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 dis. pute them.

Do but try if any one of those particulars can be compared in value with the necessary points of faith to which they were thus added. Consider too, if any one of them have the shadow of divine authority, or the slightest colour of support from Scripture.

These following, then, were the points determined:

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 evi dence; 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 judgment, 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 de. ference 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 shew that the five sacraments which they have added, do possess such marks. But this is impossible, unless it can be gene

rally necessary to salvation to enter into holy orders; or that all men should contract a relation in life which these innovators chuse 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 conse. crated 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 where a literal construction of the words of Scripture imply a meaning either horrid, or impossible in na

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ture, 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 was offered once for all.

6. They hold that the cup in the Sacrament may be withheld; al. though 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 or more desperate infraction of our Lord's own ordinance and express direction, cannot be conceived; and yet this daring mutilation of the Sacrament has been obtruded with unrelenting perseverance on the Christian world. 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 judgment.

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 every where 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, shews 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 practice 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 pe. rilous 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 is 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 prac tice; 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 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: "see thou do it not; for I am thy fellow ser.

vant."

9. They hold that the power of granting pardons and indulgences was left to the dispensation of the Church, to be purchased and be stowed 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 plain from what passed at Jerusalem in the case of the Gentiles; and from the temporary difference with St. Paul: nor has he ever been succeeded by men inspired of God as he was.

12. And lastly they hold that a general submission must be rendered to the canons and councils of the Church; authorities which we respect, but not as unerring or infalli. ble. There was no such privilege for the Church of God in Israel, or to any Christian Churches of the Eastern or the Western world; though the truth of God shall never fail from

off the earth, nor shall the gates of hell prevail against his Church. They claim implicit deference to the Council held at Trent, which had no just pretension to be ac-counted general, and which put the last hand to these disputed points, and bound them by a fixed and rigorous decree as points of faith and duty upon the consciences of men.

Such are the things distinctly stated and determined in those articles which have been added to the Christian Creed: and concerning such things have the fires of perse cution been kindled through the world!

I have no wish to dwell longer on them. It is enough to recite them, and to leave them for their refutation to the word of Scripture, and the common reason of mankind.

That love of peace and good will, and that concern for many whose errors are the growth of early prejudice and education; in a word, that spirit of forbearance which we have before shewn to be so justly preferable to disputable and disputed matters of opinion, require us when the necessary work of caution against that violence which turns opinion into persecution, shall be satisfied, and when the debt of thankfulness for former rescue shall be rendered, to look for more profitable topics of reflection; observing only that some false principle must have roused that zeal which could plan the death of others, in so many cases, for the sake of such opinions, even if they had more truth in them, or more colour of it, than indeed they have.

And this leads us to that faulty principle which remains to be considered, that what is thought to be a good design will sanctify the worst means for attaining it. There is little time now to discuss this monstrous principle. Suffice it that St. Paul explodes it with the strongest marks of sorrow for any one approach which he made to it on his

own part, and brands it with the keenest censure that it never may be named without abhorrence.

Most gladly shall I turn now to 'such inferences as will serve best to guard us against all inclinations to that false zeal which gives birth to hatred and to cruelty. Alas! the evil disposition has not been confined to Rome: but wherever it subsists, it creates implacable resentments, and sets forward desperate designs.

And what then are the sure preventives, and the welcome remedies? They are these, that we should adhere to the main rules of truth and righteousness, and think no advan. tage well obtained in matters civil or religious, which are purchased by the sacrifice of those sure principles which form the common basis of prosperity in Church and State; that we should weigh things according to their real worth, and give the preference to what is best. Our blessed Lord determined this, when he declared that mercy was better than sacrifice; and that a breach of charity was much worse than breach of form. To which the apostle joins his suffrage, reminding us that "the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."

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But I hasten to the next main topic of consideration, for indeed there are two special subjects of religious thankfulness which demand our notice on this day.

