,transcribed from the #ahdh ,j4 ,h4 ,jackson edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org ,many thanks to ,ramsgate ,library for allowing their copy to be used for this transcription4 ,,popery ,,the ,,accommodation ,,of ,,christianity ,,to ,,the ,,natural ,,heart4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,lecture1 ,,delivered ,,before ,,the ,,islington ,,protestant ,,institute1 ,,on ,,monday1 #bf,,th ,,june1 #ahdh4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,edward ,,hoare1 ,m4,a41 ,,incumbent ,,of ,,christ ,,church1 ,,ramsgate4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,published ,,for ,,the ,,islington ,,protestant ,,institute1 ,,by ,j4 ,h4 ,,jackson1 ,,islington ,,green2 ,,seeleys1 ,,fleet ,,street2 ,,hatchards1 ,,piccadilly4 99 99 99 99 99 #ahdh4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,alexander ,,macintosh1 ,,printer1 ,,great ,,new-,,street1 ,,london4 ,,islington ,,protestant ,,institute4 ,president4--,,rev4 ,d4 ,,wilson1 ,m4,a4 ,treasurer4--,,george ,,friend1 ,,esq4 ,committee4 ,,adams1 ,j4 ,,francis4 ,,heisch1 ,,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,,spurling1 ,j4 ,,atkinson1 ,r4 ,m4 ,,hill1 ,,rev4 ,t4 ,b4 ,,stogdon1 ,,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,,bentley1 ,,william4 ,,lord1 ,,james4 ,,suter1 ,e4 ,,bullock1 ,j4 ,,lovelock1 ,e4 ,,sutherland1 ,,rev4 ,,jas4 ,,edmonstone1 ,,rev4 ,c4 ,,mackenzie1 ,,rev4 ,w4 ,b4 ,,thornton1 ,,henry4 ,w4 ,,elmer1 ,j4 ,,marshall1 ,,samuel4 ,,venn1 ,w4 ,w4 ,,escreet1 ,,thomas4 ,,nalson1 ,,rev4 ,j4 ,,waddington1 ,,james4 ,,escreet1 ,,thomas1 ,,jun4 ,,over1 ,,rev4 ,,edward4 ,,western1 ,w4 ,,fell1 ,,rev4 ,h4 ,f4 ,,paine1 ,,william ,d4 ,,witherby1 ,f4 ,,green1 ,,john4 ,,peckett1 ,,george4 ,,wilkinson1 ,,chas41 ,m4 ,d4 ,,hadow1 ,j4 ,e4 ,,power1 ,,rev4 ,p4 ,b4 ,,willyams1 ,,rev4 ,t4 ,e4 ,,hambleton1 ,,rev4 ,j4 ,,sandys1 ,,rev4 ,j4 ,,wilson1 ,,rev4 ,f4 ,c4 ,,hardy1 ,,john4 ,,saxton1 ,e4 ,,haslegrave1 ,,rev4 ,j4 ,,smith1 ,,rev4 ,e4 ,honorary ,secretaries4 ,,rev4 ,c4 ,f4 ,,childe4 ,,rev4 ,r4 ,p4 ,,hutchison4 ,,mr4 ,d4 ,,hazard4 ,,mr4 ,w4 ,,pitman4 ,collector4--,,mr4 ,,liddle1 ,,parochial ,,schools1 ,,church-,,street4 ,,rules4 ,i4 ,that this ,society be called 8,,the ,,islington ,,protestant ,,institute40 ,,ii4 ,that the objects of the ,society be to awaken the attention of ,protestant ,christians to the progress of ,popery2 to call forth and unite their energies in opposing it2 and to form a rallying-point1 as well for the defence and promotion of ,protestant truth1 as for the maintenance of the ,protestant principles of the ,constitution4 ,,iii4 ,that the principal means for the attainment of this object be3 the issue of suitable publications2 the enrolment of the names or members2 public meetings1 lectures1 and sermons2 addresses and deputations to ,parliamentary representatives2 petitions to the ,legislature1 or the ,sovereign2 and correspondence with kindred societies1 with a view to obtain and communicate information4 ,,iv4 ,that the ,society be conducted by a ,president1 ,treasurer1 ,committee1 and two ,clerical and two ,lay ,secretaries4 ,v4 ,that ,members be of two classes3-- #a4 ,that every person contributing a ,donation of ,five ,guineas or upwards1 at one time1 or an ,annual ,subscription of ,five ,shillings or upwards1 be a ,subscribing ,member4 #b4 ,that every person from among the operative classes1 who shall be recommended by two ,subscribing ,members1 be admissible as a ,free ,member1 subject to annual re-election4 --,and that all members be entitled to attend the ,general ,meetings of the ,society1 and to receive the ,annual ,reports1 and other publications1 as far as the funds will admit1 preference being given to the ,subscribing ,members1 to whom also the privilege of voting will be confined4 ,,vi4 ,that a ,committee be annually elected1 consisting of thirty ,lay ,subscribing ,members1 together with all ,clergy resident in the parish who are likewise ,subscribing ,members of the ,society1 with power to fill up vacancies4 ,that this ,committee elect1 either from among themselves or from other ,subscribing ,members1 ,district ,sub-committees1 with a view to carrying out the objects of the ,society generally in the parish4 ,,vii4 ,that the ,general ,committee receive the ,reports of the ,district ,sub-committees2 determine on the admission and annual re-election of ,free ,members1 in pursuance of ,rule ,v42 regulate all matters of expenditure2 suggest plans for general adoption2 and supply such publications as may be required for distribution4 ,,viii4 ,that all publications circulated by the ,society be first approved by the ,general ,committee1 and bear the stamp of the 8,,islington ,,protestant ,,institute40 ,,ix4 ,that the ,general ,committee meet on the third ,monday in every month1 and oftener1 if needful4 ,five members to constitute a quorum4 ,x4 ,that an ,annual ,meeting of the members of the ,society be held in the month of ,november1 on such day as may be fixed by the ,general ,committee2 when the proceedings of the foregoing year shall be reported1 the accounts presented1 and the ,officers and ,committee chosen4 ,,xi4 ,that the ,secretaries shall call a ,special ,general ,meeting on the requisition of not less than twenty ,subscribing ,members2 that such requisition be in writing1 and specify the object for which the meeting is to be summoned2 and that not less than seven days' notice be given1 by circular1 to the ,subscribing ,members of the ,society4 ,,xii4 ,that none of the ,rules of the ,society be repealed or altered1 nor any new ones adopted1 but at the ,annual ,meeting1 or at a ,special ,general ,meeting called for that purpose4 ,,xiii4 ,that all ,meetings of the ,society be opened with prayer1 and closed with benediction4 ,,xiv4 ,that it be earnestly recommended to all the members of this ,society to make its important object and plans