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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^t*i^ m •^' -i^^^r-r?. ■ p\ rn VH KTS ./ >» *)* THK iM'A.MJIJimt OF THE CIIIUOT: . U'lTii isPKciAL hkfk){i:x(:k TO 'J' UK ('ItKKD OF I'OPE PIUS /V. in- Tin; J. UKV. KDMl'NI) MATIUIN, A. M. Ai:rH<.u ....• "Till.: , ,.A>MN oi- ',,„,; ,An.<„.,c cu. a, „,■• a,c. " IJi'lovod, IH-Iicvo not every Ni.irit, l.ut tjv t!r npirii. wlictlKxthcvarc of firxl • Lcrause many lalse |.ropl;cts mv p.... .a.' m.i., ,l„. uorl'l' ' ' ^' St. John's 1st ICnstLK, iv. 1, HALIFAX, N. S. PKINTEl) BY J. I{. STI{()N(J, P.ooKSKIJ.LU. ki<;' iHlil. 'I- TIIOIGIITS, c^'c. rn liiKiJF arc two irroat principles Avhich it is tlic di.fv of every Christian to maintain, and to preserve, if p(,ssihle in perfect harmony with each other. One of th(>se principles IS the Unity of the Church, and the other is the 'i'ruth of the Gospel. The formcv relates to the external communioi ol the Aisihlc Church of Christ, and it is violated hy the act^ ot voluntary separation from the rell-ious society of Avnich Ave are memhers, which, m hen effected without a iust cause, constitutes the sin of schisn,. The latter relates to"the punty of the doctrines taught hy our Lord Jesus Chiist and ifis inspu-ed Apostles, which form the foundation of true lohgion, any departure from which is therefore an error, or when It IS an ohstir te denial of some fundamental truth, ^'.mounts to a heresy, ^ow the great pracdcul difficulty :s to i^concilc a cr^rtain class ol^ pnudp/rs uith a certain class of ./«//v;/.,s-that is, to iTconcile the perfect Unity and divine Infallibility of the Universal Church with the preservation of Scriptural and primitive Christianity in aU Its Evangelical purity, lioth ought certainly to be held together, if that be attainable ; but if not, the mae must give phxce to the other. ^Vc ask then, in that case, which of them IS to yield to the claims of the other? It is evident that if any visible clim-ch is guilty, in her <>; inal capacity, of teaching false doctrines, and requiring ^'^l ler members to believe ai,d profbss them, then thev are ^^0 longer bound to remain iu her communion, becaus^ the 5,/i in' J ■\'4 I m u. *:!i •' V:. :♦•.,• 'ther it is possihk' lor the visihU' Ohnreh even* to (h part from tearhinii; tlie tv\w faith of the (iospel to such an extent as to recpiire a reform- ation of her (h)etrines, and consc'cpicntly to justify the si>pa- ration of her memhers wlio are convinced of the necessity of such reformation, Avliih^ others refuse to acknowledi^e the errors of their cinirch. 'J"hc Chiu'ch of Komo niaiutalns that tlio I'niveisal \'isil)k^ Church of Cluist is preserved, by a special priviU\u;'e conferred npon her by Ahnit>hty (iod, from the jKissihi/iti/ <>/ error in all raatters of iaith; and, thercfor(\ that it can nevc^r l)e lawful for her members to leave her communion under any circinnstances, or to at- tempt any alteniiion in her established systeni of doctrine. This special privilei^e is known by the name of the ♦'Infal- libility of the ( "luu-ch." and it is believed to consist in the l>crpetual guidance of the Holy Spirit, directinir and con- trolling her in all Ikm- decisixms. The Church of liome further identifies licrscif Avith the Universal Church, and claims the privilege of Infallibility as her own i)eculiar pre- rogative ; for though it has never been formally iissertcd or defined in any of her public decrees, yet it is "virtually implied in all her proceedings, and strenuously held by all her Divines, as the very foundation of faith. It is attempted to prove this fundamental principle by certain arguments "vvhich appeal to the reason and judgment of mankind^ and having succeeded in establishing this position, it fol- lows that all the (Jorfrlncs' Avhich she teaches are divinely true, as resting upon the same ]>rincli)/c of infallible author- ity. She does not, indeed, encourai>'c an examination d each separate doctrine on independent grounds of incpairy, as such a process might lead to their rejection on acco^^r.t of their apparent opposition to Scripture or to primitive nnti(niity : but slu> iv^mhIs it as stiHlcicMit to diMnonstratc tliu <,^cn('ral principle" o^ her divine commission and authority, which virtually includes all lurtluu- d-tails of doctrine and jn-actice. And thus her whole reli^;ious system i^coutain'-d in a single comprehensive proposition, whi-h ass-rts ihat ouif Hlessed Lord has founded One, \ isihje, Infallible ( 'hurch on earth, which Jle eventually committ(>d to the s])iritual L'-ovenuncnt of St. Pet(-r and liis su(;eessors in the Sei' of ivome, and which is now cc nrouly lau^wn i)y l!ie namu of the llomau Catholic C'hurch. '1 lu^ wiiter of the followinpf pa_i,'e^ nuist confess, with (h^ep contrition and humiliation, that he was once deceived by the seductive claims of ihir. system ; and, being n solved to act in accordance wjAi ]>.[> cons -lentious convictions, he j')in{>d tlie communion of fue Churcli of limine, which ho beli(>ved to be (he ''One, Tloly, ( 'atholir, ami Apostolic Church" of (-'hrist; and in consonuenf'(> »i' ihls act, he felt hnuself under tlie necessity ..f s(>|.araiing fj'um the commu- nion of the Church of Enoiand, to which he had been strongly attached by early es])tcially by the eacred office of the >Iinistry, in which he had bctm happily engaged for many years. Since that time h- has had ample opportuni s for furtlu-r experi- ence, study, reHec.ion, and prayer; and «fter a long and l^uhiful menial conflict, he is com])elled to acknowledge that the whole the ory of Church infallibility, as it is now hehl by the Church of Kome, is a mere delusion of luunan inven- tion, ami esi)ecially .so, as it is made the fouudatloa of tho most dangerous corruptions of the Cospcl of Christ, in doctrine and in practice. As it was this view of the sub- ject >\lucli, almost exclusively, decided lilrn ia favor of Kome, he ioels it to be his ])eculi;ir duty to jecou>idcr tho grounds ot his om'u cijir, ietions, l)y examiuinpj- tlie proofs alleged for the a\ uliuI i;nucipic of iulallibihty, and theu h m p ^^:n Y }:' n rcvn-.viu'^r the practical cfr-cts of this ])nnci;)lo, as cxhihitcd iiitlicmodrni Cii-t'd of tiio Uoiu.in ("luuch. And mav (iod, for Jesus Chrisf'ii sake, -rivv us Ills Holy Spirit, that wo may have a ii,i,'ht judt,nncut in these and al! other doctriius of His revialed Word ! ^ Hefcu-e I cntor ui)on the cousiderition of this subject, \t may be i-i-rht tc advert hricHy to the circumstances Avhidi have led to the present publication. It was in the month of November. IHOS, that I joii^ed the Uomun Catholic Church in London, tho!i;^di it was only a few weeks previously that I had seriously commenced to devote my earnest attention to I his study, and only a few days before that I finally decided on tiiis st(>p. It is true that I had some doid)ts on tliis subject in early life, but the impression produced on my nund at this time was of so powerful a nature as to lead me to act at one.> upon the immediate impulse thns commu-r nieated, as thou^di I had received a direct revelation su- persedip.o- the neci s.sity of any furtlier inquiry or consulla. tion. I had, indeed, draMu up a paper, for my own private wtisfaction, under the title of the "Difficulties of Romanism" containing a statement of the principal objections Avhich oc- curred to mo, in opposition to the doctrines and practices of the CJun-ch of Home. T was anxious to have a full cxplana- tion and discussion of these several points, in conference with an eminent Divine of that Church, but as I had nrtt the opportunity of doing so, I thought it unnecessary to enter into any further details as to the proof of each parti- cular docfrine, regarding them chiefly as speculative diffi- culdes, Avhllo I was satisfied on the great principle of the Tnfdlibility of tlic Cluirch. I shall here insert a copy of this do-umcnt, which relates to the following inquiries. 1. 'I'o prove the Infallil)ility of the Church of Rome. ;?. To prove that the Church of Home is the only true Church of Christ. 3. To prove that the doctrines of tlio Cliurch of Konic, known by the name of Apostolical Traditions, were really taught by the Apostles, as articles of faith. 4. To account lor the fact, that these doctrines are either apparently contrary to Scripture, or entirely omit- ted in Scripture. r). To accar.nt for the omission, or* imperfect notices, of these doctrines, in the ^V'orks of the rrimitive Fathers. (). To reconcile the doctrine of the I'opc's Supremacy, as founded on Matt. xvL 18, with the fact, that vari- ous interpretations, hiconsistent with that doctiinc, were held by several ancient Fathers. 7. To reconcile the doctrine of Trahsubstantiation with the particular e:!£planations of the doctrine of the Eudiai-ist, as o;i\en by some of the Fathers. t. 10. To iMOvc t!i:;f the (loctiiiir of tlic Siv.n Sacra- iiunfs was hrlil in the Pniuitivo Clnurli. 17. To ])rovc tlmt the (hnfiiiic of J'lir-atc-ry is umsis- tcut witli Sc-riiitiirc. ^ IH. T„ locoiuiK' tlu- i)in(ti(c of worship in \hv Latin Ton-iic with the statcnuiits of St. Pauh li). To prove the mrc^'sny of the practicr of Aurmihir Confession. '■iO. To irconcilo the (VHhacy of the ("k>igy with tlic ruh\s of Si. Paul. :-'l. 'J'o iwoncih' tlu- woislilp of Inia,i:^es with tlie Second Coninunuhnenf, and with the Fatheis and Coiiiuils. Jv'L'. To reeoncik^ the pniitiee of Coinnnuiion under one knid with the institution ci' Christ and the practice of tlie J'riniitive Cluurli. ~3. To rocomik' the I'ope's Suineniacy with thf state- ment of (jret;:ory the (heat, ahout an TniverMi! Ihsliop. ~4. To reeoncik' the t('tn])oral Soveiei^nty over the kingdoms of th(> workl, ehiinud hy several Topes hy divine rio-ht, wi;h the exclusively spiiifial Supreinacv, uhuh is now gvnerally admitted hy Poinani^f-. ;>.). J'o reconcile the doctrine of the lumniculatr Con- ception with the iiiichav.g, able nature of the Christian I'aith. '.ICy. To ])rove the in\alidity of Orders conferred hv Pishops in the Chur-li o\' Kngland. i.?;r. 9 '\hr>i' ,,n.-sfluiis sfill a|,,„.ar f. m- to he ,„{itlr.,l t<, thv H.nst, Mrions (•oMH,l,.r,.fi„n, as I l.av,- ,. .y, r l.canl or .vad any s ,t,sf.u<,.rvai.> vvr t., tl.nn, a.nl tlioicloiv It inav he, pr,-- l.ai.sj.isfly. ri-ardcl as an cxtiaordina.-v act of cuthu^iiasn. nr iulatu;,U„u, that I ulUnvvd myself to be nu-m.J away by my «r-.)iiv icti„n.s on one leatliti- p.incijjle, without ]wnv\yiir^ thr Unrr of thcsr objections in C(,uiiteractln- the jmictical devc-lopn.ent of that pmiciple. I had ado],t. d a reh--iou.s system founded upcm my own .study of the Ihble, though iModified by th.; decisioa.s of the Council of Treut, accxd- • ">( te my liitiMpretation of it. Decrees and Canons, and thus, without any further private instruction or exami- iialu)ii, I was received into th(> communion of the Church of Kome. At the same time 1 vaote a Pampjilct, stating the reasons which induced me to tak.> tltis step, in the form ol a Letter to the rarishiuners of fSt. Paul's, under the f'tle of " The Cairns of the Catholic Church." This was chiefly written in London, bef<.re 1 hud actually johied the Cliurch ••f lionu>, tuul uiter having laid it a.side for a time, I was ]>crsuadedto ])ul)lisl: ii .shortly jiiter my return to Halifax, under the imprcs,i;,u that the reasons which had convinced niy ow^n^ mind would prove convincing to the minds of others, 'i'his J^amphlet produced several replies from the memhe.s of dili'ereut rrot(>stant denominations, in answer to which 1 published another and more extended work, in iiK' mini); ani jKiiiiK, ^^ hich miuiivs to iK'iuatciiailycoi-nTtra iii„nl( rto ior-ii ■■ j)n)]KT estimate t;ri]u'ii ibrce and value. Aly diicf dimculry was the liisrorv cf t]i(> rrofpsfaiif JirformnTion of thr IHtli CrnUny. h U ol.vions that fl.n v;iVAt ol,j,.rtion was this, thi't th(> vrrv idea ol' a hV/orwaflnn ..rdoctrinc was founded upon the su],,,P,Mtion of a -e,,. ral rorruption of ( 'liri^tianity throuoliout the wliole Clmnh of Clirist in (-very eonntry in Europe, durini,^ u Ion-- sueces- sionofa-es, whih> the Reformers tliemselves uereonlv fd]i])h^ men, aetin-in opposition fo tli- hi-l,est eeeh'..iasf;cal iiutliovities, and unal)h> to a,^n-ee amoiiir tlieniselves on many important point. or(h)eti;n. . Now it is evi(h-nt tliat this ol)jeetion derives its m hole wei,n],t from tlu> Ix lief tliat the CiUireliofRome, durin- tlie mlddh^ a-es, and up to the period of the Reformation, was th(> only hnc Chureli of Christ on earth, and consequently that she'had never falkn into any error in teaehin- the ])ure doctriiu s of Cliris- tianity Tf she had n-ally erre.l hy addi.i^. eertain human corruptions to the primitive Faith, and imposin- these eor- ruptions as essential terms of communion on the consciences of all her members, then assuredly it was the duly of all f.ithful C';vis!ians to reject these corruptions, and to adhere firmly u, lie faith of (he Apostles, even tliou-h by so doincr they should be ivgarded as -uHty ^f j^^.^.^^^ ^^'^^ s. liiHu, ly the eornipt Church which had suictioned tlicm. Such per..ous do not >(>p:.rat.> from //,. (V/.v/r//, but from the rorr.'fp/hws of the Chuieh, and therefore the o-uilt of schism must rest, not with those who reject ^wsc innova- tions, but witli thos(« wlio inriodueed ■ and perpetuated them in the (^iiurch. MhetluM- tlie period of their con- tinuance may have been of lo:i;v or short duration. For It is certain that the whole system of Christianity was II ^l^'l'vrrul !,v C'hri.t .nd Ills Apostles, l.SOO vc«ars ai tlK. Gospel of Chri.t, k must be rejected as a Inunan mveiUion, however ancient may be the dale of its intro- duction, or however generally it may be adopted amon- prolessinij; Christians. ^"^ ^ It is on this principle that we are exhorted l,v an inspirc-d - vpostle to '• es,l)ut the Apostolied succession of ,/ur'nu^ in ail its (,riginal inte-rJfv. Such i I'ody of men ma.y l,oast of an unbrok^.n line of I'astors suc- ceeding each oth(>r by regular ordination iW.n. the divs of the Apostles, and of ^heir uninterrui)t'.i unit vat every pe nod of their hi..ory. as having never separated iVoni any other_ visible Church on earth. All this may be very trm:, but if It can be sliown that ihev !.::v- -Kmv'v*:.-! t'-.-.l... .u ' doct 'irfQ 1 .'■' ; ' -Ci ,1, -T^ rme of Christ and His Apostles, sue! 1 VMll [ IHJ I < Aterual If ■J'.M am on her mendx-rs as necessary terms of communion, then it is evident that she is guilt\ of virtiiallv departiut? from her own former faith, and separating fron'i her own former eommuiiiou ; and then-lore those who adhere to the old faith are not guilty of scliism in rejecting these innovations, even though it should involve rhcm in the necessity of exconnnnnication or sei)aratiou from the visible Church ^^]liell h.;s sanctioned tl."y, to ,vhieh I no,v invite the serious attention of my .eaders and I ,v„.kl reinin.l then, of the la„gna«e of tl,e n,sp,ied Apostle-'. 1 ,,i«ak as unto wise men ; jud-^e vc what I say, I'ro.-e all things ; hold fast that which is good" " IVow ,t ,s <„.„e true that if the (Jhurch aunol err K.,, 0, course it follows that she /,„., „„, en-ed ; bu^ .1 the Chu,-eh .,., erred, then it is ,.,|na;iy eettain that she ™» err, and o,iiseqi,eiitly tiiat she is not infillible The unner ,s tW- inie of aignincnt ac ted hy the Ko,nanist, .he latter hy^hc Pretest.nit-th. ,.ne argues fro,,, a ,,„•„: •V/'^aguiis; the adini,.i„„ of .,„„,. i„ evidence, the other "iS..cs Ir,,., an induction of y„„,. ..gains. ,he truth of fl... U ■ V I* ?■ r /'I nu ■qnc ir.scii. I{t)jiiambt.- amiu' •'iHi \ci-y jiibtJy, that 14 ir t!i(lr Cluir eh (liviiic iuilillihlr, then if is i t' ■in )post' tii;'t slic ro'iM li nij)()ssil)| no ever vrv.'il ;i tiTirlllUL true I'.iith v)f CJiri^t, bccaiis- she i< ahv;i',s '-■iiiilvd hy the Holy Spl.'It ol'(io(l, and thcrflbre tli;:( all tlu- alici^cd ])n)oi", ol" her errors are nuTcIy ioiuulod w] on the j.rivute ophiioiis ol" fallil.le men, in op|,().itioii ;,> the diviuo auihorily of the Church. IVote-taut.-, on the other hand, eoiuparc the doctrines of the Church of Ronie with the doctrines of the Ihble, which i> admitted on hoth sides to he di\ inely uis|,ired— aud from an induction of {ar- ticular m^tances they assert th:it ,,ome of the.e doctrmes arc iinl cuiitahird in the Bible at all, while (,tlicr, are evidently amtrari/ to the teachinir of the IJible. Thev Ihus arrive at a result whicii is fo inded on the compaiison of two ini|.ortant facts, and from tins tliey conclude that the Church of liomc has manifestly er;cd in iiiatters of faith, and conse(iuently that her claim to infalliljiilty is an un- wariantable i>rcsumption and an unfounded tradition. This is simply the state of the questicn on tiiis moment- ou.i subject, mid it nuiy be reduced to Uiis brief impuiiy AN'hether is there stronge evidence to prove that the Church of Ivome canuot err, or to pr)ve that she /i(t,s act mill, J crrnl? This alternative inchides thc^ wiiole coii- troversy, when we take into consideration the solemn con- se(|uences mvolved in it, in the reccptio-i or rejection of all the doctrines and practices which are founded by the Church of liome on the principle of divin(> InfallibiHty. But wluit is meant by the Infallibilit}- of the Church .'' It nmst be observed tliat " the Church " is lere used by Ronuui Catholic Divines in a peculiar tcchiiicd sense, not a> includino- the whole body of the faithful, ei.her visible or mysHcal, but onlv the n pnsni/afhr Clnrch, the ..u: 1 ; .1 • V mircii. tiuii IS. [he l-ijitimate i .i;o:-> o. l.M ( i' n\ .1, '!>"('.!tl ilO Ano^ii 1^ .1 ihl !( :!( I>l il" >\U C> :'"'■'"'" ''""'"""n.uiMijhdiol'oiK.. 1, <0).^. T......„„iuJ,.,, '>■■■■"■■■ '™l%-.l i„ ,l„. X.„. J::ri;t™-:-:---":K,;::;,:;.; ; ."...:^ ... ,.,,„.„„, boon ,.,,i.„,. „„, „„,;•: -a ■,!! •]■■, J;'«t'l v}lp •a'- «v « .'V. ! ?: >,^ ^l^i "A. lii inspiration (»r pcisojinl iniiillihility is ascribed to tlic l\ip<' or to anv individnal I»l^}lops, yet it is hclicvrd that allthoir public derisions, on matters of faith, are guided by thv. direction of the Holy Spirit, and binding on the con- sciences of all the faithful members of the lloman Catholic ('hurch. We shall briefly corisider, then, tlio principal ground? of this opinion of the Infallibility of the Church, or rather, of the Pope in Council. The proofs on w hich it is supposed to rest are chiefly derived from three sources — Reason, Tradition, and Scripture. On the ground of Reason, the one conclusive argument which is alleged is that of nrressitfj. That necessity is supposed to be founded on the very nature of faith, as a firm assent to divine revelation, which must therefore be conveyed to us thi-ough the medium of an infallible teacher — on the difhculty of distinguishing between truth and enor by any other means, as appears from the differ- ent interpretations of Scripture held by Protestants — and on the consequences of rejecting this princi])le, as opening a door for all the abuses of private judgment, and thus leading to infinite schisms and endless disputes among professing Christians. On such grounds it is argued that there mi/sf be some infallible Judge of controversy appointed by Christ in His Church, and t^iat this Judge must be some living authority Avho is invested Avith abso- lute power to decide all disput ^ on mattcu-s of faith in everv age. New we fully admit the necessity of an infalli])le Rule of Faith, and we believe that God has given us such a rule in the Holy Scripturf^s. But thougii this argument for the necessity of an infallible Judge has been so plausibly urged by Roman Catholic Divines, we may surelv ask, where is the conclusiveness of thi- reason- ing '! Are we iiu> proper judges of that particul a kind oi 17 •vidrnce ^vh[ch God is bound lr i]. imc{> ,)i our iaith Z Arc wo sure th-it iV ; u suic tn.it It IS ic;illv ncccssarv that 'k< laU .May not .„„,o „f ,l,om be kil „po„ „„,,i„„, WU ,.,ut ;,„y „r,.j,uli<.0 to ti,e unity oi' .Ih, J!i, , u^ f".t „T c.„„ot tl,e«. /W* J„ ,e ? Tbe Cbu,ch of I.:n,,.na, i., be 'O I Ameie, decWe, ,bat " tbe auncb lu,.b autbontvL .o"trovens,es o. n.i.b." yet .be does not b,v ebrim to „ v • -lute .uMbbility in ber aeei.ion. We .,n,i , t :;;■" "'"" '"•;"■;'"■"'.- - --y Cbnreb ; but e:,nn,.t ti.i ..tbonty be final and decisive witbout bein, infaHible ^ And .urely, ,t ,h,.re be really an infalHble living iud.e of <-.rovo.y u i. of tbe utmo.t i,„„„„anee foVn. Lbe I. ovuedvatb an iniidiible proof that tbere is one .nd « 1.0 he .,;otlH™eaU .peculation on ,be.uyet .«aet.ca ly u«e es. Tbere i. no, a word in all the Si, "- about a Ining and .peaking infallible judge „f e . tr?;!;'" :'"''' 'Vt"" "■' "'"">"-""«:;. I. Cbureb of liome; and therefore we n,av .urely ini: th n,ucb n,ore n.ode.t ,subn,i«i„„, that, .iu'c-e cjli " 1 has nua.Ie no revelation en the .nbject, the belief i„ c d,v.neappo,ntntent„f .ueh ajudgeis purely gratuitou." We would, nuleed, gladly a.lunt the princ^Ie, if could be prov.xl ; but as tiu. rea.ou. ,dl,g„/ f„r ;„,:,;,;,;" q>l>ear to ,. .„ „u-cne!u.ive, „e are .er.,inIvnot .t b'berty ■: ;"'"!" (1.0 eonelu.i„n without a f,ul e„„,i,,;„n of i^ clmue authonty y.,t the .upp,,.,., preof ef the e.i. Le »nch a ludge .. Ibnn.Ied np„n a g,neral pre.„„,p,ion of .u,.e ub.es. and expedieuey of sueh a "tribunal fro,„ «1 .cU tt ,,s argued that there e,,,/„ to be one, tb nib " there nw!-l hr. n.id th^.-.x.... .i • ., ^Jnoic I.? ' i' f'\ M ) i>.« t fr .i «; •♦'1 4 il ".' i;n( r aJI, m T- 18 IS one sonii'whercv \hf prs(_> \v(> iuc siti.'ifd tliat there (iat>;i(in ;!iU( -;, wi.o is t'liis .IiulL;e, and where is he t.) be i )!in(l .'' V')-: ifw,' ciiiiiot tiuil him, it is of no ii^.- to know 'l-t lli::-' i-. our ill exi^t'Mict. We ;ire tohl that this .]iuVxr is tl'e Church, tliat this Cliureh is the Ciiureh ol" I'uiui', ;i!iil t'.iat th.' Ciiuicli piiU'tically means tiie Tope, i'iit on what authoi'ity is the decision of the V<>\w to l)e ri;>ar(!cd as iho voic.- of the (jhnreh I* "W'e are referred to til,' p^•)Uli^e of our Lord to Peter — '• Tiiou art I'eter," ^'.'\ Still, i.)\\e\er, we e.nmot discover, hy the exercise < I private juih;r.i( ut, any eoiuiexicn l)etAveeu this promise ■<•'.[ the Iiifallihilliy of the l'o])e. There is nothing' here ahoiii the IVislop, of Koine, or St. Tcter's successors in liiat See. Tlii^ iiiteij-ivlation i^ entirely founihil u])on the i;ath(u-i;y of the lio:ii; Tone, as \]\c livini,' jud^^e of con- l.ovcrsy, re^ts up^ui the interpretation of the promise to !\ to-, A\liil.;' tliai i'iterpretation itself rests upon the iu- r;'!ihili;y o<' tu(> Popo, )r the authority of th.e I'onr.m <'!iunh. P-iit, tir.-'hev, are we sure that an inf.dllo'e .'a(lL;> >V(;ulil certainly decide all religious contro\iisies in (lie CliuicIi' Tlie Cluirch of Konie, ^^hi;ll profe.-Ms t(» liave suth a Judu'i', has not exercised this pon er to the pies, iit day, ;is ^he has still left undecided ^(nne ( f the i;io>l imjiortaut disputes relatini>; to the peace of the ' liuvch and the i!iVere>ts of n-li-ion. AVh.;tc-\er, iheu. Miay he said, 1/ pi-'cii, in ixM.-'V of ;ui Iiifalli])le llvini- .' A[.\v. of religious doctrine on the i-rouiid of sU|ipo>.ei! •u'ce-^vity, we cannot admit the courlie ixcne.- s (jf si.'h aru,'umeuts, as they are chii lly loandcd on a.hstract rea> on- lays, which cr.nnot form the peeper „ioiiud of fait'i; and the moit d'.ilit uh iH all eontro\ersies is lo decide a\ ho is ^ .i-c-^'^'r ■ lu:. i-^\r- 'A-'-^ ^r* 'vf^: - ■^"' th (• uil.-tllih.'c IKi 1» !(■ C.NCl'cisc of I- I lie (1 ii>Ii m fl ;/riViifc iwdmiicrit, ai "iir TfaDitv ..r Pro; ;)nti-;iii, (|ucsti()n rosfs u] oj, f| is tluM-rforo llaMi tn a I f]. wlul^ the convictlcn of its rc-ality d.