A^ •>*%* ►5»V ^, ^ . ^ %^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V /. V c^. C <5? ^;% 1.0 I.I 1.25 '- IIIIM ■ 50 1.4 IIM 2.2 1.6 6" V] 1 I V W/ y W Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 . signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN '. Lea cartea. planches, tableeux, etc., peuvent dtre filmte i des taux da rMuction diffirents. Lorsque le document sat trop grand pour itre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film^ i partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche h droite. et de haut en baa, an prenant le nombre d'images nteeaaaira. Lea diagrammes suivants illuatrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 :^ A^Mu -pr CAN WE UN^TE? SERMOH entitle!) NEEDLESS Barriers TO n K^ HURCH Union, BY THS RIGHT REV. BISHOP USSIIER, Fe separation, and she is feeling the necessity. As we look over the different Protestant denominations, we see with rejoicing that they are -ming together closer ana closer the different sections of the Presuyterian Churches are now united in Canada, with the exception of the Church of Scotland, and we look fo that as a thing not far distant, for the causes of separation are no sufficient, and men expressing such sentiments, as ^l»d fe pastor ot St Andrew's in this city through the public press, cannot but soon see — 5 — that tlie first step to unity is to unite all Presbyterians in Canada as one Church, seeing that doctrines are evidently not a barrier. Turning from this to the Methodist Church, we see its difierent sections united as one grand whole. There is nothing to-day to prevent these two branches of the Church of Christ uniting as one great body ; the fence between them can be carried away out ot sight by twelve godly strong-soule^, strong-minded men, after one week's consultation, oiiu general assembly, and one general conference, to ratify their joint conclusions. To my judgment, the great Baptist Church could wheel into line without as much difficulty as may seem to exist through the doctrine of Baptism by immersion, and when there is no doctrine involved the zealous Congregational Church would not be found lagging in the march for unioii. Such quesuons as the use of a Liturgy would not long delay the consummation of the great desire, so long as it was scriptural and not repressive of freedom in prayer, or hampered by cast- iron laws that would make its use cominilsory on every occasion when the inexpediency of using it was apparent, and evidently a hindrance to the efficient performance of the Lord's work. It seems to be the growing desire in these great Churches to have a Liturgy ; and naturally the Liturgy of the Church of England, her justly-admired book of Common Prayer, suggests itself as the model. It has in it the devout expressions of sublime pietv, beaiing the approval of centuries of Christian experience. Its language is simple, it petitions comprehensive, its ai tides are Protestant ; but there is a something that renders it unacceptable to evangelical Christians outside the fold of the Church of England, and to some in it. Two things rise as insuperable but needless bar.iers to the Christian unity talked of : — ist. The sacerdotal error of the Book of Common Prayer. 2nd. The sacerdotal practices and exclusiveness of the majority of the Church of England ministry. I hold, and venture to thus publically assert, that a union of churches with the Prayer-Book as it is, is impossible without a scriptural revision of that book being mxde ; no vote fir union could be carried in any evangeiic.il denomination. Go to the authorities of any Presbyterian or Methodist College where young men are trained for the ministry, (I refer to these two churches because they are the largest) ; go to either the general assembly I i — 6 — or the general conference of ihese respective churches where are gathered their ordained ministers trained in those colleges and ask them: — 1. "Is the christian ministry of your church a Triesthood save as all believers are Kings and Priests unto God, and tiiey will answer you, No!" 2. "Ask them, has the Christian Church an Altar on which the body and blood of Christ are offered anew, and they will answet you. No!" 3. " Ask them, is there recognized in your branch ol the Church of Christ such a thing as a sacerdotal sacrifice, and you will be told by Presbyterian and Methodist alike, We have no Priest but Christ, no Altar but that on Calvary, no sacrifice but the finished one of Christ, cnce offered never to be offered again." 4. " Ask them, do you believe in private auricular confession of sins to a Priest, and absolution by that Priest, and they would tell you, No ! it would be unscriptural. 