a subject of special and frequent prayer1 both in private and in the family4 99 99 99 99 99 ,n4,b4 #a4 ,contributions in aid of the ,institute will be thankfully received by any of the officers4 #b4 ,as the pecuniary qualification for ,membership has been fixed at the low rate of #es41 and as every ,subscribing ,member receives1 in the form of publications1 considerably more than an equivalent for that sum1 it is obvious that the ,society can only be maintained by the liberality of such as can afford to contribute more largely to its ,funds4 #c4 ,all the publications of the ,institute may be purchased at ,mr4 ,jackson's1 ,bookseller and ,publisher1 ,islington ,green4 #d4 ,parties contemplating the formation of similar ,societies in any part of the country1 are cordially invited to correspond with the officers of the ,institute1 who will also be thankful for any authentic information and friendly communication from ,societies already in existence4 ,,the ,,accommodation ,,of ,,christianity ,,to ,,the ,,natural ,,heart4 ,,there are two points of view in which every system may be regarded--its external action1 and its internal principle4 ,we may examine either the great effects of its machinery1 its plans1 its purposes1 its advances1 and its perils2 or we may trace its inner principle1 and endeavour to detect the secret spring by which the whole is set in motion4 ,it must at once be obvious that this latter inquiry is by far the more difficult2 for our attention is directed rather to the philosophy than the action of the system2 and we are called to examine the subtle tendencies of the human heart1 which1 of course1 are more difficult both of detection and exhibition than the great1 broad1 startling facts which lie on the surface of the world's history4 ,this difficulty ,i have seriously felt in the preparation of the present lecture1 the subject of which1 is1 8,popery the accommodation of ,christianity to the natural heart40 ,the subject plainly requires that we should study the secret working of the natural heart1 and should also examine into the corresponding principles of ,popery1 in order to discover their mutual accommodation1 and to show how the whole system of the one is dexterously fitted to allay the fears and supply the cravings of the other4 ,throughout1 therefore1 we have to deal more with principles than with facts4 ,i must ask your forbearance1 therefore1 if the lecture assumes a somewhat abstract form1 and contains but few of those startling statements which abound in the history of ,popery1 and which are of the utmost importance in arousing the dormant ,protestantism of the land4 ,but yet1 as facts are but the development of principles1 ,i must ask the attention of thinking minds1 and earnestly beg the candid consideration of all those ,christian friends1 whose desire it is to be established in the truth4 ,in its outward dress1 then1 and external presentation1 we see at once that ,popery adapts itself to the natural man4 ,the ,bible presents the ,gospel to us in the most unmixed simplicity2 the fruits of the ,spirit are its choicest ornament1 and the humbling of the heart is its proudest triumph4 ,it goes to the unlettered cottager1 places the ,bible in his hand1 and gives him the saving promise1 8,believe in the ,saviour as there revealed1 and live40 ,in the external aspect of such a system there is nothing to catch the natural eye2 to the man who is not taught by the ,spirit1 there is nothing peculiarly lovely in its fruits1 and to the person who is not influenced by his grace1 as there is nothing to charm the senses1 so there is little to attract his favourable regard4 ,but ,popery1 in presenting a spurious ,christianity1 has dressed it up in all the meretricious ornaments of sense4 ,it has summoned to its aid all that may allure the natural tastes1 so that if it fail to win the heart1 it may at all events enlist the eye and ear in its behalf4 ,thus there is no natural taste which is not pre-eminently gratified by ,popery4 ,the lover of music and the fine arts will find his highest delight while he hears the sounds of the well-sung anthem thrilling through the vaulted roofs of a magnificent cathedral4 ,the admirer of architecture will draw a contrast unfavourable to truth when he compares the noble ruins of ,tintern ,abbey with the simple church on the hill side that overhangs it4 ,the antiquarian is provided with an ample supply for the spirit of research in the legends1 the brasses1 the ruins1 and above all1 in the claim it sets forth of resting its pretensions on a far-gone antiquity3 while the ignorant and superstitious find all their wishes satisfied in the relics1 the charms1 the pilgrimages1 the holy coats1 the miracles1 and the whole tissue of fanatical deception with which the system abounds4 ,the effect upon such minds is proved by the fact1 that in those countries where ,popery prevails1 there appears to be no room for all the new schemes of quackery which abound in our own4 ,the ,church has secured a complete monopoly1 and finding that poor death-stricken man is ever craving after some unnatural mitigation of his woe1 has undertaken to supply his utmost necessities1 and to furnish a thousand charms and remedies to hush his longings1 if it cannot cure his ill4 ,but if this were the only manner in which ,popery adapts itself to the natural man1 there would be comparatively little cause for complaint4 ,there is no sin in an attractive exhibition of the truth1 nor is it wrong to enlist the tastes in favour of the ,redeemer's kingdom1 for the ,apostle to the ,gentiles was himself 8made all things to all men40 ,so soon1 however1 as the truth itself is modified in order to suit the prejudices or inclinations of those to whom it is addressed1 the accommodation from that moment becomes sinful in its character4 ,now it is impossible to study the records of ,romanism without