M. I should reply, there was a defect of benevolence, which requires that the good of every individual should be sought.

R. That is what you do not know, and can never. prove. You admit that infinite benevolence is consistent with some suf. fering; and it may be consistent with perpetual suffering; if unerring Wisdom should see, that greater good would thus be produced. Will you, who cannot see the necessity or propriety of partial suffering, pretend to measure the wisdom of God, and boldly declare that the appoint ment of endless punishment may not the most effectually subserve the purposes of benevolence ? Can you travel over the whole kingdom of God, in the regions

of unbounded space, and discern all the relations of created beings, all the possible effects of the punishment of the wicked in illustrating the justice of the Most High, and in displaying his benignity to the righteous?

M. But my reason cannot admit the horrible doctrine you believe.

R. Your reason and my rea. son, are but as the drop of the bucket in comparison with the wisdom of God. We know nothing but what he permits us to know. What he teaches us in his word must be true-his declarations are the strongest reasons in the world for the truth of any doctrine.

M.

Bring forward then the passages on which you rely. (To be continued.)

PAMPHILUS was born at Berytus about the year 294. Having made some progress in literature in his native city, he went to Alexandria to complete his studies; from thence he removed to Cæsarea where he resided the greatest part of his life, which of consequence was the principal witness of his glorious career. He had not dwelt long at Cæsa rea before his piety and christian virtues shone so vigorously, as to lead the church of that place to elect him one of its presbyters. Here it was that he formed that intimate friendship with Eusebius, the Ecclesiastical Historian,

Cæsarea; and besides I have met,' adds he, with twenty-five volumes of Origen's Commentaries upon the Prophets, in his own hand-writing, which I value and keep as though I had the riches of Croesus.' The same writer quotes Eusebius, as saying That Pamphilus diligently read the works of the ancient authors, and continually meditated upon them.'

The Cæsarian Library, which Jerome takes notice of, was founded by Pamphilus himself. Isidore, of Seville, informs us that it contained no less than 30,000 volumes. By this information we are at once taught that Pamphilus must have possessed vast pecuniary resources, and an ambition to consecrate them entirely to the welfare of the disciples of the Redeemer ; for we have full authority to af firm, that this collection of books was made merely for the use of the church; and to lend to those who were desirous of being instructed in the grand prin. ciples of christianity. And this is, as Dr. A. Clark observes, the first notice we have of a circulating library being established.' Nor was the benevolent and philanthropic spirit of this eminent man to be less admired. His hand was always open for the relief of the necessitous, and his heart ever ready to sympathize with the misera. ble.

If he saw any embarrassed in their temporal affairs, he gave bountifully of his substance to relieve them. He devoted a con. siderable portion of his property to these charitable purposes, and lived himself in the most abstemious manner, to render his ability the greater. One of the

monuments of his benevolence was the school which he established at Cæsarea, for the free education of youth. No materials remain to enable us to give the plan, or state the success of this academy; but, that there was a considerable one formed by his generosity, is attested by the united authorities of Cave, Fabius, and Tillemont.

But the most prominent fea. ture in the character of Pamphilus, doubtless, was his strong attachment to the oracles of God,' and his earnest endeavors to propagate them. In the accomplishment of this noble design all the energies of his mind were united, and his labors were in. defatigable. 'He not only lent out,' says Eusebius, 6 copies of the sacred Scriptures to be read, but cheerfully gave them to be kept by those whom he found disposed to read them: for which reason he took care to have by him many copies of the Scriptures (some of which were transcribed with his own hand) that when there should be occa sion, he might furnish those who were willing to make use of them.' Such was the employment, and such were the delights of this amiable man! Is it not to be wished that many who possess, perhaps, as great an ability for action were aiming at as grand an object as Pamphilus ? But another fact, illustrative of this part of his character, is too notorious to be passed over, through his having published, by the assistance of Eusebius, a correct edition of the Septuagint from Origen's Hexapla. Undoubtedly, this was of peculiar advantage to the church of Christ; the benefit of Origen's

immense labor was rendered more extensive; and if this edition was not the first separate one, it was certainly the most exact. This was called the Palestine edition; and was in general use from Antioch to Egypt, as that of Lucian was from Antioch to Constantinople, and that of Hesychius in Egypt.

But a character so active in the divine cause of christianity, and likely to do so much injury to pagan superstition, could not expect to pass through the world free from persecution. 'A city set upon a hill cannot be hid.' A glow-worm may be seen but by few; but a star is exposed to the sight of all. But although Pamphilus must have been well aware of the dangers to which his exertions exposed him in such a period of severe persecution, yet the intrepidity of his mind, and the goodness of his cause, taught him to brave all opposition, and to relinquish his usefulness only with his life! He was frequently brought before the civil tribunal, and as frequent ly he witnessed a good confes. sion.' On these occasions the eminency of his station, and the purity of his character, proved a temporary refuge: but at length he was brought before Urbanus, who having first made,' says Eusebius, trial of his knowl. edge by divers questions of rhetoric and philosophy, as well as polite literature, required him to sacrifice. When he saw that Pamphilus refused to obey his orders, and despised all his threatenings, he commanded that he should be tortured in the severest manner. When he had again and again torn his sides with his tormenting irons, the

cruel wretch being, as it were, satiated with his flesh, though he had gained nothing but vexation and dishonor, ordered him to confinement in prison.' After having lain in this dungeon for a year and some months, he was called to receive the crown of martyrdom, and thus to seal by his death those truths which it had been his chief concern to to propagate by his life.

