"If these and other doctrines of the Catholic Faith," etc.] All this is self-evident; and therefore the truth and certainty of these doctrines, respectively, will depend upon the proof, that they have been, each of them, "REALLY revealed by Almighty Gon."

"The Catholic is fully persuaded," etc.] The consistent Romanist dares not to think or to say otherwise: for he is taught to believe, that he professes that "true CATHOLIC faith, out of which "NONE can be saved." (Art. XIV.) And if he were to presume to maintain an opposite persuasion, with respect to any of these articles, he would no longer be "a CATHOLIC," but "a HERETIC." This is therefore a point, on which, as "a Catholic," he is not at liberty to express a doubt.

"Is he not at liberty to think so," etc.] Undoubtedly but he must not profess to think otherwise, for the reason which has just been given. There is no liberty of thought allowed, in matters of faith, to the Romanist.

"Of all the doctrines which Christ has taught."] It is here assumed, that all the doctrines of the Romish faith are really doctrines which "Christ has taught." We have seen how far the records of authentic history will bear out this assumption.

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REMARKS ON SECTION II.

"Catholics are often charged," etc.] In "a Catholic sense," as I have already stated, "the Word of God" has a different meaning attached to it, from that which the Protestant holds. It includes TRADITION, which is denominated "the UNWRITTEN WORD of GOD," as well as the HOLY SCRIPTURES, which are called the WRITTEN WORD of GOD:" and, in the Romish_system, the former of these is held of equal authority with the latter. The Church of England acknowledges only the HOLY SCRIPTURES as "the WORD of GOD," and the ground of her FAITH. The same thing may also be said of Protestants in general. With this

Page 27; note.

2 See Bishop Marsh's "Comparative View of the Churches of Eng"land and Rome;" where every particular relative to this difference,

Christ will come to judge all men according to their works; that eternal happiness will be the reward of the good, and eternal misery the punishment of the wicked.

If these, and other doctrines of Catholic faith, are really revealed by Almighty GoD, they are not erroneous, but most true and certain ;they are not unscriptural, but agreeable to the true sense of the written Word of GOD;-the belief of them is not unreasonable, because it is reasonable to believe whatever is true, and taught by the God of truth.

The Catholic is fully persuaded that all the articles of his faith are really revealed by Almighty God.

Is he not at liberty to think so, as well as others are to think the contrary; and in this empire especially, where liberty of thought is so loudly proclaimed and lauded? Is it reasonable or charitable to condemn him for thinking so, when he may have good and solid grounds for his conviction; and may feel that his eternal salvation depends on his firm belief of all the doctrines which Christ has taught?

SECTION II.

On the Grounds of the Certitude which a Catholic has, that all the Doctrines which he believes, as Articles of Catholic Faith, are really revealed by Almighty GoD.

Catholics are often charged with grounding their faith on mere human authority, and not on the Word of God.

difference of opinion upon this subject, the " Catholic" prelates in this country cannot but be well acquainted; and it ought therefore to have been particularly noted in this DECLARATION: the omission of such a notice cannot but excite suspicion of an intention to deceive.

They were writing this Declaration for the use of their Protestant fellow-subjects, and therefore, in a protestant sense, I have no hesitation in saying, that there is not a sufficient degree of explicitness, candour, and truth in the preferring of this complaint. Nor do the Romanists lie open, as I have already observed,' to any such imputation ; any otherwise, at least, than as implicitly submitting, in all matters of faith, to the authority of THEIR CHURCH. To charge the ROMAN Church with grounding the WHOLE of her faith on the foundation here specified, (if such a charge has ever been made) would be indeed a misrepresentation: for, happily, the truth of all those articles of it which correspond with what is commonly called the NICENE CREED, and are exhibited in the former part of the Creed of Pope Pius IV. may be proved most clearly from "the WORD of "GOD." It is only when she proceeds to vaunt of her " apostolical "and ecclesiastical traditions, and constitutions," which she profanely places on a level with "the written Word of GOD;" and of the monstrous brood of errors (the régata Veúdous, or "wonders of false"hood") thence arising, her claiming to be a supreme and infallible. expounder of Scripture, from whom there can be no appeal,-her five sacraments, in addition to those two instituted immediately by Christ himself,-her sacrifice of the mass, and doctrine of transubstantiation, her purgatory,-her auricular confession, absolution and indulgences, her invocation of saints, and worship of images and of relics, her propounding herself to be "the mother and mistress of "all Churches," and enforcing, in her Creed, the reception and belief "of all the things delivered, defined, and declared, by her sacred canons and general councils," as being necessary to SALVATIONit is only when she professes, and vaunts of these things, that she is to be CHARGED, and justly CHARGED, with "grounding her faith "on mere human authority, and not on the Word of GOD."