perceiving that it is perpetually guilty of this sinful modification4 ,thus in different countries it assumes different external aspects4 ,in catechisms for the ,irish1 for example1 it omits the second commandment1 while in those for ,england it generally inserts it1 adapting itself in each case to what it considers that the people's mind can bear4 ,in ,china the ,jesuist missionaries actually went so far as to omit from their teaching the great fact of the crucifixion1 because they considered that a truth so humbling would be unwelcome to that proud and self-sufficient people4 ,the foundation of ,christianity was removed in order to accommodate it to the pride of the natural heart4 ,thousands of other instances might be adduced to show the pliability of the system4 ,it is like the camelion1 and varies its colour according to the soil on which it treads4 ,it will even preach justification by faith in those parishes where the people have learned the value of that blessed truth2 while1 at the very same moment1 in the decrees of the ,council of ,trent1 it levels its anathemas against those who venture to maintain it4 ,in ,protestant countries it will be foremost in its denunciations of idolatry1 while in others1 where the people are prepared to bear them1 it will fill its churches with its idols4 ,in all cases1 it accommodates itself to the existing bias of the mind addressed4 ,but these things are rather the dress of ,popery than its essence2 they form the apparel with which she has arrayed herself in order to appear before the world1 but they do not constitute the real deep secret of her strength4 ,they are nothing more than the paint upon the cheek1 the arts which the system has assumed1 but are not the source from which the system itself has sprung4 ,to this inner source1 then1 we have now to turn our thoughts1 and we have to shew that ,popery has founded itself upon the essential truths of ,christianity1 but has so altered and perverted them by addition1 by subtraction1 and by alteration1 as to accommodate them to the wants of unconverted men4 ,and here we must just remark1 that ,popery did not at any time appear ready made on the world's platform4 ,it was not like ,mahometanism1 which was constructed by one man1 and brought out complete after a certain retirement from the world2 but it was like the growth of a little horn1 commencing with soft and unnoticed buddings1 until1 as time advanced1 it acquired length and strength1 and hardness4 ,in fact1 the process has been very much that which we see in dissolving views2 you look at one time at a given picture1 and at the very time that you moat admire it1 certain lines become fainter1 and others stronger1 so that after a while you discover that the whole landscape is completely changed4 ,you have had your attention fixed throughout1 but the change has been so gradual1 the fading and brightening of the different parts so imperceptible1 that though you now see the lofty tower where a few moments back the cattle were grazing in the meadow1 you are at a loss to decide when the change commenced1 or what were the distinct steps of its accomplishment4 ,just so it has been with ,popery4 ,men began by looking at ,christianity2 they beheld its beauty and admired it2 but as they looked1 a faintness gradually crept over its outline2 its finest touches began insensibly to disappear2 the lines of a new picture by degrees took their place1 till at length the whole scene became changed1 and instead of ,christianity we found ,popery2 instead of ,christ we saw ,antichrist exalted in his room4 ,our business to-night is to shew that this transformation is the work of the natural heart when brought into contact with the ,gospel3 and in doing this1 there are a few general principles which it is important we should clearly understand in the outset4 ,the first of these is1 that every living man has a certain conviction of ,god's existence1 combined with a sense of right and of wrong naturally implanted in his heart4 ,this may be deadened and perverted1 but it is implanted there at birth1 and has remained amidst the wreck of our ruined nature4 ,we do not require revelation to assure us of the sin of murder1 nor could any doubt the duty of obedience to parents1 even if there were no sanction for it in the written word4 ,bishop ,butler says1 8,let any plain1 honest man1 before he engages in any course of action1 ask himself1--,is this ,i am going about right1 or is it wrong8 ,is it good1 or is it evil8 ,i do not in the least doubt that the question would be answered agreeably to truth and virtue40 ,a second universal fact is1 that every living man has sinned against this natural law2 that there never has been a single individual in the whole race1 who has not1 in countless instances1 done that which he by the light of nature has known to be offensive to the mind of ,god4 ,a third fact is1 that there is within every heart a certain faculty which is termed conscience1 which sits like a judge1 and passes sentence on every action we commit4 ,like a sensitive nerve1 it feels the approach of sin1 and1 unless it be completely seared as with an hot iron1 it is ever sounding within the heart the still small voice of just reproach4 ,thus every man in a state of nature is uneasy2 he may endeavour to palliate sin1 and discover excuses for its commission2 but he cannot altogether shake off the sense of it4 ,a consciousness of insecurity hangs around him4 ,he is not ready to die2 he has no joy in the prospect of the advent2 and1 though he may have some undefined hope of mercy1 he knows nothing of the calm peace of the child of ,god4 ,a fourth remark is1 that this uneasiness is increased just in proportion as such a character is brought into contact with the ,gospel4 ,there are thousands who feel the power of the ,gospel1 but who never know its grace4 ,it throws its light beyond the