The delusion of those zealots who now assailed St. Paul, was of this kind; and so, to say the truth, were the delusions which too soon crept into the Christian Church. Bitter strifes and persecutions were soon excited for things of far less moment than that peace and that good-will, which were so often sacrificed to idle contests. Thus when a solemn The first contention of this sort which was raised within the bosom of the Christian Church after some heresies had been suppressed by the word of the Apostle and the testimony of the sacred Scriptures, the first internal feud which took place so early in the Christian era, related to the time of celebrating the solemnities of the paschal feast. The whole Church was embroiled in this dispute for a season. Our own history presents a memorable instance of this kind. mission at a later period came from the realm of Britain, where the faith of Christ had been long since planted, instead of that affectionate concern to impart the best aids and advices, a claim was instantly set up by the Romish missionaries to dictate on a point of discipline and usage. They insisted that the British Churches should forego their custom in that same point of celebrating Easter. On their refusal to submit to foreign customs, urged thus with an assumed authority which was deemed to be subversive of their Christian liberty and independence, a bitter persecution followed, and much blood was spilt. Conformable to this pattern has been the conduct of the Romish see, and those by whom its claims have been set forward and supported in succeeding ages. The same spirit was excited, until they contrived to force a temporal dominion and a feigned authority by perpetual encroachments, upon states and empires, which owed them no subjection, and no deference but that of mutual love. The statutes of our own realm in early times, and through whole periods of our history, prove to demonstration the resistance, which was made against such claims in this land; and show us plainly that the rights and privileges of our native Church were not tamely yielded. In fact, they gave way by slow degrees, as large portions of the western world resigned their liberty and sunk under the portentous yoke. With what joy, then, may we call to mind, that the knowledge of the gospel was welcomed at an early period in this land, long before the Roman mission could set foot in it-and that the call to reformation was as gladly and as readily received. It is an ungrateful thing to turn the thoughts to themes of controversy and dispute. They are the thorny paths in which the fruits of bitterness have prevailed in much abundance. It would seem to be a trespass on the rule which was first put forward in this discourse, were I in this place of assembly to prefer disputed topics to those, which relate to our common duty and our common hope. In all ordinary cases it would be sufficient for us to rejoice in our own freedom, vindicated and recovered, as it has been, by many a hard fought contest, and confirmed to us by the blood of martyrs in this land. The yoke is broken, and the fetters cast aside. We have to bless God for it, and to guard the privilege from new assaults. I will add but a few words, then, on the controverted topics. Let any who would try the merits of the question, without entering on a wide and boundless field of disputation, look only for a moment to the last synodical and public acts of that Church, by which the sentence and decrees of a council called and managed by themselves, were bound upon the consciences of all who adhere to their communion. In that council held at Trent, twelve articles were added to the common and acknowledged Creeds or symbols of the Christian Church; and a bold anathema was pronounced against all such as should dispute them. 1. They hold, that tradition is a necessary rule of faith.— We judge the word of God to be the single standard of belief, whatever uses may be made of traditionary evidence; and that two rules cannot possibly subsist with equal claims. 2. They hold the fathers of the Church to be the received interpreters of Scripture, upon whose word also we must therefore build our faith. We respect their writings and their judgement, and use them gladly, and defer much to them; but we do not allow them an authority which they never claimed, and were never qualified to exercise. They made no claim to inspiration, and therefore could expect no deference but in conformity to the same standard, which both they and we acknowledge. They who make superior claims at any time, must prove them, as our Lord's apostles did,-if they hope to be believed. 3. They hold, that the number of the Christian sacraments extends to seven. If they mean ordinances instituted by our Lord himself, and generally necessary to salvation, which are the essential characters of Baptism and the Supper of our Lord, they must show, that the five sacraments which they have added, do possess such marks. But this is impossible, unless it can be generally necessary to salvation' to enter into holy orders; or that all men should contract a relation in life which these innovators choose to forbid to men in holy orders, against the known examples of our Lord's apostles. If they extend the definition to things of a sacred character with significant or expressive ceremonies attached to them, they might enlarge the number of the sacraments much further. 4. They hold, that men are justified, in some sort, by pleas of merit. We restrain the only meritorious cause of our salvation and acceptance before God, to the death and merits of one only righteous Saviour, who purchased both forgiveness and eternal glories by the satisfaction which he wrought, and by his entire submission to fulfil all righteousness: the benefits of which redound to such as will receive his word, repent, believe, and take him for their Lord and leader, according to the known terms of the covenant of grace. 