small in their nature, cannot offend God, or hurt our neighbour. "In this mortal life, even holy and justified persons fall into daily venial sins, which, in no respect, affect or detract from their holy character," (Con. Trid. Sess. VI. c. 2.) "and do not exclude the transgressor from the grace of God; (Id. Sess. XIV. c. 5.;) hence it is not necessary to confess these, "as they may be concealed without incurring sin, and may be atoned for in various ways." (Id.)

SECONDLY.-Its Remission. 1. By the Invocation and Intercession of the Saints.

2. By the power of the Church:-1. In Indulgences, 2. By Absolution.-See Penance.

3. By Purgatory.

4. By the sacrifice of the Mass.-See Eucharist.

OBSERVATIONS.

"Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk,) but it is the fault or corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit, and therefore in every person born into the world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation: and this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated, whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, ppovnμa σaprog, which some do expound, the wisdom; some, sensuality; some, the affection; some, the desire of the flesh; is not subject to the law of God. And though there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptised, yet the Apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin." (Art. ix.) A little observation will teach us, that a very awful change must have taken place in the nature of man, since "God created him in his own image," and saw that every thing he had made was worthy of being pronounced "good." (See

Gen. vi. 5 to 12; Psal. xiv. 2, 3; li. 5; liii. 1 to 3; Isai. i. 5, 6; Gal. v. 17.) Nor let it be for a moment supposed, that this defection from this original holiness is but trifling or partial. "Man," says the article, "is very far gone from original righteousness, ab originali justitia quam longissime distet"-as far as possible, to the utmost verge. "The divine image is obscured and marred in a degree to be scarce discernible; the will depraved; the imagination debauched; the reason weak; the passions rampant! This deformity is not externally visible: but could the eye be turned upon the internal man, we should see the hideous shape of a will at enmity with God; a heart disregarding his law, insensible of his goodness, fearless of his wrath, swelling with the passions of ambition, avarice, vain-glory, lust. Yet this is the picture of the unregenerated man, by the depravity consequent upon the fall, born in iniquity, and conceived in sin." (Horsley's Sermons.) This doctrine is recognized by the Church of England throughout her Liturgy offices. Her members declare "that they have followed too much the devices and desires of their own hearts, and that there is no health in them;" they supplicate mercy, as "miserable sinners;" she declares that "all men are conceived and born in sin," and that "we be of ourselves of such earth, as can bring forth only weeds, nettles, brambles, and briars; and that therefore we should confess with mouth and heart, that we be full of imperfection;" "for, by ourselves, we are not able either to think a good thought, or work a good deed." (Homily on the Misery of Man.) The darkness of man's understanding, the perverseness of his will, the alienation of his affections, the wickedness of his heart, (Mark vii. 21, 22,) prove that "the gold is become dim, and the fine gold changed." In fact, again to use the language of the Church of England, "Man, of his own nature, is fleshly and carnal, corrupt and naught, sinful and disobedient to God, without any spark of goodness in him, without any virtuous or godly notion, only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds." (Homily on Whitsunday.)

The Church of Rome maintains, that original sin is entirely taken away by baptism, and that the corrupt dispositions remaining in man after baptism, have not the nature of sin. But, as all opposition or repugnance to the purity of the divine law, is sin; so, if this opposition be proved to exist, then the existence of an evil principle will incontros

vertibly be demonstrated to exist in the heart of man. The testimony of the Apostle (Gal. v. 17,) decides, therefore, the question, and for ever sets it at rest. "The flesh," says he, "lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." (See also Rom. vii. 21-25; viii. 8.) Every believer, as long as he is in the flesh, will find, in an evil heart of unbelief, and a continual proneness to sin, evidence that he is still liable to "this infection of nature," contracted by the fall of man. Even the Apostle, with all his grace and spiritual attainments, had occasion to lament the plague of his heart, when he says, (Rom. vii. 18-24,) "For I know, that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find, then, a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

For I delight in

This distinction is groundless, and has no foundation in Scripture. Every sin is a transgression of the divine law; and the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness. There is not the least hint in Scripture of some sins meriting only God's temporal wrath; and others, both his temporal and eternal. "Venial sins," say the Roman Catholics, "are pardonable sins;" which means, not sins that may be pardoned, for this is true of all sin, except blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; but sins that are entitled to pardon, such as God is bound to pardon. Venial sin does not dissolve friendship with the Almighty; but mortal sin does, and renders the offender liable to eternal death. This distinction of two kinds of sin is unscriptural, and, like most of the Roman Catholic doctrines, dishonourable to God, and dangerous to man. Hear the Bible account of sin :-"The wages of sin is death.” (Rom. vi. 23.) "Cursed

is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." (Gal. iii. 10.) "For every idle word that men shall

speak, they shall give account in the day of judgment." (Matt. xii. 36, 37.) "He that shall break the least of God's commands, and shall teach men so to do, shall be called least in the kingdom." "All unrighteousness is sin," and "sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John iii. 4; v. 17.)

The truth is, all sin, unrepented of, is mortal; that is, it shall be visited with God's displeasure, "for the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. vi. 9.)

INVOCATION OF SAINTS AND ANGELS. (1.)

"THE Saints, reigning with Christ, offer up their prayers to God, for man; hence, it is good and useful supplicantly to invoke them; and to seek refuge, (confugere, i. e. flee for succour or relief,) in their prayers, help, and assistance, to obtain favour from God, through his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, who is alone our Redeemer and Saviour;" (Con. Trid. Sess. XXV. Decret. de Invocat.) and all who deny this doctrine are declared to entertain impious ideas, (impie sentire; id.) The same doctrine is taught in the Creed of Pope Pius IV., wherein it is said “that the saints reigning with Christ are (venerandos atque invocandos,) to be worshipped and invoked." "We fly to the Saints, who are in heaven, for assistance; to whom also, that prayers are to be made, is so certain in the Church of God, that, to pious minds no doubt on the subject can occur." (Cat. Trid. Pars. IV. c. 6. Sec. 2.) If doubt could remain, "the miracles wrought at their sepulchres; the lost eyes, hands, and other members, which have been restored; the dead recalled to life; the evil spirits ejected from the bodies of the living; would abundantly remove it." (Cat. Trid. Pars. III. c. xxx.) "With good reason, therefore, the holy Church of God has added to this, giving of thanks, prayers also, and imploration, addressed to the Most Holy Mother of God; in