Accordingly we find that the catholic christian asserts, that God has been pleased, in every age, to work most evident miracles in the church by the ministry of his saints, in raising the dead to life, in curing the blind and the lame, in casting out devils, in healing inveterate diseases in a minute, attested by the most authentic monuments, which will be a standing evidence to all nations, that the church of Rome is the true spouse of Christ

ARTICLE X.

I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. Exposition.-Baptism is a sacrament instituted by our Saviour to wash away original sin, and all those we may have committed; to communicate to mankind the spiritual regeneration and the grace of Christ Jesus; and to unite them to him as the living members to the head.

St. Ceyril of Jerusalem says the catechumens, after they were uncloathed, were anointed from the feet to the head with exorcised oil; after this they were conducted to the laver, and were asked if they believed in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Having made a profession, they were plunged three times in the water.

ARTICLE XJ.

I look for the resurrection of the dead.

Exposition.-I am fully persuaded of this, as a most evident and infallible truth, that, as it is appointed for all men once to die, so it is also determined, that all men shall rise from death; that the souls, separated from our bodies, are in the hands of God, and live; that the bodies dissolved in dust, or scattered in ashes, shall be recollected and re-united to their souls; that the same flesh which lived before shall be revived, and the same numerical body which did fall shall rise; that this resurrection shall be universal, no man excepted; that the just shall be raised to a resurrection of life, and the unjust to a resurrection of damnation; and that this shall be performed at the last day, when the trumpet shall sound.

ARTICLE XII.

I believe in the life of the world to come. Amen Exposition. I believe that the just, after their resur

rection and absolution, shall, as the blessed of the Father, receive the inheritance, and, as the servants of God, enter into their Master's joy, freed from all possibility of death, sin, and sorrow, filled with an inconceivable fulness of happiness, confirmed in an absolute security of an eternal enjoyment in the presence of God and of the Lamb for

ever.

Thus far the profession of the Catholic faith is perfectly conformable to doctrines of the church of England, as laid down in the Apostles' and Nicene creeds. The remaining twelve articles, with the expositions, exhibit a portion of the faith of the Roman Catholics, somewhat repugnant to the Protestant Churches.

ARTICLE XIII.

I most firmly admit and embrace the apostolical and ecclesiastical traditions, and all other observances and constitutions of the same church

Exposition. The Roman Catholic christians say, tha: the whole doctrine, to be delivered to the faithful, is contained in the Word of God, which Word of God is distributed into scripture and tradition; scripture signifies simply writing; tradition, that which has been preserved and handed down to us by words, from generation to generation; and the catholics have many arguments in favour of tradition, as forming part of the word or revealed will of God.

ARTICLE XIV.

I do admit the Holy Scriptures in the same sense that our Holy Mother Church doth, whose business it is to judge of the true sense and interpretation of them; and I will interpret them according to the unanimous consent of the fathers.

Exposition. The Roman Catholics hold that the church, which is alone infallible, possesses the power of judging of the right sense of the holy scriptures, and of the traditions; this church being always under the same divine influence that inspired the prophets and apostles of old. The apostolical traditions are those which are supposed to have had their origin or institution from the apostles, such as infant baptism, the Lord's Day, or first day of the week, receiving the sacrament, &c.

Ecclesiastical traditions are such as received their institution from the church, after the first age of the apostles; such as holidays, feasts, fasts, &c.

They tell us, that the way by which we are to judge of what really are apostolical and ecclesiastical traditions, is the same as that by which the faithful judge of all matters of faith and doctrine (viz.) the unerring authority of the church, expressed in her councils, and preserved in her universally admitted formularies and constant practice.

ARTICLE XV.

I do profess and believe, that there are seven sacraments, truly and properly so called, instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and necessary for the salvation of mankind, though not all of them to every one, (viz.) baptism, confirmation, eucharist, penance, extreme unction, orders, and matrimony, and that they do confer grace, and that of these things, baptism, confirmation, and orders, cannot be repeated without sacrilege. I also recive ann admit the received and approved rites of the catholic church, in her solemn administration of all the aforesaid sacraments.

Exposition. A sacrament is supposed to be an institution of Christ, consisting of some outward sign or ceremony, by which grace is given to the soul of the worthy receiver.