5. " Ask them, v.ould you permit your ministers to wear sacerdotal vestments, and th-^y would say, No ! not as such'" 6. " Do you teach the Doctrine of the Baptismal Regenenition of infants, they would answer. No !" 7. " Do you believe in the imparling of die Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, they would say, No !" On all these points everyone of the Evangelical Cuurc'ies are agre ;d, except the Anglican. These are v'.tal points. Ncl one of the Protestant Evangelical Churchf.s will surrender one of them if they are true to their principles Now we Iiave been told in a recent sermon by the Anglican JJisl.op of Al.roma, in which he most elo- (piently spoke of the desiralnlity of all christians uniting in the fold of the Church of England, that she would never revise her Prayer JSook, however, she might enrich it (and I regret to say that all the proposi- tions to enrich it have had a Romeward tendency). If the Church of England will not revise its Prayer Book, then there remains the fact, that however evangelical ministers in her fold may strive to give the sacerdotal unscriptural error, an evangelical meaning it is there in plain language, which contradicts the evangelical teaching of these very churches with which she desires to have union. I have myself seen illegal vestments worn by Anglican I5ishops and Priests, permitted by the majority ; the evangelicals being in a hopeless minority, as nas been lately evidenced in Montreal at the I'lovincial Synod. The vestments and ornaments are often of the sacerdotal pattern of those worn by *He Bishops and Priests of the Church of Rome. How comes it that smh is thf case ? I answer the Prayer Book sanctions it, for just l)efore the order for Morning Prayer I read the ornaments rubric worded as follows : •' Ami here it is to ho noted tha such ornaments of the Church and of the Ministers thereof at all times of their ministration shall be retamed, and be m use as verc in the Church of England by the authority of Parliament in the second year of the reiyn of Kinu Kdward VI " o b And what are the facts concerning the second year of King Edward the VI. reign ? Why the Church of England was still using the vestments of the Church of Rcme. The Kefomiation had not progressed far enough, and these Romish Priest's Vestments, Altars, Candles, Crosses. Crucifixes, etc., are now used under the cover of this rulric and in defiance of the Privy Council's decision. A ' 5tand here to-night there is in process of erection a monster Rere' ^-^^ in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England, the national church buikii.ig of the Englishman, and the prominent feature of this Reredcs will be a large crucifix, I have in my possession photographs of the Jishop of Lincoln and his Chaplain in the full vestments of the Church of Rome. These are worn under the authority of the Rubric already referred to ; and what is the real purpose of it at all ? Simply to get the eyes familiarized with Romanism, so that when the true time comes tor union with the Roman Catholic Church— a matter alreadj- mooted by the President of the English Church Union— there may be few to oppose, seeing that the}- have already been trained by symbolry and vestments, together with the doctrines as far as the Prayer-Eook goes, and, further, when it is advisable ; hence the numerous conversions of Ritualists to the Church of Rome. Now let us turn from the minor matter of vestments and ornaments to the major matter of the Doctrines that give these vestments, etc., sacerdotal significance. The sis!er churches of the Church of England have no Priest, their ministers cannot hear confession nor forgive sins ; but, mark you, the Priest ordained in the Anglican Chiiich is ordained to that power so far as the language is concerned, for in the ordinal it reads— "Receive the Holy Ghost for the c.'fice and work of a Priest in the Church of God now committed unto thee by the imposition of our hands whose sins ihou dcst forg.ve, ihey are forgiven, and whose sins thou dost retain, they are letained." Even in the Jewish Chuich the Priest r.ever attempted to forgive — 8 — sins. The Pharisees, ignorant of Christ's Godhead when they heard Him forgive sins, declared in horror, " this man blasphemeth, none can forgive sins save God only." The Apostles never forgave them, even Peter, the so-called head of the Roman Catholic Papal system, never claimed this power, but rathv;r when Simon Migus was condemned by him told him to repent of his wickedness " and pray the Lord if per- haps the thought of ±y heart shall be forgiven thee." There is not one word of the A[)ostle forgiving him, but in the IJook of Common Prayer, let the iuteri)retaiion be what it will, confession and absolution are distinctly