the Scriptures of the New Testament do recognize this standard of religious truth, viz., that it not only relates to, but is embodied in Jesus Christ, "who of God, is made unto us wisdom;" who is divinely sanctioned as the rule of our thoughts and actions, being "full of grace and truth."

We have then briefly remarked upon two points relating to this great question; first, the peculiarity of such a phrase, "the truth is in Jesus;" and secondly, the reality of this as the Scriptural standard of life and doctrine.

We shall next proceed to illustrate by a variety of familiar instances, the wisdom or fitness of such a method of conveying and commending truth.

The common saying that "example is more powerful than precept," is a tribute of respect to this divine method, which conveys precept by example, and enforces both doctrine and duty by an actual historical instance. The law of God, his mercy and promises, are here drawn out in a living character, in Jesus Christ; that as the Stoics had their ideal model, or wise man, to which standard so shadowy and indefinite they appealed; as in the modern days, writers commend truths or falsehoods by novels, tales of invented life, in order to fascinate the imagination and win the affections of readers; so God has taught his entire TRUTH IN THE BIOGRAPHY of his Son our Lord.

As the Redeemer spoke his parables, to embody truth, in a historical form, giving pictures of breathing life, and animated nature; as moral tales are written for children; as Bunyan exhibited his Scriptural learning in the fascinating form of a Pilgrimage; as "history is philosophy teaching by example;" so God has in Christ favoured the world with a marvellous parable, a real pilgrimage, divine philosophy in a divine example, suited to the apprehensions of men and adapted to the scale of human life.

The wisdom of this rule may further be seen in the fact, that for all popular and practical purposes, we require some obvious rule to which all can appeal, which all may understand and to which all should conform.*

*

In matters admitting of assertion and denial, belief and doubt, (if they be questions in which men in general are called upon to act) we need some land-mark, or definite point of appeal, as a recognized standard and real test of truth and right.

The rule itself must be founded upon adequate reasons, which though all persons may not be acquainted with, yet shall lie open to the examination of those who will give the subject due attention; and who may become as the elected auditors of acccounts to such as whilst having an important stake in the concern, are too much engaged to examine all its affairs.

This is a safe business rule, and is equally safe in religion: it admits what priests assert, that all persons are not able to enter into every question in religion; but it denies and refutes what priests pretend, namely, that therefore some unquestioned infallible impostor should manage for all men; and it shews clearly, that they who cannot do all things for * Some such reason has been set up for following priests; but it is simply a reason for following Christ the Great High Priest, and only Master.

themselves, may yet be able to CHOOSE their auditor, their baker, their banker, architect, &c.

No man in the world is able to do everything for himself, even a priest must employ a tailor to make his cloak of phariseeism; but he is not therefore bound to submit to the claims of some Roman tailor, the suc cessor to that man who made Peter's "fisher's coat,”—(John xxi. 7.)— claiming a sacred monopoly in the manufacture of Levitical garments. And because every man in the world, is thus dependent on others, there is no man left (except Robert Owen) to build and manage a universal asylum for these incapables, who cannot take care of their own affairs So that the argument which makes the priest our refuge and standard in religion, would prove the insanity of mankind, including the priests themselves.

Abandoning therefore this melancholy conclusion, and setting the priest aside along with it, we may point out the advantage of an obvious standard of appeal in all practical matters.

In the ordinary transactions of business, men have weights and measures of various kinds suited to different articles of trade, and graduated after a fixed and definite scale: thus do we judge of the quantities or amounts of the material bought and sold.

This is the plain rule for such cases; and can be followed even by those persons who may not understand the speculative difficulties that might easily be raised, and would utterly confound many who yet can safely follow existing practical weights and measures.

A philosopher might enquire what is the abstract measure from which you start, and by which these actual weights are regulated? "Three barleycorns make one inch," but how long is a barleycorn, are they all of the same length, and will not the variation throw you out of your reckoning? A BUSINESS SCEPTIC might further enquire, who has measured the barleycorn and settled the length of an inch by this professed standard?

Nor is the matter more simple if we turn to the speculations respecting weight,-what is its final standard? Not one tradesman in a million could begin all this afresh, and without previous aids, construct a system of weights and measures for the purposes of commerce. And very few amongst them could explain the starting point in settling those which already exist: they could not tell what to weigh the weights by; and yet every man is able to meet all the demands of trade, by the practical standards already agreed upon. So difficult are the commonest affairs, when looked at in reference to their fundamental principles; so easy are all these affairs in their ordinary practical operations. And that which renders them so easy, is this standard to which all may appeal, the workings and applications of which all do understand: this advantage of plainness and applicability is secured to the highest wisdom in the standard of the gospel" the truth is in Jesus."

The observations advanced respecting weights and measures, may be extended to many other subjects; such as money and time. The value of money is equally difficult in theory, equally easy in practice: what is the worth of a pound sterling? It may be exchanged for so many shillings; or it is worth so much weight of pure gold or silver. But what are these worth? Just what they will fetch; and this depends upon the

fluctuations of the markets, the abundance or scarcity of provisions. This would lead men into all intricacies of the currency question, on which our money is based, and which is understood as little as the Apocalypse, every writer on each of these subjects having a new theory, and few escaping from some peculiar hallucination which serves to terrify the majority at such dangerous studies.

But whilst there are these unsolved difficulties lying at the foundation of Mammon-worship itself, (for Mammon is a greater mystery than all else that is worshipped,) still the simplest tradesman finds pounds, shillings, and pence, a plain practical guide for all business interchanges.