How many pleasing reflections does the contemplation of such a character afford us!

1. How vastly superior is christianity to paganism, and to all other systems! Have we often beheld its high supremacy in point of theory, here we may behold its infinite superiority in point of influence! In Pamphilus we see an individual consecrating all his property for the relief of the necessities of the poor; exerting all the powers of his mind in removing the mental darkness of mankind, and promoting their best inter. ests; disregarding all the honors of the world, and relinquishing every thing which was counter to his benevolent purpose; all this he did from the purest of motives, and without noise and ostentation; and at last he cheer. fully resigned his life rather than disown those principles by which he had been hitherto conducted. Christianity defies heathenism to give such an instance of pure

benevolence.

2. What an excitement should such an example be to modern christians! Did Pamphilus manifest an unconquerable attachment to the Holy Scriptures? Did he act so extensively for truth, and effect so much good in opposition to all the difficul.

ties which then presented them selves? Was he "steady to his purpose," under all the opposition he had to cope with? Did he devote all he possessed to the service of so glorious an interest ?—and shall not we "go and do likewise ?" Shall we be content by merely admiring his conduct without treading in his steps? If this great man did so much in Cæsarea, under the many disadvantages of that age, what might he have done in Britain, now that the art of printing has afforded its wonderful facilities in the diffusion of the gospel. Director of all hearts! God of thy saints in all ages! grant us the favor which thou hast always borne towards thy people! Give us attachment to thy truth, zeal for thy glory, liberality in thy cause, and com. passion for the miseries of man, that this Pamphilus, being dead may yet live! Evan. Mag.

And

the perfection of the sacred canon, it has been said, that there are other gospels and epistles equally authentic, and urging the same claim to inspiration with those generally received. And why receive the one, and reject the other? or why receive any of them as divine, or reject any of them as apocryphal, when there is so much uncertainty, and no paramount authority to decide on this great question? This is a comparatively recent objection to christianity, and would have been urged with no hope of perplexing the first christians. "The signs of an apostle" were wrought by St. Paul, and no doubt the other apostles, so that those writings which are truly inspired, were pointed out as by the finger of God, as the evangelists and apostles were enabled to produce these "signs," so the first christians were qualified to examine, to approve, or to reject them when produced. We have the best reason for believing, therefore, that the canon of Scripture is neither incomplete, nor was formed in an arbitrary manner. And it may assure the minds of some, to be informed, that there is no trace of one apocryphal writing for the first hundred years after the commencement of the christian era. Nor is there any history of Christ, or of christianity, claiming to be written by an apostle, or by any of our Lord's disciples, other than the four gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles contained in our common versions of the Scriptures, quoted or referred to by any writer whose works have come down to our time, or are known to have existed during

the three first centuries in which christianity was propagated; one such writing alone excepted, namely, The gospel according the Hebrews, ascribed to St. Matthew. This gospel, however, during the above period, is only thrice referred to, viz. once by Clement, and twice by Origen; and Origen refers to it on both occasions, with marks of discredit.

What a precious, living treasure is the scriptures! And, blessed be God, in spite of the daring, impious, and unfeeling endeavors of infidels to rob us of this invaluable treasure, Providence hath graciously watched over, and preserved it to us. The lively oracles of divine truth have been transmitted to us through a long succession of ages unadulterated and entire; and though the enemies of christianity cavil, yet the authors, who lived in the apostolic age, and in the age immediately succeeding it, and who consequent ly enjoyed the best possible means of ascertaining what writ. ings were genuine, and what were spurious, have either not referred to any such apocryphal writings, or have drawn a broad line of distinction between them, and those which have been gen. erally received as inspired.

ILLUSTRATION OF JONAH IV. 8.

is well illustrated in the ingen. ious Mr. Campbell's Travels, page 130.

It was early in the evening when the pointed turrets of the city of Mosul opened on our view, and communicated no very un. pleasant sensations to my heart, I found myself on Scripture. ground, and could not help feel. ing some portion of the pride of the traveller, when I reflected that I was now within sight of Nineveh, renowned in holy writ. The city is seated in a very barren, sandy plain, on the banks of the river Tigris. The external view of the town is much in its favor, being encompassed with stately walls of solid stone, over which the steeples or minarets of other lofty buildings are seen with increased effect. Here I first saw a caravan encamped, halting on its march from the Gulf of Persia to Armenia; and it certainly made a most noble appearance, filling the eye with a multitude of grand objects, all uniting to form one magnificent whole. But, though the outside be so beautiful, the inside is most detestable. The heat is so intense, that, in the middle of the day, there is no stiring out; and, ev en at night, the walls of the hous. es are so heated by the day's

sun,

but