taught if words can teach them ; and these needless barriers must be taken away before union is possible. You ask for proof of my assertion. Well, first let us take the matter of auricular confession and absolution. We have it taught m the communion -ervice in which I read, as follows :— " If there be any of you who is by this me,:ns (that is the ordinary means), cannot (luiet his own conscience herein, but reiiuireth further comfort or council, let him come to me or some other discreet and learned minister of God's Word, and open his grief." Now this would be all well were it for l)astoral, friendly, christian, nnnisterial sympathy ; but what does it declare it is for? " That he may receive the benefit c/ absolution together with ghostly council and advice, to the quieting of his conscience and the avoiding of all scrui)le and doubtfulness." That this is the meaning is further emphasised in the office of the Visitation of the Sick, where the words are, " Here shall the sick person be moved to make a special confession," not the familiar general confession, but private auricular confession of his sins to tlje Priest, and what follows when he has done this? Why the IViest says, " I absolve thee from all thy sins in the name of the bather, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The Priest of the Church of Rome says just this in Latin. Against this doctrine of a human Mediator, I find in the Presbyterian Confession of Faith the following : — " Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and to Htm alone, not to Angels, Saints or any other creature, and since the Fall not without a Mediator, nor tn the mediation of any other but of Chrsit alone.' This priestly absolution in the Church of Fngland cannot be given by any but a Priest, for in the morning and evening services we have the general confession to be made by the people and minister, all kneeling. This can be read by a Layman or a Deacon, but over the — 9 — Prayer which follows, and is generally known as the absolution, there is a rubric with the following significant words, " The absolution or remission of sins to be pronounced by the Priest alone standing, the people still kneeling," and what follows, none but a Priest dare read at the public service, for he declares, " God hath given him power and commandment to declare and pronounce to his people being penitent the absolution and remission of their sins. I am aware that good evangelical ministers, who do not consider themselves sacerdotal priests, strive to give a scriptural interpretation to these words, and say they have a light to declare that God will absolve the penitent, and they have a right to tell him so ; but the Ritualist declares this is a distortion of the plain wording, and so it is The language admits of the unscriptural interpretation, that, together with what I have quoted elsewhere, would form a barrier ; and if it be not held and believed as true, by the majority of the Church of England ; a needless barrier ; for in our revised book in use in the Reformed Church of England, it reads, "The declaration of God's mercy to all who truly repent and believe His Holy Gospel, to be said by the minister alone, ail kneeling ; ' while in the Prayer itself we have removed the sacerdotal sting and given to God alone the glory of having power to forgive sins. From this we turn to the barrier of Baptismal Regeneration. By neither the Presbyterian nor ihe Methodist churches is this held to be the re^alt of their priests or presbyters sprinkling with water; nor is it believed in the Church of England by such men of the evangelical type as the well-beloved Bishop of Huron and those that hold with him ; but no man can thmk that the Presbyterian or the Methodist churches would subscribe to the use of those plain Prayer-Book words, " Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that this child is regenerate and grafted into the body of Christ's church ; " and, again, " We yield thee humble thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased Thee to regenerate this in/unt with Thy Holy Spirit" Five times this statement of regenera- tion is made, and when that child is old enough to learn for itself it is taught in the Catechism what was done for it. Asked its name, the next question is. ''Who gave this name?" Answered, "My god- liithers and godinoihers in my baptism, wherein I was made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven." This is not believed by Evangelical christians; none of this class believe the Holy Spirit can be imparted by priestly fingers, or that by I entaas P'^^^ ^ ^^^j^^.thenish impurities imagire Ne ^^ ^^^ of Heaven. . ^^^^^g passtu . he rloom possible language OW tl ^^^ ^^^^, '^^'^^'S, many continue ,vords be not behaved save y ^^ ^^^ .