range of its salvation1 and just in proportion as that light breaks in upon a natural heart does it quicken conscience1 and revive the uneasiness of sin4 ,when the revealed word is never presented1 the law of nature becomes gradually obscured1 and the voice of conscience gradually silenced1 so that the uneasiness begins to die away1 and a fatal apathy by little and little creeps insensibly over the soul4 ,but when the revealed word reaches the mind1 even though the heart be never new-born by the ,spirit1 conscience regains much of its power1 the waters of the heart are stirred up and troubled1 and the sense of uneasiness rises afresh with renewed vigour in the soul4 ,hence it follows that the sense of uneasiness is always strongest amongst the unconverted members of the visible ,church4 ,by their outward profession they are brought into the closest contact with the ,gospel1 and therefore1 if not saved by it1 they above all others are rendered most uneasy by its holiness4 ,whatever effects therefore are likely to result from this uneasiness1 those we should expect to find in greatest strength within the limits of the visible ,church4 ,accordingly1 within those very limits1 we find that which ,i believe to be its great and chief result1 viz41 ,popery4 ,that men under such circumstances must seek out a remedy is perfectly obvious1 and that there is only one remedy provided by the ,lord is equally plain to the student of the ,scriptures4 ,that remedy is the free grace of ,god in ,christ ,jesus4 ,let a man be really brought to believe in ,him1 let him be taught by the ,spirit to take home the blessed truth that the whole burden of his blackest sin has been laid on ,jesus1 and that a pardon1 free1 immediate1 and complete1 is granted to the guilty man who stands in ,christ1 so that 8now there is no condemnation to them that are in ,christ ,jesus1 who walk not after the flesh1 but after the ,spirit10 and that man being justified by faith has peace with ,god4 ,but then he is taken out of the rank of natural men1 and1 by the new birth1 he is separated unto the kingdom of his ,lord2 he ceases to be a natural man1 and all his peace now flows into his soul through grace4 ,but suppose this change does not take place1 what then8 ,the uneasiness still remains1 and the contact with the ,gospel only quickens it4 ,the conscious heart therefore is forced back upon its own remedies1 and these remedies are of two kinds4 ,the first is ,infidelity4 ,the heart struggles to get free from the sense of condemnation by clearing itself if possible from the sense of a ,god4 ,when conscience convicts of sin1 ,infidelity steps in and strives to hush its voice1 saying1 8,thou shall not surely die20 and when the heart persuades the man that he is guilty1 he strives to find a refuge in the soothing voice of unbelief1 which pretends to teach that there is no ,god to judge him4 ,but such a remedy cannot satisfy4 ,there is such a deep conviction of ,god in the heart1 and such unbounded and irresistible proofs of his presence throughout creation1 that no man can really rest in such a system4 ,even ,paine himself1 when the vessel in which he was crossing to ,america was on the point of sinking1 cried out in his alarm1 8,lord ,jesus1 save me40 ,and ,voltaire1 with all his blasphemous daring1 six weeks after he had said he should die of glory1 did die in all the agonies of despair4 ,the nurse who attended him refused many years afterwards to nurse a devoted ,christian ,protestant1 because she confounded a ,protestant with an ,infidel1 and declared that she never again dare witness such horrors as she had seen in the chamber of ,voltaire4 ,so it is told of one who moved not many years back in the centre of ,infidel society1 that on one occasion1 being seized with severe illness at midnight1 and dreading the near approach of death1 the terror-stricken sufferer sent for an intimate friend1 and on his arrival1 addressed him in words to this effect4 8,i fear ,i am dying1 and ,i am greatly alarmed2 so ,i have sent for you to remind me of the arguments which prove that there is no ,god40 ,a fearful confirmation of a remark once made by a ,unitarian to a beloved relative of my own--8,our principles are very well while you live1 but they won't do to die upon40 ,thus there is no real peace secured by ,infidelity1 as it cannot still the conscience1 and leaves the heart in as much uneasiness as ever4 ,there appears1 therefore1 no remedy left for the unconverted man4 ,the ,gospel is presented to his view1 and the effect is to fill his heart with fear4 ,if he were altogether to accept it1 he would be at peace2 or if he could altogether reject it1 then perchance1 he might be at ease2 but now there is so much power in it1 that he cannot altogether shake it off2 while1 at the same time1 there is so much opposed to all his will in it that he will not by faith embrace it as his own4 ,the only hope that remains in such a case is to discover1 if possible1 some modification of the ,gospel--some system which will profess the grand principles so as not to violate his deep and irresistible convictions1 but which at the same time will so modify those principles in their practical application1 that it may still the conscience without a change of heart1 and give him something that he may rest in as a substitute for peace1 while1 at the same time1 it leaves him still a natural man1 with his heart unchanged1 and his will unsubdued by the grace that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,now ,popery is neither more nor less than this modification of the ,gospel4 ,it retains enough of its fundamental principles to satisfy the conviction that it is the truth of ,god1 while1 at the same time1 it so modifies and alters them in their application to the individual as to still his conscience1 even in those cases where it fails to change the heart4 ,let us take