have followed, THOU THYSELF HAST DECEIVED US, AND WE

ARE EXCUSED.'

Where is such blasphemy as this to be found but in Popish books? If the extract just quoted be not in the "Class Book" used in the College of Maynooth, would it not be better to disprove than to abuse the evidence quoted? But who can feel surprise at the consequences of unchecked Popery that the ALMIGHTY's glorious name should be spoken of in conjunction with a "Church" whose members write thus, and condemn to eternal perdition all who disbelieve any one of their "Articles?" We give another of them. "Our University knows, that, by the mouth of the Sovereign Pastor, it is GOD HIMSELF who speaks to the flock over which the HOLY GHOST has constituted him the Universal Bishop, to govern the Church of God!!!" (Hist. des Papes, t. v. p. 476, par Fr. Bruys.) The above was sent from the University of Coimbra in 1717, to Pope Clement XI., to assure him of the firm belief of its members in his infallibility.

As the whole of the section on which we are treating is intended to show that none can be saved but the believers in Popery, and thinking we have sufficiently proved, by the Scriptures, the fallacy of so vain yet wicked an assertion, we should deem it too severe a trial of our readers' patience to notice the inapplicable few lines perverted to the Pope's proof on the subject, which follow, farther than to observe that the expression of Christ to his Apostles,-" He who heareth you heareth me," &c. was not addressed to Roman Catholics, but to those whose preaching and practice was directly opposed to the preachings and practices of Popery from its commencement to the present hour. Observe how a line, picked out of the old law, is applied by the Pope to himself "The nation and kingdom that WILL NOT SERVE

* See Evidence in the House of Lords, (in 1825,) page 268.

THEE, SHALL PERISH!!!" This, surely, speaks plainly enough?

If we have made any unfaithful extracts in the course of our remarks upon the last Section, we beg to be corrected by our Roman Catholic brethren; if they cannot show that we have done so, what little will it import them merely to say, as we have often heard it expressed, that "the Roman Catholics of England know nothing about these things," &c. We know that they do not; and we wish them to know more of the doctrines of their Church than it has been deemed expedient to teach them. How few English Papists will believe that their Protestant relatives must, according to the tenets of Popery, be damned? But how very few of the former persuasion, in Roman Catholic countries, believe that they will not? Be it remembered, however, that we are not speaking so much of the great body of our Popish fellowsubjects as to them; it is not to them we are opposed, but to their doctrines of faith, as we truly believe these to be opposed to the divine precepts of JESUS CHRIST. The 18th Article of the Reformed Church, alluded to in the Section we are treating of, is this:-" They also are to be had accursed that presume to say, that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law and the light of Nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the name of JESUS CHRIST whereby men must be saved." What, we ask, is objectionable to a CHRISTIAN in this Article? Is it not the language of the Gospel? But Papists must, of course, apply (as they are taught to do) to the Pope to obtain salvation !

We now approach the infallible part of our subject, and which, like those already treated of, whilst we condemn, it will be our effort to disprove. It is decidedly the most pernicious of all Popish doctrines-(since from this all else that

D

is objectionable, all that is derogatory to Christ's word, and to common sense, proceeds)—to all men calling themselves Christians, save in the opinion of Papists alone; and we beg particular attention to the even more than usually meagre portions of Holy Writ that could be found by Popery, capable of being distorted, as in the least bearing upon the question, to so preposterous, and, as we think, to so abominable a purpose.

SECT. III. That the Church of Christ is always holy in her doctrine and terms of communion, and always free from pernicious

errors.

How do you prove this ?

1st. Because, as we have seen above from Matt. xvi. 18, our Lord Jesus Christ, who cannot tell us a lie, has promised, that his church should be built upon a rock, proof against all floods and storms, like the house of the wise builder, of whom he speaks, Matt. vii. 25; and that the gates of hell, that is, the powers of darkness, shall never prevail against it. Therefore the Church of Christ could never cease to be holy in her doctrine; could never fall into idolatry, superstition, or any heretical errors whatsoever.

2dly. Because Christ, who is "the way, the truth, and the life," John xiv. 6, has promised, Matt. xxviii. 19, 20, to the pastors and teachers of the church, to " be with them always, even to the end of the world." Therefore they could never go astray by pernicious errors for how could they go out of the right way of truth and life, who are assured to have always in their company, for their guide, him who is the way, the truth, and the life.