^^^^ ^ ^ .nt US therefore, gracious Lord, so i ^^ ^^^^ feed on Him in our hearts oy in HiTn, and He m us. ill — II — The Presbyterian shorter Catechism shows a rejection of this Priestly sacrifice and pins its faith to Christ as the only Priest. The question is asked, '' How doth Christ execute the oHice of a Priest ?" Answer. "Christ" (not any one else, He needs no assistant), " executeth the ofiice of a Priest in His once offering up of Himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us ;" and the statement is fortified by scripture. Hebrews, IX., 28 : " Christ was once offered tr^bear the sins of many." Hebrews, VII., 25 : " Wherefore, also, He is able to save to the utter- most them that draw near unto God through Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." In the Church of England Catechism the question is asked, " What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's Supper? " Answer, " Bread and wine, which the Lord hath commanded to be received," Question, " What is the inward part or thing signified? " Answer, ' Thi; hodv AND BLOOD OF ChRISP, WHICH ARE VERILY AND INDEED TAKEN by the faithful in the Lord's Supper." Is this true ? Do we believe that the body and blood are verily and indeed taken ? In our revised Book of Common Prayer the following are the ques- tions in this connection : — Question, " What is the outward visible sign in the Lord's Supper? " Answer, " Bread and wine, which the Lord hath commanded to be received." Question, " What do the bread and wine represent ? " Answer, " The body and blood of Christ, which were offered once for all upon the Cross." These sacerdotal errors, introduced very early into the christian church, were so widespread in their subsequent adoption that the Church of Rome which practised them gave them official sanction, just as the High Church ceremonial is being forced by the majority in the Anglican Church to-day, in spite of the fact that it is contrary in England to the law of the State Church; but, law or no law, the illegal vestments and ornaments prevail, and the High Church party teach sacerdotal Romish doctrine, and they preach, teach, and practice it, because, as I have proven from the Prayer-Book itself, the language in certain places warrants it. Take away the few passages they lean ui)on, and Ritualism would die as a plan t dei rived of its root. But we are told by one who knows that the Prayer-Book of the Church of England " will not be revised." This is a rash assertion for the last half of the nineteenth century ; but, if it be tri j, the doctrine of a sacrificing priesthood, the belief that the Lord's Supper is a sacrifice, and the — i2-* of vestments and f""''''''^';';'"^;;;"^™ movement, irom between the late Dr. Pusey's fme and «^= '^.^'"f '7,^^™|,„g„age of .> Prayer- ,837 and ,833 n,, '» *e present, th he P^amng g .^ _^^^^^ ^^^ liook has been taken as it reads ; b " the na,or / ^^,^^^^ .^ ^^^ „o motion against sacerdotal ;«""=" ;'^™"";,, ,,„e .een that th. Angbcan Chnrch ch.ef Synods cm prevad. battles fought have been lost. ^^j The evangelical men of the past, <»S'; /^.-^ ^^^'^f, Ri„,Hsts say .nterpreted the Prayer Book as ^^^^^^, „,,, ,„a it (the ,he Prayer-Book, -o^^^^ -^^^ ^^ ^ f^„ „,„ ,,,, u means. Prayer.Book, mujt e ^^ » -' ^'^ .^ook do not teach the same For this reason, If the Bible and fy Refonmtion who thing ow,ng to the -'7^;^,; J™"„u mnst give way. not the introduced error, then clearly the Pra er ^^^^^.^ ^^.^^ ^^^ ''■'"^- ."^^'irTr tirwith" e^n^bt ;': each congr.gat on can form subjects tor q"«'=' ^^,„,,.„, g.ves s.gn.hcance to tr: ^rotl eCt^er: afe still left a few .....«-. K,„sco- p,ians d,at will not cea.e to prote.^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^_^^^^ ^^^^^^^ W,U the great ? ° ™;; f^ ' , , i name the Presbyter.aus TeLr I st ;fat:o:::l;i-l,ave proposed that effort^ for nnton be lirst made with them. Text-books, boll. In I>. Hndge-s theology, one of *■='; ^'^f ° , section here and in tlre United States, I ';^^ " 1° ", ,' 3",/, . L.-he Ronran headed "Christ our on y Prre.t » «8 1 >'_^_^^^^ ^^„„„, f„, Priests are Mf^'-^rXctira,:^ obtain pardon and grace, but himself draw to God Uiiou^ii intervention they are can secure those ^^^^^ ^^I'tt real body and blood of sacrificing, because they assmne ^^^^_j ^^^^ ^^^ Christ to God as an exp.at.on f"' '^f ;;;„„,„ ,, ^^t as having the intercessors, not as one -r r^ y 0^^^ ^ J^^ ^^ ,,^^ ^„, ,,,„, power to forgrve sins^ '^'"=y/^"!;;,'„ , ,hey bind and no man can loose ; he keys of the K.ngdom "\^'^-'"'''^^^^^^ benefit was rendered the ,hey loose and no '»" can b,nd. No ea er be ^^^^ ^^^.^ world by the Kefcrmatton ' «" *^ !