-prn.Is onlv'cm' moral certainty, or ratlu-r u stroni^ prcsumi)tion or lno:h doLrrco of Tn-ol>a!nhty, wlurh may l,o easily (uuntrrl.alancc.d 1>v in- ternal ovulence arisin:^ iVo.n tlu" i^raclical n>u.v^nnnvs of the adnnssion of this pnucMj,lo. \\V are tol.l, ind,,-,! f],r ^t IS imposs,hle to secure p.rJl-ct unitv of doctrine anuM.. Umstians witliout submitting their oj^inions to an inlidlihl.^ .lud.nrc. -]}ut if (Jod has not a.,pointed a.nv such Jud-v, it must bo highly dangerous ro adopt his decisions as the rule of our faith ; and further, as wo arc convincv.l that Ins decisions are, in many imi^ortant points, contrary to ll>e A\ ord of (iod, we fed ])ound to reject his guidance as being only calculated to lead us into error. ' AVc are told that if all men mouU su])mit to his decision., there would be an end of all disputes. True, there might be an appearance of perfect unify, cold as death, sih-nt as the grave; but it would he tl,e unity of duikncss, in whi-h all c'olors agiT,-, tlu> unity of , rror and not of truth, an.l mv tjiink it infinitely belter to diiK r on some n.inor lu.infs than to agive in the ])rofes^:ou ai' d.uigerous errors ^Vc are reminded, still, of rlie analogy of temporal Courts, and of tlio a])surdity of private^ men interpreting the Law in oppo- Mtion to the Judge. We admit that thv p;iral!el Mould be complete, if the I'ope could ]n-ove Ids connnission from ( hnst a:, clc-arly as everv Judge can prove his commission ii'om Ins Sovereign. In every case of appeal, the Judge's ;nithonty to hear and decide the cause must be perfectly clear; but we deny that fhc ]>ope has any divine authority - 'V(n him for this purpose, as the ]u'oof of it n sts upon a I -""iple uhich is itsJt' ta.> very sul^-.t of dispute, and ,^0 thneloiv MC'iiHiNt decline to luvopt Iiis (l(>rision .is a jutlgo of controvorsy, Mhich he }i;is (>ii!y iuviuin-d by ii,L;lit ot liMupatiou. It raniior \,c denied that the np]>oinf nient of sneh a tnhiinal hy divine anlhority woidd he, appari'iitlv, the ^M-ealcst of all blessings in the I'hiistia.i Church; hut we are (crtainly not Avairanted in a^Munini,' the exisrence of this tribunal ^vithout the express declaration of Alnii-rhty fiod, and wi' are certain that Alnii-hty (lod has n(>ver made any revelation on this sul)ject, direc fly or indirectly, in His }[oIy AVord. We are fully pcrsaadid that (j(')d has given us a sufKcient rule of faith, which cve know that God has promised to give J lis Holy Spirit to them that ask Him ; and thc^uglr we do not expect the gift of personal infalli- bdity, yet v/e ax'e fully v.arr;. n(ed in believing that Cod will not permit t]io.M> mIio humbly and sincerely seek Hir. promised guidance, to Lc Ku iiito any fatal errors. And, moreove:'. to guard agn-iiisl the abuses of private judgment, tv-c have the iuterpretaiion of the Primitive Church laid down in the Creeds and Articles of the Church of Euglanr], wliich form the most eirectual safeguard again?t 21 Jhe innovations of earlier and later ti,nes. We are thu. .1 to .St ^r fl^ith upon the Word of God, i^ ^^^^ :'• '•" ^y ^1^^^^' ^' understood bv the primitive Christ riuiirt;;.^^^^^^^ But there is another argument which has been put for- ^^ard n. proof of the InfallibUit, of the Church, and thaUs ;ubtion or the historical .^estimony of the Fathers on t us pomt It is allegea that the Church her.elf h" alu^xys claimed this privilege, that the most eminent enters of the Ou^ch in every age bear witness to tl act that such a principle was held in their times, and that his circumstance forms a strong evidence of the truth of the principle. Now we might reply that this is no proof oi the divine origin of any doctrine, as our faith is founded on the ;V ord of God, and not on the opinions of the lathers. But after all that has been written on the sub- ject, there is really little or no evidence to be found in the ^\ orks of the Fathers in favor of the Roman dogma of lufaHibihty. Not one of them expressly asserts such a doctnne, while there are numerous passages in their nritmgs which are absolutely inconsistent with it. The- do, indeed, strongly insist on the principle of Church authorm^ and on the duty of obedience to the Pastors of the Cliurch, in opposition to the innovations of schismatical tcacners; but it is a very remarkable cii-cumstance, that, in all their conti oversics with the heretics of their times, the fathers never arpcal to the decision of any living infallible Judge, much less to the Bishop of Rome, as invested with divine authority to determine all controversies of faith Which IS a plain proof that they were totally ignorant of 'i 't'^ k. 1,1 II ur' re*. ./' f>,] <>.> fill rvistciK iiu ^'.11 ;iu! !inri'\ i 1 th • ( Imicli. ;mt| til It llif'V could not h:i\i' ;i.Kiio\\ I'l' ,;■( I t II' !;iiiii.;iiiriii, ;'i iiicr 1! ir i;i ( ,1' lioii t Ii ;it till' Dr. --I i:r il:i\ . I lii\ wrol.'. iii c.'.rin--; .iini ^ loipr, nt 1 iiiimi;il'o, on till' Imlcfci .iMIiiN ot' til ■ I 'iii\ , |- •.,1 ( 'i;i'.i ,'ii, and tln' ""pcrial inouii'i's i)\ w liicli sir- i-; scciii-.(l Ironi flic ])'.)ssil>ilitv ol' utt'i- <\ti;ir|in:i \\\ anv t'ai':lil\' pivscr; luif tlirv ncMr a>;siil lii'i' atxolnt.' inl,illiliilit\ ni all iiialtfis ol' I'aitli, and ^till Ir^-i do (lir\ (Ml- coiiniTt flia.f iiilalliliilit \ with tli,' ^>ri' ot lioni", li\ \ii'tii:' ot" aiiv divint' |>roinl^i' yivcu hv oui' I .oi'd to St. I'rtrr and liis siioiios.d Micccssors in that Sit. 'I'iirv ajijica! to thr >vrlj)tiii\s, and not fo the I'opr, iioi' to an\ livi:!'.:: aiilhoiilN', lor flic iinal (h'(i-.ion ol' all contioM r>i(s. and in conlii'inallon of tin ir ari,Miin( iif thcv iilso iVninrntly i( lor to It '• tradition or (hj trine held l)y IIkxc ( 'hnichos A\lii(h were loiuuh'd hy the Aposth's, ^\hi(•h Mas ('(-rtaiiiiy a stron;.^" ]>ri'suniiMivi; jiroof anionic (liosc -who lived so ni'ar flic times of tlie inspired teaeliers ol ( 'hri-.tianity ; Imt lho and consult t lie Katlicrs anil Sclioolincji of lafer tiiius. we shill Imd a very i;cneial consent in favor ol the ])rinciples of Ivoiiuuiisiu ; hut tiiis tcstimouv conies too h:tc to 1)(> of any ii al s(>rvice, as it is contrary to the ti'.-tiniony <)! the Talh r> in the e;'. rls ai;'cs, ■whicli i.lono can throw any satl->!actory lii^ht on the doctrines held liv the I'riinidve Churclu's, which were founch ,i and ffjvenied hy the Aposth's and thei'- iiunicdiate succi Thi' ( 'liurch of Rome, in(h'ed, (uies not admit of any n]->])c;d from hci" own decisions, ( xccj.t so far as tliev in;iv sei in to favor licr chiims, drlicr to the Scri])t un or O ! Primitive, or Catholic Chauxh of l'o:-mer tinv.s, aii ofwliivh 5JJ >l«f rrirards w a ,lr»,l letter ui:li.,ii? n,,' Iimh- v,,,,,. „?' ;,n iiir.:l!i!)h' iiitcriu-L-tfc. 'Ih. ..nly nnthui ity ulii-h >!.,■ a,l,„if^ '^ li^iit of til.- pn.snit (lMir -uprr. ,irs l;.,tli the „i,lv record of tho ori,..:in;il revelation aiul t!ie e.uli.st l.istorie.il i^iti-rpretation .f it. A-, .,;-.ll„ .ly, uc f mI ;l;;,t sonie V liters ^a:)i)eiil lo ee.tiiiii •• ni..tiv( s ol' . redihihty," which i\ivy think sullieieut ( = , c .tah:i>h the dlvid.. ;;i,th()"rltv ..f the pn.sei.l. ('hureh of Koine, witheiif refeniii- to any J ,i,,- tMr.il eviclcmv. 'I'hese motives ef ere,lihi!ily are explained t^> 1>'^' ^uh^tantl:il!y ihe >aine Mi!h those ujueh ude ,ni- i'hjyul to prove- the .llvine authority of the .Jewi.!, ;,n,! Chrisiha DIspensali ,ns and th.' .he elai.ns of the Clnireh ^>! JJ«»i!:o are said to nst u])on the same foundation with tiio^^o of (:.ri,;i,M,;;y itself. AW- are referred to the .!i!/ueles, i-.P>!.h.,i..s, an.l other evich'iie; s of tie divine I'i-">c iuisli .i.irw n.i >i[v\\ a "■ supi)ose( th I to h: i\'e i> pov.cr ler i;i-ovnii;- the tretli of ^ lni>r and ilis A ut U IS in vahi to appeal to the inlrac! e-' or Do.- :l evideiitlv ax.sunir.^ the wl cs 111 ])roof of thi^ jnnnt, su'-li :;ii ntvd two iliinn-s wjild i"Ie {[ueblion, as It tak- es lor -'.stunts— the on: I can ne\ er 1h> coiK-e(h'il In ] ro- iheCluirdi of iioine is the Cathol :^; ;m I r le 24 Church of Christ ; and the other, .hat she is the same, m doctrine, now as she was in the beginning of Christianity. According to this method, then, the only reason for be- lieving the lloman doctrine of infollibility is her own assertion of the doctrine— that is, we must believe her to be infallible because she says so herself, and we must admit her veracity because it rests upon motives of credibility which depend entirely on her own authority. In close connexion with this method, we are frequently directed to certain external marks, or -'Notes of the Church," by which she is supposed to be distinguished from all other bodies of professing Christians, indepen- dently of all scriptural evidence on the sid)ject. It is evident that this inquiiy assumes that there is One True Visible Church on earth, to the exclusion of all others, and that tWs Church is perpetually intallible— both of which positions require to be proved on independent grounds. Further, we are requii-ed to find out the Unncrsal Chui-ch, before we know what is necessary to constitute a p^,Y/f«/«r Church ; we are required to deter- mine which is the txno Church, before we know what is a true aiurch— though it is certain that a true Church is one which professes and teaches the true faith of Christ ; and yet this point is studiously kept out of view, because' It involves the considciation of doctrine, which can only be ascertained from the Scriptures, and thus leads to the Protestant principle of Scriptural exaniiuation, in order to test the claims of a professing Cliurch. For the true Universal Church includes all true particular Churches, and a true Church is one which holds the true faith, and the trac faith can only be found by .scarchijig the Scrip- tures, as the original records of the diAlne revelatien. This, however, will not suit the v>'\vs of fhn Tlomanists • <> :^'o (Ml "> tl::'.t i1h« triio fiurl 1 '"III o:i]y |„. loiinj] in the ■ ";<"".vli.»ml .,,„,„,,,,.,,,,, ,,.,,,!,,. ,,,. Church must ; '""f ''■'"'■-■ "--'Mtl...,™.. ,;.u;,; ami, l,„,f„,, • ..<• to flu,! ,h. .n,.. C'l.,„.ch. In ..,.;i,i„„ ,o „,„,„ '.""."■";"''';,''"'" '■"•"'' ""• "■"■* -'^'"-'"i is a,,l,„„| ll.Ilan,,,,,,-, c,H.UK-n,tion, i„ ,vhi,,1, ],(, j.^.^y^^ "Pl-iltceu ^„,..s „r ,!,, ,r,„. Ch,,,,!,, ,„-„,.■, I, ,,^, ^._^_ <.™yo« ,„ |,r„v,.,h„t,l,„ appliculion ofth.^c n.arks is con- H-.VC,,. favor ,„■ ,lu. claims of the Church „f i;,„„e. IIk'sc "Notes of ,ho Church" arc .s folluvs :_1 The Antiquity o. |;<'-v n.un. of Catholic and Chnstian. o. ^.,,.,,^,,,^, ^ duration k.^:, and tnuuterruptod. 4. Amplitude, oi- num- - and varu-ty of Relieve.. 5. Succession of Jii.hops in thcKomanChm-ch. (i. A..-eement in doctrine with the ;— ^t C hurch. 7. Union of the members with their -ul and amon^ tlie.uselves. 8. Sanctity of doctrine, i) Wlu-acy of doctrine. 10. Holiness of life. H. Glorv of •"u-acles. U. U^U of prophecy. 13. ConiVs.ion of^d- vevsanes. 14. Unhappy end of th. Church's enendes. ■'. lemporal felicity of the Church's deil'iulers. Jhit tliere are evidently two strong o])j, rions to this method- one IS, whether these are really the Jhtuuilrc marks of the tnie ( hnreh of ( hrist, a.^sonie of then rest only on the |';''"trary .election of an individual writer, while Jthers of ''-^ -'u only he admitted as probahle signs of truth; and t '^' yH.er IS, ulKlIuM-, in ihct, these notes really bdon.. ex~ -sLvely tothe C/nnrf, ,fn ., and ho,v nunu- of them ai-e "'■ , |ii;d lo th. II IK'I/ I'l til. i I lie /"i/i'/c///ii. '}(i Church of Koine is tiic I iiiir,:^/// ( luircli o\ CliMNt. We now ])n)(('r(l to \\\r thii-.l nv'thud of ]>r()\ ihl;- t\\v In- fallibility of tlu> ( 'limcli. wliich i^ dcriNcd from ccrtiiiu passai^cs of SiTi]ttur(', ".ihI c-jk rlilly iVoiii the promis.'s of our JJlcsst'd SH\I()iir, iivordi d in the New 'iVstanuMit. Some coutrovcrsiid wrifirs d\\(dl almost cxclusivtdv on tliis method, a-; l)riii-- hcst adapted for the coir.ietiou of serious Fi-otestaiit-^. who admit the divine inspiration of the Scriptures; while others eonflue themselves entirely to the gen(U-a] cousit rat!x)iis ah'eady stated, and thus avoid the appearaiu'e ef ar^uini;' in a eircli> by attemptinij^ to prove the auiliority of the ( 'hm'ch from the Serij)tures, and then the Sed, it se;'ms iu ^ain to attempt t]\c proof of the C.'hurch's inf;dlil)ility iu any other Avay than by an appeal to the wiitten A\'ord of (iod, Avhich is aehnonledifed on both sides to be of diviau^ authonty. For m what other ■way can it bo ]n-oyed !* Not on the ground of necessity, ftn- Protestants do not see any such necessity, as thry be- lieve the Scriptures to be a sufficient rule of faith, without any li\in^- lufallibl(> Judge. Not on the ground of tratli- lion, lor i\'ot; >tants do not acknowledge its authority ; and besides, they are convinced that, in point of fact, the c'aim is refute il by a genuine appeaj to tradition itself. It re- mains, theieibre, to examine t]u> Scriptural evidence on this ])oiu!;. I ieel this to be the more necessary in my own case, because it Miis this vic^w of the question which chieily ju'oduced such a strong conviction on my oAvn mind, ^ly submission to the (hurch of Home Avas an act of pri- \ ale judgment, founded upon a particular interpretation of * he prfHuisf's of Christ, In connexion with some important fa(ts iu the history of the (hurch. I was led to Ixlieve, •ih lu'obable e\i(leiire a.moujiliiiu' to a lull persuasion^ that or our i)!r )iii' "! pi-..inisc,! il„. oiit of Divine Infalli- 1). ..ml tha; thn Ciinrch ol" jlonie is the •ivsi'UMtiM. ,,r iliat Cluircl 'i;i\ I lir AV()](,-, ol (hill I on cnitli at the iiii^woifh — " I rt con- cil ■(! •S^ |"^-'i to tu' Clinich (.f Rome, hecause I h.^..,,..,, •Mv. ir lo l,av.. sM^Ii-'irm reason to l.elievo that there was, ^'•"(1 nnist ]„. ,i,vavs in the woW,!, some Church that could ""t (mt; ana conscciu • • -, seein- all other Churches ilis- 111". imifixT ^/^ C'K..;.( u.- tr: , it-t— ci- • •- _ ^ . ■• ■ ■-"*'- ^7 iii~j -»^i^i> OpiTii, aiiCl Who wiii t 'A . /.I >^i » » • f ' o 'v'N he licrcattcr saved ill the Lord witli iiii (Mrl.i--tiii-- salva- tion. It seems evident, howevei', t 'nr w iicu tlic vtord is used in the iihinil number, or in tlie simriihi ■ \^\\\ relereiice to any jmrtintlar locality, " tlu; Ciiurt Ik s '' nu an the various visible societies of professini-- Cliristliuis in those places. Th'- -vc read of the Church in J', rr.salcm, the Church in Antioch, the Church in Corintli, tlie Church oi the Thessalonians, the Churches of Macedonia, the Churches of Galatia, the Churches of Judea, the Seven (lurches in Asia, and afterwards of each one of thim in j-articular. The aggregate of all the various local Christian Societies in the world is described under the name of '• all the Churches," but it does not appear to be ever in luded ui the general name of " the Church," in its scriptural sense, thougtx it evidently was ut an early p iod in ccc lesiastical history. There is certainly no intimation in tlie New Testament, from which it could be inferred that our ])lessed Lord ever intended to found One ^ isible Universal Church on earth, although all the Churches were virtually united in one communion by the same conunon bonds of Vaith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and love to all the Saints. Still less can we find any description of the Church unrlor the idea of a Universal Spiritual :Monarchy, governed by one visible Head, as the Vicar of Christ on earth. It is tru'> that, as a member of the Church of Rom-, I formerly held thi j to be the true interpretation of :Matt]iew xvi. 18, 10. Tliis interpretation, however, was not founded upon the evidence of the passage itself, which appeared to r.ic capable of a more easy explanation from the New Testamc nt history, but upon the supposed infallibility of the Cliurdi of Rome, wliicli has ".{fixed "his sense to the words, in accordance M-ifh lier o'.rn doctrine of the Supremacy of die Tope. The promise is, that '^ the gates of hell .-hall not prcva: Inst the o •29 ni ''"""■';.'■'■-''";'•■■ -'"'^- ■• ""■ ^- • — i-.i.." .w,.„/,... lUimio,, „1 ,|,,„|, ,„■ ,1,,. „.„„,,, , , ' ■ ""■"'~ ""• -"' CO,,,..,,,,.,,,;, ,,, „,,:. ; ; ;; ; ;" -.-^.'" ^--is ;^>-:;™.....,>,......,,,..,::;;,;t;;::;;i^::: lo tlu; p,.o„i..c. of Christ f.foli,i y .>,s, ,., ■ , ,"""■- ■ .Mt "t ,..■ I,„;„l,h,l,ty of the ChlUTh of J!,,,,,^, ,„,,;"" ■"",'""" ""'■"■ I'-^-'^es of „ ,■„,;,„. ,„„,;. „,,„.^.,^ >™'l (.i.,d., which oc..„K !„ ,h..!„ 1,,,,!,. i„. '>. , t.,..c i«.«„„,,, an- ■•.garde,! a, so coaeh.sivo i„ f.,™r ;■ ;--;e "f the ch„..,.h of ,;„„„„, ,,„ „,„. , :' : t"Cami,Ie T,.:„h. h„st rcveal.,.,1 ,!,,,„. „„ / I . fii'.ii , "•ii, I ii II.. lhls> « ■ Ml,' ;^1 ^.1 r,vy//- .'•'/ //./( iO ffiiiiii/il (>/ llir 'Vrnlli. 'I'lic fust (.f tl 1('.S(« 1- M;itli lew XVIH. 17- l!":ir til'' ('li'ircli. X ()\V iL l^ CN idriif IroiM the ])i"('(r{liuu cDiitrxt. t'uit t!ii> ]);issai^c has no rclcrrii. • "uhalcv( r to the authority of the Chiii'ch in tlctci'iniiiin_; foDtnn cr>i('s ol' I'altli, as it ichitcs not to any (|U(v>tion ol' tloc'triiic, l)iit ot" (lis(i])hiu\ or to sonu' ()rfa>ioii ol" dispiilc. ibiiu(k'(l on ])crs()nal . ,|iu'y. Ix't wccu two ]>ii\atr ( 'In-istiaii-. " If thy brother shall trespass ;t;;'ainst thee, i;o and ti'Ii lihu his I'ault brtwecii thi'c and liini uK/iic : it" he :-li d t hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother ''■ (\. l-");. Should tlii> cour-^c^ not ])rov(' satisliictory, the next ^t^•]) i-- tlli-^ — '• It" he will not hear thee, then take m ith thee one or Iud more, that in the mouth ol" two or three "w itn;'>>e> e\tM\- ■U'ord may he established'"' (v. Ki.) Should th'-, arbitra- tion fail, th{> iiual ajipeal is directed to be ina(h' to '• rlie Church," " If he shall neglect to hear them, tc 11 it unto the ('hurch ; but if he neglect to hear the Chureiu let him bo unto thee as an heathen nr.ui and a ])u')li;;ni."' NoAv -what is "the Church" lierc> mentioned '. lv,-ei-\- ou'> knows that the -word properly means an a^-emljlv or con- (rj-egation, and in this sense onl\ it e ui b-' nuMer-S) )d iu this i)hice. It canuot surely mean th' Uni\er-.i} Ch nvh, "•.vhether visible or mystical, as it i^ ab>'.ird to suppo^' that our Saviour could have iutend'.-d to r(-'';'r evei v ipi ivat.' dirt'erenec to the decision of a ;.:,mi ril ('>)i;iii of th • Church in any sen^e, and therefor* ■, ;,'( (vd'ugto ih'iKuur.il meaning v)f the climax, ascendln;;- f/om o:i ■, two. itu 1 three to a greater number, it mu-^t relale siin})iv to the local >oc'iety or congri'gMtion, w'.i.'thii eoliec'iNelv or representatively, of which thos,' \\\\) iiMiividua's wt're members; and thus we find 'Xv saiir," r i!e ])ai'li 'id irly i;iid down by St. ]*aul with refer* nee to ih.' con ,r '.;-iliou of the Corinthi.m Clturch (I ( 'oi vi. 1 — (>. ) 'I hi- te:vi,tlien. •ri " lat'-S not l„ m u,,,, .,,• ,r,r,rinr, |„u ol ,i;.r;,,lnn-nnl to 'iK- / ..vr-w/Chun-i,, hut toa /^^/y/.v'/.M.M..„v^af;..n-no, _> tlu- />^v%.v. l,ur tothcy.^vV. ; and tluMvlon", irit pr.nr^- tin; luthllihility ot tlu. (lu.rrh, ir mu^t prov. th. Infalli- '"lityol evcTv Chn.riau ron^ic^atiou in t!u> world, a.ul nmsciuc-ntly. as ,hi. pnn.. too m,„l,, it p.v.vcs nodun-at ;ill oil tlir .sul)j,.(r of Inthllihility. ;1;1k- other pa^sa,,v, so olt.u f rJumphant Iv (p.oto.l, Is I limothyili. i:,, in .vhicii it is uucIrrsro;>,l that -. the- Church ot tlichvino- (nxl"' is dcscrihrd as - th. pillar and .ijround of the truth," and conse(pu.nt!v- iufallil,]. in all h.r determniations of (h>ctriu(.. 15ut, iu the first place, it is hy no nicaus cc-rtaiu that this expression n-lates to - the Uiurch " at all, as it may he ecpially applied, in its ^a-am- HKitical construction, either to Timothy himself, in the former part of the passa^^r,, or, without any ylolence to the oriirnial, to the - mystery of ,^rodliuc-ss," hi the follo>y- in.i^- verse. Accordins to the former interpretation, the Apostle Avas mvin- directions to Timothy "how he on-ht to behave hnnself in the house of (jod," wliieh he explains IK.rentheti. ally, to be - the ( 'hureh of the liviny- God," and then continues his exhortation to him to act in his lii-^h ..osition as - a pillar and -round of the truth." In- (h'cd, tliere are two imix.rtant objections to the common ^ivyy, wiiK'h refers these words to the ( 'hurcli— on(> is the rnnj>,s,n„ of mriai>hor which it involyes in desc-ril,ino- the Church both as a - house " and as a - pillar " in the same sentence ; and the other is tlie onnss}o„ nf ihr iirai- arOdc, before t],e hitter terms in the sentemr. ' AW find that the ■J^^me of •• pillars " is applied in (Jal. ii. <>, to leading m- /''v/-'/A- in the Church, .James. (Vphas. and .John; and ^'i^a.n. m liev. iii. 1;>, to the Indiyidual yictor in the ill f n f •if f; 'I , <» (. i > '''k t Ml ci ij'iU i . Uuu il 1> lie \er applied to any coihTtive 3il I'O.lic-. (ll'niCP. Hilt, even :llj)l)()v;ii;_;- (],;;! t!.(-( !|,|l,li jsciUfd "the pilhir and -toimkI of the tiiitli." iji- j^liu.Ion i^ ])ro- l):'l)ly nuuU- to tlK' ])(>.].■. (als, on which ^t;it!U^s wciv laisrd, to l)c r.\i)()sc(l to i)ul)lic, view, and fids is inik-cd the ju-opcr nX'AV of tlio ( liii rh, as a " caiulK'sti'-k "' forth;' diHusion of divhu> lii-ht and truth, " hohliiin- forth tlic Word of Jifo" :is "a \vitii"ss anda kccju'r of lioly Writ." Hut further, the Church lure mentioned is not the /■/ilnryul Chureh, hut th" /^r//7/V//A//- Church of Kplu-us. of whicli Timothy was ])!shop, and tlu-refore the expressions :-pi)ly to every l)artieuhir Chureh in the world, and prove nothmt,' oil the suhjeet of Infallihility. Now it is eertain. tliat this very Church of Kphesus, Avhieh the Ajiostle calls " the pillar and -round of the truth," did afterwards fall into corruption and apostacy, and is now r.tterly extinct. JJut a few years afterwards, , lic was solemnly a\ anied as a i'lli'n Church by our blessed ] ,ord, ^\ ho threatened to "remove her candlestick out of its place." ( Rev. ii. 4, 5.) In'sides, these terms are applied to Mr r//,/yr//, oi the ir/a>/c cniiiiHunj of ( liristians in any plae(>, and not to the IJishops, or i'astors of the Xauversil Church. Is it not evident, then, that there is a i^n-oss imposition in the ap])lication of these two texts from their obvious meanini,', to prove the doctrine of Koman Ini'allibility ? It is surely a manifest attemi)t to deceive the people l)y the mere sound of words, employed in different senses in the premis(>s and in the conclusion, Avhile it is plain that " the ( 'hurch " in these i)assaircs of Scripture means " the Laity " as distin- guished from " the Clertry," and in the Rom-ui arou,n(>nt it means "the Cler<.y" as distinguished from >• the l.aity."' But though these texts are thus entirely per\er(cd iVom their true sense, there are some others which have a more- direct bearing on tliis subject. We need not ivterlo tjie •>•> lied iro- rd, per I of ll' " tcr, vh, []\y on his ^hc ito LCt. ?, a to ps, lit, of ho -\St of in in n- iit Ill i(.' It' Vopl ICfIC :!/:(•( I (Ml fl "!' '^"' ^>''I 'IVsf;nn,-nf, wl,;,.} ' '" "" f'll^ ixiinf. l);'(M,is. 1 ;ir(' f '''■<|U{'!lf!v '^ ';<\i'!Mif (•,„„. i,u ;,(t(M,'. (I I ir •. ' 1 .' A . ..I, ,/cr \\vi 'M ■""' 'f"- -> ii 1!>, :J0. n,,.. o i!it" -New 'I'rshMllc '"!•< jTOJi; ''11 riKiin '" ''"■ l>-incj,,;;| t,,^f, ;.j , • i!i(.. (, i„ fi,,^ (lc-srri,,f on vfili n ''""'■'■"'■''"■••-v.MvaHw ;":'';"'■'■'■'•■■•■ '■''■- lil.ilifv i,„„K.,, ;, ,.,'■.'• -^,"'- '^ '"-'V ,,„y Int;,!- '''•'■-'>■■<■■ Tl„. .,„,, ,„„„: ; V'Vt.,] ■"'■'.■•/ ^"" "-' .--.'• ^>-. (),,r L.,,.;:. ;■■•' i., p;i oIluT ir T li. ''■i!ip;;pv ol •'■'■^■"'''1 (li;,I i-^rr- ]■■'■> ''-"" <'t (Ins proiiiiM-. If ,],:, ...,., ,, . '' ''.> ■■■"'■"'■ ■" '■"■■ l'lv,;;iiM.^,.. |„„,lr , « •'■ '■•1 ^^'•n! I Vv'.j I' J u-|,:r.