become a Presbyterian minister, and, indeed, could not, without binding himself to profess what he did not then believe and in all probability never should believe, and begging permission to return home and take some other calling. My old master, you know, was never remarkable for his sweetness and amiability, and the recent affliction he suffered in the loss of his wife had rendered him doubly sour and morose. His wrath was terrible. His son had disappointed him, disgraced him, and he replied to him, that, unless he continued at the seminary and returned to his original faith and resolution, he was henceforth no son of his, and must seek a home, father, and friends where he could find them. John, knowing explanation or expostulation would be vain, took the only alternative left him, and suffered himself to be exiled from his home. James, the younger brother, who in many respects resembled his father, remained at the seminary and completed his course.

John withdrew to a distant part of the country, assumed his mother's name, and supported himself for three or four years by teaching at an academy. While teaching he contrived to study law, in the practice of which he subsequently engaged, distinguished himself, and, in a few years, amassed a fortune adequate to his simple wants and tastes. Having done this, he retired from business and went abroad. James, on completing his course, was licensed to preach, and in a few months was called and ordained to the pastoral charge of a wealthy and influential congregation in one of our principal Atlantic cities, and was soon known and esteemed as one of the leading ministers of his denomination. About a year after his settlement, his father died and left him the bulk of his estate, which was considerable; and a year later he married the beautiful and accomplished daughter and heiress of his richest parishioner, who brought him. a still more ample fortune, and became the mother of five children, two sons and three daughters. Every thing prospered with him, and he had all that heart could wish. But, after a while, the tide of prosperity began to ebb; death visited his home, and his children, one by one, all, save the youngest, who was deformed, sickly, and partially idiotic, were taken from him, and at length his wife followed them. He bore up with stoical fortitude against these repeated blows, but he felt them,-was forced to reflect on the certainty of death, the uncertainty of life, and the perishable nature of all earthly goods, more seriously than he had ever

done before, and to some extent his heart was softened and his spirit bowed.

Time had hardly worn off the wire-edge of his grief and begun to heal the wound in his heart, when he was surprised by a letter from his brother, whom he had neither seen nor heard from for nearly thirty years. The letter offered him such sympathy and consolation as befitted the occasion, and brought him the intelligence that its writer was about to revisit his native land, and, following the yearnings of his heart, would hasten to embrace the brother he had never for a moment forgotten, or ceased to love. James received the letter with mixed emotions, but upon. the whole without displeasure, and looked forward even with interest to his brother's return. In a few weeks after sending his letter, John embarked, and, favored with a short and pleasant voyage across the Atlantic, landed in the city in which James was settled, and without delay drove with his baggage to his brother's residence. The brothers met; but so altered in appearance was each, that it was with difficulty that either could recognize his brother in the other. The meeting was frank and cordial on the part of the elder, and less cold and restrained on the part of the younger than could have been expected from his general character. Perhaps he had recently had some compunctious visitings of conscience for having so long forgotten even to think of one he was bound by the ties of nature to love; perhaps he had a vein of tenderness in his nature which had not hitherto been observed, and that early seenes and early recollections revived, and for the moment half subdued, the sectarian and minister. But be this as it may, he was not displeased to meet his brother. They were soon seated in a well-furnished apartment, engaged in free and familiar conversation. They recalled their boyish days and boyish frolics, spoke of their college life and college companions, and finally of their mother and her lamented death. The tone of both was subdued, and they turned their conversation upon death, sin, redemption, the resurrection, and immortal life. While speaking on these awful and sublime topics, John referred to the change which early came over him with regard to his religious views, and stated that he was, and for years had been, a member of the Roman Catholic Church. This was unexpected as well as unwelcome news to James. If his brother had told him that he had become a Socinian or even an unbeliever, he would not

have been surprised, and could have borne it; but to be told that he, the principal mover of the Protestant league for the conversion of the pope and the overthrow of popery, had himself a brother who had turned Papist, was more than he could bear. He was thunderstruck, and seemed for some minutes as one bereft of thought and sense. Never had he been known to be so overcome. At length, he partially recovered, and said to his brother," Mr. Milwood, your room is ready; I must wrestle with God in prayer for you before I can speak to you again." John bade him good night, and quietly retired to his room. was already late in the evening, and, offering a prayer for his brother, another for the repose of the soul of his mother, and commending himself to his heavenly Father and the protection of our Lady and all the saints, he composed himself, with a subdued but serene mind, to rest.