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"Catholics deny this," etc.] And well they may not for the reason which is here assigned, for that involves a point on which no liberty of conscience is allowed; but because the charge itself, as has just been seen, and as extended to their CHURCH, is only partially

true.

"The Catholic believes," etc.] And many more: see his Creed already recited.

:

By the evidence of testimony."] Most certainly and it is for this very reason, that I have brought forward the testimony of the ROMAN CHURCH herself so largely in the course of these Remarks.

and the consequences which have resulted from it, in respect to doctrine and practice, are most distinctly and ably set forth.

Catholics deny this; because they are convinced that their faith is grounded on the Word of God, proposed to them by the authority of that ministry which Christ established, and appointed to teach his revealed doctrines to all nations.

The Catholic believes all those doctrines which GOD has revealed.

The question, what are those doctrines which GOD has revealed, is a question of FACT. It appears reasonable that the existence of a fact should be ascertained by the evidence of testimony.

How much soever individual "Catholics" in this happy country may have been humanized and improved, through the mild and liberal influence of the Protestantism which surrounds them, still their CHURCH, and the principles of their RELIGION, remain professedly the same as they were in the darkest ages; and are declared to be unchanging and unchangeable. This is a FACT, on which the British nation should by no means close her eyes. We have only to look back through many preceding parts of the history of our own country, to trace the lamentable effects of the operation of this system upon it. And, for the effects naturally flowing from the influence of that Church, and those principles, on countries where they are still allowed to predominate, we may well refer to the present state of SPAIN and ITALY. And thus our own past experience, and our own present observation, will supply us with a number of additional FACTS of the most instructive character.

"And by the priests in succession," etc.] Thus certainly the case should have been: but how did it actually stand? "The priests in "succession," to the time of the Babylonish captivity, not even excluding AARON' himself, were frequently tinged, and deeply tinged, with the stain of idolatry. And, after that captivity, the numerous and inconsistent traditions which were engrafted on the Law, had proceeded so far towards obscuring its native character and excellence, and destroying its proper authority and effect, that Christ himself most pointedly accuses the professors of it of "making the "WORD of GOD of none effect," and even of "transgressing the "COMMANDMENT of GOD"-by their "traditions."

"And their successors."] This should also, unquestionably, have been the case but how has it actually stood? The bishops of Rome themselves, the boasted "successors of ST. PETER the Prince of "the Apostles, and Vicars of Jesus Christ," have violated, for many ages, one of the most express injunctions of the very apostle from whom they pretend succession, by claiming to be "LORDS over "GOD's heritage." And, to favour this usurpation, TRADITION has largely contributed her aid. Was she not on this account dignified with the honour of being called "the unwritten WORD of "GOD;" and placed in equal authority, at least, with the HOLY SCRIPTURES, which are his "Written WORD?" And, under her influence, has not the Church of ROME lapsed into an idolatrous veneration for her own saints, and even for their images and relics; as well as into all those other errors, both in principle and in practice, which have been already enumerated? These FACTS are not to be disputed: they form the most prominent parts of her history: they stand recorded in her very Creed.

• Exodus xxxii.

' 1 Peter, v. 3.

2 Matth. xv. 3. 6. Mark vii. 8. 9. 13.