dismiss the schoolmaster: a system, unjust in its robbery of vested rights, must be impolitic, must be wrong. Employers are, the masters whom nature has appointed; and no government can thus, without mischief, reverse the order of society.

We are of that old fashioned school who maintain, that Governments may and should patronize and support true religion, and religious education, and neither must nor should patronize and support a false and unscriptural system. Moreover we do maintain, that when Governments, upon any pretence whatsoever, patronize or establish an unscriptural system, those Governments become partners in the sin, and will be made, if they repent not," partakers of the plague," which God will pour out upon every system of error and sin. Still farther do we assert our conviction, that the people who stupidly or negligently acquiesce in the sins of the Government will, at the bar of providence and judgment, stand chargeable with the guilt. We therefore call upon the people, by respectful, honest, and bold petition, so to express their opinions, that should the Parliament proceed to establish Popery, and re-marry the nation to the long divorced errors and plagues of Rome, the people may stand unconnected with the guilt of the deed.

Let then the Protestants generally, let the Presbyterians particularly, if they be not already determined to yield to Popery every inch of ground that the reformation. gained by her confessors and martyrs-let them, one and all, come forward in simultaneous petition, refuse to be partakers in the sin of the contemplated system; and, if Parliament be so deluded as to establish Popery, let them be compelled to do it, upon their own accountability to God, and against the declared will of all the Protestant people.

And now, perhaps, our readers may say—what would you have us to do? We will give them our opinion, and let them follow it or reject it as they see cause.

1. Let the Protestants, especially the Orthodox Presbyterians-of whom, for the present, we are the humble advisers-open their eyes to the design of certain of those who would establish Popery by Act of Parliament. We know, or we think we know, the author of the report, and the patron of the bill, and both are Protestants. The lat ter affirms he is a good Protestant. We will not deny, we

will not question, we will not even suspect their sincerity; but the Protestantism of that man we utterly deny, who can labour, by the assurance of certificate, to saddle the succeeding generations of our countrymen with the into.. lerable incubus of Popery.

2. Let the people who are subscribers to newspapers, call on the editors to publish the Report and Bill. The matter will then be subjected to public scrutiny; if we be in error, our error will be corrected; if we be right, as we believe we are, we shall have had the merit of warning and awakening the Protestant public to a sense of their danger.

3. Let the Moderator of the Synod of Ulster watch the farther progress of this most despotic Bill; and the moment that, in Parliament, it shows its unhallowed head, let him openly and boldly petition against it-stating the total impossibility of his compliance with its proposed enactments, and exposing the injustice of that neglect with which it treats the other Presbyterian bodies. 4. Let the Protestant people again tell the Parliament, that the Kildare-Place Society possessed their fullest confidence, that any system that expurgates a part, or rejects the whole of the Bible, as a book of education, they never can receive; that any system, that directly or indirectly, goes to give to Popery the sanction of Protestant state, they utterly reject; and let them pray for a system under Government patronage, that will take for its principle "the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible."

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5. Should the Parliament refuse to accede to these prayers, let the Protestant people come boldly forward with another demand, which is as follows--but we will give it in a story. A famous prime minister of France, anxious for the advancement of commerce, sent for one of the chief merchants of Paris; stated his wishes; and concluded with saying-"Now, sir, what can we do for you?" Let us alone, was the reply. So if Parliament will not establish purely scriptural schools, let them give us no schools. Let them withdraw their patronage rather than load us with Popery. Let them leave us to providence and our own exertions. For the children of the rich there are means sufficient, and for the children of the poor there is an abundant resource in the ample treasury of Protestant benevolence.

We have now done our part in showing to the Presbyterian people the danger in which they are likely to be involved, by the sinful truckling of these times to the cunning and domination of Rome; and we deem it no unapt occasion for suggesting the importance of having an accredited Agent in London, to consult with our parliamentary friends; to transmit to us notices of any proceedings of Parliament affecting our privileges; and generally to watch over the entire Presbyterian interests. The neglect with which our Moderator has been treated, in not having had transmitted to him copies of the Report or Bill, abundantly demonstrates our need of an Agent at the seat of Government. Still more apparent will be the need, when we consider the important notices of motion that lie over for the next session. Through a friend we are enabled to point to the following motions, in all of which, indirectly, and in most of which, directly, the Presbyterian privileges and interests are deeply involved :

1. Mr. Dominick Browne, (Mayo.) Bill to give facility to the peaceable succession of the clergy and dissenting congregations in Ireland, to places of worship and mensal

tenements.

