This argument is prominently employed by James Craigie Robertson, moderate Anglican: History of the Christian Church to Gregory the Great. London, 1854, page 334. “On the subject of miracles," says he, "there is a remarkable inconsistency in the statements of writers belonging to the end of the fourth and beginning of the fifth centuries. St. Chrysostom speaks of it as a notorious and long-settled fact that miracles had ceased." (v. Newman, in Fleury, vol. i, p. 39.) Yet at that very time, St. Martin, St. Ambrose, and the monks of Egypt and the East are said to have been in full thaumaturgical activity; and Sozomen (VIII. 5) tells a story of a change of the eucharistic bread into a stone as having happened at Constantinople while Chrysostom himself was bishop. So, again, St. Augustine says that miracles, such as those of Scripture, were no longer done, yet he immediately goes on to reckon up a number of miracles which had lately taken place, apparently without exciting much sensation, and among them seventy formally attested ones, wrought at Hippo alone, within two years, by the relics of St. Stephen. (De Civit. Dei, XXII, 8, 1, 20.) "On the whole, while I would not deny that miracles may have been wrought after the times of the apostles and their associates, I can find very little satisfaction in the particular instances which are given."

We must, moreover, remember that the rejection of the Nicene miracles by no means justifies the inference of intentional deception in every case, nor destroys the claim of the great Church teachers to our respect. On the contrary, between the proper miracle and fraud there lie many intermediate steps of self-deception, clairvoyance, magnetic phenomena and cures, and unusual states of the human soul, which is full of deep mysteries, and stands nearer the invisible spirit-world than the every-day mind of the multitude suspects. Constantine's vision of the cross, for example, may be traced to a prophetic dream, and the frustration of the building of the Jewish temple under Julian, to a special providence, or an historical judgment of God. The mytho-poetic faculty, too, which freely and unceremoniously produces miracles among children, may have been at work among credulous monks in the dreary deserts, and magnified an ordinary event into a miracle. In judging of this obscure portion of the

history of the Church, we must in general guard ourselves as well against shallow naturalism and skepticism, as againet superstitious mysticism, remembering that "there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy."

ART. IV.-CHILDHOOD CONVERSION.

ON no subject do the Holy Scriptures more clearly indicate the duty of parents and the Church than in reference to the religious education and culture of little children. Never did our Lord and his apostles speak more explicitly nor more tenderly than in reference to them, their relation to the kingdom of heaven, the pleasure of God respecting their early 'training, and our duty to provide for and secure their religious and spiritual welfare. "Take heed," says our Lord, "that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven." "All thy children," says Isaiah, "shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children." "Parents," writes St. Paul, "bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

These injunctions accord with the evident indications of the will of God wherever and whenever he has spoken on this subject. To the young, God says, "My son, give me thy heart." "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." "Those that seek me early shall find me." To parents and guardians he says, "Train up a child in the way he should go"-catechise a child at the opening of the way he should go-" and when he is old he will not depart from it." This is the rule; to it there may be exceptions: "These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children." The impartation of heart-truths will be in affection and in earnest.

The covenant relation of children to the kingdom of heaven, to the Church and her visible ordinances, is beautifully enunciated by the Saviour: "Of such is the kingdom of heaven;" and by St. Peter: "Be baptized every one of yon in

the name of Jesus Christ; for the promise is unto you and to your children." In reference to "little ones" of such tender age as to be brought to him, our Lord openly and personally manifested such attentions and taught such lessons as gave his disciples to understand that even they themselves, mature, chosen, and daily subject to his instructions, must become, would they enter the kingdom of heaven, like the little child then placed in their midst. And then, encouraging all parents to bring their little ones to him, he took into his arms those brought to him, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Referring to the tender care of a shepherd for each and all his flock, by going even to the mountains for one estrayed, he adds, "Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."

You see, therefore, that our subject possesses the full share. of importance that we attach to topics of more frequent discussion and more earnest efforts.

