work on, unless a higher principle, by which watch the prognostics of its rise and fall,

he is every day less likely and less desirous to be governed, should arise to check it. Society being composed of intelligent human beings, the wise man knows that something may be generally learned from it, relative to the human character; that some benefit may be reaped, even if little positive good appear in it; and more does sometimes appear, than we are willing to put to profit. Lessons may be extracted from the very faults of men; from the vehemence of their passions, the mistakes of their judgment, the blindness of their prejudice.

keep him sober without making him indifferent. He preserves his temper with his attachments, and his integrity with his preferences, because he is habitually watching how he may serve the state, and not how, by increasing her perplexities, he may advance himself.

The use he thus makes of the world will not carry him to the length of entangling himself in its snares. Though he maintains a necessary intercourse with men of opposite character, he will not push that intercourse further than occasion requires. He The Holy Scriptures frequently make the will transact business with them with frankanxious diligence of men, in the pursuit of ness and civility, but he will not follow them worldly advantages, a lesson which a better to any objectionable lengths. He is aware, man would do well to improve upon in his that though a wise man will never chuse an higher pursuits. He may find in their in- infected atmosphere, yet He who fixes our dustry a standard, though not a model: the lot in life' will protect him in it in the way of wisdom he learns from this generation, he duty, and will furnish an antidote to the conwill convert to the purposes of the children tagion. A courageous piety doubles its cauof light. The world's wise man is ever on the watch for advancing his projects. If he contract an acquaintance of importance, his first thought is, how he may make the most of him; the Christian is equally careful to turn the acquisition of a pious friend to his own account, but with a higher view.

tion when exposed to an impure air, but a prudent piety will never voluntarily plunge into it. It will never forget, that if the corruptions of the world are so dangerous, they are rendered so by those of cur own hearts, since we carry about us a constitution disposed to infection. The true Christian will The mind, on the watch for improvement, make a conscience of letting it appear, that will improve by the very errors of others. he differs in very important points from many Virtue, our divine Master has taught us, of those with whom business or society may take some profitable lessons from vice. brings them into contact; lest, by the facili The activity of the fraudful steward may ty and kindness of his general behaviour, stimulate the negligent Christian. From the they should be led into an error as to his perseverance of the malignant in their pa-principles. For worldly men, having been tient prosecution of revenge, he may learn accustomed to connect narrowness, reserve, fortitude under discouragements, and reso- and gloom, with serious piety, they might lution under difficulties. Injuries may teach infer from his pleasant deportment and frank him the value of justice, may set him upon address, that his principles were as lax as investigating its principle, and guarding his manners are disengaged. against its violation. The wiliness of the He will, therefore, be careful, not unnedesigning may keep his understanding on cessarily to alienate them by any thing forthe alert, and confirm the prudence it has bidding in his exterior; he will cheerfully excited. Temptations from without strength-fall in with any plan of theirs consistent with en his powers of resistance; his own faults his own principles; and more especially, show him his own weakness, as it is foreign should it be any plan of benevolence and aggression which forms herces, and domes-general utility, and one more promising than tic opposition which makes statesmen. his own, he will never feel back ward to pro

·

His thirst for human applause will be aba-mote it, through the mean fear of transferted, when he observes in those around him, ing the popularity of the measure to anothe unexpected attainment of popularity so ther. Yet he acts, nevertheless, as knowing soon followed by its unmerited loss. When there is no humility in a man's taking a false he beholds the rapid transfer of power, it measure of his own understanding, and will, more than whole tomes of philosophy, therefore does not give up his independence show him that favour is deceitful.' He will of mind, when the superiority of the scheme moderate his desires of great riches, when of the other does not carry conviction to his he sees by what sacrifices they are some-judgment. He will first clear his motive, times obtained, and to what temptations the and, next, his prudence in the measure, and possession leads. He will be less likely to then be as prompt in action as those who repine that others are reaching the summit rush into it without deliberation or princiof ambition, whether they achieve it by ta-ple. lents which he does not possess, or attain it by steps which he would not chuse to climb, or maintain it by concessions which he would not care to make. The pangs of party with which he sees some of his friends convulsed, and the turbulent anxiety with which they

He keeps his ultimate end in view, even in the most ordinary concerns, and on occasions which to others may not seem likely to promote it. He knows that good breeding will give currency to good sense; that good sense adds credit to virtue, and even helps to