a few particulars in illustration of this modifying process1 and let us see how it suits the different phases of the character4 ,i4 ,the mind inquiring after ,christian truth4 ,it is impossible to give the slightest attention to the ,word of ,god without perceiving the vast importance attached to the reception of ,christian truth2 and it is equally impossible to avoid the conviction that it is declared in ,scripture to be there revealed decisively4 ,it is the plain doctrine of the ,word of ,god that there is one way1 one truth1 and one life1 and that we are responsible for its rejection or reception4 ,now1 just in proportion as a man feels the pressure of a surrounding religious atmosphere1 does he feel the weight attaching to this responsibility2 and the more anxious does he naturally become to have his mind settled and his doubts satisfied4 ,it is true that the humble believer1 being led by the ,spirit1 quickly finds an happy assurance in the simple statements of the ,bible2 but there are many1 like ,noah's dove1 who can find amidst the troubled waters of the world no resting-place for their soul4 ,many shrink from the labour of investigation1 and many more from the responsibility of decision4 ,the truth is not arranged in a system of dogmatical statements1 but lies embodied in every portion of the book1 from whence it arises that men must search for it as for hid treasure2 a duty in direct opposition to the natural indolence of our nature4 ,but1 still more1 faith requires conviction and decision--qualifications yet more opposed to the wavering and vacillating tendencies of man4 ,you see many men in life who appear to have no power to take a consistent course alone4 ,if they are led they will follow1 and1 perhaps1 will follow well2 but they do not appear to have the mental faculty of decision4 ,indeed1 this power of decision is the characteristic of great men4 ,they are not always either wiser or better than those they lead1 but they have this faculty1 that they are thoroughly persuaded in their own mind1 and are capable of full and unwavering conviction of any truth which they are led to embrace4 ,such persons are sure to have a cluster of dependent minds around them1 and others of superior ability are glad to lean on their superior decision4 ,the fact is1 that man is a parasitic plant1 and he must lean on something4 ,now see the influence of such a fact on our connexion with ,divine truth4 ,a thoughtful mind at once discovers that the reception of truth is of the utmost importance to his soul1 and at the same time his conscience assures him that he is but partially acquainted either with its evidence or its statements4 ,what1 then1 is the result8 ,he begins to lean on the judgment of those whom he considers better informed1 and to pin his faith on other men4 ,thus there are thousands and tens of thousands who abhor the name of ,rome1 who are depending wholly on the judgment of others in religion4 ,this is always the danger in those congregations where there is a beloved and gifted minister4 ,it is the case also amongst those whom you would suppose to be at the antipodes of ,popery1 viz41 those who boast that they are peculiarly men of reason in their faith4 ,a friend of mine was conversing the other day with an ,unitarian1 and proving to him the clear doctrine of the eternal divinity of the ,saviour4 ,the man could make no reply to the clear proofs adduced from ,scripture1 till at length1 when completely baffled1 he said1 8,i cannot explain those texts myself1 but my minister can40 ,could you have a stronger proof that it is the tendency of human nature1 even when it boasts its own reason1 to lean on other men for truth8 ,now1 from this tendency has arisen the whole system of ,romish infallibility4 ,anxious minds felt the necessity of leaning upon something4 ,had they leaned on ,scripture they would have been at peace2 but1 in default of that1 they required some human judgment4 ,the first and most natural process was to lean on individuals1 and1 accordingly1 most heresies bear the names of their first leaders4 ,but this fails in giving peace1 for individuals differ1 and the authority of the individual is too often weakened by his faults and errors4 ,hence it follows1 that these leaning minds are often involved in perplexity of the most painful character4 ,not having the one anchor1 they are driven about by every wind that bloweth4 ,was there ever a system more beautifully adapted to such a case than that which steps in to the chamber of doubt1 and says1 8,be still1 it is not your business to decide at all3 it is for you1 as a humble believer1 to believe what the ,church believes80 ,all responsibility is thus taken off the conscience1 and thrown on an ideal object1 the ,church2 the indolence of human nature is at once satisfied1 for investigation is represented as a sin2 and even the piety of the heart is called into exercise1 for blind reliance is honoured by the hallowed name of faith4 ,the whole weight of perplexity is thrown off beyond the reach of investigation1 and by that one stroke a false relief is given4 ,there are a thousand questions which ought to be answered before the leap is taken4 ,what is the ,catholic ,church8 ,where is the proof of its infallibility8 ,what does it teach8 and is the teaching scriptural8 ,but these it is said to be a sin to ask4 ,at one stroke the responsibility is transferred1 and the anxious mind finds what it terms 8rest in the ,church40 ,hence men often begin with anxious interest1 advance as a second step to perplexity1 and then1 at length1 abandon inquiry in a blind reliance on what they are told is the teaching of the ,church4 ,one of the late perverts to ,rome said1 when a gentleman quoted to her the ,word of ,god1 8,i thank ,god ,i am not called to perplex myself any more with the perplexities of ,scripture4 ,i have placed the interests of my