-r J observe all thing's wliafs(»cvcr I have t ommandi-d you." When this condition is nc-lcctcd, the promise (ails it is not connected merely Avith Apostolical succes- sion, hut with Kvanplical doctrine, and therefore it is not a promise of aI)solut(> Infaililjillty exclusively helong- ins; to an uninterruptc d succession of individiials in the Episcopal otrue, hut it is a iironiise of se promises are conditional, as 'ependin- on the U)ve and ohedl- cncc of Christ's professing disciples—" If ye love Mc, keep :My commandments." Ihit it is evident also, that ,n>nr. of these promises are personal an^ cannot he applied to any others hut the Apostles themselves, for it is said that *' lie shnll leach you all things, and bring all things to your rcMncmhrancc, Avhatscx;ver I have said unto vou." "He Mill show" you things to come," enduing thera with the gift of prophecy, in predicting future events, which can only apply to innnrdiate 'tnsphuithnu It is said. Indeed, that "He shall abide with you forever," ind thence it is argiuHl that the promise must extend to thcii successors in the government of the Church for all time to come. It is by no means clear, however, that this conclu-^ vi„n is just, as' some commentat(n-s are of opinion that thc = %vordt- "" f(u- ever" may refer only to the natural lives of tlif j Apo^tk's. ov io tiic prj-f' I , U I J 1 1 1 I I i I 35 liut th c\cA if it In- true that it includes tl ic'ir suc- Tc is not th(! sliglitc-it proof tl proot that it apjjlics to the Church of Rome irorc than to any other nart of th. liniversal Church, nor does the ^ift of the lloly Ghost confer Infallibility without some special promise to that etfect, which is certainly not expressed In this passa,i;(>. Tlu! IJoly (ihost is givca to all true beli<u f.) r< r. r I.) s.uli i.,,ssi-( > .i> I, like \. 1»;, ;ni(I II. I,, xii;. K, which ;iiv nltni .|i|,,t,.I to |.io\c thr ln',i'lll)ilit\ nt" the pnsciif {'imivh..r K.,iiir; l.iir (h.« I",. nun- 1. \t ;•( |,it,s t.. the >(\.'nfy .h'scipic-. ^^l„■ l,a(l or the diims of her Clei-'^v. ^^e have thus taken a ,i;-eiHral view (,1' the prinri-KiJ jiri^u- nu'iits which liav(> heeu advamrd in iiroof of the Infalli- bility -f the Church, or rather of the collective hodv of J^ishops ill communion with the See of Itonie, and I tliink it must be admitted tliat they arc utterly inconclusiv'>. It is evid(>nt, howevi.r, that, whatever de-ree of force theie may be in thcso ari^nimcnts, '.ey prove nothinjr i,i favor (,f the Churcli of Kome in preference to any other Church ; the very same ari^umcnts, beiii.t; founded on -eneral prin- ciples and i)romises, would e(piully prove that Infallibility belongs to the Greek Church, which is said to claim this privih^ge as well as th(> Latin. It is manifestly absurd, howevc'-, to maintain the principle of two infallible Ch'._i-chcs, at variance with each otluu-; the Infallibility, as Avell as Supremacy, must be vested m one Church oni- and therefore the Lat:u Church, with the view of m. ,po- li/hi- this privilege, has couM.Uucly cut off all others tVom the unity of the Ciuiiolic Church, and pronounces tlum to be involved in the guilt of schism, ])OLvui,e they reiiise to recognise her claims to L'liivcrsal Suprunacy. *I]ur, afttr all, ho^v iutiuitcly precarious is tl- .tempted proof of the Inlaliibility of a/n/ visibl.> ChuxJi un earth.' how very unct'rtahi is the conclusion liorived iVom it in fa\or of tlu^ CTiurch of Kome! Let us look at the nnalogv of the M'W IS I ("li.irrh. h •'■;>. th- ,.nlv f,„.- Cl,,,,,], Iic(l Jiil>,' ot" flic ;il K'S, iKcoiiiM.iii'i (1 \\ itli ill IC 1)1(1- Ktll. I'lC I !!'■(> (,f ( i,,(l\ Si t!:il(!:-i 11 )f Ur.irl— •• And 1 uiil I >ii ii ;ii:i(iii''- f 1 !ll'tiiV llll" t.ll) ol fif coiiL^MTvif ion,;, 11(1 flic;i!f,,i- : I v,i!! ri;;i(|( Aaron ;iii(l III-' sous, to iiiiiil-N.r t Aim! I uill dwell ■111. titv ;il>() !,(,(|i lli'ir (iod. \ii(l tJK V sh " iiic in the i)i-icst's ()fflc( :i"ioii- ,],,> diildnn,,!' Is, •;„■!, and uljl I, tii/i.- ( ind, that I)r(,ii:d:t f';. hi l\ I'uA'if, tliat 1 in.-iv ,! :iio\\- (h.if 1 .1111 the Lord well ; laoMi \\i\. I ! — tli'.'ir (iod." (I'lxod. '•1ii>s;mi and saiHtiliid tins ]|.ai,c. that >itli out ol" the liiiid of tln'iii : I am the .old i>.) 1 or now iiavc I tlicn- 1 or cvtn' iiid nunc roil. tlun->- ]):ri)ctiially/' (;.» C the wiuM that I covciianfcd with voii wl K^-Apt, (11 niy name iii;iv hi iind miiLc heart shall Ik \ii. Ki. ) '• Accordiii^j- t( Kii w came cit of pt, NO my >])irit remain;;!; amoiiL,r y,,,, ; j ,;.-M-:, " 1 \- 1 II. •').) It had a ]Krpe(iiaI I'ar ve not. snei e.ssi(,ji uiely instituted l'riesrluH)d of the onhr of A; the .sentence of the \[\'y]i 1' on, am iiuitters of conlioversv i ■u.c Avas to be final iu all man that eiatuiL;- to civil causes — "And th will do ])iTSIi iptuoiislv unto the ])riest that staudetli the r,ord tliv (Jod, !dc will not licarj o n:!ii:ster tliere bed veil lore or unto tilt,' S!l all di dtl i(:.;o, even that luau (i) [ 10 : and thou shait put away du -^il e'lr, xvii. l;j.) ^'ct it i'roni Israel. IS (>v; tl it tli\: tlu>re M IS no nUiluDihiy coiderred upon the Jcui-h C'liur-l tar as it adiiered to t he written 1. 1, except so l^\'■ Ui (iod. T l:;)av of t! The y M'l' nation iv d'v, id-d i; lad ato u lui.-r i'v ac yai iu;;8 to (li.'ieroiit and oijoosit;. tunc of o >tartl prreat peri(jds. •ts in the avioui -Uid ilnaily, hi-- iaet, ti:ut our Lord .Jesus CL id cruciilcd I )y £ MittiK.o of th..' on!r it IS a sui( nni ;:nd risr V, as coiulcmned I'-IDI '*« '»J ,1 ■1] I , "I H \ AK l\t 38 on earth, as rq)resrnt(> J'ope and his Council at Jioni. .' And if there is so nuich uncertainly in the fuau/aflu,, ho^Y much more uncertainty must then; be in the doctrines established on this sui.p(.,ed Infallibility, besides th. i)ar- ticular evidence agahist each separate doctrine ! \V'e are told, indeed, of the great ad antage, in point of certainty, . - ch IS possessed by the nicndjc rs of an Infallible Chuich liut it nuist not be forgotten that the nu»re assertion of Inla. ability, however confidently claimed, does not make ■^iny Church infillible. All depends on the conclusive- ness of the reasons advanced to prove her Infallibihty Ihcse reasons cannot produce an infallible assui-ancc of the Church's Infallibility in the miiid of iuiy one ; they cannot remove all doubts on the subject, and thereibre the .iomanist can have no advantage over the Protestant as to the grounds of conviction of the truth of his religion, as it IS impossible to arrive at a ccrtam conclusion il-om unrrrtain pmn-scs. How am I mor<' r.^rtaiu of mv faith in the Church of Pome than in the Church of England.' Be- cause, it is said, I belong to an Inflillible Church Put supposing this to be true, still it does not make me infalli- bly certain of th-^ truth of her doctrines, unless I have an n,Ja/U,'c ccrluinUj of the Iiuallibility of the Church herself winch, I coui-ess I have not. I have notliing but a moral certainty ol it, founded upon probable evidence, and I can luive the same kind of ceri:a:n.> Li tlie Church of England. I must confess, indeed, iu my ov/u case, that it was this desire to obtain a more ab:.oiute certainty of faith wliich Ibrmed one of the predisposing causes which operated \ strongly m my owii nmid in favor of the system of Komau- \ ism, and I believe it is this which constitutes the peculiar I I 39 c h;iv(> liom. .' V, liow rtrinos < ]):ir- ^ c arc taiiit\-, lunch, tion of make usivc- bility. of the ;annot c the ; as to , as it erlahi \ the Be- irut, ; liUlli- I ve an rsclf, noral [ can land, this •liich •atod nan- uliar attractions of the system to many minds conscious of their own weakness, and km-in- for an infallible authority in the interpretation of divine tnith. This is well expressed in the following eloquent passa-e from a sermon by a hvin- clergyman :— - What is that stran-c charm and witchery of this system, bv which it has held in subjection in times past, by which it bows to subjection m our own day, so many a noble intellect, in spite of all lh(> -rossness of its errors and the monstrous and incredi])le character of its superstiticms ? Is it not this— that, cliunung the rc«velation of the .sv>, it professes to give that rn-t<,h,f,j, that absolute freedom from all doubt in matters of faith, wliich men so earn(>stly desire ? Is it not that, to minds worn out with the strife of controversy and the agony of doul)t, it offers repose, relief from all the l)ainful effort at deciding for tlu^mselves questions for which the human intellect can never find a satisfactoly solution? To souls exh.austcd with tlic feverish rnxieties of freedom, it offers the rest of despot isu?. To the wcaiy - d heavy lad(>n, borne down n-itli the burden cf theIr"^ov.-n doubts and difficulties, Home speaks vxi--, m cru<-I auc"". deceitful parody, those comr-rtablc ^v or.ls of (Jd^u "Came unto iius and find re:,t fer y.^-r souls." Still docs she stand, the fr.se representative of Christ by t>.e well-side, where come those who thirst for ///.///. ;^rd t'llii:- them ever that t]u>y " have nothing to draw v, itl-, rrrT the w.H is deep," bids them ask of her, and she wi'! -ivo them water, Mhich if they drink of, they shall nc-( r thirst again." This witness is true ; it deNcri]>-s the se-n-t of that' mys- teiious fiscinaliou ;]iro\vu ever the mi- Is of nu'u bv the exlj-avagaut claims of tlu; Cliurcli cf Koine ; and therefore, HiMc^ul of imlulging a romantic sentiment, it becomes Till, wiiuii\ .iiici sc)iHii\ id exammc attentively the » > .i..i 40 foundations of tiiis c], I'l'i to infallibil \tv incormt. then, to sav t!,at llicr It is evidently Imfli of tlu' rrot(-sla: • ivlioin,,. 1 I' can hfiu) (•: itaiiitv in tlio doct lines ari ])i-o!i -'-eu Iv held l,v I iire therefore ot' di\ii prineij)Ie.s ; -while th'. H'cau>? all it.- Joina.n ( atholic •S lins/fti I I re 1 11' ee!-taiiitv . ;'C'((jr(linn- to (ueir aiu own -that is, the J; nr'_ra!n- dodrines h, Id Lv JVote^tvit. ( must alwavs ho ;;t 1 ii'iiiaii Larhcjue doetrines reje-t.d I)V t leni- ea" i!n"i'rta.iii. peculiar ]irinci])le ( as l)ci;in- Hiiidrd on the that the d foundat IVllK ion 01 dl '' i^'>;:ia,n Infdlil.iliiy. Jr is ,sal;o:>i this is the final rcwol CICC Oi >^ f " ■ iiHioriiy, l-ut that !' u. (.)iiirrwi--e it is aurhority on which 'od, sp-iikin;^ to us ' '/.'■'/ /7;.V ^ /,V;/,v/,V,v iiiion Oi — aiifl tlieref' oi laith tlian 1 as comiiiLc t'^ tlK'in tlir '. ith on n-e rrotcstain.s hav voiiiaiii^ts. vhilc dl ( i:r; ;m jui'ici pies e siirelv no 1 ess eertr.inty ii'(>V re ■eivc that ti's nony ou-!i ^1 ^\ mediiun oi" (iod' Old, A\ 1-- ;.'tlin,tted on /,..;/, j^j,p •s written ()'; rc^ecive i; tin admitted oul ,- ■S widle ]i oiii; h t!.e incd ^t SIS I'lm ot t; liiii'eh, acU IS on ' Mue Tl lO ( o luruillhiiiiv i; ,1, eU i. plausddo and inL;-.ni sp'-cidation. }),it ;. (h,ii. hy ous avL;-uiiu'iits — a, ! i',';:i!i liiil tl U'O! Ill '■^•ns jM-ii, ;(>K. i„ j,ra( ^loc. Tl Us »eiicve iu the infallible ^ 4\ ^;^'l ^'PPy,. nu,rc clcu-K in the practical consequences 6f t 'c pnnaplr. .. illustratcl in t],. (.tablishcd doctrines of t- (^luurh <,1 iUnnr. If the ( 'hun.!! of iionic be infulH- th on ;i II 1 ur dm olii;'- liand, if Mines must hv i])fallil,]v tr iiny ()!u> of'ilicse docd lie ; on the l)ni!ciplc of infallibilit ines be false, then tl y nnist be faL-(>, for it •K'li'des all the .Utails which are found d theref( Cf ic neccssarilv "pon its ai)pH- nuion, and tl.erefbre th.^e doctrines )nav bo considered asdeewve test.^ of the Infallibilitv of tlie Chui'ch. l/.'t us tlun briefly consid.-r Hie pee.dinr dodrln, s of tlr^ Church ot Jio.ae, in the n.ost moderate ibrn,, a. s.t lorth Mthe(".n.:no,l'op,.:Pn.n-. This Creed was published by the lushest l-ccdesiasticd authority as the profession "1 aith c,t tlH. JJon.an Cafholic Church at the period of the I^Honnafon, and tliough it was not proposed to mrsc-'f ••• f'K- tnneot my admi.^iou into that eomnmnion. ;ct it :' y iv(Tsally received as containing the most authciUic sun-- mary of th(> d.stin,i,n.ishiL..:,r doctrines of lion. ,nisni Tl ■■ t^^tire (reed itscdf consists of two pu1s-the fusf h,\nrr th- ^icem- or C'onstantinopolitan ( reed, adopted !)y the"'fir-t l^^•o General Councils in :].>;, and ;J81, ar.d rm.ivcnl bv tue Church of I'n^land; while the sroo.l part was co^n- piled so latc>ly as the year 1^(U, shortly after the conclu- sion of the Council of Trent, and is of bourse rc.jected bv all 1 rotestants. Here, then, wc Jiave the ././ and the ;. ;. Creeds placed ni nnniediate connexion with each oth(T the formrr received by the Church (;f En^dand, and ho!/> received by the C:hurch of IJome. The question is, rre •lie articles of this /afUr Creed to he also r(>ceived as* essential doctrines of Christianity ! \ few are we to dec'de this question ! We must -o back to tlie br^hml,., to (h,- old Gospcd of Christ ..id His Apostles. God has spoken hv hn Prr>.>V.,vf 11 'I'l ...VI ,11,.. . ' i ■■=■■■-■ .1 ;..:- -a.iii iuc i^uKi, .Siaiui xa in f|)« >■ ?! ■'l fl % v1 ,i< M Mid . -k lor the aid jxitli.^, ^\h(•l•v is the i^- ^^'il^*s, iiiid set, t*ini i -iv iwi im- wmi i/um,^^ ^^in'it." is im* *''()v)(i way, and -walk tlicrrin, and yc shall fiiul i-cst tor voiir souls." f.Icr. vl. !().) 'l"lus is the ])rin(ijilc of the (vhurch ot hnt^land. It is al)Mijd, then, to cliar'^T lu r doctrines with /mrr/hj, s'nu ■ she r;".'civ('s nothing- hut tlie nlil ilort' irs ol' Chrisstianity, as t ui'.;'ht iu tlic Hihlo, and cxph-'ned in tlic Creeds ot" the ancient Church, v.hilc she r(;i(>cts all innovations wliicli have :-inee i;een added to the I'rimitlve Faiih. 'I'lu fir:-i thini;, tl;;'n, that strikes us, is liie novelty of this Creed of JVjpc Phis l\'. It is onlv ;J()0 yc-ars old, though the dotrines of Clirisrianitv are LSOO years old, and thus do Uonianisni and Christianitv stand eoutrasted with each ot'.u i-, in point of antiquitv. 'Die Church of Kniiland ap])eals to the Jloly Scriptures as the only hifallihle rule of faith, and she ai)p(^als to the Primitive Cluireh as the only unerrin:^ ju'ln^^' of eontro- versy, Avliile the Churcli of Kouu! refuses to be tried l)v any other sjnritual judi'-c hut hersvdf. The Church of Ihiijland acts on the ]n-iuci])le that notliini? can be divinely true which was not held by tiie Church "from the bevcd heso efer- ;)l;)-'i(-p„rs, no^ )iily a portion, bur lU'.W >;'cii:c iif w h i';il"('rii! Id keen clos ijom r!i( even tlio tr/inh- C/mrrhY to (niti(})il(ii, whirh Is l)o--ilii|;t\- (){ Ix'ii!.- '.orniiitrd h V new '■.'■''"'■'•" ''"''"' '■••'- '!"• ivnndy propo.-,.,! I,v Sr. \''i,uvn Tius—not an ..Ihrivnc- to th,. I'opo or the oxistin- ("hnrch ■>i lion.... ],ut .. a,,j,rnl fnnv tin pyrs, ,t Vlnnrl, i„ inhvitirr "^''"l>'»tl^ and on this princ iplo th. C'hu.rh of Kno-h.nn has ;'(t<t tho Ji(.formc- real parallel, in this resj)(.ct. }K>t^^ een the 39 Articles of tho Church of En^dand,and the Creed of the Konian iiurch, as defined by the Council of 'i'rent. 'i'he forni(>r ^•IIhtcs to tlie old faith of the Catholic Church, and rejects tjU ir.ochu-n dnrlnpnuMts of that faith, ^hile the latter [J'»rs-, for the first tniie, son.e of the most important 'loc-truK^s, Avhich M-(nv unknown to the Primitive Church, ml declares thcnn to be nrcrsmnj for salratmn. This is the' iatural consccj^uence of the i)rinciple of Infallibility, as •admo- to tHtohnnnr in religious principle, and to i,crm-u- ^ ■■' m thv exercise of political power. It is said, however, uit these doctnncs arc really old, though the Cnc,] itself '■ ncM'. A\^e shall now proceed to this inquirv. Lot us pnnuie these articles in detail. The "first of them is as folloM's : I- ■• r must frmJii admit and cmhrace the Aposfnlfrnf and •''■sUutlcal Traditions, and the other observances and rovst'i- "'oiis of the same Chnrch" (of Kom.'). n 1 'I I" •i--.. I ■ % I in. U, l,-> I iie ii adamentai difference between ;! ic 41 Ohureh of lloiiie and all the livionmd (.'!mrc!ic«. l^)ti», indeed, proless to receive the ^Vovd of Ciud as the onlv re.lo of faitli. ]3iit under this nanie the ( hiir: !i of Kome in- cludes not only the Holy '^erii)tures, hut various doctrines which axe said t- hpve heen delivered hy the Ai)o>tl(\s to the Churches under divine inspir-.tjon, thou-h not recorded in their writings in the New Testament, '.riiese are c:dled hy the name of Apostolical Traditions, or tlu> vntnUtcii Word of God. On the other lumd, the (-'hureh of Eng^ land maimains (in her Gth Ai-tieleJ that " JJoly S;iiptiue containeth all things nccessajy to salvation ; so that w liat- so^jvcr is not read therein, nor may be proved therein', is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an artich^ of the JTaith, or be thought requisite or neccsr sary to salvation. In the name of the holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old ancj New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Chiq-ch." This is the very ground of the Protestant religion ; and the rejection of Tradition, as an independent rule of faith, Avas certainly the vital principle of the Reformation. It is trijc that the Avord " Trulition " is frequently used in different senses, and this variety of meanings has Ld to much confusion gn both sides. The name is often applied to any doctrine or iJradicc, whether written or unwritten, delivered by the Apostles to the Churches, and in this sense all the doctrines of Christianity may be called traditions. It is also applied to the medium ur channel through which any book or doctj-ine has beeu transmitted to us ; it is thus nearly equivalent to historicial evidence or the testimony of the Fathers, and in this sense it is perfectly true that we receive the Scriptures from the tradition of the Church. It is therefore a mere sophism to say that Scripture itself rests upon Tradition, because \ 4') M >!1 (IOC Hiis kind of trtidlti .W,'//r,v of rC'VcLltioU, l.Mlt whi'h Scriptiu\' li; not rcliitc t(» ;ijiv .r iliilrnr/nfi'/i/, !,' ii'iply fo rlic iiintli' iif coin ■>;>nirf hv 1^ JSislioj) 'i'inlor r: (if (j..)(l, but th iMcii h.nuhd down to us — and tluis, i;ii-ks " thi, i. no ]:art of (hc^ Word H'ord c notdnatu;u, or Juauncr td' c onv( vui'. oi (iod, th; JiiMniiiient of its dcdivcrv, v.tmi IS now used by jjoman Catholic \) s.'iisc, a^ tlic Hut tho ])ecul lar eccive the Churcli of Home-, as licd from the Scrij)turcs, yrt of cfiuul and independent authority, sq that Scripture and 'iVacUnon, taken too-ether, are said to constitute the joint • ■i!c" ol f df h in that Churcli. On this sul^ect we may (juote the remarks of an emljient tlieolo-ian of the present day. •' The word tradition, in ancient Aviiter.s, was not used iu the sens.- v. hich it has i,ow accpd'-cd in n.odern contro. versK s. The Fathers jvcomniend and voienite the tradi- tion of the Chin-ch, in a sense very diderent indeed from that v.hich Jtomaijists and Protestants now alik.> use the \^ oj-d, as somethiu- distinct iVom and wholly independent of the 13i])le— something that must be added to the testi.- i:iony of i[oly Scripture in order to make up the intei.-rity of the Catholic Faith. On the contrary, the tradhion spoken of by the Fathers, which was conunitted to the safe keepino- of the Church by tlu^ Apostles, which wa^ possessed by the Church alone, and rejected or perverted hy heretics, was nothinir more than the u--regate of those fundamental articles of the faith whicli are summed up ijj the iornudaiies to which we now give the name o^" Creeds • the essential doctrines, which were rect>ixed by all Churches,' about which there was no controversy Mithiii the Church, and Mhich were, confessedly and without contioversv, the funda. i !t i1'. 'I. I "; 4' //.j I , I' I. . * T:M!or'sI) I i^ C 1 1 ^ q t .'»! i / T.^ .1 / k fj.) 40 Tiinr;.)rru!h-,:u,h.)Mt whi !i :.<) man could l)(«;i(;i.nsr \ Mil. (IW fllv- (, V. hi't ithuritv luivc v/o for bcli.'v in tii:it (iii>' (''>■( r MK oi' I'ailli. wlii' ]i ar W'rr- IK. 't liy tli(> tl AposI I r><, as artirlc aru I fl / cDutanK ,1 HI their inquired writin^-s ic <>n!y nal answer to this stictrines a.> tli(> Sacrihce of tlie Mas^ the Seven Sa torv. Invocation of Saints, \ cranients. Vw eneratioii of In ll-i-es. rences, 1 lu(hi!- oi); Si u]>r(Mnacv, ant I otli ('SS( 'iifi :d docti ler articles ol" fairh. are ines of Christianitv ? '!"! to 1k> found on tli lev are certaniK- nol e surfac(> of Scriptiin- ; hut we are told that tin y wcv tan-':ht hy the inspired Apostles oi' Christ 111 their oral iustructuvus, and are tluu-efore divinelv true, lint how do M(. know tliat they were tau-lit l)v th(>"An es 'J'here is nothinu" ahont thcni in their t;wi is reallv incrcdihle to suoposc! that tl can l)(> tl and it mentd doctrines of the (lo.pel. wliile no allusion |o tl to he found in any one of th(> \l~ pai'ts of the X os- 1 ^vrltlll'4•s UIK li- lein IS 'J'l ew Testaineiit. ic answer is, because- the Infallible Church of Rome 1 so d(M-lared. Th I'.as lere is really no. other jjroof on the subject. Ind All (li-])ends on her Infdlihilitv (laim, then, we are lei't entirelv to historical (-vid("u tli:it itl epeudontly of this iiul evidonco is i;tt(>rly inconclusive in tlieir f (■V i\()r or rather, it is conclusive against tliem. \\v do not deny that Christ and ]Iis Apostles ^aul;■ht m.iuv thin<;s Mhich are not written in the New Testanient, but no means of knowing- what they were : authentic nx'ord of any particulars, and tl tl \vn we avc W'V have lerciore we dt that thev can for 'O ny m any part of our rule of faith, because tlu>y are ntterlv unknown to ns. 'J'l ierc> is no trace of til ^so unwntten doctrines to be found in tho Works of tl le "* T,hI. Iiifit!!;!. 41 lladl lulls i,i,i„n,„, ,„ ,;,;, , , . • ;'" ''"'•'' ■i.s,., ■,,.,!, I 1 • '"' "'■''■l~"! /.('.-■ il",s i':u,;;:t:;;::..-:::^::r;:v:V"-- ■•"/■'■" -. luic i> the o////, ru o (.1 faith siinnlv / / •" ' feet ,1,.,, I "J l™lmo„.,,i,.n„,i i;„,„ „.„ >■" P..c.,l an, „,n,v, i,p,„,„, ,,,,„,, ,., J^ ,\ocUi„',. ■ , ■^'"\ '''"'' "'"^ '"''">• "f these «„■,;«,„ u : '"•:,."';'™,".^ ""■"""*'" "i.h ,1.0 doctrin,. of fX" "■"■'.'"•'""'"■'' -''»"' "f tl.em ,.,., ui Me Imve elcar historical evidence, wliich shuws ,ha. these declines are not contained in the writings of the most ancient Fathers of the Church .„„• „„ I , , vnuicji, aiici vero eonsc- . n. y »„/■„„„.„ to the primitive ages-and further, we t t ^7,7"':;""' '''""""^ "^ '^" ^"""'"^ ''-^--Ives, he Gospel 0, Christ ; and thn. it appears that Tradition t« If rejects ,he authority which has heen claimed for it y the modern Church of Rome, and bear, witness to ho nip lete sufficiency of the Scriptures. This has be™ Icarly shown by the express testimonies of St. Irena,,s Ic.iullian, Origen, St. Cvnri,. u. T3..:i o, . ,, ' .i ■■■■, ■-■-. i.-.^-ji, oi. j-imaiiasiiis, 1 4^. •4 1^ 4n S(. (y.U, Sf. ('!ir_\ Dsiuin, St. Jiroiii'-, St. AuL^'ustiiie, St. \ inri iitiiis. iiiul others, whose ;):iiti'-iiL-ir stutc- inciif^ ir.av be r, luwnd in fho woi'ks of our * It lias h(M u >:\\A, ri't'at Divines (lii this siihjeet." It has h(M u ^aid. i;i(U'( (I. that wo recei\c Scrii)tiire and 'I'radifioii on the s-nur m/f/in/ifn.— the Jiutlioi-ity ol" the Clinreu — and tliat, therefore, I'l'otestanfs nre incoi;si>tent in ac^v'-eptin;.