He will not hunt for popularity; he knows that this is one of the common dangers from which even good men are not exempt; for after all, the mere good men of the world do not monopolize all credit. Highly principled and pious men form a powerful and increasing minority, which, by concord, firmness, and prudence, often makes no inconsiderable figure. When viewed collectively,

'Bright as a sun the sacred city shines.'

strip religion of its tendency to displease.— ber zeal, a fervid but unboisterous warmth, By his exactness in performing the common a vigorous but calm perseverance. duties of life more accurately than other men, he may lead them to look from the action up to the principle which produced it; and when they see the advantages arising from such carefulness of conduct, they may be induced to examine into the reasons; and from inquiring, to adopting, is not always a remote step. He may thus lead them into an insensible imitation, without the vain idea of presenting himself as a model; for he wishes them to admire, not him, but the source from which he draws both what he Each individual, however, according as he believes and what he is. contributes or may fancy he contributes to While he suggests hints for their benefit, the brightness, is in danger of priding himhe is willing they should think the sugges- selfon the general effect. And many a weak tion their own; that they owe it to reflection, or designing man, placing himself under the and not to instruction. Like the great Athe-broad shelter of what he delights to call the nian philosopher, he does not so much aim to religious world, limits his zeal to the credit teach wisdom to others as to put them in the of being accounted a member, instead of exway of finding it out for themselves. His tending it to the arduous duties it imposes, piety does not lessen his urbanity, even to- and while he superciliously decries many a wards those, who are obviously deficient in worthy person, who without the pretension, some points, which he deems of high impor-performs the functions, he is as full of the tance. If they are useful members of the world as the world is of itself. Popularity great body of society, he is the first to com- thus sought after and obtained, whether mend their activity, to acknowledge their within or without the pale, even of a reliamiable qualities, to do justice to their gious community, is of a dangerous tendenspeeches or writings, while they are discon- cy, and a truly Christian mind will alike nected with dangerous or doubtful objects. tremble to bestow or receive the praise. On general subjects he never labours to discredit their opinions, unless they obviously stand in the way of something of more worth. But all these cheerfully allowed merits will never make him lose sight of any grand deficiency in the principle, of any thing erroneous in the tendency.

But if the Christian character we have been faintly attempting to sketch, possesses a commanding station, either in fortune, rank, or talent, especially if he combine them; his character, without any assumption of his own, without any affectation of superiority, will, by its own weight, its own Of his own religion he neither makes a pa- attraction, above all, by its consistency, be a rade nor a secret; he is of opinion, that to sort of rallying point, round which the well avow his sentiments, prevents mistakes, disposed, the timid, and the young, will resaves trouble, obviates conjectures, and sort to obtain a sanction, and to fortify their maintains independence. He acknowledges principles. For, if it is not the prevailing them with modesty, and defends them with principle, there is yet much more piety in firmness. On other occasions, instead of the world, than the pious themselves are shutting himself up in a close and sullen re-willing to allow. If so strange a phrase may serve, because others do not agree with him be allowed, we should almost suspect that, in the great cause which lies nearest his in a certain class, there is more good hypoheart, he is glad that the general diffusion of crisy than bad; more who conceal their knowledge has so multiplied the points at piety, than who make a display of it. Mawhich well-educated men can have access to ny, who are secretly and sincerely religious, the minds of each other; points at which want courage to avow their sentiments, improvements in taste and science may be want resolution to act up to them, either bereciprocally communicated, the tone of con-cause the popular tide runs another way, or versation raised, and society rendered con- because they dread the imputation of sinsiderably useful, and sometimes in a high gularity, and are afraid of raising a portendegree profitable. tous cry against themselves.

But notwithstanding the clearness of his The good man respects the world's opiown spirit, and the intimations of an enlight- nion, without making it the leading motive ened conscience, yet he carries about with of his conduct. He never provokes hostihim such a modest sense of his own liable-lity by any arrogant intimation that he does ness to what is wrong, as keeps up in his not care what people think of him, a conmind the idea that the error may possibly be duct not more offensive to others, than indion his side. This feeling, though it never cative of a self-sufficient spirit. He is caremakes him adopt through weakness the ful to avoid a particular cut. He will not opinion of another, makes him always hum- be pointed at for any trifing peculiarity. He ble in the defence of his own. He opposes fences in, not only his ordinary, but his best what is obviously bad with an earnest but so-actions, with prudence, well knowing how

