the contending parties in the scales of justice, to ascertain their relative guilt, and measure out à retribution—a work which belongs to God and the judgment of the great day.

the fundamental maxim of the civil fathers of this State, that the preaching of the gospel was, in a civil point of view, a great blessing to the community, for the support of which, all, But the effects of this unhappy con- being equal partakers of its civil bene troversy have been such, upon this once fits, should equally contribute accordpeaceful State, that the combatants, oning to their several ability. This law, both sides, have occasion to sit down while the inhabitants of the State were and weep together over the desola-all of one way, was entirely efficacious, tions which the conflict has occasioned. and secured to the people of the State, For it has been keen and dreadful, and, at least, four times the amount of relilike the varying conflict of battle, hasgious instruction which has ever been marred and trodden down, whatever known to be the result of merely volunhas stood within the range of its com-tary associations for the support of the motion. On every field over which it gospel.* swept, abiding traces are left of its dea*It has been said that the gospel will sup. olating career. Families divided, neigh-port itself, and that civil laws have nothing to bors and friends imbittered, ministers do with the support of the gospel. If it be and people alienated, churches divided, meant that the gospel will exist in the world, and the numbers of seceding denomi- necticut, it is true; but if the meaning be that though we should neglect to support it in Connations inultiplied, with all those bitterGod will continue to us a faithful ministry, and feelings which contention, and stripes, and wounds are calculated to inspire.At the present moment there is, scarely, the gospel in the world, no more ensures its an ecclesiastical society in the State, continuance where the proper means are neg which has not experienced a diminution lected, than the certain continuance of seed of its numbers; or a seceding denomin-time and harvest in the world, prove that the ation, which has not been established or and sow and still expect an abundant harvest. people of Connecticut may neglect to plough augmented by these political conten- And with respect to the manner in which retions, as a cause without which, such ||ligious instruction shall be provided, no plan things had never been. To the prece-has ever yet been adopted so effectual as legisding causes must be added, if we speak the whole truth, the direct enterprise of religious denominations, to augment

their numbers.

bestow his blessing upon it, though we should withhold the means for its competent support, it is not true. The certain continuance of

lative provisions, which shut out individual discretion, and require every man to pay for the support of the gospel according to his property. The experiment has been fairly made on our right hand and on our left, of what may be expected from voluntary associations and contributions for the support of divine institu

tions;

and the result is, that at least four times more religious instruction is secured by legal provision, than has ever been provided to any considerable extent by voluntary discretion.Even in this State, since the evasion of the law has become practicable and common, the amount of religious instruction provided by

Feeling as all minorities ever have felt, and impatient to exchange the inconveniences of weakness, for the advantages unavoidably attached to num bers, and confident, as all denominations are, of being exactly right, a deceitful heart might easily mistake the combined impulse of proselyting zeal, and rest-themselves by that portion of our population, less ambition, for unmingled zeal for the Lord of hosts, and might verily think that many things ought to be done to pull down the standing order; which things, also, as the eircumstances of the times have favored, have been done.

The operation of all these causes has been greatly facilitated, by the change made in the law for the support of the gospel, to accommodate it to the changes in religious opinion which had gradually taken place in the State. It was

W

who have reserved to their own discretion what they will give, has dwindled in nearly the same proportion. One Sabbath in three, is probably about the medium amount of religious instruction, which they think fit to provide for themselves or their families; or, to use their own language, which the gospel 'proface of a general, contrary example, and in vides for itself. This too is falling off in the spite of antecedent education and habit. What then is to be expected from the next generation, and what is to be the destiny of this state and its institutions, should an increasing portion of our population grow up in such comparative ignorance? If any portion of the in

But the multiplication of other deno- tious dissenters from supporting a worminations demanded, at length, a mod-ship they did not approve, which the ification which should permit every man law intended; and to liberate a much to worship God according to the dic greater number, without conscience, tates of his conscience, and compel him from paying for the support of the gosto pay only for the support of the gospel any where, and progressively to pel in his own way. The practical ef- diminish the amount of religious infect has been, to liberate all conscien-struction, and moral influence in the State; a thing which the law did not struction, which God has provided for men, intend. While it accommodates the is important, the whole is proportionably more important. If one Sabbath in three is impor- conscientious feelings of ten, it accomtant, each of the other two is equally impor-modates the angry, revengeful, avaritant; if a total loss of Sabbaths would be a cious, and irreligious feelings of fifty; calamity, the loss of two out of three is a ca- and threatens by a silent, constant opelamity of equal relative amount; if two Sab-] baths instruction lost is of no consequence, eration, to undermine the deep-laid founthe one Sabbath enjoyed is of no consequence, dations of our civil and religious order. and the Sabbath itself is good for nothing So The vital principle of our system, far as religious instruction on the Sabbath is that every man shall pay according to the cause of religious knowledge and of moral his property, somewhere, for the suphabits, nothing can be anticipated but the increase of ignorance, and irreligion, & immoral-port of religious instruction, as a public ity, in proportion to the decline of the means civil benefit, and for the preservation of instruction and restraint. Nor is this all, of morals, and good order, in the state, the families, who have worship to attend only is gone. Every man, who chooses to bath as punctually as those will attend stated- do it, withdraws, now, by a little manly, who have weekly instruction. Two Sab-agement, his whole tax from the supbaths of indolence and vagrancy of thought port of the gospel; and the result is and conduct will more than dissipate the instruction, and efface the impression of the lamentably manifest in the multiplicathird.-No community and no family can hold tion of feeble societies & waste places. their own, against the current of depravity and the power of temptation, by 1 Sabbath in 3.