2. Mr. J. E. Gordon, (Dundalk.) Motion on the condition of the Protestants of Ireland.

3. Mr. Ruthven, (Downpatrick.) Bill for the amendment of the law relating to Roman Catholic marriages in Ireland.

4. Mr. Ruthven, (Downpatrick.) Bill for the effectual registration of all marriages, baptisms, and burials in Ireland.

5. Sir Robert Bateson, (Londonderry.) Motion for the endowment of new Presbyterian congregations, &c.

These are all matters of deep importance to the members of the Presbyterian body. They may affect the most important of their ancient and dear bought privileges. And there is one of the Honorable Gentlemen-(those who know him will understand whom we mean, those who know him not will not care who he is)-of whom the Orthodox Presbyterians have great need to beware; for the manner in which he is reported to have spoken of them in the House of Commons, proves that he is ignorant of their proceedings, and unfriendly to their principles. We have had, and we will have our eye upon his proceedings; and we call upon the Presbyterian people to join us in

that vigilance, which may strengthen their friends and intimidate and disappoint their enemies.

We are the more anxious upon the subject of a parlia mentary Agent, because we think, at the present moment, we know an individual fully qualified for the office. Son to a respected member of the General Synod, resident on the spot; of literary habits; of good address; a zealous Presbyterian; of a noble, ardent, and disinterested spirita man who, though young in years, has made friends by his conduct, and would be able, in more ways than might be imagined, to obtain information, and render us service. The crisis-for a crisis it is-demands vigilance, activity, zeal, courage, and co-operation. We have done what we can to stir them into action; and we will lend our best energies to promote their success.

THE THEOLOGIAN.

No. I.

THE PRINCIPLE OF LOVE VIEWED AS A PRINCIPLE OF UNION, ACTIVITY, AND HAPPINESS.

IN the arrangements of infinite wisdom and goodness, love is the great bond of connexion by which God at once binds all good beings to himself, and unites them to each other. It is so with holy angels. It was so wtih man, as he came forth from the hands of his Maker. That bond of connexion, sin has ruptured: separation and hostility have ensued in place of that love which would have so happily bound human creatures to the throne of heaven, and in harmony with each other, enmity and warfare have been kindled, and men are exhibited to the astonished view of the righteous universe in a state of conflict with their God, and of conflict among themselves.

Behold here the source of all our misery! We are unhappy-just because we are opposed to God; and the evils and sufferings of which we so bitterly complain, are his standing declaration and testimony to us, that our misery is the result of our rebellion, and that in order to be happy, we must return and be reconciled to him.

Alienated from God, men must of necessity be alienated from each other. Did all love him perfeclty, they

would have one tie, one common interest, one governing principle, and, instead of regarding one another with the distrust and aversion which arise from conflicting claims and conflicting interests, they would be associated together in one great community of friendship and peace. But the principle of love which binds the soul to God being broken, evil principles usurp its place; selfishness, pride, ambition, covetousness, envy, malice, and revenge, rule in the hearts of men, and hence the wars and fightings which prevail. Hence the contention and strife which destroy the peace of families, which split society into hostile factions, and spread war and devastation throughout the nations. What a pregnant source of misery is here! What sighs and sufferings, what groans, and tears and blood have flowed from it in every corner of the earth, and in every age of the world!

In consequence of the alienation of the affections from God, the human heart becomes the scene of internal con.. flict and commotion. The little world within exhibits a miniature of the turbulence that reigns without. The appetites and passions rebel against reason and conscience which do not abandon the government with which they have been invested without a long-contested struggle, and appetites and passions of one description come into competition with the indulgence of appetites and passions of another. Thus the heart having broken away from the centre of its rest, becomes the prey of conflicting winds of appetite and temptation. The Lord, we are told, looked unto the host of the Egyptians, through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians; and there are seasons when the Lord looks in upon the soul however estranged from him, and it trembles with apprehension and dismay. Conscience does its office; and the sinner feels, in the self-condemnation of his own breast, the testimony and terror of judgment to come.

As the whole of our misery has its origin in our rebellion against God, the short and simple rule of our happiness is in these words: "Be ye reconciled to God." That man be reinstated in the goodness and happiness from which he fell, it is clear that enmity must be exterminated from his heart, and the original reign of love restored. To ac complish this great end, the religion of Christ is wisely; designed and well adapted. Poets and philosophers have dreamed of the perfectability of human nature.

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