much the manner may expose the matter to misrepresentation. He does this not merely for his own credit, but because, to a certain degree, with his reputation are involved the good of others and the honour of religion. He endeavours, as far as he can honestly do it, to remove prejudices, which an imprudent piety rather glories in augmenting, and thus widens the separation between the two classes of characters Whereas, that which is intrinsically good should be always outwardly amiable. He, therefore, will not make his departure from the order which general usage has established, observable in any of the harmless and accredited modes of life. He will not voluntarily augment that wonder which his departure from the less innocent fashions of the world must excite. The wonder will be sufficiently great, why, in stronger cases, he should subject himself to a discipline different from theirs, and they will ask where is the use of aiming to be better than those whom they call good?

against the adoption of religious doctrines, it is not so much the strictness of opinion, as of practice, which renders a man obnoxious, He may be of any religion he pleases, provided he will live like those who have none. If he be convivial and accommodating, they will not care if he worship Brama and Veeshnoo; though they would not perhaps forgive his professing the Hindoo faith, if it involved the necessity of their dining with him upon rice; nor would he be pardoned for embracing the doctrines of the Arabian Prophet while the Koran continues to prohibit the use of wine.

Though pleasure is not the leading object of his pursuit, he yet finds more than those, who spend their lives in pursuit of nothing else. He finds the range of innocent and elegant enjoyment sufficiently ample and attractive, without being driven for a resource, to the disqualifying grossness of sensuality, or the relaxing allurements of dissipation. The fine arts, in all their lovely and engaging forms of beauty, the ever new delights of literature, whether wooed in its lighter graces, or sought in its more substantial at

From grave to gay, from lively to severe,

By the cheerful alacrity with which he performs and receives all acts of kindness, he gives the best answer to Lord Shaftesbu-tractions, the exchange ry's character of Christianity, that it is so taken up with the care of our future happiness, as to throw away all the present: a sneer which is about as true as the other sarcasms of this eloquent but superficial reasoner; for if religion does call for some sacrifices of pleasure and of profit, yet every part of its practice increases our real happiness, by the augmentation of our own virtue, as much as it advances that of others; by its promotion of kindness, beneficence, good will, and good order.

shed sweet, and varied, and exhaustless charms on his leisure hours, and send him back with renewed freshness, added vigour, and increased animation to his necessary employments.

Though the strictly pious man is more exposed to temptation in the world than in retirement, yet he finds in it reasons which stimulate him to more circumspection. He is aware that he lies more open to observaHe not only refuses his time and his exam- tion, and of course to censure. As he is ple to scenes of luxury and dissipation; his more observed by others, he more carefully superfluous wealth has also a higher destina- observes himself. He watches his own faults tion; he must not however, be expected to with the same vigilance with which worldly aim at a primitive frugality, many of the men watch the faults of others, and for the superfluities of life having in some measure, same reason, that he may turn them to his become classed among its necessaries. The own profit; the more he is surrounded with spirit of a Christian can never be a penuri- temptations, the more he is driven to feel his ous spirit. His habits of living will be want of divine protection. If his talents or proportioned to his rank and fortune, ta- exertions are flattered, he flies more earnestking, however, the average expenditure of ly to his direction, 'from whom cometh every many of the more discreet. He will never, good and perfect gift.' We appeal to the pieven on religious grounds, by the example ous reader, whether he does not frequently of parsimony, furnish the sordid with a pre-feel more circumspect and less confident in tence for accumulation. society from which he fears deterioration, He has another powerful motive for avoi- than in that on which he depends for imding extravagance. He knows that a well provement; whether he does not feel a sort regulated economy is the only infallible of perilous security in company, in which an source of independence. He will not there-expansion of heart lessens his self-distrust; fore, lavish in idle splendour a fortune, that and whether he has never, by leaning on the he may be driven to recruit by sacrifices, friend, looked less to Him without whom which by robbing him of his freedom, will nothing is strong, nothing is holy.' diminish his virtue. He thinks that what Tacitus has said of a public exchequer is not less true of a private purse, that what is exhausted by profligacy, must be repaid by rapacity. This incommodious rectitude will expose him to the dislike of less correct men; for, after all that has been urged

If in debate he is sometimes accused of showing too much warmth in defence of religion, while its opponent, by his superior caimness, establishes his own character for moderation and good temper, it is because it costs the latter little to manifest a coolness which is the natural effect of indifference.

conflicts which awaited, the dangers which threatened, and the deaths which met them; but the single promise I will be with you, was to them strength, and light, and life. The Christian militant, though called to a milder warfare, has the same reiterated assurance; I will be with you always even to

CHAP. XXV.
Candidus.

