Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/157

Rh  forms of government in different nations or bodies of men. It's other doctrines also being of universal application, and breathing nothing but a spirit of love and true christian philanthropy, may be received and embraced by all, who are desirous of entering into that new spiritual life, which can alone qualify the mind for the enjoyment of peace here, and eternal felicity hereafter.

ON the infinity of the Divine Being is justly founded the doctrine of a plurality of worlds: and even were there no planetary bodies within the reach of human sight, it would still be a reasonable conclusion, that other earths besides our own are in actual existence, however remotely situated in the immensity of space. For it is not to be supposed, that, by the creation of only one habitable globe, the great designs of Infinite Love and Wisdom could be fully accomplished, which appear to have in view the happiness of indefinite numbers of intelligent beings from many earths, all varying in their general and particular states of reception of that life, which in itself is, and ever must remain, inexhaustible. But being surrounded on all sides with myriads of heavenly bodies, similar in all appearance to the sun of our system; being convinced also by ocular testimony of the existence of huge masses of matter, revolving in different circuits about the sun, some inferior, and some superior in bulk to our earth; and justly presuming that similar bodies, though too distant to be seen by reflected light, must have their appointed stations under other suns; no reasonable person can entertain a doubt, but that, like the planet which we inhabit,