who has fairly tried it, cannot be brought home to the understanding of another person.

Yet to a dispassionate sceptic it must surely seem worth considering, why those Christians, who were freest from all enthusiasm; those who have had the meanest opinion of themselves, and were least disposed to lean upon their own understanding; have always been found most uncompromising, and, if the expression may be so used, most stubborn, in their conviction of the truth of the Gospel, and of the soundness of its practical rules. The story of the old peasant, who silenced, as is said, an Arian disputer by merely repeating the Apostles' Creed, might stand as a specimen of the mode and ground of belief, to which I am now referring, and in which it best becomes busy and unlearned Christians to acquiesce. Among wilful gainsayers, or rapid inconsiderate observers, it may pass indeed for bigotry or prejudice. But a very little reflection will shew, that it is what on all other subjects must ever be accounted true practical wisdom. It is no more than abiding by the dictates of experience, not in defiance, but in default, of theoretical and argumentative knowledge.

For example: suppose that on the day of a child's birth, a collection of writings should be put into the hands of his parents, purporting to contain rules for the management of his diet and regimen ; and suppose, that after having tried them for years, he found them in all respects satisfactory and

sufficient: found that he could not swerve from them without being ill, and that he enjoyed bodily health exactly in such proportion, as he adhered, in practice, to those rules. Would it not be reasonable for him to believe, that they were left for his use by some one who knew his constitution perfectly? He might be utterly unable to explain why and how such a mode of treatment should answer so well. Yet every one would call it inexcusable rashness in him, to adopt an opposite regimen upon the suggestion of any theorist, though recommended by the most plausible shew of demonstration. Now the care of the soul is a practical matter, just as much as the care of the body; the only difference being in the comparative importance of the two and that is indeed unspeakable. But this only makes it the more necessary for men to be very peremptory in abiding by those rules, which in all practical matters are essential to their well-doing. And one of the foremost of these is,

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never to act upon reason, in opposition to practical principles, which the Author of nature gave us to act upon." Which Canon, laid down in so many words by one of the safest teachers of religion, natural and revealed, that ever blessed this Church, may indeed be much abused and misapplied by wilful men. But one may venture to affirm, that it can be no abuse of it, to say concerning that conviction, which humble and sober-minded Christians possess of the truth of their religion,

without being able at all to argue upon it, that such conviction, being supported by the growing experience of a well-spent life, is indeed a practical principle, given them by God Almighty for their good, and ought not to be parted with on any account, or for any argument whatever.

The analogy to which I just now referred, suggests the farther remark, that, to a candid sceptic, the argument from the authority of implicit believers is cumulative: i. e. a fresh argument is added every time a new instance is observed of a man's finding his happiness in Christianity, whether he be rich or poor, learned or ignorant. Just as in the case of bodily health-if a person, comparing his own experience with that of his neighbours, should find that they also had received from the same authority a similar set of prescriptions, and always, when fairly tried, with the same unerring result-could he deem less of the author, than that he was an universal, infallible physician?

The blame, therefore, of begging the question, which the infidel is continually throwing upon the implicit believer, must recoil at least upon himself. For it is he who takes upon him to judge, without trial, of the result of certain rules of conduct, in direct opposition to all those who have actually tried them.

And thus the demand of " implicit Faith,” which the Bible so earnestly reiterates, instead of con

stituting an objection to our religion, is in fact a mark of its truth: and, as such, may be urged in refutation of unbelievers.

It is, moreover, of great consequence to be kept in view by unlearned, but true and reasonable, Christians. Such persons are sometimes apt to be disheartened, upon finding themselves unable to defend in words, or at all to convey to another person, opinions, upon which they have soberly and considerately made up their own minds. Skill and readiness in disputing about a doctrine is so far from implying, or much forwarding, a firm practical conviction, that it may not seldom be traced, even in characters by no means disingenuous or insincere, to the direct contrary state of mind. Not being quite satisfied concerning some part of religious truth, and illenduring the condition of doubt and discomfort, (which, after all, would do them no great harm, if they would be careful always to take the safe side in practice;) subtle and ingenious men set themselves to devise argument after argument in its behalf; and thus they have often succeeded, to a wonder, in strengthening and extending the fabric of theology, perhaps to the benefit of others, without having been able to find under it any shelter, final and complete, for their own harassed and perplexed spirits. Thus the Church has witnessed, more than once, the sorrowful spectacle of orthodox teachers falling off, in their latter

days, from the very truths, which they had themselves, before, most triumphantly defended: the law of compensation, which has so wide a range in the natural world, extending, apparently, in this among other instances, to the moral world also: in that the versatility and ingenuity, which enable men to devise new modes of evidence, are too often accompanied with a disposition to be restless and unsatisfied with the old,

It is true, Christians are enjoined to be "always ready for an answer to every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them." But it is, manifestly, "the answer of a good conscience," sober and holy living, which is meant. We are directed to lead such a life, as may be appealed to, if necessary, in vindication of our Creed. If we do so, it matters little, comparatively, whether we can dispute for our religion or no. Christianity is not a matter of logical arrangement, or philosophical investigation; much less of rhetorical skill. Not that these things are of trifling value, as talents. But then it should always be remembered, that they are only talents, and will, accordingly, prove worse than useless, except they be united with sincere humility.

Trains of thought like this seem desirable, especially in situations and periods where intellectual eminence is in danger of being over-prized, in order to reconcile us to our own usual mediocrity, and to make us join heartily, as on the whole a