The man who plays for nothing needs not be moved whatever turn the game may take; while he, whose dearest interests are at stake, will not easily hide the emotion which he cannot but feel. When king Solomon decreed, as a test of affection, that the living child should be cut in pieces, the pretended mother calmly submitted to the decision.- the end of the world. She had nothing to lose. Her hope was dead. She would enjoy seeing her competitor reduced to her own desolate state; while the real mother, who had a vital interest in the object to be sacrificed, was tortured at the proposal. The genuineness of CANDIDUS is a genuine son of the Refor the feeling betrayed the reality of the rela-mation; but being a layman, he does not tion. think it necessary to define his faith so conThe Christian, circumstanced as we have stantly as some others do, by an incessant described him, hardly dares wish for an un-reference to the Liturgy, Articles, and interrupted smooth and prosperous course; Homilies; though this reference would acfor, though he endeavours to sit loose to the curately express his sentiments: but, he world, every severe disappointment or privation makes him feel that he still clings too fondly for it; every trial and every loss, therefore, make him relax something of the firmness of his grasp.

observes, that it is become a kind of party standard equally erected by each side in intended opposition to the other, so that the equivocal ensign would not determine to which he belongs. He gives, however, the most indisputable proof of his zeal for these formularies, by the invariable conformity of his life and language to their principles.

Is your Christian, then, perfect, you will perhaps ask? Ask himself. With deep and sincere self-abasement he will answer in the negative. He will not only confess more From the warmth of his feelings, and the failings than even his accusers ascribe to strength of his attachment to the church him, but he will own what they do not al- which fostered him, Candidus was once in ways charge him with-sins. He will ac- no little danger of becoming a vehement knowledge that there is no natural differ-party-man; he was, however, cured by a ence between himself and his censurer, but that, through divine grace, the one prays and struggles against those corruptions, the very existence of which the other does not suspect.

certain reluctance he found in his heart to undertake to hate half the world, which he found must be a necessary consequence.Observation soon taught him, that Chris-tians would be far more likely to escape the The peace of the confirmed Christian lies attacks of unbelievers, if they could be not at the mercy of events. As on the agi- brought to agree among themselves; but he tated ocean, storms and tempests never di- saw with regret, that religion, instead of vert the faithful needle from its invariable being considered as a common cause, was object, so the distractions of the world shake split into factions, so that the general intenot his confidence in Him who governs it. rest was neglected, not to say, in some inHe remembers that these winds and waves stances, nearly betrayed. And while the are still bearing him onward to his haven, liege subjects of the same sovereign are carwhile on the stormy passage, they enable rying on civil war for petty objects and inhim to exhibit a trying but a constant evi- considerable spots of ground, that strength, dence that God may be honoured in all, which should have been concentrated for even in the most unpromising situations. the general defence, is spent in mutual skirEven in the worst condition, a real Chris-mishes, and mischievous though unimportian is sure of the presence of his Maker, tant hostilities; and that veneration of not only of his essential presence, which he course forfeited, with which even the achas in common with all, but the presence of knowledged enemy would have been comhis grace; not only the sense of his being, pelled to behold an united Church. but the support of his promise. God never Candidus is, however, firm in his attachappoints his servants to a difficult station, ments, though not exacting in his requisibut he gives them the assurance of assistance tions; catholic, but not latitudinarian; tolein it, and of support under it. The solemn rant, not from indifference, but principle. injunction, Be strong and work,' thrice re- He contemplates, with admiration, the venepeated by the prophet, to reprove the dila-rable fabric under whose shelter he is protory builders of the second temple, was ef- tected. He adheres to it, not so much from fectually enforced by the animating promise which followed it; I will be with you. When the disciples were sent forth by their divine Master to the grandest, but most perilous task, to which embassadors were ever appointed, they must have sunk under the

habit as affection. His adherence is the effect of conviction, otherwise his tenacity might be prejudice. It is founded in education, strengthened by reflection, and confirmed by experience. But though he contemplates our ecclesiastical institutions with