soul in safe keeping1 and shall not suffer myself again to be disturbed40 ,she had plainly felt perplexity1 and she had found a false peace in throwing off her personal responsibility4 ,so there is mention made in 8,milner's ,end of ,controversy10 of one ,anthony ,ulric1 ,duke of ,brunswick1 who1 having commenced a search for true religion1 ended in writing a book entitled his 8,fifty ,reasons for preferring the ,roman ,catholic ,religion10 in which he says1 8,the ,catholics to whom ,i spoke concerning my conversion1 assured me1 that if ,i were to be damned for embracing the ,catholic faith1 they were ready to answer for me at the day of judgment1 and to take my damnation upon themselves40 ,as he could find no ,protestants who were willing to undertake a similar responsibility1 he decided on joining the ,church of ,rome3--showing again how a state of perplexity leads on to a blind transfer of personal responsibility to others4 ,it is not our business to-night to shew the utter fallacy of all such blind reliance1 or to point out how widely it differs from the faith with which it is confounded2 how infinitely more difficult it is to discover what the ,church teaches than what the ,bible does2 or how such persons receive without investigation a monstrous dogma opposed to every evidence1 viz41 the pretended infallibility of the ,church on which they lean4 ,my one desire has been to show that such a system is a natural accommodation of the doctrine of revelation to the wants and waverings of the natural man4 ,,ii4 ,worship4 ,it is plain to any man that without worship there can be no true religion1 and the ,gospel is a grand scheme whereby ,god enables men to pray4 ,christ came that we might have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him4 ,his blood removes every barrier1 and his ,spirit gives the needful power4 ,but unless that ,gospel be embraced with an appropriating faith1 true prayer remains an impossibility2 men may repeat their prayers1 but1 like ,st4 ,paul1 they will never really pray4 ,hence1 if a man remain in an unconverted state1 he must do one of two things2 he must either give up prayer altogether1 which cannot satisfy an anxious mind2 or he must have some modification of true worship4 ,if he cannot rise in heart to heaven1 he must have a shadow of the throne provided for him on earth4 ,now mark the effect of this necessity4 ,the first great difficulty in the way of earnest prayer is realization4 ,the natural man cannot realize unseen spirits4 ,there is a height and glory in them beyond his reach4 ,but yet there is no peace unless he does realize4 ,so what must he do8 ,me must invent some representation1 whereby to lead on his mind2 some image1 figure1 or effigy1 which may stand before him1 in order to bring the object of his worship to his view1 and which may stand as a hallowed emblem1 through which he pays ,god his honour2 he invents for himself just such a system as is described in the decree of the ,council of ,trent1 when it says1 ,sess4 xxv41 8,the honour which is given to the images is given to the prototypes which they represent1 so that through the images which we kiss1 and before which we uncover the head and make prostration1 we adore ,christ1 and venerate those saints of whom they are the likeness40 ,through the image they adore the ,saviour1 and the image is employed as an accommodated help to assist the process of realization in the worship of an unseen ,god4 ,if there were any doubt that this is the true history of image-worship1 it would be removed by the fact that the sin has appeared under the same form1 under all circumstances1 and in all ages4 ,aaron made the calf as a representation of ,god1 and said1 8,these be thy ,gods1 ,o ,israel1 which brought thee out of the land of ,egypt20 and the ,hindoo of the present day regards his idol as a representative of his deity4 ,a ,jesuit priest was in conversation the other day with a learned ,hindoo in the neighbourhood of ,madras1 and urged him to embrace what he termed the ,catholic faith4 8,what is the good10 said the heathen1 8of my exchanging one system of idolatry for another80 8,idolatry60 said the priest1 8you do not mean to say that ours is idolatry4 ,we do not worship our images2 we merely set them before us1 and adore our ,saviour and the saints in them40 8,and do you suppose10 replied the heathen1 8that we actually worship the images8 ,no2 we merely set them before us as a representation of our gods4 ,no1 ,sir2 a ,christian ,i may become1 but ,i shall never be a ,roman ,catholic40 ,there was not a shade of difference between the two systems1 both having sprung from the natural tendencies of the human heart4 ,this identity was on one occasion curiously illustrated by the ,church of ,rome itself1 for when they obtained possession of a magnificent statue of ,jupiter ,tonans1 they removed the thunderbolt out of his hand1 and gave him two large keys in its place4 ,by this slight alteration1 they changed ,jupiter into ,peter1 and transferred him from a ,pagan temple to a ,christian ,church4 ,could anything shew more clearly that ,paganism and ,romanism were nothing more than different accommodations to the idolatrous tendencies of the human heart8 ,there was no opposition in principle1 and the only difference was between the thunderbolt and the keys4 ,what a refreshing contrast do we find in the records of the ,tinnevelly ,mission1 where the heathen idols have been used for pavement at the ,church doors1 so that none can enter ,god's house for worship without first trampling the former idol under foot6 ,from the same nature has sprung the system of saint worship4 ,there is always a tendency to deify the great1 and just in proportion as time advances does this tendency increase4 ,the man's human frailty is daily witnessed by his own contemporaries1 and the humanity of his nature kept in view by visible