CHAPTER II.

It

THE brothers met again in the morning in the breakfastparlor. James was exteriorly composed, and greeted his brother in his blandest tone; but a careful observer would have suspected that he intended to play the part of the civil and courteous host, rather than that of the warm and affectionate brother. Breakfast passed pretty much in silence. John was disposed to wait the motions of his brother, and James was undecided whether to broach the Catholic question or not. But he could not converse freely with his brother on indifferent matters; he felt that sooner or later he must discuss the question, and perhaps the sooner the better. Revolving the matter for some time in his mind, he at length, throwing aside the morning paper he had been pretending to read, broke the silence by remarking to his brother:

"So it seems the result has been that you have turned Papist?"

"I am a Catholic," replied John, with a slight emphasis on the last word, intended as a quiet rebuke to his brother for employing a nickname.

"It is strange! What in the world could have induced the son of a Presbyterian father, piously brought up, well instructed in the Protestant religion, and not wanting in natural ability, to take a step so foolish, not to say so wicked?"

"Let me rather ask my brother why he is a Protestant?" "Why I am a Protestant?"

"Yes; I am much mistaken, or that is the harder question of the two to answer."

"I am a Protestant because the Romish Church is corrupt, the Mystery of Iniquity, the Man of Sin, Antichrist, the Whore of Babylon, drunk with the blood of the saints, a cage of unclean birds, cruel, oppressive, tyrannical, superstitious, idolatrous

"But you are simply telling me why you are not a Catholic; my question is, Why are you a Protestant?"

"Protestantism is a solemn protest against Rome, and my reasons for not being a Catholic are my reasons for being a Protestant."

"Jews, pagans, Mahometans, deists, atheists, protest as earnestly as you do against Rome; are they therefore Protestants?"

"Protestantism is, indeed, a protest against Rome; but it is also a positive religion."

"Unaffected by supposing the Catholic Church to have never been or to have ceased to be?"

"Yes; Protestantism is independent of Romanism."

"A Protestant is one who embraces Protestantism in this independent, positive sense?"

"Yes, if we speak properly."

"Before telling me why you are a Protestant, it will be necessary to tell what, in this sense, Protestantism is." "It is the religion of the Bible;-the Bible is the religion of Protestants."

"And the religion of the Bible is- ?"

"The truths revealed in the Bible."

"And these are- -?"

"The great evangelical doctrines asserted by the reform

ers against the false and corrupt doctrines of Rome, and which we commonly call the doctrines of grace."

"These doctrines are Protestantism?"

"They are."

"So Protestantism is the religion of the Bible, and the religion of the Bible is Protestantism!"

Protes

"There is nothing absurd or ridiculous in that. tantism, Sir, is the religion of the Bible, of the whole Bible, the Bible alone,-that precious gift of God to man,-the word of God, the charter of our liberties, the source of redemption, the ground of the Christian's hope, carrying light

and life, the blessings of truth, freedom, and civilization, wherever it goes; and which you Papists, with characteristic cunning, lock up from the people, because you know full well, that, were they once to read it for themselves, they would make short work with the pope and his minions, break their covenant with death and hell, and put an end to their blasphemies, idolatries, and oppressions."

"I suspect, brother, you have accommodated that from the speech you made at the last anniversary of the American Bible Society. It may do very well to address to the mob that collects on 'anniversary week'; but can you not give me a clear, distinct, and precise statement of what Protestantism really is?"

"Protestantism is the great truth asserted by the reformers against Rome, that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments contain all things necessary to salvation, and that they are the sole and sufficient rule of faith and practice.

"If I believe the Scriptures are sufficient, and are the sole rule of faith and practice, do I believe the whole of Protestantism?"

"No; you must also believe the word of God as contained in the Scriptures."

"And this word consists of certain credenda or propositions to be believed?"

"It does; and these may all be summed up in the text, -Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'"

"To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is to believe?" "The truths he has revealed, whether of himself, or other things."

"These truths are- ?"

"The great evangelical doctrines asserted by the reformers."

"That is, they are Protestantism. Therefore, Protestantism is-Protestantism! But can you not be a little more particular, and tell me what these truths or doctrines are?" "You will find an excellent summary of them in the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms."

"That is, they are Presbyterianism? Protestantism, then, is Presbyterianism."

"What else, from my profession as a Presbyterian minister, should you infer to be my belief?"