be flesh, and Wine to be blood. We cannot believe that in the Mass there is offered up unto God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead. We cannot ascribe to fallible man, the unerring wisdom of the one living God. No, "If "Popery is to regain its lost power, let it not be through our giving it the right hand of fellowship-let it wrest "from us our Ecclesiastical Endowments-let it rekindle the extinguished fires of persecution-let it “be legislated into might by time serving concessions, "but let us not be silent as though we thought Popery "to be truth; and never supine, as though we reckon"ed her errors unimportant."

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Α cry has gone abroad, that the errors of the Church of Rome are passed away. It is a false cry. She claims INFALLIBILITY, and therefore she renders her errors unchangeable; she may conceal them, but danger is not the less to be dreaded, because it is craftily concealed. It is said, also, that her spirit is changed-if she has undergone any change, it is only like that of the Chameleon, which takes to itself the colour of the thing it touches, but it is a Chameleon still.

But, my Roman Catholic hearers, and my Protestant brethren, let me not close this discourse in the language of controversy, but rather let me address you in terms more congenial with the spirit of a Christian Minister. Be faithful to your high privileges. Dwelling in the most favoured of Christian lands, be not unmindful of your solemn responsibilities. The time is fast approaching when the all-momentous enquiry will be, not, are we members of the Church of Rome? or members of the Church of England? but Are we members of the Church of Christ? Have we an interest in

the covenant of Redemption?

Seek then for right

views upon this subject. Regard not your Heavenly Father as a stern Judge, appeased only by the repeated sacrifice of his Son; but as a merciful Father, who "so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." The offering of Christ does not appease an angry Father, but opens a way by which the forgiveness of a kind and gracious Father can be granted to his disobedient children.

Let me, then, point you to the One great Sacrifice, "the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world." He died once that you might live for ever. He came down from heaven to earth, and was insulted by men and devils; that you might ascend from earth to heaven, to be honoured by God and his Angels. Shall this mighty scheme for man's Redemption, be to us a matter of little moment? Shall Christ have lived and died in vain? Shall we live as if time were never to end, and eternity never to begin? Shall we listen to truths, upon which hang our eternal destiny, as if they were fairy tales? Shall we regard them only as a tale that is often told? I adjure you, by the living God, be wise unto Him-be faithful unto yourselves. I entreat you, each one for himself, to ask this question.-Am I looking to Christ for salvation? I trusting to the one only sacrifice for Sin? Be persuaded to seek for Heaven, upon Heaven's own terms. Go, humble yourselves before God-cast yourselves on his compassion-acknowledge Him, not only as the God of Creation, and the God of Providence, but, above all, as the God of Redemption. Remember, in the one he is infinitely wise-in the other, he is infinitely gra

Am

cious; but it is only in Redemption that he is infinitely merciful. You have partaken of the blessings of Creation-you have enjoyed the benefits of his Providence

-now seek for the still richer blessings of His Redemption; which, if you obtain not, you perish for ever! Plead His promise, Plead your necessities-Plead the all-sufficiency of Christ's blood to cleanse, and of Christ's merit to save. Be not discouraged. Great as are the difficulties in the way of your salvation, there are none which God has not promised to remove. Go forth, then, in this spirit, and henceforth live as becomes Christian men; living in the world, but living above it. Thus you will be preparing for Judgment—preparing for those countless myriads of ages which shall roll, and for ever roll on. This is the day of probation-This is the only day-Time flies-Life is uncertain, and your own eternity is at stake! The Spirit of the Most High is willing to teach-Christ the Intercessor is willing to plead-Jehovah is willing to blot out your transgressions-Heaven and Hell are before you choose, and choose wisely-look up to God for his teachingPray to be guided into all essential truth.

My Roman Catholic brethren, in closing this subject suffer me to impress upon your minds the solemn counsel of pious Bishop Jewel,-" If there be any that have had, or yet have, any good opinion of the Mass, I beseech you, for God's sake, even as ye tender your own salvation, suffer not yourselves wilfully to be led away; run not blindly to your own confusion. Think with yourself; it was not for nought that so many of your brethren rather suffered themselves to die, and to abide all manner of extremity and cruelty, than they would be partakers of that thing

you reckon to be so holy. Let their death, let their ashes, let their blood that was so abundantly shed before your eyes, somewhat prevail with you and move you. Be not ruled by your wilful affections. Ye have a good mind and zeal towards God; have it according unto the knowledge of God. The Jews had a zeal of God, and yet they crucified the Son of God. Search the Scriptures, and there shall ye find everlasting life. If ever it happen you to be present again at the Mass, think but thus with yourself—What make I here? What profit have I of my doings? I understand nothing-I am taught nothing! Christ bade me drink-I drink nothing! Is this the institution of Christ? Is this the Lord's Supper? Is this the right use of the holy mysteries? Let us but say thus with ourselves, and no doubt God of his mercy will open our hearts-we shall see our errors, and content ourselves to be ordered by the wisdom of God-to do that God will have us to do—to worship that God will have us to worship. So shall we receive the benefits of Christ's death-so shall we be partakers of Christ's body and blood-so shall Christ duly dwell in us, and we in him-so shall all errors be taken from us-so shall we join altogether in God's truth-so shall we all be able, with one heart and one spirit, to know and to glorify the only true and the living God, and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ; and through the merits of this one mediator be admitted hereafter to the company of the Apostles-to the goodly fellowship of the Prophets-to the noble army of Martyrs— to the whole Church triumphant-to ascribe praise to Him who hath redeemed us to God by His blood, and made us Kings and Priests unto himself for ever.

APPENDIX.

HALF COMMUNION.

Communion, in one kind, was first authoritatively determined as an Article of the Romish Faith, by the Council of Constance, which met November 16th, 1414.

The Church of Rome pretends to have found inconvenience in the administration of both the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament. These fancied inconveniences, Gerson, who was formerly a member of the Romish Church, enumerates as "the length of laymen's beards"the loathsomeness to drink after others-the costliness "and difficulty of getting wine-the frosts in winter"the flies in summer-the burden of bearing—the dan"ger of spilling, and the people's unworthiness to equal "the Priest in receiving in both kinds."* The folly of these excuses, for abolishing one-half of Christ's institution, needs no comment.

The eating the Bread cannot be said to be drinking the Blood of Christ, which is expressly commanded; neither is the Communion of one kind, a due representation of the death of Christ. Upon these considerations many learned writers in the Church of Rome have owned, that communion in one kind is an imperfect communion.

BISHOP JEWEL

Thus remonstrates with the Church of Rome, respecting her mode of administering the Lord's Supper, "O that St. Paul were now alive, and saw the "behaviour and order of the priest at the Mass! "Think ye that he would take and account it for the

*

Gerson, Tract. contra hares. de commun. sub utraque specie.