^ ^^J' f,^^ ,„, ministers of religion ri^XC-rir rricial sense of the term. He — 13 — then goes oft to say tliat by ihe Reformation it was shown that the word Priest (Hiereus) is never once applied to them in the New Testa- ment — no Priestly function \i even attributed to christian ministers, they do not mediate between (iod and man, they are never said to offer sacrifices for sins, and they have no power a^ intercessors which do not belong to everv believer. The Romish deccrine is derogatory to the honor of Christ. To suppose that we still need the Priestly intervention of men is to assume that his work is a failure. As Doctor A. J. Gordon, (a dis- tinguished minister of die Clarendon St. Baptist Church, Boston, in au article on our Lord's after earthly ministry) says, (in the Sunday School Timet, September 4, 1886,) '■ By one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." ".\nd they who think to turn the Lord's Supper into an oblation, offering the body and blood of Christ in sacrifice upon the altar violate the Redeemer's blood bought rest, and call upon him to rise up and repeat his atonement." If the word Priest is simply, as some say, '• Presbyter»writ short," then it becomes those who have the power to take away the reproach, that is born con- tinually of the use of language which indicates he is something more to the plain dishonoring of Christ. It has been publicly stated in England that the Church of England differs from the Church of Rome in but two things — ist. That the services of the one are in iMiglish, the other in Latin. 2nd. That the communion is administered in both kinds to the Laity, while in the Church of Rome only the wafer is given. Lord Ebury has received from the 'highest authority in P^ngland (His Grace of Canterbury; the acknowledgement in answer to a letter calling his attention to Romish practices in his jurisdiction, " that in the Province of Canterbury there are many churches where the services cannot be distinguished from those of the Church of Rome." And what is the reason? Simply because the " highest authorities " permit it and ba^e their permission on the Book of Common Prayer : Aye, not only do they permit it but perpetrate it But a little while ago the Archbishop of Canterburv, together with the leading clergy of his Province, held a service, with sermon, in the Latin language in St. Paul's Cathedral, the Primate himself pronouncing tlie lieuediction in an " unknown tongue," certainly nut as " understanded of the people " as his Prayer- Book recjuires, and if the Fourteenth Chapter of First Corinthians is to be our guide, directly contrary to the Word of God. ■ --t4- We have heard in this city that the chief difference between the Church of England and the Church of Rome to-day rests in the claim of the latter to Papal Infallibility Ii then, to us Evangelicals, the Church of Rome is wrong upon the sacerdotal question, then the Church of England Prayer-Book is wrong, judging it by the Word of God and the standards of the Presbyterian, Methodist and sister Chii'-ches, and not only are they wrong, but the evidence of it comes from within themselves. We have seen in the public press (Montreal Ifcrald, September 14, 1886), that the Governors of the Montreal Diocesan Theological College has arranged to withdraw the college students from attendance at the Sunday morning service in Christ Church Cathedral, they considering them as now conducted " not evangelical," and the students, attendance at them not consistent with the principles and trusts of the college, and this has since been ratified, and the students required to attend the College Chapel. Here we have two hostile parties, two Colleges, the Diocesan and Lenoxville teaching the very opposite interpretation of the Prayer-Book, and the same is the case in Toronto between Trinity College and Wicklyffe College. Would it not be well for this state of schism, in what claims to be the Church the body of Christ, to cease ? Would not union at home be necessary before union abroad is even talked of? The cimeter of Prayer-Book revision is what will cut the rope of error, these tv/o parties in opposition pull upon, and as they fall in a heap in the midst of their struggle, shame, at the wasting of their power may cause them to '' rise up and build." It has been stated that there is sufficient power in the Niagara River at the Falls to furnish electricity to light the world. And tremendous as this wasted power must be, it is but a fraction of that wasted power in the christian church which might be used for the dispelling of heathen darkness both at home and abroad. To all that Dr. Hodge has stated in his theology, his Church, the Presbyterian, assents, for he is in full harmony with