designed, a similar variety of forms in religion, provided the same unity of spirit were maintained over all, would be just as suitable; and that, since the development of the primitive Church was the immediate work of God, the existence of variety of form in the Church now actually extant, provided there be unity of spirit along with it, is not to be rashly condemned as a thing improper in itself, or contrary to the will of God.

In reference to the prophets, in like manner, we found that whether we fix at once on that inimitably beautiful picture of Isaiah, where he represents the gospel Church, or notice that of Ezekiel, or those of the Psalms, or the vision of St Peter, or any other symbolic or prophetic representation suitable to the case, we are equally led, not to an absolute uniformity over all, but to an unity of spirit in variety of form as conspicuous in the picture given of the universal church. Thus we find that Isaiah presents to us, as a representation of the Christian church, all the various species of the creation, dwelling in mutual harmlessness and love on the holy mountain; that David presents to us as its picture, the city of Jerusalem with its manifold towers, palaces, bulwarks; that, in the vision of St Peter, it is figured by all manner of creatures legally unclean as well as clean, as it is elsewhere by the ark, which contained the whole variety of the creation. In a word, all that we found led to the same view, namely, that though an unity of spirit ought unquestionably to pervade all, and prevail over all, yet a great variety of form is compatible with that unity, and is to be expected in that Church, which was then in their eye, and now is.

Turning, then, from the Old to the New Testament scriptures, we found that our Saviour represented his Church, though all under himself as the only shepherd, yet as composed of various folds, and we gathered with certainty from his own mouth, that the bond which

unites his disciples into one is not any outward agreement in ritual, confession, &c. in a word not any mere outward act of uniformity, but a spiritual relationship to Himself (like that of the body to the head, the branch to the vine), and through Him to one another. Here, also, we found a new development and emphasis given to the principle of unity, in so far as it does and ought to manifest itself between man and man. "A new commandment (said our Saviour) give I unto you, that ye love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one towards another."

Leaving the evangelists, then, for the apostolic epistles, we found the same doctrine so largely set forth, and we dwelt so minutely on its evidence as there displayed, that we need not return to it now. In the apostolic epistles also, harmoniously with the books of the prophets, we found that the church is compared to a body composed of many members all united into one, differing in form and office, but all agreeing, and mutually honouring and assisting each other; also to a temple built of many variously fitted stones, united by one chief corner-stone. In short, the review which we have taken of each of the sections into which the scriptures may be conveniently divided, has led us to the same conclusion,-and that all in opposition to the idea that an universal uniformity among all churches is indispensable to unity,-all in favour of the idea that there may be a true and Christian unity in the midst of much variety in outward forms.

Our argument from the scriptures is not complete, however, unless we view them as a whole. For, though the Bible may be viewed as a volume of inspired tracts, each having an independent unity of its own, and its own epoch, authorship, and signification, yet the Bible, considered as a whole, is also an unity. It is, in fact, that unity which is emphatically "the truth." It is the whole

truth, and nothing but the truth. A few words are therefore required on the bearings on our argument of the Bible considered as a whole.

And to what conclusion shall we be led, if we view the Bible, as well as the ark, or the holy city, or the holy mountain, as a type and representative of the church? We shall find that the testimony which it gives is altogether one with that which all the others give. In a word, what a beautiful illustration does the Bible supply of an all but infinite variety, yet with a perfect unity of truth and spirit therewith! How different from those dry productions named codes of laws, decrees of councils, canons, creeds, and the like, which mere human intelligence has composed, is that volume in which the law of God is contained! What a beautiful development and display of truth from Genesis to the Apocalypse! The path of revelation, like that of the just, which it opens, " is like the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day." "As the earth bringeth forth fruit herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear, so is the kingdom of God,-so is the course of revelation, of which the Bible is the sum. All is life, change, development. And though such be the value of the sacred volume, that, if a man do but cast his desires into it, with pious trust and expectation, as a man casts seed into the ground, and though he but sleep and rise night and day, in other words, though he have not much understanding of the theory of revelation, or of the Bible as a whole, at once successive and simultaneous, yet still the spiritual life will spring up in his heart, he knoweth not how; and all will be well with him. But he who studies the blessed volume, each book in relation to the times in which it was communicated, and the circumstances of the people to whom it was first given, and each also in relation to each other book, and

the whole in relation to himself, will have his piety still more amply rewarded by many a grand discovery of unlooked-for truth. Yes, every page of the sacred volume will become endeared to his heart and conscience. His reason, as well as his faith, will feed upon it. Its truths will come home to him. He will not need merely to submit to its dictates, as the desultory or merely formal reader must ever do, if he is to maintain his piety in the perusal of it. Instead of needing to submit, the Bible student will embrace. And among other discoveries he will make, is that which it belongs to our present object to insist on, namely, the beautiful variety of form always in the unity of spirit, which the word of God displays. Moses, David, Isaiah, Amos, Ezekiel, Daniel, Paul, James, John, how varied their different styles, their different subjects, their different objects, their different lights, in a word, how varied the books themselves, which the Holy Ghost through them has bequeathed to us! Yet, with all that variety, what unity of spirit and of truth!

If, then, we are to take the Bible, as a whole, as representing the Catholic Church, whose charter it is, if we are to view its individual parts as analogous to individual churches, we are led by this, as by all the other evidence which we have deduced from the Scriptures, to regard an unity of spirit in variety of form, not an absolute uniformity over all, as a constitution of the universal church, which the Scriptures even lead us to expect at least during a certain epoch, and one which, while the state of society is such, that a variety of form in an unity of spirit is peculiarly well adapted to supply the spiritual wants of the pious,-peculiarly fitted for gathering in the elect,-is not to be condemned on any scriptural grounds.

But let us now view the argument in the light of rea

son.