^' the on" and rejt'cfinif tlic Ather. ]5i!t this st -tenient is (piite incorrect, it' the expres- si(,li rehife to the nnulcin Chnrchol" IJonie. We receive the Cannn 6f Scripture from the Prhiiilitc ;ind I'niversal frmrcli, ^^hicll ad'ords no conlirniation of the Konian doctrines of Tradition, as none (jf tliose ]icculiar doctrines Avhicli are ^w^\■ hehl e.ndcT tliat nam", ai-e fo h;> foi.nd in Hie I'niM'rsal Traditions of tlie I'limitive Church, wliich Jittcsts tlie divine Canon of Serijjture. Indeed, it has been I)roved that tlie i,a-cat princi])le of the SufHciencv of Scrip- furo was liold by scrtir) of th;; ^^reati'st Divines of the Clnu-ch of Eome in every ^iccessive a, uj) to the period 6^ the HcformatioTi, \\\\v\i the Council of Trent, in Jie vear lo4(), introduced a vnr r\lk '»/" A'/ /'///, ni ■ .hich Scripture and 'I'radition Averc declared (o bo of ry/zf// authority.f This Decree, ho%rc"\-er, was not passed without strong opi)o- Kition oti the pai't of some of the members of the Council, Aviiich was* composed altojijether only of sixtv ])ersan., chiefly Italians, and few of tliem di>tinguished for theo- lo£;ical learninto- rian of the Council of Trent, that " there were as many opinions as there were tongues," though they finally * I^sslicr's Answer to .1 Jesuit, p. .36. Tillotion's Rule of F;iith, Part ir., sect. 2. (E(! Loud. 1G25). Taylor's Dissu;\sive, ji. 184. t Stilliiigflept> Coum-il of Trent Examined. (Gibjon's PreservatiTc, Vol ii. Ajip. p. 110.) IStlllC, stiltC- i\ iiics it, vc '--the •staiiCs 1,^' tlif :'fc'ivt' vcrsal Ionian trim's 11(1 in whicli ; been '^crip- f the )eriod L' year iptiire iritv.f Op})0- iincir, rsan<, theo- rcrsal it is lii^to- manv inally h, Part c. Vol 1<> .!'••' V I'l ■ 1 1 ! I : s llll- /■■(](■ ■>'<\ til!! s a nvw , ' . i{ I t ( ' I r » / 1 t ' " " I ' "■^'■'''" "'■ '"'J':', uhi-i, is nut ; V, • • '"- ^'^ ''' ^^^- ' • • "' ■^!'-'"' = -' 'IVadifi..,,.- V.,1 ■ "'"■'^-""'"■■■ly » ..,n,.,i i,v,i„. I.,,.,. ;:i '""'" ■:;::;*::;::;Sii':,-v""'"'- r i:"'"^l'™''l'-— Tun H„„.„:, I. „-,,„„„„„„,, " ■■Kym '■("<■..■ o„„;;,„„.,lsI„li„-e it ,1„.„„...,.,; „,„. ;?':'■■'; •'''''^'''"■''''•■i'"<--i'«s-.i.mt,,,..ti:i;:,^n i^'"->t sdiisniatica! ].ivs!imi)ti<)ii f i\ ■ ■ ^P''; nn].aitial scarcJi of tl f'lii}- 1 see plainly, and v.-ith luliio o^, ,i .,- „ , ■■"■■«■ l-a.h... n^ainst „tlu.-s, ,l,c ,s,-,„,o K „1. , ,„.; J r;' ' ■' - iuu.^tjiL oi lathers of one aw ^ers against tiiri)). ■I. .^1 r^ '.Lam- I ;> conj n: r,t •»(; .« Fathn-. «>!' ; .indici ;i-c, fh-' ( 'Imii li ol I'lH' ;i';i ;('.';;iiii>! (lie ( 'Imrrh (it ;iiii)tlii|- .i'^' '. 'I'ladil i\ c iiif'-r|»iTt:if loiis if Scrip turoai'f prci iiid ■(! ; lint tin re arc l^w or iiuac to Im' loiind. No Traditi III. liMf oid\ ot S( riiitiirc r.iv di inc il--(l}" iVom the I'ouiit.iiii. lint iiKiv Ix' jdaiidv j,ro\cd, cilli-r to li.i\c Ih'cii liroii^lit in. 111 --HI h Jill -A'Xr alt' i ("liii^t. or that in sn,rli ail aL,^' it was not in. In a word, tin re is iio ^ dliiicnt (•!'rtaiii*v lint of Sv-rliitiiic onlv, lor any ( im-idri'ii ;■ man to build niur.!." Tlr' next ar'icK' in the Uoiiiaii ( 'reed is tin- lollow ln^.• — 11. '• .l''.\-', I (ulin't the U tUj S-ri jy!nn- (trroriliiuj tit ifuil muisi' v>!i!c!t lltUj Mn'linr (Uiiircli //"x In hi (tud doi's Imh!, h) irhont if Ix- ^nnqa to jui/f/c <>f >lic Into .si'tifif ku'I itifcr^i/i'fu/i'on nf llu- Jlnh/ Srrii>tiiri s : tmr mill I rrer r < c/rc dii'/ intrrjtrit it hitt (ici i>r in the ('anoii of the ( )ld 'rcstauuiit, "whirU art' icj Ttcd hy all Proti'-tants under th ■ i.ainc of .\|H) a-vphal \\ iitlui;s. 'I he aiily ^-roiind on which thcv Ui\' rt'coivcd hy luinian ( 'atliohrs is the alhuc-d Iiitalli- blllty ('1' their ChiU'li, ■\\liu.. has ])ruiu;uiicc(l them '• safriul and canonical f' and llu'r( Curr'. if the I'oniau ( 'hurcli has erred in this ck,finiti(>u, her Ini'allibilitv mus*^ Tall to the uround. It is laid down in all standard Morks oi" lloman ('atholic Theology, that none but that ('hurch, or Apostolic ^linistry, instituted by Christ, is infallible in all her decisions ; and from this proposition it is inimeiliately inferred that the decision of the Council of 'J'n-nt, as to the Canon of Scripture, is infallibly true. Thus it i- assumcd that the (Council of Trent is the same -with tlv College of Apostles, and the modern particular Church oi Rome with the Primitive I'niversal Church of Christ. 51 lUll II uIiiN- thr ^lurrof i:,(M) v. ars is ,n(in iv pass,.,! over' N';u"|,,..( a.vfln. farfsnCtlK. ..-.M.. .vlafivr to flw , .Motion I"''"'-' "-• ll i><'''faintl,at rlHs..l,n..ksM,.n. net .'(•(••■ivMl '"'" 'I'" •'l,.lIc Canons and Constitutions— .M,.]r iJishop of S^inlis in tli,^ !2n,l ,rnt,irv— Ori-,',, hi the .'hd— Athanasius, •'"';>i.- Cy.il of .J- lluruc's Iu"xlucnon. vol. i. r. 497 (Sixth Ivlition). ' C'.i ' • iiispiiMtion (if ili.)sc l),)()k- i\l)lial l)\ the l'riinit!\c CI V. Ill ;i \v,M->' r iniTii .' .1110 li li;i' h.cil ^;ll(l liult'cd lu.i; ;miI ■i; ||\- ".\ (' :il >(> :l' *. ..iliolic ( 'liuicli. ;;ii(l tlwit (•(•i\t" its (iiic iiiciiiilut;- oil the s:iin; st.llciuciil is liMiiidcd on ;; (ohit cniifiisioii (if i s-.ihjcH't. W ,- (1,) not receive llie ( '.nioii of Sciintm '//mrl/i/ oC r///// ( 'luireli, hut on lli>- ,/■,//<. iiileu ■'".1.111 to r,' (le;is oil t.i; on th (> (IN '/ 01 loiu it Wiis (li\:iiel\ ius; inii,'litv (iod, l)v w 1 nH'eiV(> it. Indeed, o:; the ((stiinaini ol" the ( "ii >l,e(l We iiol o: (he /.' IIIIKIII ( liiire hilt of tlie / ii/rn\y,/ I ( ini;-i ii -lie o the iinstn; Clmi-eh, hiit ol" the / 'noin'/rr ( 'hiii'ili. \", ! I. 'II It reeeived il (vom the inspired Ajiostles of ( 'j Deeii tninsinided to ns. iiuh-ed, thron^di the chnihil of il Koniiiu (atholie Clvureli ; hut w ha: le ar(> no in i.re lioiiihl accept her iiitr,((ition of Scripture" than \ve iire hound t( ;u'i-(>i)t the opinio!; of a nirssr//r:j us a h tier as to thi' tri le i)ir(/)i/// lie (U'posilory of th.e Oracles of (iod; hnt slie 1 1:1, no iiuthoritv, at tl lis rein()t(> p( times of t Apostles, to aflix lu-r own mean interpretation of the text. nu IS tlu^ only inl'a IlihU lint wt< have lu-re a two-fold rnK< hiid d own lor th e ri :ht nitcM-pretation of Scrii)ture. Tlu first i^ ni as opposition to tlie li^lit of ]irivate judgment, as Me the ri-hts of all other ('hurclu^s—tinit it can only ho ad- mitted accordino- to the s(>ns(> t)f Holy .Mother C'hnrch. M it is iiniversallv acknowledued in the 1 ow nost eomjn-chensive sense of the Mcrds, that " the Chnrch " is the roper no one will inaiiit;iin c\\ s, nih( leh liere om any of these that we are to uscert uu \U< '-i'» llU'llUilli;- (>r Scil-^diiv ), 11^ 'HI ' -■ lli.il is, fi 'li 111- CI. 1 ' illVtIillis tl i< m- i.o::i i! II oil ii (; J" ( \IV ]•(' 'iii-'l. ..ir. i!>'(l i 1, - 'M~ '^'.;iii;ili()ii will not ^,•!(i .i\ I "''<'"'^ lii Ihi' world. ] -;, i;;ii (<' i(. iiiid si '"' tlic CliMlcli of I i'i|>iiii(' jia.s »<'ni<' iii;!\ , I, ,)(),!■ (,, I*' lii;;\- (Irnw '■'' ;iii\ (i| ii ■''M''''i'\ 111 («i)j)(>,siii,,i, ( < '■ II I'iJIIll j;i( illlili;^-, if M I ( • IS • '^;«i !(/ (I '''•l"i''' fills (O I;.. (|„. ( '» l!::"ili 1,.T • lil llOill \ \\ '■'"' llltcipr; tiu'ioi) *^ t iiiiii')! iii(( i-i)i(.( ;i s 'iiiii iir fill-:'. < ''■'' <■•"'""' I'i-"\'' a -^i ';;!.- (lorfrl,,,. I lll-lc t< xt <;!" <■■>< i: !lic in!.ill;|,i(i I'Olll ,Nci i\ ipNircs lo |>tuic ( iiiircU , ""■-'''- iiitcrpivt.ition „|' if. [>,',( iiit( rpicdiio' 1]^. I' IlLll.f .1 ol 1 uil O 'liiT Cljiinh >! and ( liii.^f II;' ;;iis\\,.|- | iai;s 111 the ■ oiiiid 111 (li I >) n ':;l:!!-!! ml ( »' asscitioii i)i ],(.,. ,,], liiil ni\('i:-ii| u; J-; ■'il])i<'iii;ic\. I), if (I lis asscr- ''■•y MM 111 lu'i- 'I o\'. 11 ;iiil '"'■■ity, nn iipjxiif,.,! 1>v and tiiciclor,' i; must I '■n ::iiM;r )»' ITlci trd :\uii: ii>ii:-|);itioii. 'ri\' I- nidCii i»l "M" of the CIni IMl (i) !»(' loii'id lIlMM'd '[;il. i. o:i o iviiinc his i!('\ r tUr S,: <■■• i^ivcii us ;iiiv a;i(I i<>nsi>,l ii!((.,-. "i'^'^- Til" Coiuu'il ol" 'IVonl 1 las. i <■; <) l>\ 1 K' T'caiii; 11. V. Ml. .\ \ -, 1 . "' a lew lc\(s, (V :;.), \\. .); .-> ' " " " i«\is, ( vi/. •Mark vi. 1.5, ]^|,).,, ^^j; j Church of I 'lino O, M'M- !•■] rnl.' 1.^. t i.ii . -;■: I accordiiiL'-r- (^ plincisiio; to!.cint.-rprc(, ^k- i'''A ?' i ^ .')4 ])lic:il)1',' in i)ra(,ti(c. 'riiorc is >io smcIi tliini;- in exist onrc :ts th "jinivnimotis ronsont of the Fatlicr: tl IS tlicsc ancient Avntors ditfi-rc'il tVoi-.i each oth( r in their expositions of Sci-iptnre as widely as nicdorn DiAines and Comnientatoi's. Indeed, the application of this rule is llital to the claims of the Church of iUnnc. For it is a most iniportant fact, that die only points on which the Fathers arc intini'inimis are precisely those doctrines of Scripture ^^hich arc hdfl hij rro/c.stajUs, in conv^non wifh the ( 'hnrch of Kome, A\hile those points on which they (lijPr ai-c those traditional opinions winch arc rrjWfrd hij Protest, nits, and held only by the C4i.urch of Rome. And it is a rule which is noto- riously violated in the (,'hnrch of Kome, as there is no such consent to he found in favor of her Q\,n interpretation of particular texts. The practical effect of these rules, then, is to prohibit all attcnnpts to inierpn-t the Scriptures,, as few readers of the Ihblc can be ,ni])posed to be suffi- ciently acquainted Avith tnese sources of infonnation, which are thus laid down as the only standards of a correct system of interpretation. It is, therefore, a very natural inference, that, uiKler such circumstances, th(> study of d in practice. It cannot b(> denied, that the ])rivate study of the Scrip- tures, in the vernacular language of each countay, is at- tended with snch restrictions and discouragements as to amount to a virtual prohibition. It is not, perhaps, gene- rally known, that, in the Chm-ch of Kome, there is no authorised Version of the Scriptures in any modern language, as the only standard text of the Bible is the Latin \'ulgate, which, with all its erroneous translations, iy-y I has been proiroimced '• aiitlicntic " f)V thv ( and no a Pl» ;il IS all ou f1 <)n,i,nuals. In all 1 'oiincit of Trent, c'U iioin it to the Hebrew and (ireek ionum ("atholic countries, where the lueuce of that C hun^h i. sufHcient, the Bible is a prohibited I'ook and the .tudy of it absolutely forbidden to the I>oop e, unless by a specud written permission. Thou-^h- not direetly c-njoined by the Council of Trent, vet this -oJidition IS required by the 4th ]iule of the " Index " -in- I'onited by that ( u.null and sanctioned by Pope Pius IV i^very one knows how fully this ]iule has been carried out' wlicR.ver It is ]u-actirable, and how freq.uently the circula' Uonoi the Scnptuivs h..s been denounced by the Popes- ;iiid the ben.-llts of tlieir stu.ly inchided in the list of " condenuicd lu-cpo.sitions." Does the Church of Rome tju'n, behove that her own infallibility is taught in the l.il)k> ! iui.l does she not brtray tlie insincerity of her pro- les>ions by h,-r reluctance to submit her own claims to the decision of tlie \\-ord of C;od ! Does she claim any spiritual power but what is defined in Scripture ? If she iiuh-]K"ndc-nt commission from above, and we ^vdl believe it. Put if she does not, why is she unwilling to hav(« her claims examined ],y Scripture, without first putting her own interpretation upon Scripture ? How can she reconcile her oun conduct with the declaration of her ;»iciiangeable iliith and practice ? Can there bo a single nistaucc produced from the records of ecclesiastical history aunng the first 1;3()() yc.u-s, in which the laity were pro-' Inhited or discouraged from the study of the Scriptures ? Jlcre, then, is acomj)let(> innovation on the practice of the Primitive Church, on a most important subject, on which tlie Church of Rome stands directly opposed to the Church "1 uie I'atiie rs. 11 ici-e IS no ponit on which there is a It i'-'\ t .,*■- nK'iv .tWl only divine soiuro „f all savin- truUi, ana cxhnvtvd all h^r ikmhIkt- to llir^ (on.cuut study of its sacred p:i-.s, v, Idle t!i<> muderu Church re-ards it as utterly incomplete v.ith.out the aid ofheronn traditions, and stron-Iy ,liseoura-es the n;id!n- of it hy her people! It is in vain to say tliat tliis is a mere matter \,l' discipline, as it involves the practie,- or n; -lect of on- ef the most precious ])rivilo-es of th.. ( 'hristlan's daiiv lll'e, and atf'ects so deeply the -nnvth or d.eay c.f the spiritual life in the soul of every child of (led; aiul thr.v fo,-. ^ve must i)ronounce every attempt to supersede the ]hl)le r>s "makin-the M'ord of God of none effect throu-li the traditi..n of nicn." The next article relates to the Seven Sacraments :— III. /profess also that there are trvJy imd pmperJ,/ Srvcn Sa- craments of the neiv law, histilrdcd hj our Lord Jesus ' Chrht and necessary fur th, sahatim of munldnd {aUhounh not all for \rer,, one)-namchj, Ihpthm, Contirmaflou, ICrha.ist, Pnwnce. Ex- treme Unction, Orders, and Ma!runony ; and that they confer grace: and that of these Bapthm, Cunfnnafion, and Orders cannot he repeated loithovt sacrilege. I also rcroirr and admit the received and approved rites of the Catholic Chnrch in the solemn administration of all tJie aforesaid Sacrnnientsr The Council of 'JVont has not defim-d the m.^nini;- of a Sacrament, but this delVct is supplied in the Komau"cat(>- cliism. However, there is no essential diifereuce ])ef>veen the Churches of En-land and Eome as to the deLnition of a Sacrament, which is undc>r-tood to he an outward si -n instituted l,y Christ Ilimselt; il.r the communieaf ion "of divine o-race to the soul. In tliis sense the Church of .Enylnnd vnm'ivi^c ,^,.\,- 7',,... c, .. VV 4. ».t -HCl^l >, v^iiiif Uiv vijnrch •). 4\ ■r i.'.'j 4* t. ^''-"■siWnam,.,v.l.,,.,„ ,,,,,,,^,^^^ r,^ •4 -^ neither the name nor the thiut,' is to be fonnd in thnn. Tims, for Conrirmation, we ar(> fiT(iiuMilly v,"i<'iT(Ml to Acts ■viii. IT. But there is here no Intiiu .tioa of ;iny divine in- stitution, nor even of jierpetual o!)!ie:;it.:oii, as it api);'ars, both here and in Acts \i.\. (i, to liave relVrred only to the miraeuk)us g-iits of tlie Holy (.Ir)-!, wliieh was eonArred by imposition of the Ap-stl; s' hands. ]n\X llnr<: is no ini- jwsit/nii of /i:iiitls in !.(hnln!steri^^■ ( 'onlirination In the Chuvch of Tlome, as the luaf/rr of this Sacrament is pro- nounced to be (.'Ir.isai, of which th.re is no nu-ntlon in Scripture; and t'.ier.i'wre this pass:ii;e has no ref(-rence to the modern pva-liee of the Chiu'ch of Home, 'i'he f'liureh of En^•land, iud -ed, ivtains llie rite of ( onlirmation, ac- connanied with iee.;i > iUou oi' haiuls, as founded on Apos- tolical p:\ei i''e; ii..ou;;h she (lo;'s riot regard it as a SacrauK.ii- but a.- an eedesiaslical custom, wisciy adapted to the prcs ut st ite of ti:e Church. As to IVna.ice, the Cmuu-il of Trent founds its divle.e iii>tllutlou entu'ely on our Lord's commission to Ills Av)ostles — •• Wnoscsoevcr sins ye remit, they are reuiitl-.d unto them ; and Avhoeesoever shis ye retain, thcv M-.- rel-.iu-d"' (Jolui xx. 9.o). The Sacrament of renance is (h-c lared t') con i-tofthree parts — contrition, con- fession, and s.iii uutl.n — which are the acts of the penitent; but thv;-e 1- luuhiuii- whatever expres>ed about the necessity of failh -■n Christ iuid in the raerits of His atoniaig blood, ^'ct this Sacramer.t i> pronounced to ho necessary to salva- tion for all A\ho have sinned after Baptism ; that is, for cNcrv iuhdt member of the Church But what connexion is th ve between this text and the necessity o( j^irnic con- Jhs'ioii to ;i rrie.4 ? Tlicre is certainly no allusion in it to the suljject of confession, either in its obvious meaning or lav ;:nv lesritimate inference, as such an interpretation rest!| o* •^'>My on tL. authority of the Council of Trent, that is, on t;. ■ supposc'd Infallibility of the Church of Rome. And t^.ns, t.M)u,^rh tluu-e is not a Morel about confession, directly .- .ndnvctly, ,., the Church of Home, on the principle ^.:^^'lmtho preceding article, declares it to be necessary to saIvatK,u ^o believe that the practice was divinely insti- ' -'^-1 '- ( hrrst Himself, in this very passage ! It d'oes not ^'PP-r however, that the Apostles themselvs ever under- ■^f oo'l the words in this sense, as w . never fin^ them claiming .n- exercisin,^. such a power in the case of individuals. They ^^leclared, nxdeed, that " God had ^dven to them the minis- •n- ol reconcdiation," and the .great message which thev dc- Inercd was this, ' that God was in Christ, reconciling the ;oHd unto Hnnself, not imputing their trespasses Inte thcni ; and hath committed unto us the word of recon- |'^KUK)n;" and therefore, as " ambassadors for Christ, they iH'sought men to be reconciled to God " (2 Cor. v. 18-20) J 1-y knew that God alone can forgive sins, and that all I'-itent sinners are freely forgiven through the merits of t iuist s precious blood applied to their souls by faith; they rcmmdcd theii- converts of the blessed truth, that "if any man sm we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Chns he nghteous " (l John ii. 1) ; but they never ex- horted them to come to the '^ tribunal of penance," to con- ess then- sins to them, and to receive absolution from I hem. ^or do we find any trace of this practice in the I Uuircli or sc^-eral ages after the Apostles. Some passages, I ":^^^;^;. '^-- been produced from the writings of Iren.us I Ic.rtulhan Origen, and Cyprian, in support of this view, i but none of them relate to the subject of ;;r/r./e confession, ^ now enjoined by the Church of Rome. M'o read m- ^M, of public confessi.. of notorious sins bein<.'fi... luvntiy made to the Church, which wa. alte.;.^d8 'i'l *i-. ?■•■/ X^ iil) \} 4 ,cn-ay rciiiisMoii ,,f sins In- th,- piv.u 1 ihtad iini^- ol or to the Sac <'f the Fatlicis ninuMit of 15; mnustnitioii „;•(■<•(■!,... i;,^ti,.;, j jjj^j.j I Lli me 'J I iptisiii, as interpreted hv II 'If IS nofliiun- AvJiat reU'iTiiiir to tlie (■a^e of c'\c'r ];i till ^iii after 11 se\( rai words. iKil any ot the ancient Fatli same wav as tlu- (. '.ptisiu, nor does irajJixMr ci-s interpnted this t( xt in the )uucil of Treut, and it is eeitiiidv very extraordinary that a practice which nou- Urn, ...,.], :, ,,,,;. -'ucnt part of the Konuu Catholic i.ion shouhl he en- rney ...ntted in the New Testan.ent, an.l entln.lv unkuouu to the Pnnutive Church of Christ. As to Kxtrenu" Unction, it .s declared hv the Council of J rcMU to b. '^ mthnuted "' hy St. Mark f vi. ^i), and puhlid.ed by St. Janu-s rv. 14, 1^). St. Mark says that tlu- Apo.tles. sc.it out ],y our Lord duringhislih, ^. anointed with oil n.anv Hit vcre suk, and healed thc.u." This was cvidentK- hrn, a n.ror./o.s n.ioraU„„ j,:,n sir/^nss /. ^./M, and hcM-eun-e hears a very remote resend.lauce to l^xtrcne l-m^tion, Mh.ch is practised chhily, if not solely, ihr the spmf.al hnuilr of ,hc i,,k and ,l>jh,.. The pass,;.c> of St Jaines seems plausible at first view, but it clearly relates to the sanu^ case as that describe d hv St. Mark. The- effect 01 this unction, performed by - tlie elders of the C-hureh "' accompanied with - the prayer of il.ith," was the reeo^ery ot the sick person to the enjovn.ent of b,ui;hj ]ie;dth It lias, indeed, been assorted, that thc> expresMon of St. James may be interpreted as referring to XW lu>ahh of the .>,d as well a., of the body ; but this interpretation is uttcu-ly in- admissible, and the rules of the Greek language wiU^ not allow of any such construction. 'J'o -,a\e the si-k '^ and to " raise him up," can mean nothing else than nmrcn, .'ram SH-k»rss to hrahh, and thus the whole ])assao-e must be ••iLii. iLiixeace i o rne Wz/v/c;,/ O'r^ rr) //>■ "/'/>rol i II'LT. m fyl I"; V which were then in iUr. Church. Ht'sidcs, the inodrni Sanramont o!' Kxtrcmc L'liction serins to have het n uff.crly unknown to tlic ancient ( 'hurcJ!. Two or tlircc pa-sa-^^cs hav(>, indeed, been allei,n-d tVom some earl v writer-;. Oir^r,.,!, St. ('hrysostoni,and I'ope Innocent I.; hut thev liaw hecn fidly shown to have been nusunder-^tood in tlieir applica- tion. 'I'he truth i^, tliere is not a -inyle cK ar testimony on tiiis subject wiiiih can be pnMbiced j'rom anv ancient Father or Council of the Church, nor is tli-iv anv record ot the administration of Kxtreme rncti'm to tic (lvin'>- inend)ersof the Cluirch to l)e found in all the Lives of the f«!aints for inor{> tlian 1000 years after Christ. 'I'iiere was, indeed, first, the I'ik on of tlu^ Sick for iiurdciilons r/./r, ns ])erformcd iu early times ; then tlie practice of anointintr all sick persons, with a view to bodi/i/ hmllh, whicli is said to have commeuced about the Seventh Cenf.iry; and finally, tlu> modmi jnutla: of the ChurcJi of Rome, wliich cannot bo traced his^licr than the Twelfth Century, and was afterwards established at the CjunciN; of Florence and of Trent.* We come next to Holy Orders. This Sa.cranient is founded by the Council of T^-ent on Lidv(> xxii. II)—'- This do in remembrance of Me." Tliis is (vrt-inly a stran,!^,. interpretation of our Lord's command to C(,nnnemorate Jlis dyin- love by the celebration of the Holy Communion. The Church of Home has pronounced that i)y these M'ords our Lord made His Apo: ties Priests, with i)ower tn njfrr vp the mcrljuv of His huJij and blond. V,nt surely there is not the slightest intimation of such a vicAv to l)e' found in the text or context of the passage ; nor do these words appear to be restricted to the Ajiostles alone, but to *n^2T" °" E^^'^^'i^c Unction, {Gibson's rrescrvativc, vol. u. tit. vii. mcliulc all th<> fniflifui y.-oplr r,f C)irfst amont,' the laity ; ;iiul so \v(" find t]i;>t St. I'aiil, I'ltcr repcatint^'ilimi in 1 C,,,-. \i. ;,M — !3(), ('\|)l,iiiis tU 'ill wi'li reference to all the eom- nmnicaul-< in tlir lollowiir.^ wcjitN — "For as ofren as vo link this cii]), ye do show the liord's (hath, till lie come."' The Ai)()stle thus ti>aehes that the •V to the riiiiiiiiittiioii irn ncd hij llir eat this hrea-l and d \V(>i-(i-> ol our ,h I jnlf, rn/ hif tlir /' And vet ne has pled-cd her inf dlihilitv for tl tiufji of this iiif(r])relation, m Inch Aw ^upjjorts 1 , 'iLatl 10 ic- matiMU:,^ all who dis-int from it ; >\hil e, in af\H)r(lau-e \vi ith this \ie\v, the iii'illi r of th rauieiit of Orders, in tl w eliverv () Ordination ol" Triest-:, is held to {•()n>l~t in the d th(> Chalice and Taten, with a coinniis-,ion "to offer sacri- fice' to (iod, and to celehrad' ]\[ass<'-i foi- the livin^f and tlu> dead,"' though this cei'i'mony uas not lntro(hiced into the Latin Church till the 'JVuth Centery, aTidisnot adopted hy any other Church in the world at the present day.* AV'as this inih'ed our Savioiir'.s cliarjj^e to His Apo.stles, and can that Church he infdlihle, which has aflixcd such aa inter- pretation to 1 lis Avords? The last of the Seven Sacraments is that of ]\ratrimonv (Matt. xix. (»y. ]hit was not -\[atrimony instituted by Almighty (Jod from the bcginninpf? Yes; hut it is said that it was made a Sdcranicnf by Christ Himself. We cannot find, bowever, that our Saviour ever appointed any oHtic/rnl s'^gn, as a channel of grace, to constitute its sacra- mental character ; and therefore, thougli we recognise its divine institution in Paradise, we cannot acknowledcre it as a " Sacrament of the new law." And it is certainly- strange, that, witb such exalted views of the sanctity of * Barncton English Ordinauon, (Gibson's Preservative, vol. i., tit. L, rhap. 4.) *■■* /■^ I v>\ • 4 .M I f,.r t!lC ( i.iir. !i (I f i: '■iii<'iiii : iiiH. Tluif st.itc, tl ['idliilurs li, I- (Irriry fj pre i\ (• \- to t! , flinii-.i Miiii ,1 ])!• ,l,il,i;' „i i lom s r\ (lii-il, 1 1'. It i-' (led m (1 |!i;it llicsfS; 111- ir;iciit- li\\\r.- ,>;| t! <»1" ( M);| j., liiiMl >i\ (Til (T) I iter :i'-i' Mlio 1 I'd (() tl:c I! '•'■■•ivi' llicii!, ;iii(l Ml, IS (!ir I 1! re ivTcj)! iiiii ire ml t>i ;;'i (.iituMi Ulll.'lll' s. V, ho say •• thai th,. San-an.rnu <.!• th. ncMv law •'«' ''<'f '•'-^''-' tlu- -ra.v whi..lul«.y si^ntV. or .lo nc.. r../;r A'/v/r- ./-// on those Ml.o ,lo not put a /./, - , ,,i,i,|, t.