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"Come out of this child, thou evil spirit, and make room for the Holy Ghost." The sign of the Cross is then made on the forehead and the breast; the salt of wisdom is then placed in the mouth, and afterwards spittle is rubbed around it by the thumb of the Priest. While the holy oil is preparing, the upper part of the child is made bare by the sponsors, who hold it over the font, with the head eastward. Certain questions being put and answered, the Priest pours the water thrice on the head of the infant, in the form of a Cross, mentioning at each time one of the Persons of the Trinity. To conclude the ceremony, the top of the head is crossed with sacred oil, and, to denote the freedom of the baptized from all impurities, a white linen cloth is placed entirely over it.

Can any man of common sense and Christian feeling read of such a complete system of ceremonial, mystical observances, and not immediately perceive how entirely they subvert the simplicity and spirituality of that religion, which its Divine Author has pronounced to be "a reasonable service?" Where, in the Sacred Volume, can we find any thing to justify and sanction such rites and superstitions? Surely this worse than farce is making the ordinances of God of none effect,—is bringing religion into contempt,—and deluding and destroying immortal souls, by causing men to consider rites or ceremonies as the substance of religion, and the ministry and juggling of Priests as the one thing needful.

Of the many benedictions used in this Church, some, besides those accompanying the administration of their sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Orders, are reserved to Bishops exclusively, as the consecration of oil, chrism, &c. Some are performed by Priests, in their own right, and others by delegated authority from the Bishop. When the Clergy and people, for some religious purpose,-as, to implore the

mercy of God during any public calamity, return thanks to him for his benefits, or to commemorate any mystery of religion," proceed in an orderly and devout manner round the church, or places adjacent, or from one church to another, singing or saying such prayers as are adapted to the occasion, they are said to go in procession." And of the different processions now in use, those performed with the greatest pomp and splendor, are "the processions of the blessed sacrament, during the octave of the festival celebrated by Roman Catholics in its honor." The prescribed forms for all these benedictions, exorcisms, and processions,* will be found in the Roman Pontifical and Ritual.

For above three centuries a practice has prevailed in this

* "In one of these processions, made lately to St. Peter's in the time of Lent, I saw that ridiculous penance of the flagellantes, or self-whippers, who march, with whips in their hands, and lash themselves as they go along, on the bare back, till it is all covered with blood, in the same manner as the fanatical Priests of Bellona, or the Syrian goddess, as well as the votaries of Isis, used to cut and slash themselves of old, in order to please the goddess, by the sacrifice of their own blood; which mad piece of discipline we find frequently mentioned, and as oft ridiculed, by the ancient writers.

"But they have another exercise of the same kind, and in the same season of Lent, which, under the notion of penance, is still a more absurd mockery of all religion; when, on a certain day, appointed annually for this discipline, men of all conditions assemble themselves, towards the evening, in one of the churches of the city, where whips, or lashes, made of cords, are provided, and distributed to every person present; and after they are all served, and a short office of devotion performed, the candles being put out upon the warning of a little bell, the whole company begin presently to strip, and try the force of these whips on their own backs, for the space of near an hour; during all which time, the church becomes, as it were, the proper image of hell, where nothing is heard but the noise of lashes and chains, mixed with the groans of

Church of commemorating, at morning, noon, and night, the incarnation of Christ, by a short form of prayer, which, from the words with which it begins in Latin, is called the "Angelus Domini." In conformity with the Roman Catholic practice of praying for the dead, it is also very customary to offer up for their repose, at the first hour of the night, the Penitential Psalms, with a prayer suited to that end.

CHAPTER V.

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH.

THE government of the Church of Rome is Episcopal. This form of Church government her members have always strictly held to be the one established by Jesus Christ; insomuch that the Council of Trent pronounces an anathema against any who shall deny either the existence of the hierarchy in the Church of Christ, or its being of divine institution. From this belief, Roman Catholics consides every Bishop in his own diocese as the Pastor appointed by Almighty God, to instruct, direct, and govern, that portion of the faithful, whether Clergy or laity, which has been committed to his care. Besides those having jurisdiction, there are Bishops, in partibus Infidelium, as they are called, or more briefly, in

these self-tormentors, till, satiated with their exercise, they are content to put on their clothes, and the candles being lighted again, upon the tinkling of a second bell, they all appear in their proper dress.”—(Mid. p. 358—9.)

partibus―i. e. persons who, that they may enjoy the dignity and honors of Episcopacy, and thereby be qualified to render some particular services to the Church in general, are named to Sees, "in infidel countries," of which they cannot possibly take possession. Such are many dignitaries of the Court of Rome. Such also, in as far as the titles of their Sees are concerned, are the Apostolic Vicars in England, and Scotland, &c.; and such, finally, are those persons, who are often appointed coadjutors to other Bishops, unable from age or any other infirmity, to discharge the duties of their office. These coadjutors are appointed like other Bishops, and have sometimes the right of succeeding to the See, after the demise of their principal, and sometimes not. A Metropolitan, or an Archbishop, besides the jurisdiction common to him with other Bishops in his own diocese, has also a jurisdiction defined by the Canon law and customs, over all the Bishops of his province, who are his suffragans; summons them every third year to a provincial Synod, for the purposes above hinted at; and the constitutions framed in it, affect all the churches in the province. Above all these is the Pope, who has the power (in the opinion of all Roman Catholics, jure divino,) of feeding, ruling, and governing the whole Church, and exercises his jurisdiction over all, Clergy as well as laity.

According to the principle of the Papal Hierarchy, as set forth by one of its defenders, "it was Christ's intention and appointment, that his followers should be collected into one sacred empire, subjected to the government of St. Peter and his successors, and divided, like the kingdoms of this world, into several provinces; that in consequence thereof, St. Peter fixed his seat of ecclesiastical government at Rome, but afterwards, to alleviate the burden of his office, divided the Church into three greater provinces, according to the division of the world at that time, and appointed a person to preside in each,

who was dignified with the title of Patriarch; that the European Patriarch resided at Rome, the Asiatic at Antioch, and the African at Alexandria; that the Bishops of each province, among whom also there were various ranks, were to reverence the authority of their respective Patriarchs, and that both Patriarchs and Bishops were to be passively subject to the supreme dominion of the Roman Pontiff."

The following is the Oath taken by every Popish Bishop.— "I, from this time forward, will be faithful and obedient to my Lord the Pope, and to his successors. The counsel, with which they trust me, I will not disclose to any man, to the hurt of the Pope, or his successors. I will assist to retain the Popedom and the Royalties of St. Peter against all men. I will carefully preserve, defend, and promote, the rights, honors, privileges, and authority of the Pope. I will not be in any Council, deed, or treaty, in which any thing prejudicial to the person, right, or power of the Pope is concerned; and if I shall know any such thing treated of, by any whomsoever, I will, to the utmost of my power, hinder them, and with all possible speed, signify them to the Pope. I will, to the utmost of my power, observe the Pope's commands, and make others observe them."

Here is the plain language of a paramount obedience. What would be thought of the subjects of any State, who would take such an oath to any foreign potentate? or what would be the result, should circumstances compel the Government of any independent country to make war upon the Pope, as a secular Prince, or upon any power in whose fortunes the Popedom took a decided interest? Here is established a secret correspondence; a bond of secrecy as to matters communicated, every one of which might be treasonable; and a solemn pledge to preserve and defend, not simply the Popish ceremonial and

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