Now, in the dark night of apostacy, which overspread christendom, the priesthood gained great power over the consciences of the people: they sat in the place of God, above all that is called God or worshipped. They assumed the power and prerogative of pardoning sins, and granting indulgences to sin; which was contrary to the nature and power of the christian dispensation. Thus they imposed heavy burthens on the properties and consciences of the people. They made a purgatory and undertook to deliver souls from purgatory for money, the love of which is the root of all evil.

Is there any religion in such things as these? Can any man rationally believe religion can consist in such notions as these? No: but it is the result of tradition, education, and credulity. Men may attempt to believe it, but never can believe it, except they have the minds of children; for if we believe this, it is without evidence. It is a faith, but it is not a saving operative faith; it is not powerful in itself; it is not that faith which works by love, and which is saving in its effects.

But when the reformation came, so great was the love of money, and so deeply rooted were the priesthood, that it has never been expelled from any of these reformed systems; and even at the present day are not teachers preaching

for hire and divining for money? And even in this boasted land of liberty, they are ready to declare war against all who do not put into their mouths. I have said it, and I am not afraid to say it again, that I have never seen an account of any nation where the inhabitants were in more absolute ecclesiastical bondage than in this boasted land of liberty. They appoint teachers, believe their declarations, and under the influence of these false opinions they indulge a spurious and interested ministry, a ministry which stands not in the power of God, but in the wisdom of man.

And have not their opinions and creeds, sentiments and practices, subverted the Christian church? Yet how zealously have mankind engaged in support of theological seminaries; and for the support of gospel ministers, so called? But it is an absurdity! It is an impossibility, it is out of the power of man, and of the arts, sciences, and philosophy, to constitute one single solitary minister of the gospel. I know of no medium by which a minister of the gospel can come rightly to stand in that station, except he be called of God, as Aaron was called. He cannot be qualified to preach the gospel, except in the school of Christ. And what is to be learned there? I apprehend, the principal part of the

learning necessary, nay, all, may be acquired in the school of Christ. It teaches us to regulate every affection, to crucify every passion, to subdue and overcome every lust, and every propensity which separates us from the source of purity. And it is not till these effects are produced, that we can ever come rightly to be ministers of the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We may be ministers of idols, which can neither see nor speak, and in which there is not the breath of life: but we can not be ministers of the living God unless we are governed and actuated by his power and spirit, and receive immediately of his divine inspiration. Here we come into obedience to the word of God, and this becomes our rule of faith and practice.

And is it not obvious, that when men with interested minds undertake to preach the gospel of Christ, they will preach conformably to their own views? Is it possible that men, receiving one, two, three, or four thousand dollars a year, ean faithfully testify their sense of the slips and wickedness of those who employ them? No; this fault must be covered, and that weakness overlooked, because they preach for hire, and divine for money, "whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things."

It is the blind leading the blind, and both must fall into the ditch. And have they not formed an abundance of societies, which bear the names of benevolent societies, missionary societies, bible societies, mite societies, cent societies, and an abundance of others: and what is the mainspring of all these? It is money, it is not any particular virtue, or any requisition of the divine power upon their own minds; but money, money, is the mainspring of action. And do we not hear daily complaints, that when this is withdrawn they must fall to the ground?

Is then the church of God going to be built up with money, the love of which is the root of evil? No, verily; if ever the foundation is rightly laid, it must be laid where it was declared that it must be laid: "For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." Though he may build of these materials, he can only receive the reward of his own works; but this will not bring peace from God,

and advance him in the way of the kingdom of heaven. "If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." Because having submitted to the fire, its operation is to rectify every passion, lust, and perversion of the mind; and this is the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is represented as operating like fire against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men.

How vain and how futile is the idea that men whom men have chosen, called, and appointed to explain abstract, abstruse, metaphysical speculations upon christianity, can ever become rightly qualified for the ministry of Christ! They may be able to administer the ordinances of the church-to wash us in water and call it baptism -to administer bread and wine and call it communion; but all the waters of the sea can never cleanse a soul of one sin or lust. And all the bread and wine, among all the nations of the earth, can never nourish up the soul unto everlasting life.

They may say that all these are typical of good things yet to come-that they are figurative and symbolical. But, my fellow professors, are we yet as children under the schoolmasters of types, figures, and symbols, when the law is fulfilled, and when the power is come-that power

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