5. They hold, that the consecrated elements in the Eucharist not only represent, convey, and seal to us the real influences and effects of Christ's body broken, and blood shed for us, but that they are changed into the very substance of that body and that blood;-which is to destroy at once the nature of a sacrament in which there is the sign which signifies, and the thing which is so signified; but in their notion (which contradicts the testimony of the senses, and the figurative import of our Lord's words and their spiritual meaning) there is the substance only or thing signified, but no sign. Our Lord in a similar instance, where his words were as grossly misconceived, explained them to his followers, it is the Spirit which profiteth; the flesh profiteth nothing;' and it is a known rule of the Fathers, applied to this very case, that when a literal construction of words of scripture implies a meaning either horrid, or impossible in nature, the figurative sense is certainly intended. They hold also, that in this ordinance of Christ there is not only the commemoration of his death, and the conveyance, and the pledges of its saving benefits, but the real sacrifice itself, renewed from time to time; against the known and decisive suffrage of the scripture, that Christ's sufficient sacrifice and oblation of himself were offered once for all. 6. They hold that the cup in the sacrament may be withheld; although Christ said drink ye all of it :' and that this sacrament which Christ ordained in both kinds, is entirely given and sufficiently administered in one. A bolder infraction of our Lord's own ordinance and express direction, cannot be conceived. 7. They hold that there is a state of purgatory for those departed out of this life, and therefore a second course of discipline after this term of trial, in order to a better hope: although our Lord reminds us that we must work whilst it is day,' that is, whilst the loan of life endures, for the night cometh' (the night of death) when no man can work;' and when that which is finished here, must remain for future and inevitable judgement. 8. They hold that the Saints are to be worshipped and invoked in order that they may pray to God for us; although no one can possibly explain to us, in what way they can be present everywhere to hear the supplications of their votaries; and although the Scriptures teach us so distinctly, that there is but one mediator between God and man, and that his intercession is alone effectual and sufficient. The conceit that God reveals to the Saints, in some way, the prayers of their votaries, in order to receive their prayers for them, shows sufficiently what hard shifts men will make to defend what they impose on others. They hold also, that images may be used in religious worship; and honoured too with some sort of religious veneration: against the plain word of the commandment; against the known practise of the church for ages, when the Christians would, without all doubt, had they used such things, been subject to the retort of the heathen; who made the same pleas, which are now employed for the same practice. We have their Dialogues, their Answers to the early confessors; but not a word of any such cavil or reply. The nice distinctions, invented to defend the use of images, are so perilous, that barely to repeat them, is sufficiently to show the danger. Thus it is pretended, that the worship is but paid before them, not to them, and in offered by their means to the real object. How manifest is the peril of trusting to distinctions of this sort! How sad the case of those who lose sight of such refinements for a moment, in their practice! and how great is the scandal to the unconverted heathen, who are confirmed thus in their superstitions! But it is said too, that the commandment does not forbid the making or worshipping of images,' but of 'idols;' that is, images of false gods, the creatures of imagination, or the representatives of what none should worship were they present. But (not to mention that there is not a word about'idols' in the commandment, but of 'images') what shall we make of the solemn charge of Moses? or what can we think was in his mind, when he admonished Israel, that when God spake to them, they saw no manner of similitude, and must therefore make none, to bow down to it, or before it, to worship it: and surely we may add, to use it for this end as an intermediate object. Although God permitted images in the ark and in the temple, certain it is that they were not to be worshipped. The chief of them were placed in a part of the temple, not frequented for that purpose; and which was only entered once a year by the high-priest alone, who never worshipped them, or produced them for that purpose. That the cherubim were not to be worshipped, we may be quite sure, if we will but regard the answer given by the angel, when present, to St. John: thou do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant.' See 9. They hold, that the power of granting pardons and indulgences was left to the dispensation of the Church, to be purchased and bestowed at pleasure; a practice too gross to need a comment. The best comment was the Reformation, which was particularly stimulated and promoted by this mercenary traffic. 10. They hold, that the Roman church is the mother and mistress of all others: although the churches of Antioch and Jerusalem took place of her, beyond all question, both in order and precedence; and although the Eastern Church was raised to equal honours by acts of council, when the empire was transferred there. 11. They hold, that the Roman pontiff is supreme, as vicar and vicegerent of Christ Jesus: and all this, because he sits in the chair, where St. Peter sat, though not always, nor exclusively. But that Apostle never exercised this supremacy, as is |