doctrine and practice by that standard, we believe her to be a part of the true universal Church of Christ. But in regard of her inventions, whereby she has nearly made void the spirit and power of the Gospel, of the Gospel, we are bound to declare her a corrupt and heretical Church; a Church which has degenerated from the Apostolic rule of faith, and, in proportion to the additions which out of her own fancy she has made to the Gospel, has separated herself from the one Catholic, or universal Church of Christ; which is that multitude of persons, of all times and countries, who, being called by the grace of God to believe in his Son Jesus Christ, have conformed, and do now conform, their faith and lives to the rule of the Scriptures, and ground their hopes of eternal salvation on the promises made therein.

R. I believe you said, Sir, that the Church of Rome has made additions to the Gospel out of her own fancy has she also made any omissions, in the articles of her faith?

A. No. It pleased Providence to preserve the whole of the Christian faith in her keeping, without diminution or curtailment. The true Gospel was thus kept entire during the ages of general ignorance, under the heap of her superstitions, like live seeds, which want nothing to spring up, but the removal of some layer of stones and rubbish. Had she been permitted to cast off some of the essential articles of the Apostolic doctrine, as other sects do, the work of the Reformation would have been difficult. But when Luther and the other Reformers had removed the superstitious additions of the Romanists, the

whole truth, as it is in Christ, appeared in its original purity; and as both Rome, and the Protestant Churches agree in every thing which is really a part of the Apostolic doctrine, we cannot be charged with innovation.

R. Yet they say that ours is a new religion. A. Any Protestant may rebut that charge with the Bible in his hand. The New Testament is the original Charter of Christians; any thing under the name of Christianity which we do not find there, must be an abuse of more modern date than the Charter. The additions made by the Church of Rome are, it is true, very old; but the foundations over which she has built her fantastic structure, must be older still. That foundation, the Testament, is our religion; and we do not wish to prove our religion older than Christ.

R. I wish you would have the goodness to mention the additions and innovations which the Church of Rome has made to the true and scriptural religion of Christ.

A. I will, with great pleasure, in our next conversation.

DIALOGUE III.

CONDUCT OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND COMPARED SOME ACCOUNT OF THE INNOVATIONS MADE BY ROME: TRADITION: TRANSUBSTANTIATION: CONFESSION: RELICS AND IMAGES.

Author. I PROMISED, at our last meeting, to give you an account of the innovations which the Church of Rome has made, and the human additions by which she has adulterated the pure doctrines of the Gospel. But before I begin, I your opinion upon a case which I heard

must ask

some time

ago.

Reader. I will give it you, Sir, to the best of my knowledge.

A. The people of two neighbouring islands, which acknowledged the authority of the same Sovereign, received each a Governor from the metropolis. One of the Governors presented himself with his commission in one hand, and with the book of the Colonial Laws in the other. "Gentlemen," he said, "here is the King's commission, which authorizes me to govern you according to these laws. I will direct my officers to get them printed, and every one of you shall have a copy in his possession. If ever any one of you should think that I am stepping beyond my powers, or governing against the laws, he may examine the point and consult his friends about it; and if, after all, he feels inclined not

to be under me any longer, I will not at all molest him in his removal to the neighbouring island, carrying away every thing that belongs to him." The other Governor pursued quite a different course. He appeared in the capital with all the pomp and show of a King. He gave out, that he had authority from the Sovereign, not only to govern according to the standing laws, but to make new statutes at his will and pleasure. At the same time, he employed his officers to deprive the people of all the copies of the Colonial Laws that were to be found, and published heavy penalties against any one who should possess or read them without his leave, or in a copy which had not his own interpretation of the statutes. Some high-spirited individuals presented a petition to the new Governor, stating, "that they were perfectly willing and ready to obey any one commissioned by their King; but, still they conceived themselves entitled to possess a copy of the laws of the country: that if the Monarch himself had empowered him to make additional laws, they would make no objection to that, provided he showed an authentic copy of his commission." The Governor grew quite furious upon reading this remonstrance, and answered that he would not show any document relating to his power of making new laws; that the King had conferred upon him this privilege, not in writing, but by a message; and, finally, that if the petitioners did not obey him in silence, he would employ force against them." Do, Sir, but prove to us your commission from the King, and we are ready to obey without a murmur."-"Take those fellows,"

said the Governor, "and let them die by fire." The order being executed, a number of citizens tried to escape from the island, but troops were stationed at every port and creek, and such as were found in the act of getting away were, without mercy, put to the sword or confined to dungeons, till they swore that they would receive whatever the Governor commanded, as if it had been a part of the book of the laws. To complete the picture of this Governor, I will tell you that there was not one among the laws which he added to the written statutes of the colonies, but evidently procured both to him and to his officers, an increase of wealth and power.-The question I wish you to answer is, under which of these two Governors would you advise a man to place himself?

R. I answer without a doubt,-under the first. A. What! without any farther inquiry; without examining the book of colonial laws; without hearing the reasons of the other Governor?

R. If I understood you rightly, the tyrant Governor (for he deserves no better name) does not wish to settle the matter by reasoning; he wishes to be believed on his word, and puts to death even those who would avoid his power by flight. He must be an impostor,-an usurper, who grounds his authority on his own word, and his word on his tyranny.

A. Oh, my friend, how justly you have given your verdict! The Pope is the man. My parable applies literally to the case between the Roman Church and the Protestants. We, the Protestant Clergy, declare to the world, that our Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, have no autho