3dly. Because our Lord has promised to the same teachers, John xiv. 16, 17, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you FOR EVER, even the SPIRIT OF TRUTH:" and ver. 16, he assures them that this Spirit of Truth "shall teach them ALL THINGS:" and chap. xvi. 13, "that he shall guide them INTO ALL TRUTH." How then could it be possible that the whole body of these pastors and teachers of the church, who, by virtue of these promises, were to be for ever guided into all truth by the Spirit of Truth, should at any time fall from the truth by errors in faith.

4thly. Because, Isaiah lix. 20, 21, God has made a solemn covenant, that after the coming of our Redeemer, his spirit and his words, that is, the whole doctrine which this Redeemer was to teach, should be for ever maintained by his church through all generations. 66 The Redeemer shall come to Zion, &c. This is my oyenant with them, saith the Lord: my spirit which is upon thee, and my words which

I have put into thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever."

5thly. Because the Church of Christ is represented, Isaiah xxxv. 8, as a highway, a way of holiness," a way so plain and so secure, that even "fools should not err therein." How then could it ever be possible that the church herself should err?

6thly. Because pernicious errors in faith and morals must needs be such as to provoke God's indignation: now God Almighty has promised to his church, Isaiah liv. 9, 10, As I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee: for the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." So that as we are assured that there shall not be a second flood; so we are that the Church of Christ shall never draw upon herself the wrath of God by teaching errors contrary to faith.

In fine, the church is called by St. Paul, 1 Tim. iii. 15, "The pillar and ground of the truth;" therefore she cannot uphold pernicious errors. From all which it is manifest, that the Church of Christ is infallible in all matters relating to faith; so that she can neither add nor retrench from what Christ taught.

It may be presumed, to understand the meaning of this Section, it is intended to show, as it expresses, that the Popish church has ever been, is, and must ever continue to be, infallible; or, as this infallibility is, in the present case, intended, we imagine, to be modestly expressed, "always holy in her doctrine, and terms of communion; and always free from pernicious errors:" and, as the natural consequence, resulting from the belief in her undeviating holiness, all mankind must incur the penalty of damnation who do not believe (as the Pope has already said) every one of "all such articles" as he, or his Church, may choose at any time to propose to be believed.

In reply to the first question, the reason given is, “because, as we have seen, Matt. xvi. ver. 18, (in the first Section,) our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who cannot tell us a lie, has promised that his Church should be built upon a rock," &c. But, as it is assumed throughout the Section before us, that

the Papal church is built upon this "rock," and as this "rock" has been before, and will again be, brought forward as the strongest foundation upon which the Pope relies for his temporal power, we beg to notice, in the outset, that there is no allusion, in the NEW TESTAMENT, to any such church, or such Pope at the head of it, as that established upon the rock of superstition at Rome. The sentence quoted as the strongest support of Popery is from the above text, and is thus expressed: "Thou art Peter, (in the Greek, Cephas, a rock,) and upon this rock will I build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." As it may be the most explicit way to notice each paragraph of the present Section separately, ere we show by scriptural proof the dangerous fallibility of relying upon the infallible assumptions of a Pope, we entreat the Roman Catholics, who may peruse what we write, to read the whole chapter (Matt. xvi.) from whence the above is extracted. It is headed thus: "The Pharisees seek a sign, Peter reproved :" at the 18th verse the two lines occur which are the chief scriptural support on which the "infallibility" rests; yet, when CHRIST tells his disciples what was to happen to him, and Peter said, "This shall not be unto thee," CHRIST, in the same chapter, (ver. 23,) reproves him thus :-"Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence to me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” "The pastors of the Church," spoken of in the second paragraph, are the eleven disciples whom Christ addressed "in a mountain of Galilee"-somewhat different from Popish priests, certainly. As the third paragraph acknowledges that the expressions of CHRIST, quoted from xivth of John, were addressed" to the same teachers," (the Disciples,) it carries, we think, its own refutation along with it. But read the fourth reason extracted from Isaiah; and instead of "The Redeemer shall come to Zion," &c., we will take the whole verse; "And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from