^h- nically u.ra.is somr positivr in,p,.,li,n< nt to thrir rHbcts) as u.n as „p„H those, who say that H.v tho Sa.ra.m.nts of •''^■/;<'^^- l^'^- -racr is not (•oninro,! r.r n,,rrr up.raln- ( u luru .vhrs to thcMnon- act of mvivin:^ tho Sa. nnnrnN; A.Tonhnn- to (his vi.w, thru, the Sarran.rnts an- tn I, • n- ganlcl as n..rla,iral i,sfnn,r,fs, by ^v],i-h tlu ir .Mlritu-il HfiH'tsan. Invariably pnuhucl; so that all who recvivr th'> ■ uranu.its ivcoivo also tho nrarr of ^ho Sacranu^nts _ -^ surely an awful delusion, hv wliich in.prnitrut sinnc-r^ a,v rn -rauvd to dccci.o thenisc.Kc-s with t!io hc- hv\ that they are in a state of :,rare an.ii: \ .) IKi.l^ .! !, ,1 il S.it.ii; 'il'r.Klhll cuter Mil ol iM.uiof i,.,.iutl the Kucharist i"iM !i", imnicdiatciv alter whirh iiiii) Iicl i;(\ iiiir i-|';i(l h Iks Mast ini to tlu cr \\ hil <•, .'iostli' (U'ciaivil that '"•itlx'r I), lit nor lot ill tl i.is ]u:nt was net li-ht lu tlic siirht of (io,] lis niattiT," ami that n 'ii'i !v. Th H'.> saMi). crt' waK .L,,,i(:(' i-( I iliU'j- ol" tlicso )nrnrocl hy the Sacraiu cats in cases. ( iiiir;Ii ol" Miii/Liiul, MClMniOMt:. ol" tlu- ( 'V A\IU(ll (ioil iiuleed, holds that tile T wo losjx'l are il.l •ir.-et iial SILT ilvs iavis lis ol" ir race y ill us'' (Art'cl > xx V.) 'It :.li- dcclaivs that - in such oidy as irort/u/ij receive tl anie tlicv li;,'ve a u> ^viiclesoiiie ( ffect 111 every cisi' tiue r oropenitioii," and that ■'U-y, iu order t cpeutauce and a li-.^^ly ildth ai o receive c. th e neccs- luircii o 1" 1 cii ^^[lirltual benefits V.0111 c teaches tl-at the Seven S Tl IV. the i/;/f^ c/lf/l/Z/lfs of' system of Sacramental grace '. AVhrn-e is it said that the grace of (iod is tied down to tiie Sacraments of the Church of Rome.'' How ditfercnt is the humwage of our ])h'ssed Saviour! -'Come unto M(\ ;ill y<> that labour and an- heavy huh-n, and I will give; you rest "' (.Matt. xi. ;3S) ; - and him ihat cometh to Me I mIII in no wise east out" j.) dm vi. ;jT). 'L'his is the l)!e>H(l truth cf the (;()>])(d of Christ, that '• He i- able to ><:ive them to the uttermost tjiat come unto (iod hy Jlim, se< Jng ih'( v( r livcth to ]n;ike interces- sion for them " ( iljh. vii. :l') ) ; and tli:it Ave iiave '•' I)oId- ncss to enter into the holiest l)y the Mood of Jc^us " iUvh. \. 1!)), Avithout the i)il',rve!ition of auv juimin mediation whatever, through t'u' prevailing uiterct .-sion of our (ireat lligli I'rie-t ill ]'.r:;',on. And as to the mode of adminl-tering the Sacra- ments, ami i)erfor,,i!ug th(! other parts of Divine Ser- vice in tiie Ch ur'h of [{ome, v.e arc hound to protest ag-MU^^ th.e evjlusive um_« (,f the J.atin language, which is uot understood l.vtlie ]„(;plc, as ■• a thing plainly rciiuguaur ti) tir> Word of ( i,;d and ro t!ie custom of the I'riiiiitlve ( leu-ch "' (Article xxiv. ) We find that St. Paul, tlu-oughout the whole cf L Cor. xiv., eh'arly condemns, hy anticipaiion. >iK-h a i>ra(.:cc. Avliicli is contrary to all the Diu-pos.-s of religious worsJiij), as it pre\'(mts ilu" people Irom ol)taining anv spiri'-u ,1 instruction or editication hy :!.e .1 i(nise ej (jod. indeed, it is sad ( 1 ' ui r 1 1 ( 67 to rhiuk tliat. tliore is Pi!')lic prayer iji the Church of lioin generally no such thing as united o in any known lan- ^•uanv.the Mass and Wspors ],cing invariahlv conducted m lAdm, yvlnlv, on soiiu. otlicr occasions, a few En-dish prayers aiv sonictinics introduced, tlie rest being cntLly l''ir to the private devotions of individuals. .WI yet the Cl.ureh of Home prohibits the attendance of her members '.;i those services, in wldch they can join in the worship of ('oa '' m spu-it an,] in trullu" in tlu '.r own language. Can that Church, then, ])e infallible, which teaches a system of Sacvamc^iital religion so entirely different from the doctrine '>! th.. ^ew '\ cstament a, q,e pra^ lice of the primitive Christians .' The next article is the ft>llowing :— TV. " /embrace and rcreu . .,// and .veryUdnr, n^hlch has been Jop>.d and declared in ihe lud,, (Uncll of Trent, concerning Unfinia: inn, and concen>iiuj Jxdificationr These two doctrines are of vital importance, as they re- late to tic cardinal points of our ruin by tlie fall of Adam niul of our rcdnnni-nv by the death of Christ. All Cluistia IS will admit that there is much ini])ortPnt truth contamed in these Decrees of the Council of Trent, but there ue also some statements which all pious Protestants must regard as contrary to the Scriptures. Tliere is no defini- tion gu-en of the nature of Original Sin-thc remedy is described to be the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ— bul tliere is nothing Aviiatever said about the necessity of faith .:. ''hrist, as the aj)plication of this remedy is limited, both in in.unts and adults, to the Sacrament o.' Baptism, by Avhich it is declared that or^-inal sin is not only fully for- given, but entirely eradicated from the very nature of all baptized persons ; and though it is admitted that conuims- ur liie ••iuci of sm," still rciains in the baptized, i:-- 5: ml ,\M <;.S 4 '> yd it is (lonicJ thut it is truly and j.voporly sin, iu^ opposition to the language of St. Pr.ul— ( lionians vii. 7); Avhich is explained by saying, that it i^ so called because it is ''from sin and inclines (» sin/' Uut this dis- tinction, open? a wide door for the most da!ig(>rous errors ;)s to the nature and extent of . m, and is alllvc contrary to Scripture and experience. This Decree does not formally decide tl^e (piestion as to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed A'irgin :Marv; but it is well knoAvn that it has been recently decided i»\ the Pjpc in favor of tlie doctrine, :^o lately as in the year 1854. Yet it is certain that there is not the slightest trace o*' this doctrine to be found in the New Testament, and that it was utterly unkno^vn to the Priniitive Church, as the first nc^tice of it occurs in the V2t]\ Century, after which some of the most eminent Saints and Divines of the Chiu-ch of Rome were divided on this question for several ages until its final definition. This instance affords a prac- tical illustration of the progress of "development " in the Roman Church, as avc find a new idea, started about 700 years ago, and opposed by some of the givatest theologians of the times, afterwj'.rds obtaininower ol ()ljr i \ the Church •Iain matter of fact, (hat ] or the I'opeto C( a ]) tlicref levc more onstitutc articles oi' faith." It is tome rt>quircs lier members to ^n/f-r I'^'^l: than she did /, ore, her Creed js /lo' tlie same '^fjorc that date ; and now as it was (hirin^' nil ' prac- 11 the ihout f tlie first 1800 years. This is but^ a single example-, with., our own times, of the power not only oi' Jrr/an,n'ih>,ikc. a.s nghtmasr Tims w:- Hnd that Sanctifi- catiou is described as a^;e/y/ of our Justification, by Mhich the irurk (f CIntst for Ns<{^Qon{on\yArj'rtivr truth ol' (,'hri-^t villtin lis — and Justlhcu- tioji itscir i> cl('clarecl to bo tlic act of m/f',lii/)i/iiitificati('n ]i\- iii/irran- riii'litcousiicss, or tlic ri^litcoii-ncs- of (iod h^l'iisdl y . iiv. as distiiiguislu'd from tke ri^-hteou-n--ss of (,'hri-^t iinpn/nl to us 1)y fiitli. It seems phiinly to follow from tlu'< doi;- triiK , tluit, al't.-r ;dl, \\ e are justilied by our own lioliiic-s, wliicb is ealled '• the righteousness of (Jod." because it is said t(j be derived from the grace of Ciod in un ; and thn- it apjiear-; that the ground of our acf.'jitanee with (i;)d i-< oui- own personal ]-ighteousncss, as the formal r;nise ol' Ju^titieation, while the merits of Christ, wlueh are admit- ted to be the meritorious cause, , re cliiefly c niploved to give efllcacy to human merits. The Council ol" Trent says — '• ]L is cdled our righteousness, becau<(> w(> ave jii-iitied througli it hc'inix ''i/ifi'i'>f in ''■^' : and at the sar.u- time it is tlu^ righteousness of (ioJ, ])ecause it is iufii:-"d into us /)ii (Iod, through the merits c.f Christ." 'J'his Jn^ti- (ication is admitted to be received " by f litli,"' in such a '^ense that faith is "'the beginning of man's sa.lvatio't. the foundatien and root of all Justiiication ;'" but tlien it is to 1>o ob-erved that '• f lith," in Ivoinnn Catholic 'Idieologv. means a belief in ail the doctrines oC Christianity, v»hich arc identified with the doctrines of the Chureli of IJome; wliile it is held that this Justification is coiilerrc;! tlu-oucrh the Sacraments of Baptism and of JV-nan w, and it !•-; furtluu- declarcnl that .lustification is iiicrn/:<',! bv the g>>od works of a justified jK'rson, which are merituiious to such a de- gree as truly to d'.-icrcc everlasting life, a^ well as an in- crease of grace h.ere and of gloi'y hereaUer. But liow does such a comphcated system of Justification no-iT-p Avitli i]\n /liipfvin,-. .^C fl.n A l^,^.■* 1 .>.■ ? 'Pl,^ f „.'l „e I Trent, hi(U'(>d, d lutHuis. Jt asserts, a '• Avhicli tlie S liins Ui.- liio-hrst authoriti.-. for these di a matter of fart, that th UU f)| ]:i'-i ns IS the doctrine I u Autl lor and Finishc-r of our Faith iteoiiMiess, Christ J esiis. the delivered. ii hit is this }, tau-ht, and the Apostk j' I'onsu Ittl asseition rea liv t le Xesv 'j rue L(-t e-!anient, the 0!1 I}' autlu'ntic source of Hih-nnatiou on t'.ie sul)j(>ct. V, c there iind tl Al)OStl la es teach u t th .1 iha t .J ii^ ne.-s o ■Hicatiou consists in tlie f sins and ti ii!i]>ii'ation of ri-'hieo '■vorks ( '<'' nnaus i\ . .J — S ; • tl ory-ive nsue>s Avithi iit •Justiricat yclcarlvdistin-TjVhhet ion office, tl uul SajictiHcati wee.i on. IS e>^sentiallv distinct m , tliou^'li ni-ci'aral)!\- con •iiidvi. 1 Cor. vi. 11>. Thevdccl lie 'ted ir pradice Tl? I reel V l)V Cod' ire that wo are (nnans ui. iustified ace hri-t .J esiis tlirou--li the recU'niption tliat is in Kiw- iur rl^■ilteoa-ll >iu. ill. ;>[;; that ''Christ is the end of the to \. 1 aiK It 'Very one th;!t believetli 1 i;ir ■ (Jod halli made Jfini to I tinii. :cue\vno.-in : th; )e sin for us, Avh 111 If \veniiL;-ht he niatle the ri'dit 10 nn :H ■ousnessofGod (U', ■'-1 ). And ho-.v nas Christ made sin for <).' oy out- sins heiji^' hi lu rent in II to Jlim, Avhen He sulierod in ini, ]jut Imputed hen Avo are said to he '■ ^^nv stead. And tlic refori nun le th lii ilji li ri^hte his canuoL incan tliat ,11 ousness of God ' 111 >i »;m /i •;:;' 1^ i ■J ■> t ap])Iif(l In- laith to every hulivitlual ^iimer wli > comes to J Inn : tlicy preached the fr-.c io t;'iveuc^-; of ^ijis tlirou'di the precious Wood of ('hr::■^. i!i:d d'clared tiiar "' hv Jllin all tliat belu-ve are jjistificd i'ro;u all tilings, irom which they coukl not he justilied hy the law of .Moses " (Acts xiii. o9). They i;iu'4ht uothin^^ -dlymt iidierect jii-th-e, or human merit, or tiie necessity ef sicraniental confcs>!oii, penances, and satisfactions ; they e:a(jlle(l the ])eneilts of faith in the blood of Christ, and not of fait'.i in the C'hurcli of Kome ; they proclaimed complete redemption by th" finished Avork of CJirist on the C'rov-., fully vc-eured to c-verv he lievcr, in tliis present lil'e ; tluy directed the dinner at once to Jesus, the dying ].ami> of (iod, wl;o luis nuide an ever- lustini^r atonement lor all our >.ins ; thev declared " that ii mail is justilied l)y faith, without the deeds of the law'' (llomaus iii. 528), and that " being justiiied by faith, we hav(< peace with Cod through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ixomans v. 1 ). The Gospel of Christ is designed t^) exalt the Saviom, and to hundjle the sinner, by ascribing the whole «>lorv ol salvation to the merits of Christ alone, and thus it utterly destroys the proud doctrine of meritorious satisfaction for sni, which is so deeply rooted in the natural heart of man "We may -well, therefore, conclude Avith the judieiou« Hooker — " The righteousness, -\vherein ^yc mu>;t be found if we Avill be justified, is /lul oiir oicn • therefore we canno be justified by any Inliernit ciuality. . . . You see, there fore, that the Church of Home, m teaching Justification Ijv| inherent grace, doth pervert the truth of Christ, and tlia: by the hands of the Apostle > ^yc have received otherwi-, than she teacheth.'' "* * ^^;wkcr's Uiscoiu'so of rlnsriilfp?!;! ;: PS / 1.' 1 1 /■ 1 < > •> omcs to tlirough Jllinall icli they dii. ;39). liuinau Miiinccs. \\ in the Ivome ; finished I'erv 1)!'- • M ![■- uro, (I (o !l "' 'ie\( .irfirl, / /)/•! /"('.<<;, f,/y,,_ ij^ I'KP. /"■"Jifr. <:„,f I"' in titr M,i ■'■ITC •riji anil f, /iront'f'iftir >tfrn;( fid' in !](<_ >l I" (iixl III' ,P) I' I s tnij,/, real!, Ill ost art »;/ mid tfi, 'tl" tue soil/ and ,i 'lere is made a '/■'tnd s„l,sfMn(i„H,f, //„, i,„i l<-rih„n,u 0/ t.'n- /J^rh 'inrtst ifini 'U "f ^n(:, (he hod J/, and ^'h>od : ir/nch <■< Hire IS ion ,,f (/,, "I"- L'^rd Mn, C/uisf '/ anil hhod. foffeth (jethrr 't f. coiirvr.s. 'If inn. AV Oil If ir/i'i I he (\ le .siiri.'i'itur'^ (,f f/\ niiiii: 'I'liich taJis y •>^- and that. ncc of the bread 'le wine into Ihe ''■ansiihiUin- , '> .-.111 1,1 tu liirilortni.e (.fnu. i.,,Ml.. , , '''■■■'"■'""■":.'/•■■'•'..'..»//..(>„,,, ,f ... '■"■■'''."'■■".■' ;f 7). 1- • ^' !■' int' L'l'c.lt ,1,,^ .... „i- lith, v/c Uhribt '" xivioiir, ^lory oil utterlyl tion fori of man. I Lidiciou- -' lound.l ) canno:| :\ there-, ition bT| md tlia:i lierwi-ei '■ ''';''^ ^■'■.;-M!u..r, HI t!,e Kpi.rl,. (o tin- 11.1,,. 10 sjiis of i,;rnn- 01} Win: lie ]i;i! iei)r(nvs IX. \i^) aed (Hel) i piTicctc d •ild f,,;:( .. I -r (• )V V ei' ■e^V: X. 1 [f ■iiiu tJ I (■( ■ '^0 sacriiieo of ( "uH.st ].s ^'s: J'Hh'fd, that r. i...Cil i- -till .t !■ ;nu f IK llKU WlJil ic S, aeritice of '•'M i • •' <^'l '•Vj * I i- 74 the CrosN — llu only (liircroncc hcintf, that the tmc wa^ a blood I/, and tli(; other an uiiUoixlij oH'ciInif, applyini^^ to us the benefits of the deiith of Christ. Uut all this is totally ineonsistent with the doctrine of the ins])ired Apostle, whieh entirely excludes, not only the ullerin^- of (/['jrioit sacrifices, but the njulido/i of the «////,' ^^-acrifid' under any form, llo teaches us, that the >acrifi-- of Christ can never be repeated, " for this lie did (nicr, wlun He offered up Iliniscdf" (Hebrews vii. 27) : that, in order to be njfrrnl, lie niu-t sujfrr, " nor yet that He should offer Himself often — lor then must he often have sutfen'd" (Hel). ix. !2-5, '^(5) ; and thf'refoix' He cannot hv oii'ered in the Mass without :sui:i'rin;'- ; nor can se.eh an {,l!eruv4 be an vuhloodij one, bt>- (••nisc an unbloody saerifiee eainiot ]>e a jirojutid/cri/ saeri- ii' e, for " without slieddin;^- of 1)lc)od is no remission " (Hc^brews ix. ±1). It may be siiid that this language ap- plies to the S.iciifice of the C^ross, and not to the Mass. This is cpiite true — St. I'aul says nothing of the Sacrifice of the]\Iass; but every statement of the sacred Avriier proves that there can he no ot/icr i>n)j)itifi!crij xacri/ice \>nt i-hat of t1ie Cross, and thc>refore that the Sacrifice of die Mass is a human invention, and an awful attempt to intro- duce another sacrifice, in opposition to the One Atonement Cor >:;i. And if it be said, that all this is only a vnjsfical saciitlee. m ^vi]i(•h tlu death of Christ is comnumovated and i-e];resenttvl. tli'U we admit that such a vicAV is ])erfectly con- sistent with the Scriptures, th(^ Fathers, a,nd the lleformoil Churches; but this is cirtaiuly not the view which is held by the ('hurch of ilonu'. Fiiither, there is no acccmnt uf anv sudi doctrine to be found in the history of the Trimltivc (.'hurcl!. Much stress has i-.'en laid upon the ancient i.iturgics, attributed !o some of the Apostles, which seem M lavor t\i\> docuiue. Ihit it i- generally admitted that 7o 1 l)*'SC Litur-ics have been -reatly int'Tpolated, and arc c l.icHy corruptions of later times, as, huleed, it is well k.nnvn that none of the ancient Litur-ics were c-ommittcd to writing before the 4th or 5th Century. It is true that the eai-ly Fathers applied the name of - sacrifices," in « ^uaunl sense, to the Eucharist, as well as to other services of Cliristians ; and thus the notion of a /y/vv>c7- sacrifice was gradually introduced into the Church, and finally estab- lished by the Council of Trent. According to this view the Sacrament of the Eucharist was supposed to consist of two parts— a Sacnjkc as well as a Commnnmi', and this distuiction led to the practice of private Masses without a Communion (and especially when offered up for the de- hverance of souls out of Purgatory), which is now univer- sally adoj)ted in the Church of Home, though contrary to the New Testament and to the Primitive Church. Tlie Sacrifice of the :\rass is founded upon the doctrine of Iransubstantiation, which forms the other part of this irticle. This doctrine rests upon the literal interpretation of the sacred words of Institution, when our blessed Lord, at Plis Last Supper, took bread and wine, and gave them to His Disciples, declaring— -this is My body—this is .Aly blood" (Matt. xxvi. 2G_o8). Now the very connexion of these words seems to show that they can only be understood in a spirit ml or sacrmnnital sense. For what was it which om- Lord gave to His Disciples.'' It was cer- ' uuly that substance of which he said—" This is My body." \ct it is cvideiit that the substance which He ;*^ i' ■ m ./• A 1^ no laumation <.t ..iiv i-hvaical. I-: ,\ » 4 * i,iiiiiv \\U l.Ioiid nrln.ilhj alidl, till the lollowiii ',iv. Wl nnr Lord ii-r, th:- /'/--' „, tcnsi', and says tii.it His hodv w.h llur '^iviu. iirid lii- blood till It shed lor ihrm ; and thcriroic tin >>■ wmd-- liUi-t be uiuh'rstood as n jtri.si nl /.• >_>; and siifnh'ii'in •' that <'rcal event whit'li \\as to be (oir^iiiiiniaii d on the ( 'ro». And if the words arc to he interpreted in the /;.7///v tens(\ (as they are traiishit( d in the Latin \iilt;at(\) then they dis- prove the (lortrlne of the ( 'hiirch of Rome, that our Lord uetnally oli'ered iiji His own liodv and blood as a sacrifice to Jlis Et( rnal Fathi'r, at the institution of the Eucharist, on the iLiy Ix^fore J lis I'.ission. Moreover, wc find tliat our Lord ajiplies the name of tlie " fruit of tlie vine " to the contents of tlie S.uTamental cup nfii r cdnsi- cnuiiiii (Matth(!W xxvi. \l\)) ; and if it still remained wine at that time, then the brtad, by the same analoiiy, must have remained hi its former substance. Xo conclusive argnment, then, can be founded on the words of Institu- tion in favor of Transubstantiation ; and this is candidly admitted by several eminent Divines of the (."hurcli of Rome, who hold that the doctrine derives its wlude force from the definition of the Church. Indeed, the very same expression is employed by St. Paul on another suliject, when he says that " th.^ Church is the body of Christ" (Ephesians i. 2'2. 2-^). Xowpll 'o-n ^My^■o,^^ thi-.f tl>!-^ ni.- ■•i!v. I .t 1 !!•- inii-ii'iil. l)(i(l. oil tri( til .mil' jii iii- infer Ihr ll\ -t K ;il M use ■'--t tlii> ( \j»i;>Kiuli IS 1) lie midcrstoo.l in ;i i uiih i( i; iviHv t.. thf S.M r-.ni(«iit ; lor we (inj tl,;,t Si. |>in;i '" M'i'i'''y iM'i>li>'- flic iiihu- of •• l,ryiiil.()l al'i. !• <•(;;!• ( .ration, as \vr n ad I Coi iiitliiuiis \. Ki, 17, and xi. ;.M;— ::s. \\',. may cunrliid.', tin u, in 111.- wonU ol" tin- :.>,St!i Aitiflr, that " 'IVaii'^uhstantiatioii (•"■ l!ic clian-v of the siihstaiicc of bread and wine) cannot 1.^' ni-o\^'d ;,y il..ly Writ, hut is npiinnant to ih.' plain wen's of Sciiptm-c, ovcrtlirou-cth tiie nature of a Sacra- I.' lit, and hatli -ixii oci'asiou to many superstitions.'" And siijvly \ve mi^!.; cNpeet to hav<' very (!e..r and lliat the same body of Christ, which is no\v- in hcavi ii, is also actually i)rcseiit on 10. ()()() altars oui ailh ,it the; same moment; and that every ])articlcof the Sacrament, nil. ler each kind, is true (jod and true man, to l)e adored with all th(> divine honors Mhich ludonn' to the Creator of Ik aveu and earth; while It was this practice ot the Adoration of the Host Avhicji foriued the ])rincipal foundation of th<> cliar^e of Idolatry gainst the worsliip (jf the Chnivh of Jvome, and which, incU'cd, is the neces- sary cons, .piencc of tlie doctrine of Tr; iisubstantiation. With regard to tlie doctrine of tlic ancient Churcli, it is nulei'd quite true that the Fathers used stroni^^ e'.i)j-essions on this stdiject ; hut they lircpiently sliow, by their own cxphniations — by the comparisons uhicli tin v emi)lov — and by the argument > which ;ey found upon their doctrine, that their views were very dilfercnt Jrom tho-^.' of the nuKh'rn Church of jJome ; while some of them also expressly •'^'^ liiiii, liic ^uM>uiiji (.■ vi liic bread anci wuiv remain i< \. • 'I '■■; I 78 A ^'i. i •4 « h' aft(>r consocratioii. 'HmK St. Chrv'^ostom says — " IJcforc the l.rcad is s;iiu titled, we (mII if lucad; hut when the Knuc of (m,(1, l,y the I'rifst, h;.s .sanrfiHcd it, it has no loiii^'cr the name of hicad, hut is counted worthy to he <;alk-d the Lord's iJody, ultl,^rh the /nifnrc of' hianJ re- mains in iir * 111 like maaner, 'I'heodoret, speaking' o. the consecrat(>d ehost. ad C';Viariuiii k'.,<'<.- (VA. IJCMI.) ' t Tliouilor. Dial.— ()|)]). Vol. iv. )iars 1, ; ! t Gi'las ill" l)iiul>. \atiiii> ill riiri- II (i;.: lla'a-, 177i>.) Max I'atr '!">. J 15., i>. 744, ■•:;.) liowcv( V, ^vps liiHv (I'iini (1 .-iiid scftlcd at (lie Council ol Trent, in tlio year 1.').">1. It is i(«in;ukal)lc. indeed tl Kit ilic ( '.mon of the M ls> as used l)v tlic Cliureh of I{ lit til d()(t onio )l-e It d, IV- rnies o f '1 iiiords no sui)port whatever to tl ic i•an'■ul)^f I and th(> Su'Tidce of tl M iss, hut eouiaiii ■■( in: ,:^''i's )lainl tl sue tluni l)otl) ; as desci-ihed to he. not tli' ineonsistent wi til ohlation, after (•o!isecration, is , and Idood o'' Christ, l)ut the holy hifiil of ( ter al '' and the chalice of everl istniir sa Ivat ion \\ hil e Lii', { a ■> .4 '""■>' ''•'"''■•"^" l"-^"^-='"'- iJ'-i'l-. tKlsiii-i^ununt won],' '"'"''■ "'^■' ''"■ l^'i'v :,!■;■ 11..! )vvvivr t!u•S;H•l•;)- M.:■ilt.-,,l;:uMl^oM,,,i,u,,tly.•la•I.o^a<^K.^ot;u:(l^.ssliis '^'""< -I the iHMitufiuuorilK. S;uTiimr,i;.;M:Jtiir,ir,.|brs. •ipim ;iiul ;!;4;!iii. to the (omi nniiior, (>j" -Jic jx'd'sjc under 'liv ChmTii. /'('/// kiii(U'. ;i.' the liivariaI,K- pru^iic;. „| it is ;i well known liicl. and Ir i-, i'dlv ^idinitr •y t^'c HMH h.ariHHl K..in;nus;>. lint >n'l,v;,. f'li'-rn^nd ^.i-.u-tuv "f:li^' ('Inisii.n Clin-a.h.ui,,!! Oivuiri-ipsfor moiv (Ik'hi lOOO years alter Christ; lu.r eau a suiulr ek .r insfanre (o tlu- (■ontrary 1k> ].rodue.'d durin- tint period, not e-.; ..piin,. (],(. <-asos of Seraplen and of St. Aniln-ose. ^^hl■h :ivr iVedUently in;^ the ^u:ued to alter the divine institution of Chri-t. on h-ro.-n aulhority. This ehaiu,.- u'as flrs< sane!;<>n...l hv t h.. ( ^onneil of Consfanee m Ulo, and atterwards hv tlie ( ouncii of TreU m l.>d-, uhieh deelares that " Holy \|.oti:er Cinuxh, ac- kuo ^vledi^in;^ her own autliority In the administration of the Saeranients, altho:,:,h 1' ..n the heglnnh:^ of the CluMstian vli-ion llu. use of ho:h kinds vas not iulivtiuent, vet In jn-oeess „| (iu,e thai custom heJn- novr i:!-t v.klvlv altered 'ii'iueed hy weii^hty and just eauses, huth a])i,oveci tliis .us- loia ot c.mmunieadn- uiidor erne kind f ader Avlilch it ].roneuncvs an analluana on those ^v]u: a^:frt lluU (ia IS con- ■ssllis irtlicr, 1mi- ac- v> Icrs. iiiuler ly the Mcticc V,M){) (.) tltc I,!-'- !]lC ifiitly llllo]]. Lord. \lh)lr iili!,;- LC'i])Ie . ]nv- cllol' , ac- niu« ! m ■IV,]. '•us- I p.ii rcti wTiN li !l(icC(!. lli;it 'lodd dj" (;liii-,t r ■•; ju^tlil.Ml in pisHri- tills law. It is affirmed 11"' l'i-()\(' that nntlicr ^icrilcqions l('(i;-\- ( M (OliCnJIIlliiiicf \ I'i-K;icc ],;i> IxTU drllndrd j.\- f!,;- tl 5 I'-ni;^ ;,...i.:M'aMy co:n„.h,!. ;nv A./A r.-ntaincd undor ''■^"''■. -"^'^ ::I'..nr-;,;, .,pi„;„a v, M-l; is ro.PHh.l on the ^'•^'•;"" "f '!'-ii-.ih.;a:i(iai;..ii. .ud l.otl, „r ,1h,„ or a.m- : I'M-ntivc-ly „„.h.n, ..liuin. ,\-,,;n. swa^!.. then. Can that ^ ^ '"•■■-' 1'>';>:i:;lHl,!.. uMrKh;i.MM>o|,;m,nsIvom.dindr- ';';\"'- /'''■• 1"-'<'!'1- <■!■ !h.> SarranuMiL „f tin- |,|(mmI of ;''nn^f. ill dir.rl up|„,.it;,.i, to (he eoiuiUiiiid ..l' our Lord ■i:d tlic ])!