WHITHER ? [From a Manuscript of J. Bowring.] WHITHER shall my spirit fly? Whither, O whither? Thither, yes, thither! Whither shall the pilgrim roam? Heaven is the pilgrim's home-- Seeks he salvation there ? Lo! it awaits him: His habitation there Smilingly greets him. Whither shall the mourner turn? Whither, O whither? Heaven's angels never mourn— Thither, yes, thither! Passing death's portal; Joys shall abide ever Bright and immortal. urer; Rev. Joseph Tuckerman, Corresponding Secretary; Mr Joshua P. Blanchard, Recording Secretary; and Messrs Robert Waterston and George Bond, Auditors. This Society transmits annually six hundred dollars to India, towards the support of a Missionary, Rev. Mr Adam. Funds are now wanted for the erection of a Chapel in Calcutta, and for other purposes connected with the mission. Donations or annual subscriptions will be gratefully received by the officers abovementioned. 25* VOL. II-NO. VI. PROSELYTISM. We have already intimated that there are some ways in which one can and ought, to endeavor to diffuse such opinions as are the light and solace of his own mind, not only in his own immediate circle but in society generally. It is unnecessary to extend our remarks further on a point which all must concede, who would not debar us from most of the benefits of religious association and communion. We proceed to say something in relation to the evils of proselytism, or rather to show what really is the bad sense of that term. In the first place, that is proselytism in the evil sense, which has for its motive the mere extension of party sentiments, because they are those of a party. This is an important distinction. Opinions are valuable as the means and instruments of virtue and happiness. We should value our own for their tendency to make us better. To this end, of personal sanctification, every sincere Christian does and must apply his views of religion, whatever they may be. And all sentiments which lie in the mind like lumber in a waste room, or which, called up only as the watch-word of party spirit, awaken the feeling of opposition to those who hold a different creed, are not only useless, they are pernicious. Even if they were truths the most important which we so deal with, they would, in our keeping and by our handling, become as bad as falsehood. For when men overlook or undervalue the moral uses of truth; when they forget or do not care to recollect, that the truth was given to make us free from sin; when their solicitude is not that men may think as they do, because such opinions are most salutary to the heart and conscience, most worthy of God and most calculated to impress the soul with the divine image,-what have they in view which is good, in their efforts to propagate their belief? Is it not merely the lust of power which prompts them?-a desire to have sway and reputation above all who contradict them, and to bear down triumphantly on the minds and hearts of their fellow Christians, no matter if that triumph be the occasion of suffering or even of sin? It is this wish to triumph over others, instead of making them better and happier, which is the soul of a bad proselytism. It is this which gives the public all its reasons for apprehension, in the jarring contentions of angry sectaries. Let a good man go forth to plead for truth for truth's sake, for the sake of the heavenly influence it must have upon the character and condition of those whom he seeks to convert, and he neither is nor can be the occasion of any real evil, if he is faithful to the spirit which prompts him. He may not be judicious, or prudent, or wise in all he shall say and do, but he will be kind, and patient, and tender of the rights of others. He will be no brawler nor striker. He will have no motive which can inflame his passions. For does he not wish most of all to subdue every evil passion, and to supplant every sin? Will that desire prompt him to defend truth with the weapons of her worst adversary, to do evil that truth may be upheld? Is it that which will lead him to cunning devices for saving souls? Is it that which will make him a peacebreaker in families, a sower of discordamong brethren? Will he by such a motive be urged onward over the consciences and rights of others; keep ing no faith with heretics; hating God's enemies with cruel hatred; and for Christ and Christianity subverting all that is dear and sacred in the human heart?—No. It is only where this first principle is despised, that “ men must not do evil that good may come," or rather with the pretence of a good purpose, perpetrate wicked deeds, that the contending earnestly for the faith becomes a strife of all others to be deprecated. You are, my good have read in the You feel that this It is easy to apply these remarks. reader, a Unitarian? You think you Bible what others have not read there. discovery is practically useful. Your own heart and conscience are your daily witnesses, that to know such truth is to be put in the way to all that is good. It is your disposition to communicate this information to such as have it not, or have placed something else above it, so that they might as well be ignorant as thus to misemploy the truth which they receive. Your acquaintance with other Christians convinces you, that there is something radically wrong and unscriptural in many of their peculiar notions. You would gladly see these things done away, because they not only disfigure the gospel, but do hurt to the souls of men. You are alive to the work of correcting all this mischievous error. In a word, you are a Unitarian and you want everybody else to be so. Now before you take a step in this business ask yourself solemnly why you wish this? Give not a cent to buy tracts for distribution; open not your lips to speak of the trinitarian mistakes to a trinitarian; meddle not in the matter of reform in opinion; till you have ascertained why you desire such a reformation. If you are only dissatisfied that the whole world have gone after orthodoxy, and left you and a scan ty remnant like you to watch the true faith for the sake of after generations, you can do no good by running af ter these stray minds. You would kindle fires in your breast to consume all your peace, and the real friends of the cause which you would advocate, would soon regret your interference. You must clearly, with a distinctness which shall not be readily obscured, see the object to be consulted in all our efforts to diffuse what we believe is truth, the promotion of christian virtue, the increase of the fruits of righteousness. Mere opinion, be it true or false, is not the thing to be concerned about. It is, the effects of opinion, which we wish to do away. It is to make men better, that we gladly would impart what we feel to be making our own souls better. We must not suffer ourselves to be deceived by any other motives in disguise. In the second place, an important difference between various classes of the supposed advocates of truth, lies in the manner in which they regard those whom they professedly seek to enlighten and convince. He who wishes to make proselytes in order to swell the ranks in which he is proud to shine, or for the sake of putting down what he calls insolence and bigotry in other sects, with no real interest at heart either religious, social, or personal, but what the word "party" stands for, will be found to act accordingly. He will lump together (excuse the word for the force it has in common parlance) all sorts of character in the party opposed to his views. He will not patiently discriminate, nor kindly make allowance, nor justly acknowledge a virtue blended with an error, but all-all to him is a mass of corrupt things to be burned up or swept away. If he converses, his words |