is desirable that experience should not be too dearly purchased.”

"You much mistake the character of Sir Charles," replied Mr. D--- if you suppose him indifferent to the good order of society. He only differs from the generality, as to the best means for effecting this good order. All that is moral in the Christian system, and consequently is calculated to affect actions, he is willing to retain : but all matters of opinion, as to particular doctrines, he deems of no consequence whatever."

"And yet, sir," rejoined the minister, it is only by the belief of these doctrines, that we receive our motives, and our encouragements, for the performance of worthy actions."

"What, sir,” said Mr. D---, " do you suppose truth and reason insufficient to guide those who are willing to be guided by them? or that their motives and encouragements are weak and futile?"

"No, sir, by no means," returned the minister, reason will produce good actions, and truth cannot lead astray. But where shall we find persons always under the proper guidance of reason? And what is truth?"

Here Mr. D--- was rather at a loss for a reply. The interrogations were new to him, and pointed. He paused, and felt mortified at being obliged to do so. At length he observed:--" I am willing

sir, to allow, that few persons act in all respects agreeably to the dictates of reason. We are misled by various causes; prejudice, passion, and mistake, for instance. When thus misled, it is the business of reason to remonstrate; to reprove, to convince, and thus to lead us back to the path of virtue. Thus you see the principle itself is sufficiently forcible, though men may err in its application.'

"Of this, sir," replied the minister," as I said before, I have no doubt. But as reason is thus liable to be misled by the causes you have enumerated, I cannot conceive why men should be adverse to calling in an auxiliary; and, oh! what a powerful one is Christianity!" The minister now felt much disposed to mention the fallen state of reason, and the corruption of human nature, which rendered revelation necessary to rectify those mistakes, which reason in this fallen state was so liable to commit. But as this would have extended the argument, further than his time would conveniently allow, he desisted, and paused for Mr. D---'s reply to his last observa

tion.

Whether that gentleman found it an observation not easily answered, or whether he considered a reply unnecessary, certain it was he declined making any, and turned the subject to the other question proposed. "I think, sir," said he,

"you asked me, what is truth? I will give you Mr. Locke's definition. It is "conformity of notions to things."

"I could not," replied the minister, "wish for a better. Examine the Christian religion by this definition : : you will there find a set of notions, so exactly in conformity to the actual state of things, that they need only our application. Whatever is the disposition of our minds, Christianity meets us at all points. Does it speak of the corruption of the human heart? Behold that notion exemplified wherever we turn our eyes. Does it point out a method of escape from this general evil? The existence of the evil proves the utility of the deliverance. There is not a doctrine contained in Scripture, which is not calculated to address either our conscience, our affections, our judgments, or our experience.. The Gospel of our salvation then may well be called by an apostle, " the word of truth." And "whosoever is of the truth," says the Saviour of the world," heareth my voice."

"Give me leave to observe," replied Mr. D---, "that you are enthusiastic in your commendations of your favourite system; and enthusiasts. are not the best judges. Enthusiasm is a species of madness, or the effect rather of an over-heated imagination. It is extremely unreasonable to expect all to see with our eyes; our judgments.

on speculative opinions, must of necessity be as various as our persons."

"If the doctrines revealed in Scripture, are only speculative opinions," rejoined the minister, "your observation will, sir, very justly apply. But if they can be proved to be the words of truth; or, in the language of your author, to be "notions conformable to things," then, surely, the zealous defenders of them, ought not to be charged with over-heated imaginations. Can truth be prized too highly? or recommended too earnestly? This epithet, enthusiast, is applied in the most indiscriminate manner possible. If I mistake not, the same author you mentioned, as the definer of truth, defines this term to mean "one who vainly imagines a private revelation; one who has a vain confidence of his intercourse with God." I wish this definition of the word were universally received; then the simple-minded believer, who trusts to no revelation, but the public-written word, contained in the Bible, and deems all pretences to the favour and communion of the Deity false, which are not founded on the belief and practice of his law, cannot with propriety be styled an enthusiast.

"I remarked before," said Mr. D---, "that whatever is moral, and consequently has a tendency to benefit society, ought to be recommended, whether found in the Bible or any other

book; but doctrines, and precepts, are two very opposite things."

"In other words, sir," said the minister," you would separate the practice from the motives to practice."

"Alas! the strongest motives, are often found insufficient to controul violent passions, and depraved affections, and were not the influences of divine grace afforded, as well as the divine word, we might despair of the wished-for effect. Let us joyfully accept of every means afforded, and not endeavour to explain away, by nice distinctions, doctrines, which, when rightly received, invariably produce holiness of heart and life. Give me leave to make one observation more; that there is an hour approaching (and to you and I, sir, the hour cannot be very remote) when deep reasonings, and sceptical objections, will be of little value; and the fallacy of the latter will appear evident. I mean the hour of death. At that awful period, we shall only be solicitous that our sins may be pardoned, and our persons accepted by the great Father of spirits. We shall only be anxious to ascertain, whether our conversation through life, has been such as becometh the Gospel of Christ; and whether we possess that heavenly-mindedness, which can alone qualify us for the enjoyment of such a heaven as the Scriptures describe. Excuse my