•,;( lire ol' the Caiiiolic ( '!iu''!']i .^ 'I'lic i\v\{ a.rfich'r.'lah-. f,) J 'ur-';itory : Mi. - i r<,n,l,u,'h,Udth,n ihrrv /v „- P" r,,',ton,. and Half the --■"/s ,ldann',i thercia an- />.',,(',/ h,j Hu- ,>n,n-;,es of i/„. falihfnlr 'l!i''iv is no drliiiiriou ,,i' riir--a,i()ry ,-ivra jioro, or in ;-■ IXrrcr oftlH' Council ofri-cur; and tlicre i>, prrhaps, iH. .suhjc'ct on M!;,.h rhnv aiv snrli (iiiKavn! opinions held •A Konr.uiiMs thoiiiM lv,.>. ;is ,0 tiio plavr, uunl,^ anuii;.ri,u>.. Al! aro a-rcod {],at it is a ^^,a(r of ininjlnii]n„ for tho>c u ho liavo di ])arh'd thi< life in the -raco of (iod. thoii-h „ot fnily j.iv])arod for Jicavcn <'!' account of thcii' inipcrfoc! xmcliiication : i! is -oncrajly :,uivcd tl,;,! tl,-. jMiiiihallon lako ].lac(' hy means ,d' .sv///;.;-. "'-. and fnrfluT, that tlii> Miil'crin- is prodn-cd hyV/r, 'ithor ni a material or in a ti-nrallvo sense, and that* relief ii.iy he .;f!or(h'd to \uv soal. in rur-atory by Wv ])rayerg "'' li"' lairhful, and e>p,vlal!v hy the Saeriiiee of the ]\fas.s. ''^I'l ;lioi!'jh iiie u.o.atr'ne i.c tlu!'; va<"-!''^'-' ^••'-^ -^- i:'\vrj. i\ in *< lU 1 ,-*I ». w ^^ "'I 82 J / •a. M well lrio(l of its suffcrin'jfs. Indeed, tliis view is clearly (Mieoiiraged hi the Roman Cateehisni (which is certainly an autlienric Exposition of the Council of Trent), in Avhich it i> declared thit "there is a /)///-;,'-'/''c/'y ///r, in which the souls of the pious arc expiated hy Irjiu',^ innncUnl for a (l(>Hnite time, that an entrance may he opened for them mto the eternal country, into which notliing deL -d enters." >>o\v it is a suflifient refutation of this doctfi-)e, to Amvr thaf it is iiir(r mnilioitril iuSrripture — that it is contrary to the doctrine r^^ fLo (ie-jud — and t' it it was luiluim:.! n, il,f Chnsinin Clii:rcl, (hnlno- i]i(. ]n-iiHitIvc a^'cs. Tlie oidv passai;-o of th(^ New 'restament wlii(^h can. Avlth the sli.n-htcst deL';ree of ])lau>i')ilily, l)e ur-^-ed '"n its i'avor, is 1 Cor. ii;. 1;] — 1.'), ill Avliich St. Paul declares that "every man's work shall ])<> tr;(-d 1)y fire,"' and that there muU bo sonu' wh(» " snail Ix- sincd. ijrf so as l,ij lire.'" Non- there is scarcely any text which has hceii so difler(mtly inter- preted hy the r.ithers ; and therefore, accordiu'^- to the rule laid down in this Creed, it ou';'ht not to he interpreted at all, or alle^(>d ;is ihe t'oundation of any doctrine. Without enteiii!'-- into fuilher ]xiitlculars, it is sufficient to remark, that St. I'aul appears, in the context of the passai^^e, to refivr only \o M'ni'islns of the Gospel, and not to all Christians— to th.- process oi" trhil, and not of piir'j;,itnfi(il jWu;slim,„l—Xo the trial of their u-nrl, and not of their .vo,v/.v— to th(« day of tlie l^nnl'^ (ippairut g, and not to the hi(rnni,!;nir siair of iho soul after death; and therefore this passa--e -ives no real support to the lloman doctrine of Turo-atoiy. It is contrary to the doctiine of free forolve- ness and eomidefe redemption hy Christ, and to the happy HS ■nssoi- n the )f the (Mrly ly an Ich it I the / for them ers." >how ry to 'O lllf oiilv the )r, is very II be here ifer- rule (I nt liout ark, \ to all >ricts „r believers after deatl Test- 1. ;is tau'^ht in the Xe mu-ut. It is de-lared that " the blood of J( ew Christ I cieausrrh us from a// «n " (1 John i. 7j ; and can the fire of ] rur-atoiy be necessary to cleanse us fVom sin ! It is the promise of the Gospel-" Theh- sins and iniquities will I lemember »o more" (Hob. x. 17) ; and can God remember them still, to punish them nfter this life in the fu'c of 1 ur- gatory.^ The death of a believer is described as an en- trance into a state of rest and peace in the presence of ( hrist, till the resurrection of the body ; and therefore it IS the desire of all true Christians to be "absent from the body, and present with the Lord " (;> Cor. v. 8) ; while it is declared ofthe dead in Cluist-" Blessed are 'the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth ; yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their iaboiu's j and their wor- do follow them," (Rev. xiv. 13.) There is not the most remote intimation in the Word of Ciod of any further state of purification after death tor those Mho ha^e departed in the faith of Christ, and the peace of God. Doubtless it is true that God visits the sins of His chilcb-cn >vith temporal punish- ments in this life, after the remission of the eternal penalty; but where have we the slightest warrant for extending this discipline to the next Ufi, by the infliction of Pui-gatorial tonne nts to bc> mitigated by means of Masses, Indulgences, and other services, which have laid the foundation of such' an extensive mercenary ,yst(mi in tiie Cluach of Rome I ^ But fiu-ther, such '"'•rtrhieAvas entirely unknown to the Primitive Church. It >vas a veiy general opinion amo^g tlie most ancient Fathers, that the souls of departed Christians are t admitted into h,av,,i //.v,//; l)i.f into a -tute of /T.s'^ hi I'aradist, until the resurrection of the hoc: y ; while several of them also held that all the Saint., uilhout »' I I " I i S4 exce ption, would pu^s lhrou;|li tli ,■ j)urilit';iti)rv ll ?; k * « « '4 ^ «4 IV Ul" till: gciit-ral cuiitl;ii,rr;itiuii in the d.iy i.l' jikI-hiciii. Nuw tlu-sc opinions. Avlu.'tluT true or noi. iiiv iitti ils' iiwi ,)mil(;tl)lc with the Koniau doctrine of riu-alorv. !j' t!i,\ .!■ • (nu-. tho doctrliic ol" i'ur^atory cinnot he tiiic; ;iiii! il" llicv ;irc uot true, tlu" doctrine oi' riir-atorv ((.iild nol Law hcci; generally held ])y the ChriNtlan Church in th()>..' early times, when so many orthodox I'atlieis ImKI an eutirelv different view, 'i'he practice of ]>iM\In- loj- '• the d.ad in Christ" is eertaiidy very ancient, and may I^e fra-e,! u]) to the end of the ;Jnd Cenluiy ; hut if liad ijo ref^ivnee to their reh'ase from snlfevin-, for tlu- Fatiiej.. tiKan-elves never mention such an ol)jec!. and tluy evideui i\ considered it simply as an act of sympathy and ((mimiinioii wiili theii- departed friend-, uith a .speci^il rt'fenuee io a happy nsur- rection. T.esides, we iiiul irom the ancient l.iiuri^Ies, that they prayed Jor the souls of the Apostles .M;irivr.s, and the Blessed \ ir-hi herself, who were ceitalidy never s.ip- pobcd to have heeii in a slate of Tur-atory. .Moreover, it shoukl he remarked that the ju'ayers for the dead, as used inthelloman.Mi>salatthisday, are (piite incon>i>tenl with the doctrhie of Piiroutojy ; for they are oH'erc d uj), as ill the lan-.uan-e of the Primitive Church, fortho>,euho '^shimher in the sleep of peace," and for - all that re^t in Christ," which is a very diiferent .slate from that of the modern Eoman docHhie oi' hehi-j;' tormenti'd iji the fires of Purgatory. Jjut there is noth.ng of this doctrine to be found in the Church during ihe lirst Jluir Centui-Jcs. Tbc celehrated passage of St. Cvprian, in his Epistle to Antonian (oiten cpioted), is achnitted l)y ^-ome of the most learned Komanists to haNc been entirely mi^und-'stooil, and it evid(-ntly relates to u different laatter. X > ullu.slou to such a doctrine is to be founil in unv of the Creed., 8.- Council- Oi" liitnrL; tlu'sc . al.lr tnu', \' urc lui'ly ircly 1(1 ill II]) to i-'C to ■Ivcs (-red ;lu'ii- 'Siir- thal ami siip- 1, a-i -tciiL ), as ^^llo st in the ■s of o be The '■ lo uo.st ;)ucl, MOli luinii- ul t!u> ,jCn (\:nt •r^K.'^ ol tho anti..ni ( liiir,],. |„ d,,, | Ki .1 i |hK.,„,.v.i, „;ii, ,„,u.;, „„,vrt„i,„j, .„m,/s|H.,^,ij;ii^iirZ ■ 'I'""""; -^ '" I'-' i''""..i iu ,h.. u-,„-k, ,n. ,;,, ,.^.j|,„ " nu.ny ngcs a wa. folly re™,,,ns,.,| l.vlv,,,,, l; i,„ '-l-'l - ll." C-oum-il of T,-,.,,, i„ I.Vi.i. \V.. IKH. .,o„d r...M.,,, ,1,..,, ton.j.rt a ,I.«nV „!nVh is „„U,„1,:,1 iu Nn|,t„a.. ™,1 u„k,u„v„ ,o tl„.. ( -krUh,,, rUm-A durinu- thf hrst ajid purest a^cs. " 'I'l-e next. a,ticlo relates to tJie In.oeatlon of Saint. ■UK I \ eiicj-ation of Kelies : Vin - Likcuuse that the Snints.reu/.uny to.fethrr mth ChnSf arrtoOe rrncrut.land in.ocated ; an.l that thn, offer ,ra,, rs ' tl '""'jor r, , and that their Rdlcs are to be rencratedr it is_lier(> a. a,,,cd that the souls of the Saints a,v „o^v ;reagnin. to^etla r >ath Christ," and - in heaven/' .e.ord- uiM- to the Deereeof the Council of Trent. The Serini : n-s HHleed, sj.eak of the reign of the- Saints with Chri>t. hut' tlKy do not reier it to the separate state of the soul in the H-ven y world, hut to the lUture state of the ^loriti, d HKly alter the resurrection, in the Jilill.nnial kin^don. of ( Imst on earth , Dan. vii. 27. «ev. v. 10, and xx. 4 (5) -Not to nisist upon this point, however, the Council of -^cuxt says that "it is good and profitable humhiv to in- >>^ke the San)ts, and to have recourse to thcMr prayers, ;ei> and assistance." This is moderate langua,. ; but it - ^-ll ]-uWn that .t is Ikr exceeded in practice, and that tlu.' Invocation ot Saints-especially of the Blessed Vir-nn -m^.Kes up a considerable part of the worship of tlie i'-uch ol IJonie, and particularly in the private devotion. % '^\ m 8(> \K ' •;i. of lirr Jtiomlici-'^. It. is fominonly sai\ only ask liic Saints to j)ray lor thcni, as Christians ask th',' jH'ayi rs ot" c;u]i other on earth. Hut even if this wvvc so, there is a "\\ idi' difference between the two ea.scs — the one beiiiL,' }onn(k'd on jicrsonal knowh'dge, .nul the other on tlie ])oss{'ssi()n oi" a di\iiie preroi^ative, M'liich makes it ;;u act of religious worship to rerjnest their ])ravers. For ho\\ do we know th,:.t the Sain.ts hear .ur prayers, in order to ])resent them l)ef)i'e (!od .'' If th(>y (lo. is not tliis virtual]\ aseril)nij4" t(> them the attribntc of owi/ipr^ :<■ rifr, in veeeiv- u\i; all the pray;-rs addressed to them in ewry part of the ^v s;nne time .' If they do imt. is it not entirelv useless and superstitious to ask their pvaver> .'' W'c are told, indeed, that this is a mere matter ol' s])(>eu!ati-.n, and that, if the Saints do not hear us directly, God can rev(>.d our prayers to them, and thus they may become actjuainted Avith our M-auts, and represent thev.j to (>od. ])nt siuxly, if the Saints only know our -wants by some revelation from (jod, it is much l)etter to "■o dircctlv to God llimsclt' tln'oug-h the intercession of His dear Son ; and it is at Ic^ast su])crfiuous to seek ]Tis grace through any other channel. But tnere is really much more than this included In the doctrine. The veryijosture of i)rayer — \\iv practice ot nuiitiil, as -well as iukcI prayer, sanctioned bv the Cmnicil of Trent — and the petitions expressed in the ad- dresses to the Saints, ari' su/h as properly belorig to God alone. Even in the public service of the Mass, the general confession of sins is made not only tc Almighty God, but also to '' the blessed Ever-Mrgin ^lary, to blessed ^lichael the Archangel, to blessed John ]liptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and I'aul, and to all the S;dnts." Not only the exclusi\e liglit of Almighty God to divine wor- '•hii' is deeply InJr.rcMl by this prr, jt lee , h'ur t lie exclusive m roiuM; Sacrifice a)' •n)Cii,>. of the One A iiurits cf the Saints, \vliic]i ar(> frequcntl *• n'.vadfM I I 'V the -- -—-!"-"->■ joined A\ithtlic mc-nts of our Lord Jesus Christ, as possessed of a similar P'-cpitiatory character. It is mere trifiiu;r, then, to refer to theoretical distinctions between the d'-'ferent de-rees of worship, when tiie >anK^ h;ngua-e, and other accompani- "lents of prayer, are directc^l to the creatu"o and to the ( 'reator. As to tlic foundation of tlu's practice, the Ccnncil of Ircnt does not venture to nnike the slightest appeal to the Scnptin-es, as e^ ery ..n(« knows that there is not the least authority for it fo I,e found in any part of die ]]il,le. ^\ V know that .Jesu.s Christ is the only way to God. }fo llnnself declares that " no man cometh unto the Father Imt by Me '" (.Inhn xU-. (5). -- Tlierc is One Mediator be- tween God and men, the man Ch-.-ist Jesus " a 1 Tim. ii. .',) ■ and therefore we cannot I)ut re-ard the peculiar devotion' ^^•hlch is paid to the JJlesscd Xhym -i the Chnrcli of llonu as a dangerous interfcnrnce ^Ith the sole mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ; wliile in many instances, and especially as observed at Home itself and in lloman Catholic countries, it is impossible to dcfc-d the practice from par- taking of the character of an idolatrous worship, as it really transfers the peculiar honors and titles of 01- l)i^ ine Lord to His IViessed Mother. Is it not strange, that th(u-e is not a word in Jiivor of such :: practice in ^all the •New Testament, and tliat the name of .Afarvis never once mentioned in any one of the inspM-ed Epistles of the holy Apostles of Clirist { It is well known that the Assumption of the Blessed ^ ii-gin is one of die in-incipal Feasts of the Church of Kome in the- prcvsent day. The event commemorated is J"T supposed Ascension into heaven .; and it is a " pious #1 Ij '■•.}J '^ ss I. ^ i'""* h^ ■4 . ) ■.I I'l'licf" (thoiiiih it i^^ not ( xartly an prticl- <>f i'liith ) that licr IxmIv was ]ais(>(l out (jf the ^ravc a few days after her (h'atli, and tj-au^Iat. .1 into hcriven. Jhi* cu what autliority {\ov< tl)is tradition ]-est ? ''"hero is no idhi -ion to such an event to ])■' jound in law eeelesia^'iieal ^\ riter during- tlie iir 5th Century, we have a h^ter of Snplironiu^. in v.li'ch he luentions >ueh a riiinor. hut ^tates ihit norhiu'^- Avas knosvn ahont the fa/.'t-;. Slioilly afr(^rwai-. a\ c liave the aceoutit of .hn'enah -\rc]d)'-ho;) ol" .Tci'usah le. m h.o I'c-norts tlie ti-; lition, that t]ie I)ie-.";l V'irLi'in was hurictl in ( ietli- !-cniane. and tlial iiev l^;■a^e havinii" h^orn ojiancd after three days, and .'oiinil .'uipty, it \v;;s eoueli'dt'd liiat h(>r liodvhnd 1)een Iran^lated iu.o lieaven. 'J'here i< some duuh't. ]v)w- cver, ahout the genuineness of hoth iiie-e ""s'-'ovh^. -\ d it appear ■ rhat. tiie earliest author, who luidouhtrdl'- nh'iitiou = the tradition, is J »hn Damascen, who liv^d iu th(^ 8th Century. Su.h is t^ie evidence in in-oof (.f a (m-[ which is said to have occurred 700 veers hefore imt wliicli vras evidently unknown in the primitive n >;es. * l»ut fuvldier, there i^ no founihition for the ])ractice of the Tuvou'ti(m of Saint.-. In Christian Anciqiuty ; thare is no trace (>f it to he fonn 1 In ;dl the vaitin^^-s cf the ]h-inn- tive Chnrcli durinc; the iirsL GOO years after Chri-t. tiioac;h m the hitter part of rhn Itli Centu.ry yve miv ohserve iJome approxii.Mtion to if- in thc' rhetorical Lanri-ua.^e of some of the Fatliers. V,y,f what a contrast is there ^y:\^\■vvn (lie wcn-slil]) of *]io Cimreh (;f l^mie in ihj l!)tli (Vntni'v. and that of liie (Jathoiic and Apostolic Church drcrin.^ the iir4 three Centuries! Can the former he the eanie Church as the lattev .' A'erv remarhahde are th-> vrords of St. hhu- * TvkrVWoi-sliipof (lie P'^'Sfpd '■ ";iry. []•. W — 114. 8f) pliinius, in the -ithog.^ v.h- -i ...pposlii!,' the in-owh,- t.T.-Ii.T-y to a fupcrstitioua vc:icratio:i of til..; l)lcj,.scd N'i uiii — '■ J..'l Mary be in lionor, but let tlic Vv.thvr, Son. nnd ] loly Glio^tbc >v'oi>l'.Ii«p;."(l : I'dir one liorshlp Mnnj / " * ) fnw UifH. rent U th'-^ from tlio ri..l(iu practice oi' l!u- ( iiuich ci' Roin.^ ! \'.ii\ r;uillut Chuai: 1 c iun.illble, ^^•:lIch tcacbcs, u.acrdio ]>rctence of illvin- autbr.riry, a cb.ftriiie s-j coiitrary t-j Scrirnaiv an. I t^. t!i; 'ri'lmitivo Chiircli of Cl.n,! / J 1j' iicKt .Hi!)jLit is iLi' \'< iicr;;ti<):i uf Iina-,-s : IX. '• r fh-;,Jif assert, ih,xt the Ln-ujvs uf (.hrist, and of th>i KvcY-Vir(jui Muilicr nf Ood.ns wi'l as <■(' liu- oiher Sitints, are to 1)2 had andrctained; and that dn" ho, iirntnf.'irrs, or original-;, wliom Lhey represent. "J iu' Chur.-ii a' lUnno teaches tha; this u'orsliip is not of ;;!i iilis:.-hi>(:, but of :i /■, V///re, naUir." ; and thus ^he sn;v.H)^es that ai! danger of idohitrv i> reniov(>d bv distinguishing bet weini/^AV.v an. I /?//'.• o-'/ — the fornierof v.-j'.icli were adonul In' the heath-'i with dr:hir honors, while the litter a.re to i>e vener-ited by ( 'hri-tians vritii infirior lioma^e the external, marks of -\; lueli are enumerated bv the ('onneil (;f Trent, as consist im!" in "kissing, uneoverin'^- the head, and bowing down bfi'iux' them." Now it is certain that the same cxplanall<;u might equally be urged in defence of Pagan idolatry, iu a.ncicnt and modern times ; as no »^ J * S, Kj ii*h. Opp J). leG4. (L:,]. I'ar. 1G2J.; m u i..f '.| I I. < ^ 90 iiitflligciil porgoiH lunon;^ them prof.'ss to worship the wood or sfouc of wliicli tlicir idols ;nr mndr, hut tho deities AvhoiM they represent, as iho ori.:!ii;d oljjoct'J of ndorafion. This i^, indeed, a fearful eon idciatiou for jiro- fe.ssin«r Christians; thouver, the prhicip'r is laid down, whieh is eipahle of the f^^-osscsf a])use in those places where th(> system is carried out to its lull ext( nt. Now, in opposition to this doctrine, it is sudi-ieut lo re- mark that there is not the >li<,ditest authority lor it in Scripturt*; and further, ihat it is expressly centra rv to the CommandmiMit of Ootl, and to the ])ractice of the whuhr Christian Church for many Centuries after ( 'hrist. Notliii,-'- can bo more explirit than the laiigu;ii,'e of Almighty (>«)(l in the Second CommandnuMit, which is certainlv hiuJin"- on all Christians at the present diiy — '" Thou slialt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the (>arfli be- neath, or that is in the water under the earth ; thou .s/ialt not bow (ioicn tlnjsdf to tlidii, nor yrrce f/mn (Exodus xx. 4, 5). Here we have the most abtwlute prohibition of the act of making anij rint/jlc rcpnsrittat'ion {>^ any object Mhatever, for iJic purpose of religious irorsliip. It is objected, indeed, that the word " image " is not in the original, and that the Commandment only forbids the making of idoh, to be wor- shipped with ut there isnorcal foundation for this distinction. The word is of the most general meaning, and therefore includes all images of every description. It is quite true that it is not tire act of making, but of ivor- shipping, those objects, M-hich is forbidden; and lliig worship plainly includes every species of religious honor, as exhibited by external acts. We are reminded, indeed,. 01 v[ the two guldin CIk ruKlii). uiul of tlif brazen serpent» wl.irli (lad oiuiMMndcU .M,;■,(^s tu ii!ak..> in thf wildrrncss. (i'Aoil. xNv. IS. Nmu!,. x-u. M.j !5iiMli:-.s.- were certainly not iii.ulc /,V /v//>;,.//.v ir„n,/n/>, and r.-nvion- lonii no pruco- ij „f a-.-s, it, was n !erly destroyed I'V the pious ki:i- llr/ckiah ( .i Kiie^s wiii. \'). In.h'ed, i! IS U4II known that the Second ( ,V.in:a:in(hneiit is -vno rally aho-vther .nuitt.-d in the popidar Cateehisnis of the Vhntch of Jionie, whih^he IVnlli is divi.hd iuto /,n,, to eo;nph-te th.' nuniher. It is s;iiii, in e.x-us,., th ,t this Coninuuuhneut is only a /»,,/ oj' llu; l"ir>t, iis mvunin- belli;,' inehided in the fornu'r ; and I hat theictun; it is im- m"'e>sacv to iii^eit it at fnll h-n-,!:, in a mere ahrid-aient of th" Deeah.'j^ue. Ihit we nin^t . ntirely (hny the truth of rhis,,[aieuunt. 'I'll- /-V/V (^oinmandinent relates k, tiie Lirisihir ()!,]., t, and the .SVro//^/to tiie n.uhl, i,j,>,'', of rel' '-ions woisl,p; and thus they are nmch more el(>arly ilislinct than th.' Ninth and Tenth c^ ih'vifhd in i^niun ('athoiic Catechisms), hoih ofwl.,: h lorljid th,; one shi ^A' amfai/snc^s utuh'r ditlerent Jorms. And hesid.^, ue imd that all th.' Fathers,withtheexcepiion ul'.^t. .\u.(;i-,tine and i'ld-enrins, as well as the ancient Jewisii Cliar -h, diaered fj<;;n tiu; Church of iiome on tlii.s point, it i.>, therefore, at the very least, taking a most unwarrautahle llh-rty uiti, th.; AW.r 1 of (jod, to leave out one of the Tea C\niiiiiauJnieiUs under such a pretixt. As to the practice of the iVhaitlve Church, we ha\e Uui clearest evidence of Ecclesiastical history, that no inue^cs or pictures wore admitted iuto Clni^tiau Churckco foriuany ages, till they were gradually introduced, as sacred rnemo- rkls, about the 6th Centuiry, and afterwards approved, and »t *A\ «J #1 m *A i ^^: V^ ^ ^X^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT.3) m fy ^/ ^ ,^: /^< Z. ^'& 1.0 I.I !.25 1^118 12.5 ■50 ■^" R^B •^' 1^ 12.2 If 1^ 12.0 =L1 IIIIIJ:6 y] <^ ■^ ^y^: emi ^>7^ J^ .'V^ u/^ /A Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ \^^ \ \ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4S03 o^ i^'.v FW^ m :-^^ii>^ •^^i-it-..:,::. (.0 I 1 f,' • ■.I , llV I* k i*^' * t> '■■•:i;rj.iy wi r^'iip (.K ( reed t>< tlicrr., ]/V the Synod cf Gr.-ol; Bbllop:", caUcti iho- .SiCOiid Coinv. n (.l" Xii;>'. in 7S7. Yi '. 'ilie pv'"'''t''''^ ^v:ts strongly condoi.i;)ril .^iiovlly beVv.\ ]>y flif> Counri! (;f C'onstintinople, in t-;!, coii.-usthv,- rf 'M8 3^Ishf,l)>. .'1-- n-dl n-J, (-ItorLly aucr, by tlic Council ( i" Fjaiik- ioit, iuT!)!:, A'. I til iipv.'ards of 300 ]M>liop'', v>dio rcji'.'.-t: (1 the Nlcinie Council as coatr;;ry to Scripture aivl TiMditi'.^'i : w^iik' it A-;;:s rilsi) opposed by many of ll'j' ino-t ci iIi' ■!!* nvcn in tl-j' AVrstcm Chnrcli fi^ni i].c 8:!i ti' lln' l-Jtli Ccntui-y, liU it v.;!.s fiiidiv s;\nctIoiif-d bv tlu' C'iMr.v'd cS Trcu'. A\';' i'.-k :!p;:in, Cni that Cbjuxli be Infalllbic, %vhlc!i has dcoiCiMl, i!^ .u avtlclo of fiiHi, a doctrir-' \\\>\ \\. is iso pluinly C'liiirjiry to i ho V.'urci ol (.<•. d, ;i.;ul to thu practice cf t\\v Pr'nilti\c Cliui-ch .' The fbli'^wi'ii; ;iiiii,lc relates t-t fiKbilgcnci'S :- - {J/tri.-:' ill //'■■ ('I'.'iuit, iiii'l tl-Jk'. ;:ni'r a.-, o mu.'^t s:i:"!>ii'y to ChrlsUau people." A'l Tndiil^7'n(\ is '^t- r r\]]y nnderstood tubt.' tiio rcmlssior. of the /■ ///^' ■".'■.-// ])viiil-]uni \A d.'i.e t."^ sin, in. //'/,/! or in. ?/•/','//' , the hrr>v;r t f u.iieli is c:;jici.l a ph^iiiry l.(d'iii;i j.ce. ^Marv of tliL'.i Viiv ;J-o '• Cipplicrdilc to (hi- M,.,. ,-■ .> i-'i'.rn\-.tc:v," and thus chrr,e two docii .r.cs arc c.o;lIv ',•'.■ MiiCLicd in ti;.: system of '.iio C'huri'h of Uon'iC. 'l'!-c'»' aro said to huvo been or'^-iuaily granted iu tlu; forrr> "f a di-jK'nsation frtjni the ca?ionical jienance attached ro sin, by way (^f commuta- tion or some otlicr consideration : iv.it t.h'' piescu(; system of indubjrences caviiiot be traced farther back than the llta Century ; aii.l the source from which (hey arc sup^^-osed to i*e dv ('. ,('d consists of t]'.e inHnite merits cd' Christ and Hi:; S.^'nls, \vhlrh f-rn. the spiritual trea^iin s of tl'O Church, to bo di--pen>'d by f lie l'. ; efrom these " works of superero- gaticn." li);l. ,\1, it i;. f;;':.- Kdniitadby Bishop Fisher t!':..t r)3 " !,-; ;i:o b.'L;uiuini4 fl'tl..' prii-.r.tivo ('1imi-.Ii ri.nv 'a\i; no ii^r < 1 Iiipo>*.fI(ju of I.:ul:fr apiinst such abuses. imJ (lius t'ormc d iiO iiAuu'dl-li' causo <'f tl;c I'rrorvoat'fvi. Tin: -iraetirc V.MS (ief.Mi:L(l on die frcmni! ^rnnuil of;'"- po vns -ninf-crl ('V Chri.-^i tM il's Apostl'v's. ; :i..l j:.;irt'ra]''rlv t.^ St. [Vfj'r ; ^vilica were uiMlT^Nxnl to I)o!o!vj: t- tlvjr suerrssr.rs, and . j-' ;:il;y lO ;'.:> i^)[i >. a< vi^ib!,' Jlr.id oi' lb- ('hm-:b, and t' rxt. 'lid. to tlii^ fiiUar w-^ v.-.jll cs Ir- jjru^int -.vorld.. I^ut a i- (|nltc unuoccss:;r\- to cTitcr into ;:vx turtlicr refutation 1 do;.'trl:i(^ V; Ui^h is founded on t'ub ''u^; liptitval iwin- • L-.-, and wliidi luis kd t) >r({i dau2;e!ous delusions. 'i'iir ucxtarticlo rclat(>s to tlio r-iMnciua.v of tbo Pnpo : Xb •* ! ">:k:ir,w',>dgc iJic li>l\; C :tj-'!'c and Apu^'nll,) Chiirch of /,'•;/'<•■ IIS ilit )u-t'h(-r >■):'! t/n'sl/y-i; of "J! V'h:>yr!ie<; : ojc/ f prouusr ■t ! .>^ii:((i- tnre ofn'tiicurc lo 'h- Rn-^uta !\'nfl'f\ .S'-rressor cf •■•••■.v.-'' J'-.'