ing, he was determined to form his opinions by the Bible alone. Now what think you brethren of that act?" [Both.] "Why we think the act was ungrateful and insultin, and the man must have bin a bigotted church fannyattic. But then there's no comparison between Wesley's works and this here eccentricity book." Mr. Thoughtful.-"That may be, yet there may be a certain peculiarity in it, which, though highly offensive to some people, may be very serviceable to others. Even ridicule is sometimes deserved, and properly applied, is very useful."

Grumpum.-"That I think is unpossible. How can it be useful, calling people Farrisees and delooshenists, and haddlepats, and sich like uprobrius names, I say it should be bunt.”

Mr. Thoughtful.-"Not so rash, brother. If you talk at this rate you will justify the design of the author, and illustrate the expediency of his satire and severities."

Snappum.-"Mabbee you sees fudder into things than we do."

Mr. Thoughtful.-"I do not pretend to any remarkable degree of foresight or penetration; but I wish to observe, that some books of a singularly original character, which have given me great offence on a first reading, have appeared in a very different light on a second and more sedate perusal. And I believe that most men, willing to have their errors or vices corrected, would rather be rebuked than

flattered; and it begins to be a very general opinion, that when a reader is excessively angry with a book, there is something seriously wrong, either in the book or in himself. For my own part, the writings of eccentric authors have much more frequently detected my faults, than I have detected theirs. speak from experience, and let others do the same."

I

Grumpum.-"All fudge!" I speak from experience also, and I say in this here case, the fault is in the author. None of his sarkisms touches my case. His book aught to be bunt by the ands of the common hangman, as sayin is, and he aught to be hexpelled by the younannymouse wote of all the churches. And I must say that I wunder at you, Sir, stikin yerself up as the adwocate of a feller like this ere." [Mr. Grumpum is in a great rage, goes out, and violently slams the door.]

Snappum.-"Well, now, aint that ere a bad sperret in Brother Grumpum? Did you see how he frothed at the mouth.?"

Mr. Thoughtful.-"It is a bad spirit, indeed! And I fear that something in this book, which he hates so violently, has after all touched his case.”

Snappum." Well, though I snaps abit at things sometimes, I trust I aint obstinate, but open to conviction, and I'll read on to the end, and then, perhaps, begin again, diwesting myself of all prejudice."

Mr. Thoughtful." That, brother, after all, is the best and most honourable plan. Good morning.". [The conversation ends.]

CHAPTER XXII.

DR. WHATELY-WEAK BRETHREN-DR. STILLINGFLEET.

DOCTOR Whately, Archbishop of Dublin, speaking of weak minded Christians, says, "Having been warned that ridicule is not the test of truth, and that wisdom and wit are not the same thing, they distrust every thing that possibly can be regarded as witty, not having judgment to perceive the combination, when it occurs, of wit and sound reasoning. The ivy wreath completely conceals from their view the point of the Thyrsus; and moreover if such a mode of argument be employed on serious subjects, the weak brethren are scandalized by what appears to them a profanation. But for the respect paid to holy writ, the taunt of Elijah against the prophets of Baal, and Isaiah's against those who bow down to the stock of a tree, would probably appear to such persons irreverent. And the caution now implied, will appear the more important when it is considered how large a majority they are who in this point, come under the description of weak brethren. He that can laugh at what is ludicrous, and at the same time preserve a clear discernment of sound and unsound reasoning, is no ordinary man. And, moreover, the resentment felt by those whose unsound doctrines, or sophistry, are fully exposed and held up

to contempt or ridicule; this they will often disguise from others, by representing the contempt or ridicule as directed against serious or sacred subjects, and not against their own absurdities, just as if those idolaters above alluded to, had represented the Prophets as ridiculing devotional feelings, and not merely the absurd direction of them to a log of wood. And such persons will often in this way exercise a powerful influence on those whose understanding is so cloudy, that they do not perceive against what the ridicule is directed, or who are too dull to understand it at all. For there are some persons so constituted as to be altogether incapable of even comprehending the plainest irony, though they have not in other points, any corresponding weakness of intellect." (Whately's Rhetoric, pp. 154-5.) I agree with the archbishop, in all this; and it is quite time that everybody should have sense enough to perceive the justness of his remarks. For certain it is, that while errors on this subject abound in the churches, every witty minister in those communities, where ignorance and rudeness are allowed to "take office," must make up his mind to be a living martyr to censoriousness. The way in which I have known some excellent ministers, having all the characteristics of Christian gentlemen,-treated, on account of occasional ebullitions of innocent wit, is an evidence that coarseness and barbarity yet adhere to the mental constitution and religious profession of some who think themselves saints. I have known such persons attack ministers

of long standing, highly respected and esteemed, with the tattle of their spurious piety, gravely charging them with little things, in which there has been not the slightest vestige of moral evil, as if they were crimes. Attacking them in official meetings, banding together like so many conspirators to lacerate their feelings and get rid of them, heedless of what becomes of them and their families. Every real fault or sin ought to be censured in ministers as well as people. But the "weak brethren," as we but too tenderly call them, don't look so much at real as imaginary sins, and this circumstance renders it a perilous affair to invest them with any amount of official power. Weak brethren are but too often strong enough to do irreparable mischief, and hence they make sensitive but true Christians stand in dread of them, as men stand in dread of snakes and vipers. When such weak brethren are teachable enough to receive instruction, and humble enough to acknowledge their errors and faults, I know of no Christian injured by their censoriousness who is not willing, heartily and joyously, to forgive them; but when they are with all their weakness, fierce and desperate, they forfeit all right and title to the character of Christians.

I have known sayings and actions most thoroughly and absolutely innocent, and even in accordance with New Testament precepts, so twisted by the misrepresentations of weak brethren, as to disturb the night's rest of the supposed delinquents, more or less