one Sabbath in three, will not attend that Sab

the garden of Eden before the flame, becomes a desolate wilderness behind it.

It has taught also the malicious and the irreligious the art of breaking down If these views are correct, it is deplorable to societies, and multiplying, by design, witness with what thoughtlessness and disreour desolations. It is only to collect gard of consequences, men will cut themselves off and cut off their families, and, by conse- the firebrands in each society, or to quence, successive generations of posterity, kindle up a flame which shall make from at least two thirds the amount of that re- them, and the society, which was as ligious instruction and restraint which God has provided to bless them in time, & to qualify them for heaven. All this would be to be lamented if the remaining portion of instrucThe last cause which I shall mention tion was as good matter and manner as the is the remedy which has, too often, whole, which they have abandoned. But how been applied, to rescue declining conlittle is thought of truth and its importance in the feverish haste of revenge or the narrowness gregations and raise waste places. The of avaricious savings. Oh! 'tis enough to usual result has been, the settlement of make angels weep, to see whole families of a minister, upon an incompetent salary, precious, immortal children, unconscious of their doom, cut off at once by this rash act of a father from the hearing of the truth, to famish by hearing nothing, or be poisoned by hearing error. Oh! how will such rash deeds appear in the day of judgment, when the wretched father, undone by his folly, shall find himself surrounded by his ruined family, undone by his anger, or destroyed by his parsimony! How must their agony torture him, and their cries harrow up his soul! What imprecations from a long line of descendants, ruined by his folly, will assail his ears-And what anguish wring his heart while he goes away with them into everlasting punishment, where their worm dieth not and their fire is not quenched!

with the expectation that he will support himself, in part, by his own exertions. The result has usually been, what might have been anticipated, the habit of wordly care and exertion, which necessity began, becomes sometimes, a confirmed habit of worldliness, to which the ministry becomes entirely a secondary consideration. Gain is substituted for godliness, and preaching the gospel becomes a convenient auxiliary in the system of accumulating money. The man has become a thriving farmer, an

little salary; and he, by the most strenuous exertions, cannot do without it. Of course a council is called, and the pastoral relation is dissolved. The pastor, with a large family, in the decline of life goes an exile to the wilderness, or settles in some other declining church, to repeat the same experiment, and, unless death prevent, to witness the same result.

able school-master, a sagacious specu-ever, has been exhibited by a stranger, lator, but has long since ceased to be a who has stolen away their hearts, by an faithful minister of Jesus Christ. irretrievable delusion. And now his litHis thoughts, his heart, his time, are tle salary presses hard upon the dimin devoted to secular pursuits, while, with ished number of his people, is poorly his lips only, he deals out one day in se-paid, and operates as a constant temptaven, cold commendations of that reli- tion to increased defection. Alarmed at gion, whose interests he betrays. But their danger,his people complain that he the more common effect is, that his does not visit them,& take pains to hold ministry embarrasses his worldly enter the congregation together; and he, in prise, and his worldly enterprise, his returr, complains that they have not enministry so much, that both become abled him to do it, by providing for him, comparatively unfruitful. He cannot competent support, or even by the puncpursue his worldly business to the best tual payment of the pittance stipulated, advantage, because he is a minister, Complaint begets complaint, and crimiand he cannot pursue the work of the nation begets crimination, until at length ministry to advantage, because he is the crisis arrives;-his people, weakena farmer; the combined result is, aed by defections, can no longer raise his bare support, with a double tax of care, few books, and no leisure to read them, little time for study and that of little value, from the impossibility of putting in requisition, at a moment's warning, the resources of a mind vexed with ceaseless care, and long since, a stranger to habits of study. He laments his situation, longs to devote himself to his work, hopes for better days, while every year brings new conviction, that they The Society, which by a trifling adwill never come. In this unequal strug-ditional effort, might have commanded gle his days of improvement pass away, the whole time of their pastor, and behis mind undisciplined, his heart cold come yearly stronger, have by their inand formal, his sermons unpopular judicious parsimony, frittered away abroad, and irksome at home. He neg- their strength and brought themselves lects to visit his people, for he has no to desolation-have dug their own time; he neglects district and meet-grave, and lie down in it to awake no ings for prayer; and the main spring more. One half the time of a minister, being removed, all the movements who devotes his whole time to his apwhich are the life of religion, stop. In propriate work, would be more effica proportion, also, as he does less for his cious to build up a declining society, people, he loves them less, and their af- than all the scraps of time, which any fection for him declines in the same de man compelled to support himself in gree;-and now sectarians, with flampart, can possibly rescue from the toils ing zeal, break in upon his charge, and and cares of worldly avocations. The preach and pray and visit, and do just|| success of a minister depends much, those things to alienate his charge, under God, upon the state of his mind which ought to have been done to at- and his heart-a mind disciplined by tach them to himself, and to one anoth-study, and a heart warmed by action in er. Alarmed at this furious onset, he his blessed work: a state of mind and hurls from the pulpit, unavailing invec-heart which cannot be preserved amid tives against the foe, and makes some the distractions of cares, and the din of feeble exertions, to prevent, by action, business, and which cannot be coma defection, which hard names will on-manded for immediate use, the moment ly extend. But it is all too late; the he sits down in his study, or steps from kind attention, by which he might once the world into his pulpit. have bound his people to himself for