their standards. It would be wasted time to quote from the standard works of the other evangelical churches. It is simply necessary to say that they all absolutely agree in this matter of opposition to sacerdotalism, and could not consistently, on scriptural grounds, use the Church of England Book of Common Prayer unless it is revised and made scriptural. Representing the evangelical teachings of the Church of England, in which we of the Reformed Church of England were • / ■\*- — 15 — trained, and from whose principles we have never swerved ; in this being in reality the old Church of England, if principles make the Church. We have revised our Book of Common Prayer, and now it agrees with the Word of God. Every word of sacerdotal error has been expunged, ai-kd what is the consequence ? We fmd ourselves taking the touch of elbows with our great sister churches ; we are in complete harmony ; practically we are the bridge on which the evangelicals of the Church of England can cross. We have that succession, be it worth what it may, on which the Anglican Church bases its exclusive- ness. Whatever His Grace of Canterbury has, is ours too, and this is admitted by the leading High Church authorities. We are Episcopal and Liturgical, yet emancipated from cast iron rules in the use of ihe Prayer-Book at all services. We are not exclusive, our pulpits are open to all evangelical Ministers of the Gospel in good standing, and we can officiate side by side in the administration of the sacrament, thus acknowledging the validity of their orders. We are not a new church but the old Church of England reformed, and until the Anglican Church makes its services agree with the principles and teachings of Her own Articles, and with the Protestant standards of the Methodist, Presby- terian, and other Protestant Churches, it is simply idle, however eloquently and sentimentally, to talk of union. Surely the conservative spirit lias gone mad when it rehises to remove errors from the Book of Common Prayer because it is too sacred to be revised, yet consents to a revision of the Bible that it may get nearer to God's truth. But " truth is mighty and will prevail." We, of the Reformed Church of England, have stepped out and done what the Evangelicals have ta/kcd about doing, and when the Evangelical party in the Cluirch of England are powerful enough to do within the Church what we have done without, viz. : Give absolute permanency to the principles of the Reformation, and so revise the Liturgy as to make Romanism with all its sacerdotal errors, impossible • then we will go back to the organization, with the principles we have preserved. Until then we will maintain the Protestant Religion in our Episcopal Church, and continue to be a refuge for Protestant Episco- palians. Some say we should have remained with the Anglican Church and helped to fight the battle, but history reveals the fact that Churches do not reform themselves, others say, we are a very insignificant section of the ultra Evangelicals; if so, we have not been missed from the battle field within the Church of England, ana where are the Evangelical victories ? I — i6 — Unpopular we may be for a time, but we will nev.r go with the tide to Rome. One fairly shudders at reading her pretensions as put forth by her Papal Ablegate, Monseigueur O'Brien. Hear them for yourselves as spoken in Toronto lately, and published in the Montreal Sfar, " The Pope speaks in the name of Christ, and the man who despises the Pope despises Christ. The world has been shocked, has been frightened at the expounding of this grave truth." 1 hen it says, there is only one in the world who has power to direct us. Are we all to b^w down the knee to the one man in Rome ? Are we all to be dependen upon this man for salvation ? Are we to go to him, before we knock at the gates of Paradise and are we to be excluded forever if he should close the gates against us ? Yes, notwithstanding the anger notvvith- standing the horror of the world, this is the revealed truth of God. To my thinking this is the concocted blasphemy of man. I have told you from thi. pulpit that scripture reveals to us that we are in the end of the age. Just let me see. Place the Word of God, the truth beside this mail's utterances. In Paul's Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, 3nd Chapter, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Verses, he writes: '' Let no rrian be-mile you in any way for it will not be." (that is the second coming of Our Lord), ''except the falling away come first and the man of sin be revealed, the Son f Perdition; he that opposeth and exal teth himself against all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the Temple or Sanctuary of