What, in the first place, has been the effect upon _the general body of dissenters_? But a few years since, within the recollection of many of us, the consequences of a thoroughly dissenting spirit, in politics and religion, were to be seen. No temper was then preserved, either on the side of the church, or the dissenters. Each party was employed in discovering all that was objectionable in the other: little evils were magnified—particular faults generalized: a spirit of envy and hatred reigned in the meetings of men, who, as Christians, might have taken “sweet counsel together.” _Now_, this is certainly not the case. Both amongst churchmen and dissenters, a considerable abatement of hostility has taken place. Whilst, on the one hand, churchmen have, in general, fulfilled more carefully the duties of their profession; I may say, that on the other, the spirit of dissenters has exceedingly changed. Dissenters may have had some well-grounded blame to attach, in many cases, to the members of our church; yet, it is likely that they by no means gave the church itself credit for the good which now they find to be in it. They thought that the lamp of our temple had gone out, that the branch was withered which once produced that glorious fruit, in the time of the Reformation. But now I believe that the dissenters are undeceived; and that the Bible Society has tended to undeceive them. They have seen that want of zeal, is not the effect of the system, but of the individuals; and, as they have discovered this, I may say, most honourably to themselves, they seem to have laid down the weapons of controversy against us, and are engaged in fighting our common enemies, in wielding that sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Now the meetings which we have of dissenters and churchmen, are not to wrangle and dispute with each other, but to take new pledges that we will oppose the enemies of our common Christianity; they are to join in consuming the brand, which once might have been pointed against one another, upon an altar of unity, piety, and peace.