sake of Christ's merits. Turn to the fourth chapter of the epistle to the Romans: 'Abraham believed in God, and the same was imputed to him for righteousness.' 'To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.' 'It was not written for his (Abraham's) sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.' It is clearly therefore faith, not Christ's righteousness, which is imputed to us for righteousness.' Mr. L. "Whence has arisen the doctrine of imputed righteousness?"

Mr. M. "It is connected with a string of fondly imagined doctrines, which certain persons have invented by arbitrary interpretation of Scripture, or have received one from another, until they have become the tradition of a school or party. For my part, I prefer keeping to the doctrine of St. Paul, that 'we are justified by faith,' or, as our article expresses it, 'we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our works or deservings.'

Mr. L. “Certainly, if we keep to Scripture and the Church we are safe. Pray tell me, now, how do you understand such texts as these:-The Son of Man.. shall reward every man according to his works.'† 'He that doeth righteousness is righteous,' &c. Do they appear to you difficult to connect with the doctrine of justification by faith?"

Mr. M. "Not at all. We are getting to an entirely

• Art. xi.

† Matt. xvi. 27.

1 John iii. 7.

different doctrine-the doctrine of judgment, or how we are to be saved in the end. You are now speak. ing of works done after justification. This doctrine is clearly stated in the creed. They that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.'"*

Mr. L. "I now perceive your system: you take the doctrine of Scripture on each point, and believe it, not deeming it absolutely necessary to reconcile one with another."

Mr. M. "Exactly: as I believe that the Father is God; the Son, God; and the Holy Ghost, God; and yet that there are not three Gods, but one God. And yet I confess I do not see that any great difficulty exists in these doctrines which we have been speaking of, except such as men make for themselves. I heard a preacher the other day who contended that there were four kinds of justification, and seven kinds of faith, and I do not know how many sorts of righteousness; and another who taught that the works according to which men are judged and rewarded, are not those done by each during his natural life, but those done by Christ eighteen hundred years ago!that was his notion of justification by imputed righteousness! How can we wonder at the perplexity which exists in men's minds, when such subtleties are broached? Why cannot we believe simply, that we are regenerated by baptism, justified by faith, and rewarded according to our works; as it is plainly revealed in Scripture, and taught by the Church?"

After this conversation, I reflected and read a good

* Compare John v. 28, 29.

deal on these subjects, and became clearly of my friend's opinion, that it is right to believe all that is plainly stated in Scripture, and taught therefrom by the Church. If a doctrine were only taught in Scripture (according to our interpretation of Scripture), we might suspect that we were wrong; but when we find it taught in Scripture, and received therefrom by the Church as the true doctrine or meaning of Scripture, then we are safe in receiving it as of undoubted certainty.

In accordance with my friend's advice, I now began to devote a considerable portion of my time to the study of the Fathers; rising early, and late taking rest, in order, as far as might be, to make up for former negligence. As far as I was able to do so, I found the Fathers fully confirm the views which I had received from my recent studies and conversation; and I often sincerely wished that I had known the value of their testimony at an earlier period of my career. One of the principal advantages which I derived from consulting these ancient writers was, that they removed my view from the miserable state of the actual body of professing Christians, with their schisms and various denominations, and fixed it on the ancient state of the Church, when it was fresh from the hands of the Apostles-one and undividedfree from the contaminating influence of human systems, which have since impaired its excellency.

CHAPTER XV.

In religion

What damned error, but some sober brow
Will bless it and approve it with a text?
SHAKSPEARE: The Merchant of Venice.

THE FANATIC.

THE more I saw of Mr. Manwaring, the more cause did I find for thankfulness that I had become acquainted with so excellent a friend. Besides his sound and sterling qualities, he had an inexhaustible fund of valuable information, which he continually brought to bear on the important subjects which we discussed together. One day he told me the following remarkable story, which so impressed my mind, that I committed it to writing; and doubt not that it will prove acceptable to my readers, as illustrative of an important class of phenomena in religion.

Mr. Manwaring was, as he informed me, on a visit in the west of England, where some of his friends resided. One evening he strolled out through the grounds, and leaving the enclosure, proceeded along a wild, romantic glen, which opened to the sea. The western sun had almost touched the horizon, and with its slanting ray illumined the crags and headlands which stretched away in bold magnificence as far as the eye could reach. As he walked along the

narrow pathway, on turning the corner of a rock, he became aware of a man at no great distance, who stood with his hands clasped, apparently in deep abstraction. When he perceived my friend approaching, he started from his attitude, and turned round with a wildness in his eye and restlessness of manner, which could scarcely be viewed without apprehension.

"Art thou, too, come," said the stranger, "to view yon glorious luminary as he plunges beneath the waves ?"

""Tis a glorious sight, indeed," replied my friend, "to look on the brightest and most splendid of God's works."

"Ah! I see thou knowest not the great secret. But the world will know it ere long. Yon source of light, which now sinks from our sight-he-he will proclaim to the world the vast secret which has long lain hid, or, if known to the wise of old, was connected with degrading superstitions."

The eyes of the stranger rolled fearfully as he uttered these words; and, clasping his hands together, he again gazed intently on the setting sun, whose broad disk even then touched the horizon.

"Behold!" he exclaimed; "there he sets, to convey the blessing of his beams to other regions of the earth; and we shall be left without his presence, until, in his own appointed time, he shall again rise, with healing on his wings, to gladden and to bless us.'

دو

My friend made no reply to his companion's strange discourse, but gazed with him in admiration on the fast-disappearing orb. As soon as the last portion had disappeared from view, the stranger laid his hand on my friend's arm.