God, setting himself forth as God." Surely this is fulfilled when a man in authority declares that the sinner is to be excluded forever from Heaven if the Pope closes the !,tes of Paradise against him. Christ's saving '• to the u termost ' s fo nothing, hI " Whosoever will may come " is weighted with the proviso, if it please the Pope. This assumption of power put before us officially by the Papal Ablegate, tells us what to expect, when the man of sin is revealed, and combines the corruption of his secular power to the corruption of the papacy, aiming at the securing of universal sovereignty. Acquit me of Bigotry. The words I have quoted froin the 1 ope s emissary are the outcome of that priestly system which the Bible fail "auction, and Protestant Churches denounce ; yet the High Church maiority in the Church c,f England, not only tolerates, but fosters. God knows I have no unkindness in my soul. I hate Romanism, but not Romanists. I love the Church of England as she used to be ; my u — IT — endeavor, and that of my brelheni, is to preserve her familiar Protestart services. I love her liturgy purihed, but I would make any sacrifice save one (including our revision of the Prayer-l>ook, for one accept- able to all classes of evangelicil Protestants), in order that a union of Protestant Churches nvght be secured; but regarding the one, never so long as God gives me His help will I by word, deed or symbol give color to the Satan-made lie, that the work of the Son of God was in any sense a failure and needs the presumptuous interference of a human sinful being, designated as a Priest, to make it efficacious to the penitent sinner. Like the prophet Micaiah, the son of Imlah, I may stand as one to four hundred, but in the same spirit I say, " as the Lord liveth what the Lord saith unto me that will I speak" There may be many Zedekiahs who would smite me, but I say to my brethern who hold to the alone Priesthood of Christ, do not move ' .r union until the needless barriers are taken away, for it will pro.- abortive. When the sacerdotal error is gone, and the exclusiveness Ms done away with, and all stand on the common level of churches, each with a va'id ministry, testified to by the approval raid divine recognition of God's Holy Spirit in their work for Christ, then let us draw nearer and adopt such common ground in our oneness with Christ as will enable the legions of our Redeemer to fight against sin to the con- quering of the powers of darkness. I see the day dawn of union coming, the Sun of righteousness is rising, but before it fully appears the darkness must deepen and the fires of persecution flare abroad. Who is on the Lord's side is now the cry : there must be no temporising, be faithful and the day wil' come when the world will know but t7//c Church, ^tr Priest and he Christ, the needless barriers will have been swept away ; righteousness will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea, and the authority of the King of Kings will be supreme, acknowledged by all from the least to the greatest. There will be no idolatrous Church of Rome, its error will have been purged, and with it will die all barriers to unity, the iniquities of the present Papal system will go down after a desperate struggle in which it will be linked with a great secular power, as one in purpose with " the man of sin " yet to be manifested. And then will triumphant Christendom realize that the prayer of Jesus is fully answered, " That all may be one even as Thou Father Art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou did'st send Me." Amen. '-SfBmmmsr^ — 18 After thi sermon Bishop Usshersaid: — The pulpit lias sometimes been called the " Coward's Castle," to do jwaywith such an imj^ression in this case, I declare myself ready to meet the Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Montreal, and discuss with him upon the public platform the following questions ; — 1. Are their sacerdotal errors -n the Book of Common Prayer now m use in the Church of England ? 2. Is modern sacerdotalism, as taught by the Prayer-Book and held by Priests in the Church of England, in keeping with the New Testament teaching, and the former terchmg of evangelical men in her fold 'r* The only book to be used at the discussion to be the Holy -Scriptures and the Prayer-Book of the Church of England, together with the revised Book in use in the Reformed Church of England It is my belief that when sacerdotalism is gone we can proceed witii'union, and not until then, and the avenue to union lies through the needless barriers. Let Protestants say with one voice, away with them ! V Tliiw ^ioriiioii can lie ordered Iroiik llie Manager of llie " l»ro4e!>itaiit Pillar" hy Pofsit-IHIIee or