It would be far better, that two feeble

From these wastes also sally forth the infidel, seeking whom he may de

Unless these desolations are built side, cach waste, like Babel, will send sue their new will become more desolate. out yearly, its host of emigrants, of and near me heart of man is desperately wick- || many tongues;-strangers to the fear and freed from the restraints of re- of the Lord, and furious in their oppoecos instruction, will go on indefisition to our civil and religious order, y from bad to worse. Where the and prepared to exert, always, a pernímaints of religion cease to operate,cious, and sometimes, as circumstances westraint of law will also be speedily favour, a fatal influence upon the town own, for the plain reason that, in or society in which they reside. communities, there will be none xecute the laws. The result will be nperance, profane swearing, gam-vour;-the universalist, to quiet proflig, idleness, poverty, hatred, vari- gates in sin, and multiply their number; strife, disease and woe. the political empiric, to augment his Tere these temporal calamities the party ;-and the sectarian of every of miseries of such desolations, their name, to proselyte, until a broad cirm upon our christian sympathy cumference around shall become as diAld not be small. But these are on-vided, and weak, and dissolute, as Bahe beginnings of sorrow. The bon-bel itself. Evil communications core of corruption, commencing here, rupt good manners. Their word eatextend through eternity. The caeth as doth a canker, A conflagration of iniquity, here begun, will hold on the borders of a city is not more to its unobstructed course and never be dreaded, than a society, bereft of the There is no bottom to the pit in gospel, emancipated from the fear of ich these wastes have begun to sink the Lord, and self-destroyed, is to be limit to the woes which are before feared by neighbouring societies.--m, and little hope that they will ev-Facts, lamentable facts, may be found escape. The aged die with the in this State, to justify these apprehenasure of their iniquity full, and chil- sions. There are, this moment, in this en are born to fill up the measure of State, waste places, which exert preir fathers, until wrath, to the utter-cisely the kind of influence, which we ost, come upon them. No revivals have ascribed to them. proach to burst the bands of wicked- 4. If the wastes among us are not ss and proclaim liberty to the cap-built, tey will undermine, ultimately, No day of hope dawns, no ray the civil and religious order of the State. light breaks in. There is no rain, nei er any dew upon them from heaven, d no breath of the Lord visits the ones, which are dry, very dry. Brethen, is there no help? Among all the hurches in this State, dwelling at ease, there no eye to pity, no arm to save? 3. If these waste places are not built hey will exert a powerful influence to create other wastes and extend the scene of desolation.

e.

Our past unity and strength, in a civil point of view, has been owing to the very extended, and happy coincidence of religious views and feelings in the State. Destroy this coincidence, and you disseminate the causes of jealousy and alienation, and multiply the difficulties of legislation. It was the conflict of religious competition that brought Charles to the block, and broke down, for a time, the strong government of England. And let the wastes, in this State, multiply till one third of the free

The inhabitants of neighbouring towns exert no inconsiderable influence upon each other. The good encour- men shall care for no religion, a third age the good, and the bad countenance attach themselves to various, seceding and strengthen the bad. By means of denominations, and a remnant, only, intercourse, their opinions, views, and walk in the old way, and the unity of feelings are interchanged, the moral at- our councils and the vigor of our gov mosphere of each is breathed by the ernment would be gone. The business other, to an extent, which will sensibly of legislation would become a scene affect the moral system of both. Be-of intrigue and competition of religious