-r. Pri'icc of ti'/c Jp'^s'.l's, imd f//e I'ir':/' or Jisus Tiiis is };e;ui\ ibe our 1 luduincniai rrticlc of tiie Eouiau 'muoUc Church ; for ali other doctrinci arc viftaally iu- -dicti in it, as thoy are ibindcd entirely on its authority. Sueii is tbc Komnn dovcJcpi^.cnt of the ohl artielc in tlio ^ ^-stk-s' Cree(b relatir- to '^thc Holy Catli'li- Churrh," . :.-; thu-5 euLirgcd, aiid expanded into ;dl tb.e articles ■-:•!-(' nuntioncd. The ;K;rikiili:r Ch'irch rf Umac is iden- :-ued with the i',nrcrsri { 'hurdt '• ' C'^:\< — which is a eoa- tn-.diefioii in teml^^, opposed to Scripture and autioiLicy ; die Church of liome is declared ^o bo '-'the LMother of all C:hurch('s" — whieh is utterly false in point of fact; for, be- Vvk.mI idl quest ion, tbis title belongs only to the Churcli. of bi'usulern. ri-otfi uhi-b all otb-rs dpri\ed tiieir origin; «*l 1 n ■ • t I'L 1 .11 4 i T)4 '1 .( If ■ 1 \vhile the Roman Pontiff" iy styU;d " the Vicar of Jesus Christ," — a title which properly beloni^s only to the Holy Gho^t, as our Lord promised to si ud Ilim as His repre- sentative on earth, and never conferred sulIi an office on any human being. And now, for the first time, after a lapse of 1-500 yciirs, the Supremacy of the Roman Church, and of her Bishop, is inserted in the new ( eed, as a truth of equal importance with the Trinity. Incarnation, and Atonement; or rather, inde^'d, of much greater importance, as it is declared by Bellarmine to bj tlie ^c ry '• sum of Christianity;" while the profession of it is c itirmed by an oath of obedicr^e to the Pope. On what ground, then, are we required to be- lieve tliis article of the Roman Creed ? The only ground is the assumed Ini'allibility of the Ronian Chuvch, which has defined it as an article of faith. Truly it requires a solid foundation to support such an enormous superstructure which has been raised upon it ; for it must be observed that tbe doctrine of Infallibility does not rest upon the Supremai y, l)ut the Supremacy rests upon th;^ Infallibility. It is true tiiat some attempts have been n^ado to prove the Pope's Supremacy on huh [^ciuLnt principles, derived from Scripture and Tradition ; but all such attempts have been utterly unsuccessful, as no real suppoi-t can be obtained from clilier of these sources. There is certainly not the most remote allu-iou to the Pope's Supremacy in any part of the ]Ncv,- Te-,[ament; and it seems impossible to believe that this doctrine can be an essential article of the Christian Faith, while it is thus en- tirely omitted by every one of the inspired writers. No- thing can be gained by showing that St. Peter held a certain kind of Primacy among the other Apostles ; because this distinction belonged to him as an Apostle, and certainly f Jesus e Holy repre- ffico on after a 'hurch, a Iruth n, and rtance, ;uin of I by an be- D only [Ionian faith, icli an on it ,• libility y rests 1 have 'ciuL'iit lut all o real )urces. to the t; and be an LIS cn- No- icld a :}cause tainlf 95 not as Bhhop of Rome; for all those instances of such pre- eniinenrc took place during the early period of his ministry and before he had ever left Jerusalem fur Home or any otlier foreign place. Now the Pope professes to succeed St. Peter, not as an Apostle, but as Dhhop of lljmc, and therefore this circumstance proyes nothing whateycr on the •lurstion of the Pope's I^imacy, or Supremacy, as successor of St. IVtrr. Pc'sides, it is certain that St. Peter had i.o I nmanj nf j,nh.1}cnon over the other Apo.tles, as they 11 ree.nved flie same divine commission ; while our Lord ^ronidy reproves their disputes as to - wlu.h of them ■lould bo greatest," and expressly tells them tliat " all yo re brethren;" and St. Paul declares that " God liath sot 1 tlie Church Jir.t Ajm/fcs," ^yithout any r.;ference l^o ay offic'ial authoHty of one over the rest ; and he says of amself that - the care of all ihe Churehes " was committed hi.i, and that he Avas "in nothin- behind the yery biefest Ajiostles," whic-h is plainly inconsistent with the apposed Supremacy of St. Peter : while his own faithful eproof of that Ajw.tle, at Antioch, shows that he reco-- ised no such Su])rcmacy in him ; and furlber, we find tluit ■t. Peter himself, in his own Epistles, never assumes the lightest superiority over his brethren, as he styles himself, ot the " Prince of (he Apostles," but simply -an Apostle fJ'sds Clmst," and "an Elder," or -'eo-presbvter " •ifa the o'her Pastors of the Churches. There is nothing, ion, in Scripture", in favor of St. Peter's Sujn-emacy, and till less in favor of the Pope's Supremacy over the whole hurch. Independently of Infallibility, then, tlie whole ^. Ight f tlm claim depends on the true intcri)retation of our ord's promise— " Tliou art Peter, and upon this rock I ■ill build My C^iiur-],." \om, in order to i;.,uud an ^•.1 * \ t l\ i V A\ "4 I ^-'^''m.- I 9e i ■■♦'. • « It.' •» 1 It - ■» •4 4 %i <-i;^'iiiu :;;t J""]' th' r();v,''s Si.;pi-v':n.! y 'ri this prtaulsf, i* \\\\\ !'(• lu; r^saiv to i);ij\ 1- the I'llowi.:; points:— -I. '! ':ut St. l\t^ :• Av//^. ■/■ w;i^ "ih-s ]•.>■];■' !■ r- (l's:;ribi(h l). Tl;; . '" the Ciiur! h lit" Ch;'.-:!. " in';i!' the t'..'''vv/.// r'lsihlc Ciiurca oil r.M'.h. -h '.rh:'.t M:. I'cttr v/:is they//;>-^ liis/ioj) rj' !!■>,}>■ 4. ';' hLtt this ]n'ouii^t; ii'li's 'v iiiin, ..■.'■• lUslcj^t nj J'":ii . '). 'rh:it. iu Uiis ciiicUi^v, iu- rii riv( ;1 siqirein'j a'ith';rit;,- o\t'r the i ii'i-' i.<(il ('!('■ I >:li. <>. licit thus authority AVas tL\'ii';init;;Ml Iv) ('•// /./'.s' .. ■'v..>,,rv ',), ifii; ^,;c of lto,!f. It is cvicli'iit tliatil" (i.'j i)ti>: ///,•.'• iu thii chain ot* reasoniu;^ bi; bivjiccii, th;' wivlt. ai-:;i!iii 'lit t-s!!-; to the g'-oand at dice. Nuw th"i-(^ is (.'orisii !(•;•;; !)!(,' i.'Mii)i . !):)nt t-';r,v/ .,/,t o*' th. '.■^.• |)viiuN, and nut nnc oi" tiu'"i i- -'i.ii i-.Tj'y i I'.ir to Ioyux th Lia-"-^ ct' ail 'u-ticlc' ui laiti'. On tl'o li!.- !; "' i> l'i jx/i'^arinn !■! ^\ir \)i-\n\v\\v Cl'.ni'c!'. tl>i,'U;.,!;ii soni'.' ui' till' hatl.'. i> a- Sr. A;i'.;-n,^lin;', l!io;ii;-h*' tl;;it: i: might I'cihr >j>li' r in i'!i, ':.c.4ol!!, exp'.; iiii'd it oi' >":. 1 ''..'*: ^■r's C'l/if. •:-:!'in ■■. fi:i'i. .■'■; Oil the yy/i'ij v-au'. t:!(~i;' is no uicnf that " t\\: Church of ('!i:>l, ' :jl lh.> Lruicrai 'hii;: ut' oxprcssiou, i v\cv vp'r)\:>vc'[ hi tiio >.v\\- jVst.iuru: \o si.^nity '.'o ■ \A\o\' vi^lhhj uotlv Ol ];.V'>irs>hi,:; ( iu'istiau'' in tlr.- "\\(>r!;l ; :ir.d ; i^ certainly iuor( :<.\ aceo:(hnici' Avirli. t'ae ;ni,ah)'j;y ot' S ■;!]'- tnre hini;-ua"'e ti.> understand it et' tl'e n.ivs'ital hi ,h, i C'iiriot's ch^ct mcnibeis, '• ^Vidl h is f'ne !}le.-.,ed cuaip.'.''y i ;di faithhd peonle."' On tile t/'!i(/ pe'n;, ilteio is really i-o direet lds«:(iri:a.! y.ro' in thecarlv ;iin;.!- el the Chiistiau Clinren. and tile v.l' I * S V.r.'. !>.,». Tom. 1. >,. •, . (SM. !i>':i.) * S. ( iirv-. v>i.ji. lorn. v'i. p. :.i1. (KJ. Boii.) i*=li^ = 'imm'^cmy^'^ D7 (•\ i'lcnvc iis uttfily UiC)\i •lu^i/c. The Xew 'I'estament is j'litircK' ; „f P.r.r •••' though he does not expres..ly a-scit that I'.tcr .va. HMu., of Rome, and tliesc expressions mi-ht refer t<. St IN-vr's Apostnhcnl as well as Ephro^.,! olfieo, as tLe - vL ir of Peter" ,s applied by J'opc (Jregory the Crcat to the S.-of Alcmvdna, where St. Peter was certainly ne^er Bisl.on In like manner, Firndlian states that Stephen, Uisho-) of Rome, "claimed to hold tlie succession of I>eter,'> thou-di It does not appear how far this claim was valid, and he seems to re.c,^ard it as an empty boast. This is, i believe the sum of the evidence of the primitive Church on this ponit, during the first Three Centuries, though there .re upwards of .50 writers of that period, whose A\ orks have come do^vn to us, in part or m whole. Ther-^ is not one of them who directly asserts that St. Peter was eve- Bishop of Rome. When We come to the 4th Century we find that Euscbius never mentions the cii-cumstance in his Ecclesiastical History, though he states in one place that T inns was the first Bishop of Rome after Peter, but he had already stated that Linus was the first Bishop of Rome - after the martyrdom of Paul and of Peter :" and he also ex' pressly reckons Clement as 3rd Bishop of Rome, after Linus and .\nenclctus, thus t.zc7,/,Z/„o. Peter himself*. It is how ever, distinctly mentioned iii his Chronicle ; but there is no such passage in the original Greek, and it is most pro- bably an mterpolation lu St. Jerome's Latin translation of tuatW ork§. ^t.Epiphanius,BishopofSalamis in Cyprus (A.D. K' ■.n't 99 -.. i . s.y\tl„ti,,/, p^t^.^ ^^^ p^^j svcre the first Bishopcol J-.n<. iJut the earliest writer, whc seems e::pressly to as-^.;(r. tins place to IVter alone, is probably St. Optatus, an Af. . ... IJ.sl.op rv.!). 370). who says chat .' Peter established t!y ■ l-inscopal Chair at Home, and first sat in it.f Shortly a't''rth,s St.JeromeCA.D.aOOjstatesthefact.withallitspar- tl'ulnrsof 2o years'Episeopate,fromthe2ndyearofClaudiu8 -1' the Uth year of Nero*, whieh is mentioned bv no ^vn ... before hnn. Such was tlie progress of this tradition, whuh now began to be gradually received; but the testi- .nony of these later writers is really of no use to establisha hMoncal fact whichis said to have occurred several centuries !>H,>re, especially as it is inconsistent with the testimony of t- -..her writers of the Church. The story of Peter being J'.saop of Rome was evidently unknown during the 1st ^t.M !.n(l Centuries, but in the middle of the 3rd Century tnero seems to be some obscure intimation of it, while in th. ..tter end oftheithCenturyitispcsitivelyassertedforthe hrst time, and afterwards generally adopted as the founda- nou of tne Papal claims. AVith such evidence, wc may justly pronounce the tradition to be merely fabulous. On tl,o /,,,//, point, there is no proof Avhatever. There is nothing aere about St. Peter's connexion with Home, directly or mdirectly. It is impossible to show that our Lord here refers to the Church of Rome. Even granting the first tu'o pomt., and supposing that some particular locality was mtemled, tlic promise may more properly be applied to the oundatioa of the Church at Jerusalem, as it is certain that tlus^was thc>-.^ Christian Church in the world, founded bySt. Utcr on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in + |- 1;!''!'''- '^r-P- Tom. I. p. 107. ' ' J b. Hieron. Opp. Tom. 1. col. 343. (Ed. Pw. 1609.) I H' •?! If •1 100 ^ • » <: i^*' In* i.n li <( 1^<. Acts ii. The very idea ol hmhltufr a (Jliurt-li seems to refer to the fuiouludoii, and, beyond all doiihl, the Church of Jerusalem was founded lont^ /»/'orr the Church of Rome. A\'e know also tliat St. retei- laid the foundation of the Christian Cluireh among the Gi'iidles, by the conversion of Cornidius and his friends at Ca'sarea, as recorded, in Acts x. ^lorcover, it is said tliat St. Wti^r wab bcvcu years Bishop of Antiocli, htjhrr lie went to Rome, and why should not this promise bilojig' to him and his successors in the Set^ of Antiui/i, as well as of Ivome ! Besides, it is a most remarkable fact, that not on(! <T(i;a- tion, thoui^h St. Jerome was so strongly attached to the Roman See. The testimony of the most ancient Fathers is directly oppoiied to the 'lainis of the present Church «1* Rome on this fundamental point of the system. If the Supremacy of the Pope were a reveah'd doctrine of Christianity, it must have bitn known to the J'rimitive Church ; and it is utterly incredible that such a doctrine could have been held in those times, when wi' lind that every writer of that period, when commentinL,' on this pro- mise, which forms the foundation of the doctrine, explains it dilFerently from the Ronian theoloi^nans. On the Jijih point, there is )io authority lure given to St. Peter, as ]Jishop of ]lome, over the: Universal Church, as is evident from the precedini,' rcinarks. The promise of " the keys of the kingdom of heaven " may well reff>r to the fact of his having founded the Christian Church on earth, and admitted the first converts, bv J5aptism, both among the Jews and Gentries ; Avliile the promise of "binding and loosing" was iHterwards given to all the Apostles, as well as Peter (Matt, xviii. IN) ; and thus St. Cyprian asserts that "the res': of the .\i)ostIes were the same that l'et(-r was, endowed with an ecjuai fellowship both of honor and of power." On the s/.r/// ])oint, there is not the slightest intimation of the transmission of these promises to the successors of St. Peter in the Sec of Rome, or in any oflier ca])aciry. Such a claim seems to have been utterly unknown in the primitive ages. There are only two c\anij)les of this kind during the first three Centuries — \'i(tor, and Stephen. 'J'he fii'st instance in which the Bishop of Rome attempted any exercise of authority beyond his own l);oc'(>s:', was that of Victor, near tlie end of the ^nd (A'uturv. ] Le thri'atcm^d to 4 ■f 102 • » ^V t» s ♦ ■1 "" i «.omm««,o;r._that is, to c.as. from holding Christian commun.on with-tho Asiatic Uishops, for refusing to . on- form with him in tho rim. of keeping Eanter; hut he v^.s dissuaded hy the wise counsel of St. Ih.kpus. Yet he does not appear to have acted hy virtue of any authority denved ,rom St. IVter ; nor did this act involve any c-laim to Supremacy, as amj lijshop had the power of rrronuun- ^"^■onnnr from his own ( "hurch those whom he reganled as nnwort.y of communion .v.th him. The fir>t liishop of Konw-, who advanced the claim of hcing St. Peter's suc- cessor, was Stcpiun, in the middle of the ;Jnl (Vnturv as appears from Firmilian's Letter to St. Cyprian. On'the question of the validity of heretical IJ, pdsm, he differed irom these Prelates, as well as from the great hody of the Asiatic and African Bishops, and proceed(>d to violent measures against them. Yet the attempt was stron^dv re- sisted hy them, as well as by the Council of Caitha^re consisting of 87 Bishops, who treated the language "of Stephen with the utmost cojitempt, and firmly' asserted their own independence in the Church of (Jod." There is much light thrown on the subject by the history of this controversy. St. Cyprian may be ildrlv quoted as a wit- ness, both of the rrlruacu of the See of ■flome in point of '•'"'/.-, ar^d of the ^,,{epcuJauc of all J^ishops in point of Counel! of (^H-thage, in opposition to Pope . rephen-" None of us (onstltute^ himself a Bishop of as f(».; i'i^^lOp^■, or force, his C -llrHru-s to •, „.v ; r l ■ ::„'■; ■' :-7 !■"' ;-■• -■"• -..,.v „„.„, ;, ,; .|.ul«,.,!l,y..,l„.,.s,|..„!„.,,„,j„.|^„,, ,-.. ., he- ed o„ you.eli; when you h.»c cut 1 y„u,.,,,f ,■,„„, ,„ ^ y™ uly th. ..h,smaMc, who u.akes himself an apostate irom .ooommu„,on of .cch.sia.tical unity; for wlule vou tUnk •1- a are cxehuU.a from ,.„, yo„ ^avo only excluded '««i,-from all."t These ancient Eishops. then! regarded - Pope as Kuilty of schism by his illeran condue Urn, eh of Eome was necessary to communion with the athoho Church, Xor is there any evidence to be pro! uce. Ion the other side, in order to prove that the e lit were sm^ular u, their opinions, or that their eon- a«ire in the AV'esl — ;'"> donations of Christian Trinces — the ijcMieral ignorance of the tinuv-; — thest^ and other events tended to give tlu^ See of Home such a |ir:^-eniinence over other Churches, as to prepare the way lor tlie cl 'im of universal Supremacy, founded on divine ri.dit, and derived from the successi(m of Peter. There can be no doubt, in- deed, that, in early times, all other Chiu'ches were in coni- vuinton with the Church of Rome ; and further, that a certain vrimncij of tin- ("iiun'h ot" lionic was then >\ > a ])ii,-.' l)ri!ili of til.' ('itholic (Jliui-ch, whereas she has siiici' i;itr.)(hi'H'(i ;i ihw ( 'reed of slran<4"e doctrines.whieh she U >s impiixi'd as tli.' onlv coiidiliou of eoinniuniou with her. We e.)inl:id(', tie ii. that the Supremacy of tht> Pope was ai> a''t of //si/r/)ii/!iii; o\('r llie rights of all olher ('hristiau ('hiirehes. alike contrary to Scripture and to primitive an- tit[iiitv, while it involves the ,£,a-ossest c()rru])tions of Christian doctrine ; and we ask ai^ain, (Jan that Cluu'chbe infa!lil)le, which has defined this point a.s an esscatial ai-tich' of tlie ('hristian faith.' The last article of the iloinan Creed is as folloM's : — XII. '• Lihu'isr nil other thinits dclirered, drfincd, and dc' rJarrd hi/ the snrrrd (hnons, and (Krnmcuirul Cuimcils, and i!s-peritdl;i hi/ thr Jlohj Conneil of Trent, I nnhesilatingly rcm'rc aiid jimfrs.'i ; and nt the same time, (dl things contrary, anJhrnsies irhtdsoerer condemned, andrejccicd, andanafhcmrdised hy the Church, f Ulceicise condenin, reject, and anathc/natise." 'I'hls is a most comprehensive declaration, including a vast body of theological detinitions, with Avhich i'vw persona can be acquainted, and which is shnply rcsolvKl into the profession of nnqualilied submission to the Church of Kome. It is o-enerally staled that 'here arc^ Eighteen Councils called (Ecumenical, oi' rniversal, as representing the ?/7/o/c Chinch I'i) (iirlh ; though it is evident that, properly speak- ing, tliere ne\er awis such a Council; as the Clergy and J.aitv Avere not represeu'ed in those assemblies fcontraryto the jirocecdings of the Council of Jerusalem, Acts xv. \12, 23), while the Bishops comjn-ising them have always been a smn,K,„,, ,,n^,u.,,,.,irh,,,.,,,,., ,,,;,,„ T..>. . K, .. U..U.,,,, Uo „ ouu,l,. ,1-, Ik. (1,,,..!,, it „„,,,,„. ;;;.'" ":■■■"; '■;;"" ■"-™'''" '■.^- "^ -■«- .ioc,ri„c. a„d dc.fi. ...>...„.:. „K.I,„l,„s. a m.dtit.Klo ,.,• „p;„b„s. .vldch hadbcen 107 InilMTto hdcl as open questions, or prohaMe conjectures, ^vlu.c tlicsc were uou- fixed as arti.'le^ of lUit],, not on the .54To,uul of Srnptaiv onlv, Init also of the uuuritten Tradi- tions sanrtK.ued hy authority of tlie CouucIK The cause oi tlie Keformatiou uas prejudoed at Jionie, and con- d .Muned at Treat. It Is i,i vain t., speak of the autliority of tii<> (hur.'hou these questions, for " the Church " really I'u.uis the Pcpe; and thus the elh-et of the Ionian system •>t,. haul tlie consciences of all Christians into al,solute o.Kd.encetothev.-IUof one man, v.ho elalms the rl-ht to :.d to shoAV that these doctrines have no real loundation In the AVord of (Jod, as Interpreted bv ihe ^^•'"^>tiv. Church. It thus appears, as Bishop Taylor v>ys that -they are indeed neu-, and brou^dit into^hc ^"'urh, first by way of opinion, and afterxvards by power, ^'•''"1 ■''•t last, by their own author:ty, decreed into laws and arrules. ' A\ , appeal to Scripture and to the purest -^^uty, but M-e find none of these doctrines in the ( Imrch durn.o- the firsc three Centuries, though we admit tliat the elements, or o-e,,ns, of sc^veral of tlu ni mav be discovered befi,.e the close of the 4th Centurv; and there- i;>'v. >vh:,tever claims some of them may have "to acompara- t;ve antiquity, they must b,. regarded as religious innova- tions, or corruptions of the Christian Faith. It follows, tlHMu rhar the Church of Home, ^^ hich teaches th^un as essential parts of the . th, has nrrd in point of ;}„■'. and cons(-qnently, that she is not -nwillihlr.. She fP:.r-]io. doc- wciv never revealed by vVlmlghty God, and lit % trun \v hich li^^S^ ^p^.f i' > » * ^'^♦r 1 ,■ • is''.' ' *i V, , lOS therefore she has no claim to any divine authority. All the supposed proofs of licr luiallibility rest upon abstract probabilities, or arbitrary in(er])i-ctations, which vanish be- fore the light of Scriptu];.! evidence brou-ht to bear upon her doctrines and practices ; and thus the proofs of her fallibility are much stron-oi- than the proofs of her infaUibilily, as the formcM- n^t upon ])ositi¥e fictx, and the latter ui)(,n abstract thmrirs. And, in the prcc(Hlinsr iv- marks, I have attempted to explain, for the benefit oi others, how I was hxl into the Church of Rome Ijy th(> supposed i)roofs of her hjhllihiUfij, and how [ was led out oj that Church by the convincini,^ proofs that slie liad actnaUii '''•^^ in matters of faith. It is, indeed, a remark- able contrast between tlie articles of the (Al and the nnr Creeds, that the former tend to promote the t^lorv of Cn,!, and the Litter the plory of man. lliere is nothin- in tlx' Roman Creed which has any tendency to exalt the Loi^l Jesus Christ as the only Saviour of sinners, or to honor the Holy Spirit as the only Author of all sanctifviiiiroTac(^ : while every article tends to exalt the Pope and Prierthoo(l of the Church of Rome, in the ir spiritual di-nity, as in- vested with the mysterious power of performin^^the miracl- of Transubstantiation, ofteringuj) the Sacrifice of the [Mass for the living and the dead, foroiving sins, and dis]).,nsin- the Sacraments for the salvation of men. This is surely a very suspicious circumstance in itself, iudependt^ntlv Jf any direct evidence against their.. Perhaps the most ]/lansible ar -ument m favor ol" the Roman doctrines 'is founded on the historical difliculty of accounting for their origin and jirogress in the Chunb. These doctrines, it is said, were generally held in the Latin Church for many ages hr/nrr the Rcibrnuition, and v.ii.ereiOre v,x- are uound tu bcile\e tiiat tluy were u/ivai/ain :« All ^i^ma^^^ 109 ".o.r .,.tr„d„ct.o„. This „,,j,,,i„„, h„„,,,,-, is f Uttil ™Sl.t .. „pp„s.,io„ t„ CO,.™,. evi,l..n,.. „■ ,heso d„ ! >nn..s arc really contrary .„ the Word of God, this « ."id jt ,s imie ,„ore than a „,a,te,- of curious research to mquu-e,„,o the historical circu.ustances relatin. ,o hoi: nse and .-owth. in the Church. If they are "not i„ the i!.ble, ,l,,s ,s enough for all practical purposes, as the l«est,on docs not relate to the ,:«. of thel invent on Ut to thcy„c, of their hu„,an origin. We have, hoMcver 1 «<,"»-- proot founded on the silence of the earlv Fathers trd, r;; "" "^.^^ --'^ "-' ■'^'•^ ^y '>- '^^>^^^ ■ much, as those anoent writings contain no allusion to »..eh doctrrnes entirely o,nit then, in their (•reeds Ind confessions ol faith, and include statement, of doctrine which arc utterly inconsistent with the Koman C-eed it may be said, indeed, that the Scnplures arc apparently m favor of Protestantism, but the Fa,/,ers are in Lor of Romantsn,. If ,bis be true, then it is certain that the Jon,,cr nurst be adopted in preference to the taUcr, as the .Scrrptures were the first inspired records of Christianity, ^^luIe the wrmngs of tho Fathers are only the later, uni„: spu-ed, commen.aries of fallible men. But the st.atement is not true w,tn reierenee to the „,„,l a„ck,„ Fathers, whose » orks strongly confirm the .Scriptural simplicitv of Pro- testant doctrmc ; and why should the testimom' of the rv,«; U,,uH ,;/■«„„„; be preferred to that of the >,/„„V,-„ t'«v, ,,/ U,n.,y There is, indeed, a serious historical "■ff-tlty to be rc„n>ved on «,./. side. If Komanisn. be "'". how ,s ,t that its doctrines are not to be found in the )C nat. f-riiM 1 (.arl'icH ages ] and if it b doctrines generally i)rcvailed in the /, i-K • mi^ mc^t; «l ('frr-d^o>i '. It niav be m V'm ■J ^r ^'. ' t ■ * 'I 'i \' ^ ^^ 110 said that the riotestant theory of tho gradual corruption of Christuinity is only an hypotliosis. Truo ; l)ut it is an hypothesis s>/ppor/cd Inj farts, Avhile the Koman theory of the universal reception of its ])eeiiliar doctrines in all ages of the Cliurcli from the beginning is also an hypothesis, but totally ///.s/z/^yo/V^v/ by historical f'vidence. It is unreasonable, then, to demand a direct proof of the novelty of these doctrines, when their progress a\ as of sucli gradual development, when so few historical notices re- lating to these facts have come down to our times, and Avlien th(u-c is the same difficulty about tlu- exact date of other changes, which are universally admitted to be inno- vations on the ancient practice. Every one knows, for in- stance, that the languages of modern Europe are quite different from those spoken in the days of the Apostles— they must have been gradually ehangi-d from their original form ; and yet it is impossible to fix the exact period when the change took place. In like manner, all admit that the Holy Communion was administered under both kinds for many ages after the ..Ipostlc^, and that for several centuries past the cup has been-taken away from the laity : here is a public and visl])le channre, and yet who can tell at what pre- cipe time this change took place .