Our first thought is, Children are in danger of perishing. By this, however, is not meant that such as die in early and irresponsible childhood, before they reach the condition of actual sin, shall perish. No, no. I do not believe with a certain divine of my acquaintance that, as young rattlesnakes possess the deadly poison of their progenitors, and may therefore be innocently killed, even before they have done harm, so little and harmless children deserve damnation, and are saved if any and at all, only because of their special election in and through the lineal election of their believing parents. Not only are they among the redeemed, but they all both belong to and are of the kingdom of heaven. They possess the character requisite to enter the kingdom. Few truths are more clearly taught in the divine Scriptures than that little children, in virtue of the atonement, sustain a justified relation to God. "The free gift has come upon all men unto justification of life." "For as by one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall the many be made righteous."

Let it be noted also that if those in maturity become, on their conversion, as little children, and, through a personal faith in the atonement, sustain a similar relation to God and

his Church, then children themselves, dying in this relation and state, are saved without personal faith. They are in no danger of perishing.

Neither do I mean that, growing up to responsibility, children may pursue such a course of life and form such a character as will lead to spiritual ruin. This is abundantly evident and universally conceded. The Bible teaches it. The history of man confirms it.

I mean rather that little children, because of the neglect and evil example of parents and guardians, and the omissions. of the Church, may be left to receive those impressions, take in those ideas, and form those habits that will lead them early to sin, will develop and strengthen a perverse character, and end in the perdition of ungodly men. Beginning in childhood, they may receive such influences and instructions, may embrace such principles, as will lead them to looseness of thought and habits, and then to vice and ruin. This is the probable result if we permit them, under the force of their keenly watchful, impulsive, and curiously inquisitive minds, to select for themselves, to take their own course; or, if careless of their early amusements, attachments, associations, and habits, because we judge that early impressions, new and forceful, are soon lost, or are modified for the better, we wrongly think they will soon outgrow the errors of childhood; or, again, that their early biases to evil will not greatly influence their future character or habits. It is a remark of Lord Brougham, that children learn more the first eighteen months than during the same length of time in any subsequent period of life, because they then receive the germs of thought and feeling. Then mind is more impressible, memory more tenacious, and the heart, like spring-flowers, is more fully open to surrounding influences. Evil habits then formed, or impressions then received, are not easily outgrown or corrected. The future of life, during which we may delusively hope for their reform, takes on the character of all the more prominent and forceful biases of neglected and badly-educated childhood. As a channel, opened in the surface sand by the stick of a sportive boy, directs the course of a rivulet, so the increasing stream and river run on.

"Just as the twig is bent the tree inclines."

FOURTH SERIES, VOL. XVIII.-34

The course of early maturing childhood may terminate in ruin.

2. Now it may be asked, Why is it that children, unless carefully guarded, wisely educated, and religiously nurtured, are in danger of perishing? The answer is: Because of the moral disease that in a latent state-only now and then in early childhood developing clearly discernible, at least, noticeable symptoms-infects the soul; a disease that is aggravated by parental indifference and wrong, sometimes by gleeful encouragement, (as if innocent,) and by contact with a vain, proud, wicked world. I mean what is called "original sin," "depravity," "the corruption naturally engendered of fallen Adam." Even in the justified and sinless relation of childhood, there is in embryo, and ready to take root, a seed of death. But it may be counteracted and overcome. The youngest children are redeemed and justified. Thus early "a portion of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." Deep within the human soul is an embryo of life. Its gracious unfoldings, belonging to the economy of grace, are favorable to its development; and by care on our part in their application they may be made more so. Though the good and the evil, of which we speak, struggle early and long for an ascendency, yet at and in regeneration the germ of life shoots forth, and, under the showers of grace and the light of truth, grows into new and stronger vigor.

But this abnormal state of the soul, these inclinings to evil, may, either from neglect or by evil teaching, be aggravated and increased. Evil influences, of whatever force and power, may be early felt. Unfavorable habits may be early formed. Sinful associations and alliances may be early entered into. With all, and however young, there is a predisposition to evil that in early life may and should be counteracted and overcome. So strong is this tendency to evil, this proclivity to sin, or what may eventuate in sin, that, could we withdraw an infant child from all external evil influences, whether of example or of precept, so that it would be wholly and absolutely by itself, it would be evil in its tendencies, and in due time would show forth traits of depravity and an aptitude to sin rather than to holiness. This, however, is not because of the original and abstract nature of the soul, nor for the want