The same speculative difficulties, the same practical facilities, belong to the question of time: it is a deep metaphysical abstraction; of which few do, if any can, form a clear idea; it is a mystery to begin with: whilst the divisions of time are not without perplexing subtleties; sixty minutes make an hour, but what makes a minute or a second? The apparent daily journey of the sun gives the first practical measure, which is divided and subdivided for the various parts; but the observation of this varies in different places of the earth, and in some, a day and night are more than twenty-four hours: notwithstanding all this, the workman, leaving these questions to the philosophers, follows contentedly and safely his own watch or the town clock.

In all these things an outward obvious standard is adopted, which suits the common convenience of mankind, and serves very well to regulate the world's business.

Men seek to be conformed to the truth exhibited in these marks and measures; they work by them, trade and live by them; and apart from such plain rules everything would be in utter confusion, the world would be turned upside down.

So in religion, God has not left us to abstract metaphysical speculations, respecting the beautiful, the true and the good; but has favoured us with a reality that transcends all ideals; not abstract truth, but a concrete, living reality; not philosophical speculations, but a practical rule; not truth merely in theories and general propositions respecting justice, integrity, &c., but "the truth is in Jesus," clothed in "the beauty of holiness."

Thus we are provided with that which is found so essential in other matters, a plain practical guide, in this exhibition in actual life of the great truths and duties claiming our reception and performance,-the weights and measures of our spiritual merchandize.

In the human standards thus adduced for illustration, we find that something is taken for granted by the generality of men; certain first principles are assumed; the popular guides are founded on past processes, upon the reckonings and regulations of those who have given pre-eminent attention to the more fundamental questions: and yet these previous questions are open to examination, and one main proof of the standard is also open to those who follow it, namely, in the usefulness or adaptation of the rule to answer the ends required.

And so we have in "the gospel of God concerning his Son," the results of divine wisdom, the value of which may be felt by personal experience; and whilst this rule affords us a plain and popular guide, it will also

stand the deepest and most scrutinizing examination we can bestow upon it.

The fitness of this divine rule, as giving us in the business of salvation what we use in the busines of our worldly life, namely, a plain popular directory, will further be evident by a comparison with the fine arts.

In this imitative province, men first copy nature, or actual objects as their standard; but in process of time, when art has advanced, and great masters have acquired a reputation, their works instead of nature, become the object of the students' attention: art is drawn from life, and rules are drawn from art.

Hence men study the models of painting, statuary, or architecture in the most celebrated productions; seeking to attain excellencies already embodied in such works;-to attain to the truth in these; whereas, God in his wisdom has combined the two sources of instruction together, art and nature; presenting us with an exquisite and matchless model of living artistry, a speaking likeness of his own perfections adapted to our condition.

From this divine model we are to copy, and nothing is true, that does not conform to the reality and standard " as the truth is in Jesus."

Such is the wisdom displayed in the adoption of such a standard,—the Redeemer, as a personal embodiment of God's mercy and man's duty,of the hopes and responsibilities of mankind.

Thus far we have noticed the peculiarity of this rule, that the truth should be in Jesus; and proved the reality of this standard, as actually a rule of Scripture; whilst thirdly, we have endeavoured to illustrate, by various comparisons, the wisdom displayed in affording us a rule of this plain and popular nature.

We defer to a future number the deductions from the fact of such a standard, viz., that this is the only canon, standard, or test of truth,what is to be found in the Saviour himself, &c. After which, we shall proceed to the discussion of the truths really embodied in Christ, as the perfect rule of faith and practice.

II.

PRIESTS' RELIGION.

HUMAN AUTHORITY AND INVENTION versus CONSCIENCE AND THE BIBLE.

The Scriptures are the only standard of Christian faith and practice: every one is at liberty to examine them; but no one is at liberty to decline this examination: and though we may receive the help of others, we may not rest on their authority, (which is man-worship;) nor receive as religion, what is not in the Scriptures, (which is willworship.)

THE REV. GEORGE SWALLOWELL AND HIS FAMILY

CONNEXIONS.

"THE REV. GEORGE SWALLOWELL was a clergyman at Houghton-leSpring, near Durham, and was a sincere Protestant; but after a while, going to visit a Catholic who was in prison for his religion, he was convinced, by arguments very much like those I have given you in this letter, that the Catholic Church was the true Church :"-such are some of the words contained in the last dying speech and confession, of the Rev. "Henry Wilberforce, M.A. late Vicar of East Farleigh, Kent."*

As his weakened and expiring reason was just being overshadowed by the Roman extinguisher, and his soul and body about being committed to that spiritual asylum erected for the peace, safety, and protection of all such as have lost their private judgment; he ventures, poor man, even in such circumstances, with a hallucination peculiar to these unfortunates, to guide others after ceasing to guide himself.

He has now attained to security, and has, with a too literal regard to the apostolic precept, "become a fool that he may be wise;" and shut his eyes in order to see more clearly: whether "his parishioners" were blind also, and failing to obtain a guide when his eyes were open, will believe the same leader now to be infallible, because he has closed them, is a curious subject for enquiry to such as are interested in the epidemics of imitative mental and bodily suicide.

To his "dear friends, the parishioners of East Farleigh," he observes as I am just leaving you, what I say is in some respects like the last words of a dying man," for he must have felt that his faculties were failing, had indeed entirely failed, his light had hitherto been darkness, and now he had determined on trying wax candles.

The reasons for this step out of darkness into gloom, or darkness made visible by the ghostly apparition of holy wicks, are laid very solemnly. *Reasons for submitting to the Catholic Church, &c.