day, is, for Festivals and Sundays, from the hours of first vespers on the eve until twilight of the festival itself; for Ferias, from midnight to midnight, according to the civil computation."- The hour of first vespers is that of which, in Catholic countries, it is customary to ring for them; but if the vespers be never said in a particular place, the inhabitants must be guided by the neighbouring churches, by the practice of the diocese, or of the cathedral of the diocese. Thus, in the town of Mans, the works of piety or prayers requisite for the granting of Plenary Indulgences attached to festivals may not be commenced before three o'clock in the afternoon of the eve, because that is the hour of the first vespers.' We are taught in the Holy Scriptures to believe, that "at all times" and in all seasons we may come unto our prayer-hearing God, whose ears are ever open unto those who call upon Him.

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At p. 76, you will find the last extract I shall read to you this evening; and I wish you to carry this with you till we meet again. 'Many Popes have disavowed, condemned, and revoked Indulgences which have been attributed to, or really granted by their predecessors." Is this the certainty of Rome? Is it not possible, then, that even this "Indulgence of Portiuncula" granted by the present Pope to Mr. Oakeley, may be revoked or condemned by another Pope?

Allow me to ask you, in conclusion, to consider these points. Is that Christianity which dates not its distinctive doctrines beyond the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 13th centuries? Are these things written in God's Holy Word? I ask you, is there any mention there of pardon of sin, and forgiveness of iniquity, over and above or besides that which God, for Christ's sake, has promised to us? My dear Brethren! it is Christ that blotteth out our iniquities. For thus saith the Lord: "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins," Isaiah xliii. 25. It is thus we are made to stand justified before God, by Faith alone, and are clothed in the garb of Christ's perfect righteousness.

My Roman Catholic Brethren! will ye lend your sanction to what we have this evening read from this book? The Rev. Mr. Oakeley has formally recommended this work to my perusal. To your attention I recommend the

Holy Bible, the Word of the Living God:
Scriptures!"

"Search the

And ye, my Protestant Brethren! be firm in "your most holy Faith." Read your Bible. Hold it fast. With many a hard-fought struggle it has been handed down to you. This will effectually arm you against Romanism, which would assail you by "the traditions of men and not after Christ," if perchance they may draw you away and pervert your minds from " the truth as it is in Jesus."

LECTURE II.

I have to make two preliminary remarks, my Brethren, before I resume the subject on which we have but lately entered; the first is to thank you for the deep attention manifested by you, when, upon last Tuesday evening, I had the pleasure of addressing you; and also to apologize for having asked you to assemble here again this evening. The only apology I can make is this, that if Mr. Oakeley had recommended to me a short book, I should have delivered a short lecture; but, inasmuch as he has recommended to me rather a long treatise, if I undertake a reply, I must do justice to my Author and to my subject. We are thus compelled again to occupy your attention this evening. The manifest interest, however, evinced upon the former evening, and the crowded audience which now surrounds me, serve as an encouragement to proceed with our examination of this book, which has been recommended to my perusal by Mr. Oakeley.

As a general abstract of our examination on last Tuesday evening, I may be allowed to remind you of the leading points which we then deduced from this book. (I.) I noticed their unavailing attempt to substantiate the doctrine and practice of Indulgences from Holy Scripture. (II.) The conscious inability of the writer thus from Scripture to sustain his cause; and hence his appeal to tradition. (III.) That, following the Author into this part of the subject, we find him acknowledging that, even with regard to traditionary evidence, there is great uncertainty as regards the first ages;" and nothing appears definitely on this subject until the eleventh or thirteenth centuries! (IV.) The admission, as you may remember,

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that this doctrine is not a "certain" article of faith, but that it may 66 approximate to one." (V.) The difficulty and expense of procuring Indulgences; whereby the system is proved to be inconsistent with the freedom and fulness of the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ. And (VI.) That Indulgences, even when obtained from one Pope, may yet be" condemned and revoked" by a subsequent Pontiff; thus involving the whole system in uncertainty ! Now, upon these points, I might have adduced the following argument, which I shall now propose for your consideration.

I find in the Creed of Pius IV. the acknowledged creed of the Church of Rome-with regard to Indulgences, the following article:

"Indulgentiarum etiam potestatem a Christo in ecclesia relictam fuisse, affirmo."

"I also affirm, that the power of Indulgences was left by Christ in the Church."

Such is the statement regarding Indulgences in the Creed of Pope Pius IV., which Creed was first published on the 9th of December, A.D. 1564. This doctrine is inserted therein as an institution of Christ, and an absolute article of faith. Yet, when they come to the proof of this, there arises a gross uncertainty as to this doctrine "in the first ages," it is uncertain whether it be an article of faith! All that can be said on the subject is, that "it approximates to one." Is not this an inconsistency ?-a contradiction between Mr. Oakeley's book and his acknowledged standard, the Creed of Pope Pius IV.?

Mark, likewise, Cardinal Bellarmine's evidence on this subject. You have a Cardinal, here in London, who says that it was left by Christ." Yet another Cardinal (Bellarmine) thus writes regarding the evidence on this topic, "De Indul." lib. ii. c. xvii. 1.

"Neque mirum videri debet, si auctores antiquiores non multos habemus, qui harum rerum mentionem faciant, quoniam plurima sunt in Ecclesia, quæ solo usu, sine literis, conservantur."

"It is not to be wondered at, if we have not many ancient authors which make mention of Indulgences; inasmuch as many things are retained in the Church only by use and custom, without writing."

Why, then, with such evidence against this doctrinewhy does the Roman Catholic Church state that "the power of Indulgences was left by Christ in the Church?"

This summary of our former Lecture may tend to recall to your minds these various particulars, and enable you the better to understand what we now propose further to show you, in our examination of this book.

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The first part of this subject is, as you may remember, Indulgences in general." This we examined last evening, and I have just now given an abstract of our researches under the above six particulars. We shall now proceed to the second part, viz., "Indulgences in particular:" it commences at p. 79 of Mr. Oakeley's book. The first chapter speaks of "Privileged Altars," which are thus defined :- 66 A privileged altar is that to which a Plenary Indulgence is attached by the Pope, applicable to those souls for whom the holy sacrifice is offered thereon, either on any day, or on certain days only. This privilege may be attached to the person of the priest; in which case it is enjoyed wherever the priest celebrates.'

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You have heard of " Indulgenced Beads," and you shall this evening hear of "Indulgenced Scapulars," &c., &c.; but we now speak of an Indulgenced Priest," who, wherever he goes, takes the Indulgence with him, and whatever may be the altar at which he serves, the privilege attaches thereto. But we must inquire into the origin of these "privileged altars." We have been searching into the depths of this subject on the former evening. We have searched the Scriptures, but we do not find Indulgences there; we have searched "the first ages," and even there we find them not! We must come to what are generally, and very properly, called the "dark ages,” and there we find the earliest origin of this Roman Catholic doctrine. We must now ask, "When did Privileged Altars arise?" The reply of this Author is, (p. 80.) Whether the Indulgence of privileged altars be an ancient custom is disputed." Here is another "dispute" in a church which professes to be so united, and to have no disagreement ! Supposing," he proceeds, as some do, that the custom cannot be traced beyond Gregory XIII., yet examples may be cited of privileged altars so far back as the Pontificate of Paschal I., in 817." Some say it can, and others say it cannot be traced beyond Gregory XIII.; i. e., beyond A. D. 1580. This is the Pope (Gregory XIII.) who caused a medal to be struck in honour of the Mas

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