We have to testify our gratitude not only for deliverance from the danger once so craftily contrived; but for securing to us the blessings of good government, established as it has been so happily in this land, after new attempts upon the faith and privileges, the civil and religious rights of its inhabitants. To a generous people the destruction of such privileges was a calamity of no less magnitude than the blow which

was aimed at the chief persons in the State.

There are points of near resemblance which might well unite the offices appointed for their joint memorial on this day. We have to bless God for the double rescue. The good fruits have endured to this hour, and cannot be too vigilantly guarded. They rest upon the solid and perpetual principles of truth, equity, and public benefit.

Let us remember that whatever we hold dear in this life is protected by the government under which we live; that God requires obedience to it, as promoting those ends, not from fear only, but where a good conscience can be kept, for consci. ence sake.

Such is the sound discipline of equal laws and well poised and well regulated power, without which a great people may become as help less as a feeble company of misguided and divided men; without which a multitude may be as an heap of sand, upon whose shifting surface no substantial fabric, civil or religious, can be built.

Let the common standard then of truth and justice, of mutual duties and of mutual good will, be the rule to which we look; illustrated in all points, as it has been, and enhanced by many special ties of faith and fellowship established in this land.

Let us so look to Him who is the source of truth and equity, of mercy and salvation, the common arbiter of men and nations, the sure pro tector of those who take his will for the rule of theirs, and his word for their stay.

To Him, to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be ascribed all honour and worship, all praise and thanksgiving, henceforth and for

ever.

J. H. P.

Illustrations from Natural History.

FLYING SERPENTS.

Isaiah xxx. 6.

"The burden of the beasts of the South:

into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent." Draco Volans. Lin. Flying Dragon Nat. Misc. I. pl. 8. Shaw, V. p. 177.

THE very name of this genus conveys to the mass of mankind the idea of some formidable monster, and recals to the imagination the wild fiction of romance and poetry: but the animal distinguished by that title in modern natural history is a small harmless lizard, agreeing in the general form of its body with the rest of that tribe; but furnished with large, expansile, cutaneous processes, covered like the rest of

the animal with small scales, and strengthened internally by several radii or ribs, extending to the extreme verge of the membrane, and giving the power of contraction and dilatation. As this is a circumstance which separates it from the rest of the lizard tribe, Linnæus was induced to institute for it a distinct genus under the title above mentioned, and which it seems more proper to retain, than to rank the animal, as some have done, under the genus Lacerta.

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The dragon is an inhabitant of many parts of Asia and Africa, where, like most of the smaller lizards, it delights in wandering about trees; and from the peculiar mechanism of its lateral membranes, is enabled to spring from bough to bough, and to support itself in air for some short space, in the manner of a flying squirrel, or even of a bat. It feeds on insects, and is in every respect an animal of a harm less and inoffensive nature. REMEMBRANCER, No. 47.

There is a place in Arabia, near the city Butos, which I visited for the purpose of obtaining information concerning the winged serpent. I saw here a prodigious quantity of serpents' bones, and ribs placed on heaps of different heights. They affirm that in the commencement of every spring, these winged serpents fly from Arabia towards Egypt, but that the Ibis here meets and de

stroys them.Herodot. Euturpe 75, Vol. i. p. 302.

Il y a plusieurs autres serpens par Egypte dont navons point paré car les plus dangereux sont ceux qu' avons dit. Et pour ceque nous sommes trouvez a voir des corps embaumez et tous entiers, de certains serpens aillez et qui ont pieds, qu'on dit voler de la partie d'Arabie en Egypte, en avons cy devant mis le portrait-Observations de plusieur singularitez en Asie. P. 297.

QUAILS.

Numb. xi. 31.

"And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp."

Actisanes bore his prosperity with great moderation; and carried himself kindly and obligingly to all his subjects. Against robbers he contrived a notable device, neither putting them that were guilty to death, nor wholly acquitting or discharging them from punishment. For he caused all that were guilty, to be brought together from all parts of the country; and after a just and strict enquiry, and certain knowledge of their guilt, he ordered all their noses to be cut off, and banished them into the utmost parts of the desart; and built a city for them, called from the cutting off of the noses of the inhabitants, Rhino40