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ON THE GENERAL DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE. 



trivial controversies are quashed, the time and 

 attention they absorbed would be devoted to more 

 sublime and important investigations. It would 

 have a powerful influence on the propagation of 

 Christianity throughout the heathen world ; for 

 the whole Christian world would then become 

 one grand Missionary Society, whose operations 

 would be conducted with rnqre efficiency and 

 skil 1 , whose funds would be much more ample, 

 and whose Missionaries would be better educat 

 ed than they now are and those sectarian differ 

 ences of opinion, which now produce so many 

 unhappy dissensions, for ever prevented from 

 disturbing the harmony of converts in distant 

 lands. It would cherish the principle of Chris 

 tian love, detach it from every unholy jealousy, 

 and render it more ardent and expansive in its 

 philanthropic operations. It would produce a 

 powerful and beneficial influence upon the men 

 of the world, and even upon infidels themselves; 

 it would snatch from them one of their most pow 

 erful arguments against the religion of the Bible, 

 and would allure them to the investigation of its 

 evidences, by the exhibition it gave of its harmo 

 nious and happy effects. It would have an influ 

 ence on the minds of the Roman Catholics, in 

 leading them to an unbiassed inquiry into the 

 grounds on which the Protestant church is esta 

 blished. At present, when called upon to ex 

 amine the doctrines of Protestantism, they retort 

 Upon us &quot; You are divided into a hundred dif 

 ferent sectaries, and are at variance among 

 yourselves ; show us which of these sects is in 

 possession of the truth, and we will then examine 

 your pretensions, and perhaps come over to your 

 standard.&quot; It would have an influence on the 

 Jewish people, in removing their prejudices 

 against the religion of Jesus of Nazareth, espe 

 cially, were it followed, as it likely would be, 

 with a repeal of all those statutes which have 

 imposed upon them disabilities, deprived them 

 of the rights of citizenship, and subjected them to 

 unchristian severities. In short in connexion 

 with the general manifestation of Christian prin 

 ciple it would produce a benign influence on 

 surrounding nations, and on the world .at large. 

 For a bodv of Christians, in such a country as 

 ours, formed into one grand association, and act 

 ing in harmony, must exert a powerful influence 

 on the councils of the nation ; and our political 

 intercourses with other states, being conducted 

 on the basis of Christian principles and laws, 

 would invite their attention to a religion pro 

 ductive of so much harmony and so many bene 

 ficial effects. Peace and unity in the church 

 would have a tendency to promote peace and 

 friendship among nations ; the cause of univer 

 sal education would be promoted, without those 

 obstructions which now arise from sectarian pre 

 judices; ana a general diffusion of useful know 

 ledge would soon be effected throughout every 

 quarter of the civilized world, till the knowledge 



of Jehovah should cover the earth as the water* 

 cover the channels of the seas. 



The disunion of the Christian church is not to 

 be perpetual. We are t ertain, that a period is 

 hastening on, when its divisions shall be healed, 

 when its boundaries shall be enlarged, and when 

 &quot; the name of Jehnvah shall be one throughout all 

 the earth.&quot; At some period or other, therefore, 

 in the lapse of time, a movement towards such a 

 union must commence. It cannot take place be 

 fore the attention of the religious world is direct 

 ed to this object. And why should not such a 

 movement commence at the present moment? 

 Why should we lose another year, or even ano 

 ther month, before we attempt to concert mea 

 sures, in order to bring about a consummation so 

 devoutly to be wished? The presen eventful 

 period is peculiarly auspicious for this purpose ; 

 when the foundations of tyranny, injustice, and 

 error are beginning to be shaken ; when know 

 ledge is making progress among every order of 

 society ; when reforms in the state, and in every 

 subordinate department of the community, are 

 loudly demanded by persons of every character 

 and of every rank ; when the evils attached to 

 our ecclesiastical institutions are publicly de 

 nounced ; when the scriptures are translating 

 into the languages of every tribe ; and when mis 

 sionary enterprises are carrying forward in every 

 quarter of the habitable globe. To attempt a 

 union of all true Christians, at the present crisis, 

 would, therefore, be nothing more than falling in 

 with the spirit of the age, and acting in harmony 

 with those* multifarious movements, which are 

 destined to be the means of enlightening and 

 renovating the human race ; and at no period 

 since the Reformation could such an attempt 

 have been made with more sanguine expecta 

 tions, and greater prospects of success. All eyes 

 are now turned towards some eventful and aus 

 picious era, when the light of science shall shine 

 refulgent, when abuses shall be corrected, evils 

 remedied, society meliorated, and its various 

 ranks brought into more harmonious association. 

 And shall Christians alone remain shut up in 

 their little homesteads, apart from each other, 

 stickling about phrases, and contending about 

 forms, without ever coming forth to salute each 

 other in the spirit of union, and to give an im 

 pulse to the moral machinery that is hastening 

 forward the world s improvement and regenera 

 tion? Such a surmise cannot be indulged: it 

 would be a libel on the Christian world, arid a 

 reproach on the religion of which they profess 

 themselves the votaries. I trust there are thou 

 sands in every department of the church, who 

 are ardently longing to break down the walls of 

 partition, which separate them from their bre 

 thren, and anxiously waiting for an opportunity 

 of expressing their sentiments, and of giving the 

 right hand of fellowship &quot; to all who lova ow 

 Lord Jesus in sincerity.&quot; 



