by the intemperance of the others, who were most of them ill the whole of the next day."

Mary. "Had they but practised a little moderation, they would have enjoyed the holiday more, and not have prevented the enjoyment of others; and Lord Corran's good-natured desire of giving pleasure to all would have been fulfilled."

After they had been silent a little while, Jane said, "How much happier we should all be, if we could always keep a restraint on ourselves! But it is very difficult when one has any unusual treat, and every body is very merry, to know how to enjoy oneself in moderation."

Bessy added: "I wish we never had any temptation to do wrong."

To this Mary replied: "If we were not sometimes tempted or tried, we should become over-confident. It is well to be aware of our infirmities, and never to think ourselves strong, for if we do we shall be sure to find our strength is but weakness. Well has St. Paul said, 'Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.'”1

11 Cor. x. 12.

CHAPTER V.

"God to redeem us, did not spare
His well-beloved Son;

Jesus to save us, deign'd to bear
The sins of all in one;

The Holy Spirit seal'd the plan,
And pledged the blood divine,
To ransom every soul of man;-
That price was paid for mine."

JAMES MONTGOMERY.

"O! MARY," said Bessy, "I am so glad you are working, for mother is just gone over the way to see Mrs. Wingfield, and Jane and I were thinking it would be so nice to have a chat with you. Here is Jane with her work."

Jane. "Let us talk a little about the second part of the Baptismal Vow, the articles of the Christian faith, which our godfathers and godmothers promised in our name we should believe."

Mary. "Miss Howard's little extract book will come in very usefully to-day, as there is a great deal in it about the Creeds."

Bessy. "Do you know why we use three different creeds in Church?"

Jane. "Not different creeds, Bessy. They must of course be all the same in fact, only differently expressed."

Mary. "You are right, Jane. All the creeds express the same belief. But circumstances required some parts of the Christian's faith to be enlarged upon, and that accounts for the three forms used in our Church. The first which is used in the daily form of prayer is the oldest, and is called the Apostles' Creed, because it contains all that was taught by the Apostles, though it was not actually drawn up by them. The Nicene Creed, which is read after the epistle and gospel, is so called, because it was drawn up at a town in Italy, named Nice, in the fourth century."

Jane. "What was the reason for its being drawn up? You said that circumstances required the creed to be written.'

Mary. "In Miss Howard's little note-book she has put down that heresies-that means, false doctrines-sprang up in the Church in the third and fourth centuries. One priest, by name Arius, taught that Christ was only man, not God. He was summoned by a council of bishops and priests at Nice to declare his opinions. His doctrines were condemned; and this council drew up the Nicene Creed, which expresses more fully and more impressively than the Apostles' Creed, our belief in our Saviour's

E

divinity, as 'the only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made: Who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from Heaven.' Then another heresy arose in the same century with regard to the Holy Ghost, which occasioned that part of the Nicene Creed to be written, 'I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; Who, with the Father and the Son together, is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the prophets.' The Apostles' Creed simply states the truth; the Nicene Creed explains it."

Jane. "The creed which is the most difficult to understand is that long one, only used occasionally, the clergyman and congregation repeating the sentences alternately."

Mary.

"You mean the Athanasian Creed. It is supposed to have been compiled from the writings of Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, who had been very zealous in the support of the Christian faith at the time Arius introduced his erroneous doctrines; the creed is therefore called his, though not actually drawn up by him. It is believed to have been first used in England about the year 800. Luther, the great reformer of our religion, or rather of the abuses which had crept into the profession of the Christian religion, has called this creed 'the bulwark' (that is the support and defence) of the Apostles' Creed."

Bessy. "Do you understand this creed of Athanasius, Mary?"

Mary. "I can understand that its object is to assert the belief in the Holy Trinity; and though the subject of the Trinity is beyond my comprehension, I know it is taught in the holy Scriptures, and by faith I can and do believe it, for 'faith is the evidence of things not seen.' But the Trinity is not, after all, a more incomprehensible doctrine than the fact of the creation of the world. Our own existence is a mystery. God has placed limits to the understanding of man, and now we know in part,' now we see through a glass darkly; but the time will come when we shall see 'face to face,' when we shall know even as' we are known.'3 In the mean time, we must wait with patience and faith, nothing doubting. To some God has given greater knowledge, greater power of reasoning, than to others. Those good men who have devoted their time and much labour, and applied the advantages of education as well as natural talents, to the study of divine subjects, must have more understanding in religious matters than we possess ; but it is no reason for us to doubt, because we cannot attain unto their knowledge. When reason fails, faith strengthens and enlightens the really humble, who are willing to be taught, not depending on their own weak intellect. We believe that all scripture is given by inspiration of God ;' and as a necessary

1 Heb. xi. 1.
3 1 Cor. xiii. 12.

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2 1 Cor. xiii. 9.

4 2 Tim. iii. 16.