filial reverence himself, he allows for the only solicitous to deserve. He evinces his effect of education, habit and conscience in own affection by his zeal in defending her others, who do not view them with his eyes. cause when attacked, by his prudence in He is sorry for those who refuse to enter in- never causelessly provoking the attack. to her portal; he is more sorry for those who Anxious that the walls of the sacred temple depart out of it, but far more concerned is should be impregnable, he is still more anxhe, for those who remain within her pale, ious that the fires of her altars should burn with a temper hostile to her interests, with with undecaying brightness; and that while principles foreign to her genius, with a con- her guardians are properly watching over duct unsanctified by her spirit. the security of the one, the flame of the other Like a true lover, he delights not to expa-be not extinguished. He gives the most untiate on any imperfection she may have; but equivocal proof that he attends faithfully to he will not, like an absurd lover, insist on her doctrines, by never separating them from any imperfection as an excellence. Per- her precepts, while he endeavours to incorsuaded that a mole or a pimple is no material porate both into his practice; adorning them diminution of beauty, he will no more mag- by his example, recommending them in his nify them into a deformity than he will deny writings, and illustrating them in his convertheir existence. His mind is so occupied sation. with essential points, and so satisfied with If he produce little sensation among the their substantial worth, that he relinquishes intemperate, who exhibit their fidelity to the whatever is of no vital importance to those church by always representing her as on the microscopic eyes, which, being able to take very verge of destruction; yet he would, in only the diminutive, value themselves on were the danger present, go greater lengths the detection of specks, as a discovery of in her defence than some of her more declatheir own, though keener eyes had discover-matory champions; nay he does more now ed them long before, but slighted them as to avert her ruin, and they who seem to insignificant. Satisfied that it is the best of make her safety depend on their clamour. all the churches which exist, he never If he is not perpetually predicting open war, troubles himself to inquire if it is the best he is watchful against the hollow security of that is possible. In the church of England a false peace. The most difficult but not the he is contented with excellence, and is satis- least important part of his care, is not more fied to wait for perfection till he is admitted to vindicate her against avowed enemies, a member of the Church triumphant. than against friends at once vociferous and

Candidus made early the discovery of a supine. secret which Charles the Fifth did not dis- Candidus, though a good lover, is a bad cover, till by his ignorance of it, he had thin-hater, and it is this defect of hatred, which ned the human race-the incurable diversity with a certain class, brings his love into susof human opinions. This irremediable dif-picion. He has observed some who evince ference he turned to its only practical pur- their attachment by their virulence against pose, not the vain endeavour to convince what they disapprove, rather than by cultiothers, but the less hopeless aim of improving vating, in support of what is right, that spirit his own forbearance. He even doubted which is first pure, then peaceable,' and whether this disagrement, though a misfor-which, if it be not peaceable, is not pure.tune in the aggregate, was not even more These are more remarkable for their dread calculated to promote individual piety, than of external evils, than their solicitude for an uniformity which would not have called the promotion of internal piety. Their rethis feeling into exercise. ligion consists rather in repulsion than atThe more he examines Scripture (and he traction. On the other hand, it must be is habitually examining it,) the more he is observed, that Candidus has none of that persuaded that the principles of his church pliancy which, in this relaxed age, obtains are identically with the word of God; while in a different quarter, the praise of liberality he is enabled, by the same examination, to from those who, thinking one religion about drink more deeply into that spirit of love, as good as another, are of course tolerant of which warms his heart with kindness towards any, because indifferent to all. every conscientious Christian, who on some points thinks differently. His attachment is definite, but his charity knows no limits.

He has learned from the errors of two opposite parties, that fanaticism teaches men to despise religion, and bigotry to hate it. He He observes that the loudest clamour for knows that his candour is esteemed laxity the Establishment is not always raised by the by the prejudiced, and his firmness intolemost pious, nor the most affectionate of her rance by the irreligious. There is, however, disciples; he therefore does not rejoice when no ambiguity in his moderation; and he he sees her honoured name hoisted as a po- never, for the sake of popularity with either litical signal by those, who are careless of her party, leaves it doubtful on what ground he spiritual prosperity; and he sometimes finds takes his stand. Nor does he ever renounce no inconsiderable difference between those a right principle, because one party abuses who toast her, and those who study to pro-it, or another denies its existence; and mote her best interests; though the former while he deprecates the assumption of names obtain the reputation, which the others are by impostors, it does not alter his opinion of