as I should be to impeach the candour of any mah, I must acknowledge that it is difficult to account for the strange anomaly on any other hypothesis. For the facts are undeniable, and must lead to one of these conclusions. Either the unity of the Church of Rome in this fundamental point exists no longer, or the popes and the priesthood must have a secret understanding, which resolves this open diversity into the necessity for a temporary disguise. Doubtless, they imagine it to be all right, and think their despotism quite preferable to our freedom. But for us, who desire to judge according to the only infallible standard, the written Word of God, the counsel of the great apostle should be our guide: "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

The subject allotted to our next lecture, and which is directly connected with the present, is the principle of anathema and persecution, which is unhappily engrafted upon the Church of Rome as an article of faith, and which perhaps, more than any thing else, renders her power an object of fearful apprehension to the rest of the Christian world. This subject shall be treated as fairly and as kindly as possible, brethren, because it is no part of my desire to present painful facts, any farther than they are necessary for the understanding of established principles. My object is to set before you the doctrines of the Church of Rome, not the vices, the cruelties, or the enormities, which may have been exhibited by individuals amongst her priesthood or her people. And therefore, as, in the present lecture, I have been silent on the point of the lives of certain popes, so, in the next, I shall not promise to enter, needlessly, into the details of the inquisition, or any other variety of mode in which the coercion or punishment of heretics was attempted. Believing, in my conscience, that the principles of the Reforma. tion, particularly as established in the English branch, are the pure and essential principles of Christianity, and regarding the

Church of Rome with none but the kindest feelings, it has long been my heart's desire and prayer for them, that they might understand and forsake the errors of their system. I have no sympathy with those who wish to see that Church destroyed, or oppressed, or treated in any way unjustly: God forbid! for it is of apostolic origin, it continued long pure in faith, and it still retains the fundamental doctrines of the true Christian creed, notwithstanding its manifold corruptions. But I would help them, if I could, to discover the perilous changes, which the love of priestly power, and the superstitions of the darker ages, brought in upon them; and I should rejoice with joy unspeakable, if I might be permitted to behold the day, which should bring them and every other part of Christendom, within the blessed circle of primitive unity, according to the pure standard of the Gospel of peace. But although I may not live to see so happy a consummation, may the Lord hasten it in his own good time, and to his great and ever blessed name, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be all the glory.

LECTURE IX.

ROM. xii. 14.-Bless and curse not.

SUCH, my brethren, was the solemn injunction of the great apostle of the Gentiles to the Church of Rome: an injunction so characteristic of that Gospel which is the message of peace and good will to men, and so plainly in accordance with the sacred mission of that Redeemer who was the Prince of peace, that there is nothing in the entire circle of her errors which seems to me more awfully inconsistent with the Word and Spirit of God, than her open and declared opposition to it. I speak not of the acts of her pontiffs, her bishops, or her people; but I speak of the principle which she has incorporated into her very creed, as an ARTICLE OF FAITH, by which the solemn pronouncing of a curse, in the form of anathema, against all who refuse to adopt her whole system, is made the duty of every soul belonging to her. In direct connexion with this, stands the doctrine of persecution and extirpation of heretics, so long practised by the Church of Rome, and enjoined as a work of the highest merit. And to the same principle, only a little farther extended, we are obliged to trace the horrible institution of the Inquisition. For although this has been abolished within the last thirty years-nay, although many deny that it could ever have been justly charged upon the Church of Rome, yet we shall find it to have been the positive work of her pontiffs, adopted and cherished by multitudes of her priesthood, so that the question will remain to be decided:

Who are the best authorities for the real doctrine of the Roman Church-the popes, and the whole of Italy, Spain, and Portugal, including, at one period, a portion of France herself; or the modern Roman Catholics of France, Germany, and Great Britain? But be this point settled as it may, one fact must be established by every fair examination of the subject: namely, that religious intolerance is the genius of the Roman Catholic Church, while toleration has been purely, under God, the work of the reformers.

In order, however, that we may discern how far the principle of persecution has been engrafted on the creed of the Church of Rome, and how much of it remains at the present day, I shall begin by considering the anathema, or solemn curse, denounced upon heretics by the creed of pope Pius IV., which is the acknowledged creed of all Roman Catholics without exception.

Secondly, I shall explain the proper meaning of the term anathema, as practically understood by the Church of Rome, and the extent and mode to which it has been applied by the Council of Trent.

Thirdly, I shall set forth some of the acts of popes and councils, in procuring what they called a holy war upon heretics, in order to destroy them by open violence.

Fourthly, I shall present a sketch of the rise, progress and authority of the Inquisition, which was intended to extirpate heretics by process of law, just as the holy wars were intended to extirpate them by the sword.

And lastly, I shall state the present position of the whole doctrine.

I need scarcely say, my brethren, that no subject belonging to the Roman controversy is more painful, and none needs to be handled with greater caution and fairness than this: while, on the other hand, there is nothing of which a thorough understanding is more vitally important to the peace and secu

rity of Christendom. The Roman Catholics themselves are as deeply interested in this matter as any other body of professing Christians whatever; because they are scattered all over the world, and live under a variety of governments, the rulers of which, although Christians, by no means agree with them in religious sentiment. Hence it is notorious, that in many parts of Switzerland and Germany, in Prussia, Denmark, and Sweden, in the East and West Indies, in England, Ireland, and Scotland, in the province of Canada, and in the United States, the members of the Church of Rome are indebted for all their Christian liberty to the doctrine of TOLERATION. But if toleration amongst Christians be right, persecution must be wrong; and the argument which belongs to the discussion of the point is of such deep practical importance, that all should be ready to lay aside their prejudices and passions, in order to examine it according to the light of truth and reason, in just subordination to the authority of the Word of God.

1. I proceed then, brethren, according to the course proposed, to show, that the pronouncing a positive anathema, or solemn curse, upon all heresies, is a part of the modern creed of the Church of Rome: and for this purpose, I shall quote the formulary universally acknowledged amongst all Roman Catholics, viz: the creed of Pope Pius IV., in the latter clause of which we read as follows: "I profess and undoubtedly receive all things delivered, defined, and declared, by the sacred Canons and General Councils, and particularly by the holy Council of Trent; and I also condemn, reject, and anathematize all things contrary thereto, and all heresies whatsoever, condemned and anathematized by the Church." A little farther on, the creed declares this to be a part of that “true Catholic faith, out of which none can be saved."

Here, then, we see that each individual member of the Church of Rome is bound to unite with the Councils, and es