Of these several sacraments, though they might appear rather to belong to the ceremonial part of the subject than to the doctrinal, it will be proper to give some account in this place, inasmuch as they form so essential a portion of the catholic faith. The accompanying cuts will assist the reader in understanding the forms used in their administration.

1. BAPTISM, according to the Roman Catholics, is an institution of Christ of a very important nature. The mode in which it is administered is somewhat similar to that observed by the church of England. In this particular, however, the church of Rome appears to have the advantage, in point of liberality, if I may so term it: should an unbaptized infant fall sick, and there be no priest at hand to administer this holy sacrament, the nurse, or any other person, of the congregation of the faithful, may

perform the sacred office: for, argue the catholics, it were a sad thing that the soul of a child should be damned eternally for want of this essential rite, through the unavoidable necessity of the priest's absence; and it is clear that the Roman Catholics do hold the indispensible necessity of baptism, from the 10th Article of Pope Pius's Creed, which enjoins this rite "for the remission of sins:" including, of course, original corruption as well as actual transgression.

The ceremonies now used in the administration of baptism, according to several approved authors, are as follow: First, they consecrate the water with prayer, and pouring in of oil three times: Secondly, they cross the party on the eyes, ears, nose, and breast: Thirdly, he is exorcised with a certain charm, or exsufflation, or breathing Fourthly, they put consecrated salt into his mouth: Fifthly, they put spittle into his nose and ears: Sixthly, they add imposition of hands, and the sacerdotal blessing: Seventhly, they anoint him with holy oil on the breast: and, Eighthly, they anoint him on the crown of the head, using perfume, &c.

It was anciently the practice to give the party the kiss of peace; to put a lighted taper into his hand; give him milk and honey to drink; and then clothe him with a white garment; but these practices are now, I believe, universally laid aside. The words used, and the rest of the form, are similar to those in the protestant episcopal churches.

Baptism, amongst the Roman Catholics, is not confined to infants, nor to adults; but, properly speaking, they may be ranked amongst the supporters of infant baptism; for in this respect, like other christians, they have varied in their practice, though not in their opinions on the subject.

2. CONFIRMATION, is a sacrament wherein, by the Invocation of the Holy Ghost, and the imposition of the bishop's hands, with the unction of holy chrism, a person receives the grace of the Holy Spirit, and a strength to enable him to make profession of his faith. In this sacrament the Roman Catholics make use of olive, oil, and balm: the oil to signify the clearness of a good conscience; and the balm as the savour of a good reputation. They use the following form: "I sign thee

with the sign of the cross, and confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."

Calmet says, that Confirmation is that which makes us perfect christians, and impresses an indelible character after baptism, and imparts to us the spirit of fortitude, whereby we are enabled to profess christianity, even at the hazard of our lives; and is thereby deemed a sacrament of the church.

3. THE EUCHARIST, or LORD'S SUPPER, is a sacrament of infinite importance in the catholic church, and has given rise to more controversy and dispute than all the rest put together. These christians believe and assert, that the Eucharist signifies that sacrament which really and in truth contains the very body and blood of our Saviour, transubstantiated, or transformed, into the appearance of bread and wine, when consecrated and set apart at the sacrifice of the mass, which shall be fully explained farther on. It is called then Eucharist, be cause Jesus Christ, in the institution of this divine sacrament, gave thanks to God, broke the bread, and blessed the cup: Eucharistia, in Greek, signifies thanksgiving, and answers to the Hebrew word Barach, to bless, or Hodah, to praise.

The administration of this sacrament must be explained when we come to treat of the Mass more particularly.

4. PENANCE, or Infliction, the art of using or submitting to punishment, public or private, as an expression of repentance for sin, is deemed one of the seven sacraments. It includes confession of sins to the priest, which, if accompanied with sincere contrition, and a promise of future amendment, with restitution, upon absolution received, on these conditions, from the priest, puts the penitent into a state of salvation.

Penance and absolution are so intimately connected in the catholic church, that it will be necessary to give some further explanation of this sacrament. This, the Council of Trent has decreed to consist of some outward sign on ceremony, by which grace is given to the soul of the worthy believer. It was, they add, instituted by Christ, when, breathing upon the disciples, he gave them the Holy Ghost, with power to remit or retain sins; that is to re