "prejudices, and interested views, so softened by "the spirit of charity and mutual concession, and "so controlled by agreement on the leading principles and zeal for the general interests of chris

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tianity, that no sect or persuasion should be tempted "to make religion subservient to secular views, or "to employ political power to the prejudice of others. "The existence of dissent will, perhaps, be inseparable from religious freedom, so long as the "mind of man is liable to error: but, it is not un"reasonable to hope, that hostility may cease, though perfect agreement cannot be established.-IF WE

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CANNOT RECONCILE ALL OPINIONS, LET US RE66 CONCILE ALL HEARTS.'"

XXI.

AN APPEAL TO THE PROTESTANTS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

THIS was published in 1813, when the petitions of the English and Irish catholics for the repeal of the penal laws remaining in force against them, were presented to the legislature. It contains a succinct mention of the unrepealed laws, and a summary view of their severe operation on the catholics,—and points out their impolicy, the groundlessness of the arguments, by which they are usually defended, and the motives of humanity, justice, and policy, which suggest their repeal. Several thousands of this Appeal were sold or circulated. It gave universal satisfaction to catholics, and did not offend protestants. A tolerable crop of answers to it appeared, but none obtained much public attention. The ablest was published by a society of gentlemen, who styled themselves, The Protestant Association: the late worthy and learned Mr. Granville Sharpe was their president it expressed some of the prejudices of the sixteenth and seventeeth centuries, but was written with temper and moderation.