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caney made in the number of the apostles, by the treachery of Judas? St, Peter. Who first preached the risen Jesus, and by an irresistible discourse, gathered the first increase

at the present day, by the Roman Catholic clergy, amongst whom there are, no doubt, men of great learning and sound morals. I hope they will reflect upon this article in the Roman creed. For surely an awful responsibility is attached to the priest who grants criminal indulgences, and a dreadful risk incurred by those, who make use of them, in justification of a licentious and ungodly life.

When the doctrine in question, whatever it may be, has a tendency to relax the duties of moral obligation, or what is worse, when it pretends to atone for the want of them, there is always grounds for suspicion. Human nature, is apt to swallow every bait of this kind, with great avidity; and the church of Rome, seems to have calculated several of her peculiar tenets, and distinguishing practices, with a view to gratify this disposition. This is spoken not in the bitterness of controversy, but in sober truth. For alas! can it be denied that she has encouraged, and pathetically recommended, the virtue of monastic vows, pilgrimages, visiting of shrines, images, relics, and many such like artifices? I ask then, to what use of rational morality, and true gospel piety, can these things possibly serve? and is it not evident to every reflecting mind, that wherever they are practised, they tend to relax the bonds of religious principles, and are used by way of equivalent, or com.

from the Jews, even three thousand souls? St. Peter. These gladly embraced St. Peter's doctrine, and they were all baptized; and then we find the first mention of a chris

mutation for the want of internal sanctity. In this light I consider the doctrines of purgatory, and masses for the dead to shew the nature of which, I beg to call the attention of the reader, to a passage I met with, in a periodical publication, called the Pulpit, (part 21.) under the head of "Popery of Ireland." Purgatorian Societies. There are several of these in Ireland, to which the members subscribe so much per week, in order to secure a certain number of masses, to be said for them after their decease, for the purpose of obtaining their deliverance from purgatory, and admission into heaven. As shewing something of the spirit in which they are conducted, the following extract is taken from one of their own papers :-When a member dies, let notice be immediately given to the society, that the evening devotions may be applied to the happy repose of the deceased, and that some of its members may assemble in the night, after the chapel devotions, to the place where the corpse lies, to recite the office of the dead before interment, if circumstances be convenient. There will also be some masses immediately celebrated for the eternal repose of the soul, according to the subscription, on condition that the deceased member has given at least a year's subscription, and be a subscriber at death. In what an unfavourable light does this represent the humanity of the catholic clergy; the priests believe that the souls of the

tian church among the Jews, in these words" And the Lord added daily to the church, such as should be saved." Acts ii. 41. In all these things, (from which arose by

deceased are suffering intense agony in purgatory. They believe that by saying a certain number of masses, they could obtain the deliverance of those souls from that intense agony; but no, they will only say these masses, according to the subscription. In Eccl. ix. 10. we are informed-That there is no work, device, knowledge, nor wisdom, in the world of departed spirits, whither we go. All the probationary work of man, therefore, is ended, when death arrives, and will never be resumed.

Son, says Abraham to the rich man, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things,- this was said to a man in the future world, immediately after his death, and said by a glorified spirit, it was said to a man humbly and earnestly asking for a drop of water only, the least good of which we can form a conception, and though parabolically spoken, it was intended to shew, that the wicked must expect no alleviation of their punishment. On the other hand, when Lazarus finished his earthly existence, he bade adieu to his sorrows, all that now remained for him was comfort,the prospect before him was only bright and glorious, the unclouded morning of eternal day.

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The gospel reveals to us a Saviour, who will give the blessings of salvation, without money and without price, to every one that believes in his name. "Whom he

gentle gradations, the visible gospel church,) St. Peter was eminently the chief instrument. In these honors, we see his master's promise verified, the excellent qualities of this apostle called into exertion, and his humility, zeal, and noble confession of Christ, abundantly rewarded.

St. Peter's custody of the keys, in a still more distinct and specific manner, related to one particular act of his ministry, in laying the first foundation of the church amongst the Gentiles.

Before the advent of Christ, the kingdom of God upon earth was confined to the

justifies, them he also glorifies," (Rom. viii. 30.) and if those who are justified, having remission of sins, are admitted to glory, and we are redeemed, not with corruptible things as silver and gold, how can our souls be released from torment, by pecuniary offerings? St. Clement, Bishop of Rome, in his epistle to the Corinthians, exhorts men to repent, while they have time to repent, for, says he, after we are once gone out of this world, we cannot make confession of our sins, or repent of them so as to be saved, Vid. Brer. Cod. Vindicat. 1. 2. chap. ix. p. 5. The doctrine of purgatory, therefore, could be no part of the primitive faith.

Jewish church; this church is represented, in many passages of holy writ, under the image of a walled city, to be entered only at the gates. Under the Mosaic economy these gates were shut, and particular persons only could obtain admittance, Israelites by birth, or by legal incorporation. The locks of these gates, were the rites of the Mosaic law, which obstructed the entrance of aliens. But, after our Lord's ascension, and the descent of the Holy Ghost, the keys of the city were conveyed to St. Peter, by that vision which taught him, and authorized him to teach others, that all distinction, of one nation from another, was at an end. By virtue of this special commission, the great apostle applied the key, pushed back the bolt of the lock, and threw the gates of the city open for the admission of the whole gentile world, in the instance of Cornelius and his family.* To this our Lord prophe

*Our Lord commands Cornelius to send, not to Jerusalem, to James and John, not to Damascus, for St. Paul, expressly styled the apostle of the Gentiles, (though all these apostles exercised their office, independently of St. Peter, and had the keys of the kingdom of

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