^ We cannot wonder, then, that there is some obscurity about the exact date of the cor- ruption of particular doctrines and practice-^ on other points, .vhichw(>r(^ not so palpa])h> to common o])servation. Still, however, after all, we iiave sulHaently clear and positive evidence on sca eral of there innovations. Let us look at a few historical facts volating to the origin of these se is the Immaculate Concep- tion, defined iu 18o4, contrary to the belief of the ancient (Iiurch. Agai:.. tlu^ Kulo of Faith itself, which makes ^Iradition equH (o Sfrintur(\ wn^ fii>;t o^tiiKjUhed W the MS^r¥ rruptlon ; it is an hooiy of all apfts _)otliChis, <^«>iinci! of 7 aiui Sf>v.>ii S; FI rent III I'-raiiiciirs w "'■<-iirc iu nr,0. ( ere ;'o'-(nn( s of [>uri^atorv not (lofliu'd till tlu- ( "iittTtaiu in if <>iniinnii')n nnd < T on' ( onst, s onM-ijij ^,. ;is ;in((> in 141, Tl antln kind (1 f>uncil of low'ever 'f' l)r')l]il)it ^•'^•^'•1 !n- the Council ncil of '•"■';"'>-"-«r^t^„,. , r';;;^c:''V"''*"■"'" »— I>ip "I- Im.,.,.«|„- „„',,'"""■'' '" '■''•'■ '-''1.0 ■".'■ ■S,.n-,Ve i„r|,;-V. :,;'■""""."■"■'■' "'• Ni™ i„ T8T. ■'"'/"«'; - be .,„■', " ''^; "™f ■> "'■ G0.I. Ho,,, ,vho„ '™.I .mi,, ,. vi.ih,e L,c.s'i„„" "^' '""""<' •"='• «" «roos„I novdtv; a„tum, " W h.re mus die Protestant n ii-iou hctore the lle^n-ui.tuu : ' U may, la- deed, he lairlv retorted, " \Vh( re u..> ;he ii.-mau (athoUc roll-Ion behn; the Couueil of Trent C i^.r It c.Tlaiuly ex- isted in a verv unuui^hed state heih:e that Couned. But, ^^•it!l reU'reiice to the question '..ihre u<. we nmy r. ply, th^ l>.-otc-stant rell:;ion was contained /. /,'r \^''>U-. lu which the doctrines of the Go.pel were depo ^Ircd by the Apostle, and i'roph^-ts, and in .Nhich none' of the pec^^-.h, r doctnnes of the lloman Church are to he l')nn.d. U m.y he s.id tlvit the Apostles left their doctrines .v.th the Church. So. indeed, they did. 15ut we .leny that the modern Church of Rome is the same with the primitive Church ot Christ ; while it cannot be denied that the Pnble is the same now as in the days of the Apostles. Further, we answer, that our religion is to b-- Ibu-l ;. //. I rumU.^ Church, in the first and best ages of Chrlstuunty, as recorded in the Works of the early Fathers; uud Ae are cimte •v^iUing to be tried by this standard. It is true that the name of Protestantism did not exist at tliat time. But this name signifies merely a - protest " a^^ainst the errors oi Romanism, and these errors were not m c^xistencc at the time So for, then, we have both .eripte.r d and historical Christianitv in favor of Protestantism. Jk^t v. e hove an- other answer. Our religion may be found 7../ ura.^ .,' nv. before ihc Ihfor-.aanon. We may consistently admit that the Church of Chri.t was always visible, even in Uc darkest ages, not only in the varlou. bodies of Christian. who successively existed in tlio.e lUucs, separate Irow Rome, and who'adherec. to the doctrln.. s of the hblc, but even m the Church of Uomc Itself, yyhl^li we acknowledj^oto be a true Church, though wc deny her to be aj / n V '^S^j&3iiS^^^^ lis For tho P..rorma;I„n aid „ot consist in founaing a n«<, r^ 'i'.» or a „... Cluuvl, hut in ;.„,vy^;„, ,he e^istin, sy" -;(,„„, us ,.„„.„,„;„„., ,,, rojcctin, thos= innovation, V , h .,a,l b.™ n,.,!.,, to ,i.. ,M,h ia later tin,cs. W. l.a>o no nrull.bk „,.„,,nc-. that tho great body of tha ou.„rJ v,.U,,. (,,„,,,. „.„„„ ahvays°co„,I„u„'i„ ,,: ...= ,n.oK..«,„n of ,1,,. „„,. roli,i„n of tho Gospel ; and yj rh. s„ppoMt,on ionns the ground of one of tho . .ongcst ohjeet,o„s ,i,:,t can he „r,ed against tho liefornr- uon E... „,er all. tlu-re i. no pro,.;; of Christ to tl ^ T '; "^ " " '"""■^'■■•^ ^" "- "l-olc ar.alosv of tho Jow,sh Church, so that ,ve have „„ reason to'cpec i ■mder the Christian Dispensation. Besides, ,vc h!vo a ■speaal ,varn,n=; on this subject, addressed to tho Church of Eomcby the Apostle I'anl, .ho refers to this vorv analo!,! and thns aumon.shes ,hat Chnrch-.-rhon standest t faith ; 4. „„, /,./, ,-„^„, 4„, ,.„,._. ,.^^. .J, ^^^1 J ...e nan,ral branches, take heed lest He also spare n« thee (Komans xi. i-O, oi.j There is no pronuse of any exemption from apostacy he -c »iven ,„ ,h„ „ ^ r-L 1 1 . * ■ ©^''-n to the Koniato Church; but, on tho contrary, we find that she, above all oAcrs ,s tnreatened with total rejection in the event *f her uniaithlulness, as the Apo.tle states the alternative- goodness r thou continue in His goodness; o,her„iso Aou abo A„h he an off," as the "natural branches," tho Jews. '. ,vere broken ofl' because of unbelief." AVo hare no right to .assume, then, that tho Church of Eome. or any other Church, would always he infalliCly preserved Iro n euor and apostacy; or that the true religion of Chri,. fee from all human corruption, would ahvavs be main- tamed by the visible Church in every age. And vet it an pears thaf fhi'c noo. ..: ,,.'''. "u\Lciiap- 'cw.w '" — • ••-•-■•--^^l--^^--" >'-s tne iiibL modve assigned bv Clullingworthforrenouncin5Proiestanti.m-'.BccausenJ >.-,*fc --...,. I !■ ♦ ^'^.^i. £*«"■■■'* ^w >'V »_i.i Ji petual vieiblc profrssion, mIiIiIi could acvcr hv wantiii- lo* the religion of Christ, or :uiy ]);u-t of it, 1^ appaii-ntly ^ranting to IVoicstaiit rdigioii, so lUr as coucoius llic points in contf'statlon." And, after leaving the Cluirch u( Home, he answers his own ohjfM-tioii tlins—- dod hath neither decreed nor foretold, that Hi- tmr (hullu!- should, ,hjur/u, b3 always visibly professed, wllli.uU :;uy miNture of false- hcod.' But further, it must I).- rcir.emhcred that, aceordiug to the Interpretation of the nio.l < niincnt i^-ote^tant Divines, God /las ^'decreed and f)retol(r' the very /r/v/'Nr— namely, that there should ur a great Apostaey, or c-orruption of pure Christianity, uithiu the visible Church of Christ ; whicii, in their opinion, lias been exactly fultiUed in the Church of Konu> ; and this circumstance completely re- moves all sui)i)osrd dililcuhy on the subject. It is \«iell known that thl- vl(^\\- of Prophecy was almost universally hekl by the liefunners of tin- l()tth Century; and that it was one of the principal grounds on which they imintained the duty and necessity of abandoning the Koman Commu- nion, as an Apostate 'Chur.h. It was generally believed thnf the Church of liome was " the Apo.tacy " pre(U-'ted by St. Paul in \l Thess. ii. o— " the Apostaey of the latter times." foretold by the s imc Apostle in 1 Tim. iv. 1—3— as well as tlio '• liabylou"' of tiie Apocalypse, described by St. .lolm, in Kev. xvii. xvili. Nay,, more, ii was held that the Tope of Home was th(> '•'little boui" of Dan. vii— •'the man of sin, the son of perdition, the wicked one" of 2 Thess. ii. o — 10— •' the Antichrist " of St. John, 1 John ii. 18— and linally, -the Beast " of Bcv. xiii. 1—8. I do not iiroposc to enter into a detailed examination of these Prophecies, but I must make a few observations on one of them, as it has produced a deep impression on my -1 115 '- nil Exposi or of ; r^ "'"' ""» '^ S"'"™% held fHurH.,,. l,ulo. 1 i "'" '■■' "'■■" "■■ "•■'■-'"'=d -^■-■Ho.a,i,,:^;;;;;i:™r;;:;;;>':;'o.,p,yi..^^^ tl.ls event i, yet /;„„,,, T] ■ • ■ , ^■"''Vloil. liuj Advent of Christ fro,„ heaven U^';; »; .he Seeond ">n. therefore, cannot apply to the i-,,;- ,/ ''''"'■"P- "■ 'he Fall of the Uo,nuiZ^ fir h """ ''"'""' '■'t™ place Ion., sinee and 3 It' """'^ '''™ Ko.nan Catholic E™o! • °'".' " '"" "' '^■^''"•■"<^<^- ^' 'he Fall of bS r : thrr :; ^'"T'f °" "I^^hylon the .La! l S',!"' ^r:'f '^ "'^-"-i of Devils, and the hold of '^•ii, una IS become tha f every foul spirit s* m. ;r^ • « fl^c.-. . .vUi. 2). Will any Boman Wvi.^ . " ".V^ j ' .^^ _Ron>o -i' I'CCM.o the lu'.itnt,.,.. ol .l<:v.U, .i"4l... .he r/;-//c» ..-,. ,-,. ..,»,^ acco.ain, ., .i. r.-d. t-™ ■ mL ^vHii 21.) On that interpretation, .. ,- ...n."->l '- ;Voia t s ini^evcnce ; nn.l yet .nch an ..,lnn.s,..n . ou-.U C fatal to tbelv own system, as well as eon.ra.y tl.e tt'lflu-ry. Bnt.aee„..in..o.eUann...ean.e,;». ftic n.lfilment ol tlur ,n-opl.e>, is >et ;-»/"». ' • That Ko.nc is a.ain ^o h..or.c . ■.•^•■f^y; o ,.-^>^^ the Ci-.r-rel,, and to l.e destroyed l.y Ant.eln.st. l.«t a *Vn e h vpotUesis, invented to get rid oC the Vrotesta. r , ;i /'„„„/ Home On eaeh of these two system.*, r' ^t:;e r ' i! Is^le ...eet of tUe propUeey- tZlZo ti; o..e. eommeneing with Idolatry, nnd ,.- cording to the other, apostatismg tnto ^ff^'l^/^^^ !,„„„ r/„,V;„„, between these two states, it is Oistmctiy «Xsed y Bo snet, ,l.at " ther<. is not the least trace of r C u^el^of IW to he found in the Apoealyp^. ^- t s eertainly strange that, if Rome 1-e the snbj c^of , 1. Lphecy, there is not the slightest allns.on 'l' " "' "^ n o Ae Christian Chureh; and th.at an n.sp.red ho k W h is supposed to reveal the future lustory of the et Csh "Who totally silent ahout the "mother anc ^7 f U Chttrehes." But, indeed, .here .s such . rX- ■- of <-■ seriptie , =n the whole WoV^^^V'^J^;^ no room tor such a <.-«»«/iou from I'agantsm to Chnwn ,nd then from Christianity to I'aganrsm. Rom n^dc erihed as existing in two or more sneee.sstv .tes she^^ r^:;::!^:! " nw riBtua, su^nU -p, that Chnst nas ^^ ^^^^ ^^^f^^.„,l l^iiuicii .---- -- -R vvlon "— " the land oi gi^vc Uught us to regaBd as Babylon. , since 'apary v\ tlint U'tiilH •' would • 1() t]:,0 olliiMB, cjy hold otestai.*- 5 V stem:*, phccy — nnd uc- id as for listiuctly , trace of .." Now ct of tllv' it as the •cd book, ■ of the thcr and is such a as lea.vcs ristiaiiity. s not dcs- !s ; she 1' iblc, then, :y upon a uniformly oi gi'^« iVi-'" Images"? Is it rrcail>lo that Babylon— the onemy of j,,;,,^|„ni-Ishc)-^.'^lf ivaily the spiritual Jerusalem^- the l^^l^. ^-ify "_*. the place wirich [he Lord hath ( '.losca " M the'.rntrc .f His Church on c.r'Ju? that whih^ the mystical ,unnr Is suggestive of Idolatn,, the i>!„t;cm of t:.: tr,:e nJi^lo^K and the intro- duction of idolatrous practices, lu'.o the vi^. . Church of rjod amou- die JeM-h people; nnd therc.ore, avUcu it i» e.mploval in the Xcw T.^stamcut, it must relate to a corrcs- ponding siu in the visible eh:.l~Uan Church. " l^al)ylon therefore, mean^ not only a e;/f/. 1-tit a prolessmg (-A«/tA, or reli-ious system, and Bome rsthe head of that Church; and e.-..sc'qucntly it cannot roilr to Rome P./ -^/«, either ,,,s^ or M::rr, but to Kome 7V;..'/, or a corrupt Christiaoi 'church ; VN-lnle the "many waters "' on which she sits : :o explalnrd as denoting - peoples and multltuc.es, and na-, ,.i.vis ^-1 tongues" (llev. xvih lo), or the puueipal kin-donis of modern Europe, whick have subnutted to. the'Vap-v. Again, we find that l^^abylon is described as. a «n-.cc«/;-/;-powei— "I saw tho woman drunken with, the Hood ofilu SalHts, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (Rev. xvii. G). " And in her was Ibund the hluad of rrojd^cts, and of Saints, and of all that were slaia upon the earth " (Rev. xviii. ^ It is this which ex- nlaias the eircumstauce of St.. John '• wondering with H k .'.■V- ♦ I \ iV I «(• 118 great admiration," as thorp wn= ^^^i • persecution of the Saints l.v -, P, "^^'^^^•^"^'^ ^n fin ™. "liil. a sfnkuii; contrast is dnnv., I,,.t„,.™ I,,.,- Clmt, astl,,. ..7,V,,/.ot,heLa„,b"ci-G„da;.v.U. ^ I" 0,u„, „, It.,,,,,, ,vl,iIo ,lK.y ™„„„t i,. „|,p,i„,, ,„ an) othvr rdii,Moiis system thnt I,.,, • , A. 1 „ "'.-'V' >veare told ot a-warnino- '•' voi'cr -CW..V/ ;/'',; ^^ Gods iK-oplo inJ5al,vl„n— ^oinc out of Ik I- \T,, ,,,„,„/, ai . , • 1,,.,. • /, '^'^^'"'P''^ that vo ],(Mi,)t i^arfakers of <-l.urd, of Konte ; but it is thoir ,l„tv ,„ .. „;,„, , , ' bo s(Mvi>-if,> " •(•.. 1 , • t^onu out and ;"■•''■"- '" i*»-i .I.-.., i. ,,.;:' -Ti'ssjon. juo- ^'lu^, th.n, is the np-eat practical contusion at wldcli I have arrived, av th '•.^fercncr fn ,,,,- • • nnrl wIfK fi • \-;"^"^e to my own position and dntv • o';.-'nu„joi,., To b. a chHstia,! ;:;ri' ::t::w =-i-i/-;-«a*v-,, *^ 119 .v..iy Nccni fair in lliro] ij, but it is quite inappIlcMliIc U) prcr- :icr. It is true that there is no Church on iTjih now-, w iiicli is /// (/// res pels the same 'Nvith tlic I'riinitive (Jiuu^li ill the (lays of (lu- .Vr,()sil(> ; and yet tli" Primitive (/'hurch Is certainly n jn'o^i ulcd somew here at tlie presc ut day, in its essential I'eatui'cs, llioii^ii ;iv)[ in its accident j1 circum.stanccs. I am, then, in tlic fir.>l place, a Christian — ti;at is, a nu-ni- i)er of the ruiveis;,!, or (atliolic Chiu'ch ol' Ciirist ; then, in the second ])laee, ])eli:\ in;;- that the Clnirch of Home has ernnl iVom the truth ol llie (i(»p;l. \ am a mcmhcn* of the liefornuHl, or i'rotestant ])ortion of tiie Christian Church ; and in thi' third ])lace, !)eini;' convinct-d that the ('hurcli of l'hiL;lai)(l, with all lu r Ini])ertections, is a sound branch of the Catholic ('hurch of Christ, I, desire to retm-n to her conununioii. because I am satisfied that she is rii-htlv re- ibimcd, according)' to tlie V< ord of (iod, and the doctrine of the I'rinutive Church, and that she possesses the highest claims on our veneration and obedience, among the Protes- tant ( hurches of Christendom. AN'hatever advantages the Church of Piome may liave over Protestant Dissenters, on th ground of A])()st()lical succession and an ancient Llturgv, the Chui'ch of Ihigland certainly possesses the same advantages ; and A\liatevcr advantages Protestant J)issenters mav hav(> over tlw Church of Home, on the ground of Srri])tural jnirity of doctrine and worship, the Church oi' ]higl;;nd may laii'ly claim the same advantages ; and thus she h.ipi/ilv combines iMangelical truth with Apostolical order, in her Ecclesiastical constitution. In- deed, as to the uninterLupted succession of Pishops in the national Church of the mother country, she admits of no competition what(>ver. it has been truly observed that •' the oitlujdox and undoubted Bishops of Great Britain and Ireland ai-e the only persons who, in any manner. lt?',"> !>• .'^^'♦f ' » r.' .• • v« >; 1 ','' ' J 1 4 Vf''. 1 ■ .. • ff *■••'« , . • ^•-* *-^* •I 'Sv'hcthcr by ordination or pos-:"^>.ion, cv.n j)r()'-? thoir Scsc'enl fi-om the a:iciciit Saints ;lncl Eisliops oi" these I^-Ies. It is u ])ositivc fact, that tliey, and tlicy ('/:>ii/-, can trace their Ordinations from IVtcr and j';iul, thr{.!!c]i Patrick, Angustinc, Thcodcro, Colman, ( 'ohnnl)a, David, Cuthbcrt, Cliad, AnSL'lni, O^jmund, anil all t'le otiicr ^\()^thics of ou>- Cliurch. No PoiTish Bishops can hv anv i)'i-siliilitv trac their spiritual descent by ordination f- om the orii.;'nd i)astors of our Churches ; for t'iicir line of succession ]>.L;-an at Kome, scarcely more than two Ccntuvi(>s a^^o ; and none of them have ever received Ordination from any ])ritlsh or Irish Bishops, de^f-cndcd from the ancient line of Prelates, uho for so many ages have rcprcsenttxl the Apostles in these real ms "* I must observe, however, llrat I 5,pcak of the Church •of England as an Ecclcsiasucal bodv or reliuious So- ciety, and not as a political institution or national Estab- lishment. This is a distinction of the utmost importance ; as almost all the objc':'tioiis to the P.eformed English Church are founded upon certain historical facts relating to the latter vicn- ; whereas the truth of a religion must be considered as altogether independent of its connexion Avith the State; though it must be confessed that a considerable prejudice naturally arises from attending chiefly to the •character and motives of the English statesmeii v.iio -were instrumental in establishing the change of religion in the country. It must be ndmitted that, in an Ecclesiastical point of Tiew, there wer.- some defects and irregularities in the legal Establishment of the English Peformation at the accession of Queen Elizabeth ; but these arose irom the peculiar circumstances of the times, and cannot affect the * Palmer's Urigiues Lituruicsc. Vol. II. p. 252. (Ed. 18.-B'J.» \ I 121 truth of the doctrines licld by the Cliur'-h o^ England. It is quite true that the Bi^hopi and Convocation adhered to the Church of Home, while a ni:ijority in Parliament, to- gether Avlth the great body of the Laity and inferior CL'rgy, supported the Llcforniation. There were, however, twelve Bishoprics vacant at that time; and what other course could be cxnected from the rcmainin;^ fourteen Prelates, who were almost all appointed by Queen Mary, and btrongly att iched to the See of Rome ? These men, together with the Clergy in Convocation, were not properly the representatives of the iiatloiud Church of England, but only of the Romdii branch of it; and being themselves in- terested parties in the discussion, their votes cannot be re- garded as possessing much weight in matters of contro- versy. No reformation of doctrine could be effected under the hierarchy of a Church, ^\ hose very existence is founded on the impossibility of any such reformation; and there- fore, if the Church of England were to be reformed at all, it must be effected, indepe?idently of Roman influence, by her own members of the Clergy and Laity, assembled in free deliberation for this purpose ; while the external im- pediments to ]•■" progress could only be successfully re- moved by Parliamentary legislation. And it was certainly accomplished with much wisdom and moderation — first, by the Act of Supremacy, which professed to " restore to thd Crown the raicient jurisdiction over tlie State Ecclesiastical": then by the Act of Uniformity, M^hich enforced the use of the English Liturgy; and finally, by the proceedings of Convoca- tion, which adopted the Thirty-nine Articles as a standard of doctrine. After all, howev x, tlie cause of the Reform- ation must be decided bv the truth of it ^ doctrinci^, and not by the votes of a national Assembly, whether in Par- liament or Convocation, wliich ha:- il-c(Uiei.uly reiciuded its n^ ■i r r ©■WTi former acts, and can only dtx-larc the opinions of its indi\idnal members, -wliilo it has no power to alter tlio nature of divine truth, or to l)infl the consciences of men by its decisions in matters of faith. It cannot be denied that the Eoyal Supremacy, in Ecclesiastical causes, -svas carried to a most unwarrantabh extent by the Sovereigns of the House of Tudor, andtlu.. it is still frequently asserted in such a sense as to interfere with the Supremacy of Jesus Chri-t as ti o only Head of His Church. We may, indeed, preLr a total sejiaration between the Church and State, in ///m^/v/, as l)etter calcu- lated to maintain the spiri;u:d iudipcnidene!' of llie ( hurch, to emancipate lu^r from the Ix.-nd'.igo of State subicction, and to preserve her from being en -laved by tlu; seluuies of worldly politicians ; but so loiv^- as the Sain-;nKuv of tlio Crown is limited to the r.if. nm/ govcriimcut ef the Chureli, and does not encroach upon hrv spiri, ''■■!/ liberties in doc- trine and worship, I do nut belic^ve that there is any just cause of ol)jection to tlie ( litirch of England, on account of her peculiar relations to the Sfate. And we have reason to blcN-^ (iod tliac she never vras in such a high degree of spiiituax elileienry as at tlie present day ; never before did slie })jssess such a fahhful bodv of Bishops, Tastors, and lay members in every rank of life, so disLingiii-lied for earnest piety, sound h-arning, and laborious zeal in advancing tlie interests of true reliixioa; never did Iter light shine s.-) lirig'htly, at hotne or al)roa(l, in difiu-^ing the s:ning knowl- dge of the Gospel among all classes of the population, in the British dominions, as well as in heathen lands. And Avhile we eordiallv ael; no-svledge her claims, am"' ' ire to promote her extension, we feel that our'attachni^..L to her communion, based as it is upon ftD intelligent conviction of the Scriptural character of her r-f ■*:-»*="- 'n^ 123 doctrines, is by no means of an exclusive or intolerant nature, as it is perfectly consistent \vitli the exercise of universal Christian sympathy, in the nio:;t comprehensive sense, with "all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." Such, then, are the reflections which have long occupied I my mind, and which form the substance of my own reasons for deciding in fovor of the Protestant religion and the Church of England ; and I may here reniark that the pre- ceding " Thoughts " were eonnnltted to writing, and sent to the press, before I had formally renounced the Church of Rome, and thus they express the gradual progress of mv convictions on this important subject. I must confess, in- aeed, that this whole dispensation is very mysterious to me, as I find it difficult to reconcile it with the promises of God to those who sincerely desire to know and to do His will. Certainly I am not distinctly conscious of any unworthy motives, either In johilng, or in leaving, the Church of Home, as I believed that, in each ease, I Avas guided by the Word and Spirit of God, In answer to prayer. Yet these oppo- site conclusions could not both have been dlrectlv suggested by the Spliit of Trutii. I cannot doubt, then, that there must have been some adequate cause lor these temptations in myself— some peculiar defect, either in my intellectual constitution or in my religious character, Avhicli rendered them needful for me. Wc ar^ quite sure that all good comes from God, and that all evil comes from ourselves. Perhaps there was some spiritual disease, deeply rooted in my heart, which required such a palntid remedy t ) effect its eradication. Perhaps I was too much absorbed in my be- loved studies, and ventured too far into the thorny mazes of theological controversy, Avliich tended only to perplex my mind, while it led to a comparative neglect of the more t W t. i i \" i N » [V 124 Important practical duties of the Ministry ; and thus God wa» pleased to leave me for a time to the consequences of ray own presumptuous researches, so that I was deceived with the abstract idea of perfect unity, while I was searching for the livimjy^lity of an InfalHblo Church. There can be no dou^^^B*all this was pcrmittocl, in some way, for the trial of^^caith, "to humble me and to prove me.* But while we cannot fully comprehend the mysteries of the divine dealing-;, still " we l:now that all things woi'k to^ gether for gocd to theiu tliat love God;" and with the sweet assurance that 'the love of God is shed abroad in bur hcaits by the Holy Ghost," producing a responsive fccliiig of love to Him who first loved us, Ave may rest .;d with aU,the inexplicable difficulties of the divino invj-at in providence and ingrace^ and leave the final m with Him who has said, " What ^ do thou Icnowost not uowj hat thou shalt know hereafter.",. In coiiclii4on,'thcn, I desire humbly to commit this little v/ork to the blorssing of Almighty God, beseeciiing Him, for Chi'ist's siike, fo pardon Avhatover I may have written In iti' Qi* in any other pamphlet,- through ignorance or CiTor, which is not in perfect accordance with His holy Word .; and prapng that He worM gracicnsly bo pleased to make it an instrument for thn edification of His Churchy and the diflfusion of true religion among us, *' that God in all things may be glorified, through Jesus Christ, to wJioni be praise and dominion for ever ind ever. Amenl'* . It* r^j;^-: -W*V