facts2 but when the corrective evidence of real life loses its power through the lapse of time1 the human failures are forgotten1 while the great acts are exaggerated1 till something supernatural is attached to the memory1 and the earthly benefactor is adored as a god4 ,this is the history of all the tutelary deities of ,pagan lands4 ,romulus1 e4g41 was no sooner dead than deified2 the most popular deity of ,china1 ,laoutze1 was one of the early emperors1 and there is scarcely a nation in the world that has not elevated its benefactors into gods4 ,here1 then1 is the natural tendency of the natural heart--a tendency in direct opposition to ,christianity4 ,but1 though thus opposed to the ,gospel1 it is not necessarily eradicated from the heart of every professing ,christian2 and1 hence1 it has produced within the ,church a new mode of ,christianized hero-worship1 in which the martyrs have taken the hero's honours1 and the ,virgin is crowned with the crown of ,cybele4 ,there was nothing wonderful in this4 ,they witnessed the martyrs' faith1 and met for sacramental communion around the martyrs' tombs2 they knew their souls yet lived1 and they knew not but what they might be even present4 ,what1 then1 could be more natural than that the waiting heart should begin to adore them8 ,it was not addressing a ,pagan god1 but a ,christian saint1 and the very prayer was an acknowledgment of all the great principles of ,christianity4 ,but when once that prayer was uttered1 the ,rubicon was crossed1 and the principle of saint-worship established in the ,church4 ,hence you find the guardian saints and angels of the ,church of ,rome filling exactly the same office as the tutelary deities of the ,heathen4 ,and1 as we have just remarked the identity of ,pagan and ,roman image-worship as illustrated by the alteration of the image1 so there is another curious fact which exhibits the similar correspondence between the hero-worship of the ancients and the saint-worship of modern ,rome4 ,when the ,emperor ,phocas issued his celebrated edict in recognition of the supremacy of the ,see of ,rome1 he made a present to the ,pope of the ancient temple named ,pantheon4 ,now this temple was originally dedicated to ,cybele1 and all the ,pagan gods1 and when it fell into the possession of the ,pope1 he made as slight a change as possible1 for he just turned it over to the ,virgin ,mary and all the saints4 ,the principle was left untouched1 though the objects of the idolatry were changed4 ,but there is a yet further principle involved in this saint and virgin worship2 for the human heart requires tenderness and sympathy1 so that we can never breathe out our secret burden to one who has no fellow-feeling with our trouble4 ,we want the sympathy of a common nature1 if not the tenderness of a woman's heart4 ,hence in ,heathen systems you constantly find a ,heathen goddess to whom pertains especially the office of patronage and mercy4 ,even ,simon ,magus had his ,helena in his system of ,gnosticism2 and the poor ,buddhist1 while he looks with awe to his three ,buddhas1 has his ,kwan-yin1 or ,goddess of ,mercy1 to whom he may appeal in trouble4 ,yes6 the human heart needs tenderness1 and if there is any one aspect in the ,gospel more glorious than another1 it is the rich provision made for this very want4 ,there never was a scheme so wonderful1 or a ,saviour so perfect as that presented in the ,gospel4 ,glorious in his divinity1 he sways heaven's mighty sceptre1 while1 perfect in his humanity1 he can be tenderly touched with the faintest cry of human grief4 ,he governs angels1 and weeps with men4 ,but the natural man is a stranger to this sympathy2 yet he longs for it and feels the need of it4 ,he is exposed to the shocks and buffetings of this rough world1 and his bleeding heart needs a friend who himself has bled4 ,if he has not ,christ1 therefore1 he naturally craves a substitute2 something which may give him the sense of sympathy amongst the unseen powers4 ,and this desire has gradually run into saint and virgin worship4 ,it has taken hold of the hero-worship of the ,heathen1 and given it a ,christian character by transferring it to the ,virgin and the saints4 ,it does not do away with ,christ1 but provides a system of intermediate mediation which commends itself to the aching heart by the assurance of a woman's love and a fellow-sufferer's compassion4 ,hence1 if any particular saint was subject during life to any especial trial1 he is supposed to take a peculiar interest in those who labour under similar affliction4 ,nor can you read much of the adoration paid by ,rome to the ,virgin without perceiving that she is the ,kwan-yin1 the ,goddess of ,mercy1 in the ,romish system4 ,there is a halo of awe thrown around the brow of the ,redeemer1 while the ,virgin is described in the attitude of tenderness1 8the comforter of the afflicted10 8the refuge of the sinner10 and the ready listener to the sufferer's cry4 ,we will adduce one instance in illustration1 as given by ,mr4 ,tyler in his valuable little work 8,what is ,romanism80 ,the worship of the ,virgin is especially celebrated in ,romish countries during the month of ,may1 and there is a collection of religious poems used in the churches of ,paris on these occasions4 ,one of these is as follows3-- 8,vouchsafe1 ,mary1 on this day to hear our sighs and second our desires4 ,vouchsafe1 ,mary1 on this day to receive our incense1 our love3 ,of thy heavenly husband calm the rage4 ,let him shew himself kind to all those that are thine6 ,of thy heavenly husband calm the rage3 ,let his heart be softened towards us40 ,here ,god is presented in the attitude of terror1 while the female advocate is the sole depository of grace2 and the whole springs from the natural heart1 which1 under the sense of sin1 feels a dread of ,god2 and longing for sympathy1 appeals to a woman's love4 ,,iii4 ,holiness4 ,we may lay it down as a fundamental axiom1 that there can be no religion without holiness4 ,whatever be our doctrinal opinions1 if we be not holy we cannot see the ,lord4 ,and1 accordingly1 holiness is the great gift of a risen ,saviour to his ,church4 ,he has shed forth the ,holy ,ghost to purify our hearts by faith4 ,now1 in this ,christian holiness there are two or three leading features to be carefully observed4 7#a47 ,it is not a plant which grows naturally in the human heart1 but is the especial work of the ,holy ,ghost himself4 7#b47 ,it consists in a sacred principle which controls the whole man1 and not in any one class either of actions or omissions4 7#c47 ,this ruling principle is the constraining power of the love of ,christ4 8,the love of ,christ constraineth us40 ,from which remarks it appears at once that true holiness is from its very nature impossible to the unconverted man4 ,he is not under the influence of the ,spirit2 he does not know the love of ,christ1 and he is1 therefore1 incapable of that hallowed principle which shall bend his whole mind in one direction1 and wean him from sin by the consecration of his whole man to ,god4 ,hence1 the unconverted man1 if thoughtful and conscientious1 is sure to feel distressed4 ,a holy standard is presented to his view1 while his conscience convicts him of lamentable defect4 ,he sees there must be necessity1 but has not felt its power4 ,he sees there must be holiness1 but he knows he is not holy4 ,he is aware that without righteousness there can be no true religion1 but he sees so much sin within his heart that he cannot believe himself righteous4 ,what1 then1 is to be done8 ,what is the refuge of the human heart under such circumstances8 ,either he must stifle conscience1 which is impossible1 or he must embrace the ,gospel1 in which case he would find joy in the ,holy ,ghost1 or he must so accommodate that ,gospel as to soothe his heart without changing it1 which accommodation is ,popery4 ,and how is this effected8 ,one mode is by ritualism4 ,there are two great classes of ,christian duties combined in the formation of ,christian holiness--moral and positive2 moral being the general effect of ,christian principle1 positive consisting in certain ,christian acts4 ,now it is plainly in respect to these moral duties or duties of ,christian principle that the natural heart finds the chief difficulty1 and the outward acts of a ceremonial religion are incomparably easier than the holy dedication of a devoted heart4 ,hence it follows that the human heart is naturally prone to slide insensibly from the principle to the ritual1 and to endeavour to compensate the defects of the one by a rigid attention to the requirements of the other4 ,by such an accommodation no part of ,divine truth is professedly set aside1 but yet1 by altering the proportions of the several parts1 by throwing a strong light on one side of the picture1 and a deep shade on the other1 its whole character is completely changed1 and religion is given to the natural man though his heart is left unsanctified by the ,spirit4 ,this tendency to substitute ritual for principle may be daily seen in every society4 ,one thinks himself holy because he has kept his church2 another1 because he is a regular communicant2 a third1 because he attends daily service2 a fourth1 because he never neglects to say his prayers2 while a fifth is quite sure that he is born again1 because in his infancy he was baptized2 although1 possibly1 neither one nor the other has learned anything of true holiness of heart4 ,out of this tendency has sprung up the whole system of ,romish righteousness4 ,the weed that grew out of the human heart it has adroitly cultivated1 till it has become the strongest flower in its garden4 ,what under the ,gospel sprang up by nature against the ,gospel it has embodied and arranged so as to become a substitute for the ,gospel4 ,hence1 under ,popery1 ritual has in many cases overpowered principle1 and attention to ritual religion is made the substitute for spiritual holiness before ,god4 ,it is extremely difficult to produce documentary evidence of any such substitution1 for1 of course1 it is in no case acknowledged4 ,the truth of our charge1 however1 may be easily seen in the practice of indulgences4 ,it is sometimes thought that this monstrous practice has been abandoned by modern ,popery4 ,but such is not the case2 for ,i find in the 8,catholic ,directory0 for #ahdh1 that there are eight plenary indulgences granted to the faithful in the eight districts of ,england1 and four more for the peculiar benefit of the ,london district4 ,now the essence of these indulgences is the substitution of ritual for principle1 for the remission of moral sin is promised as a reward to the observance of an ecclesiastical rite4 ,take1 e4g41 one of the indulgences granted by ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv43--8,our holy ,father1 ,sixtus ,,iv41 ,pope1 hath granted to all them that devoutly say this prayer before the image of our ,lady the sum of #aa1jjj years of pardon4 ,ave ,sanctissima ,maria1 c40 ,so the late ,pope issued an apostolic brief to ,ambrose ,lisle ,phillips1 ,esq41 in which1 amongst other things1 he promises 8indulgences of #ajj days as often as the members shall recite their appointed decade of the rosary on working days40 ,he promises at the same time indulgences of seven years and seven lents as often as they shall recite the aforesaid decades on ,sundays and holidays1 c4 ,it is impossible to imagine a more glaring preference of ritual above principle4 ,the guilt of moral sin is remitted as a reward for the performance of an ecclesiastical rite4 ,another clear illustration of the same principle is seen in the substitution for repentance of what they term the sacrament of penance4 ,where you find repentance in the ,scriptures you find penance taught by ,rome1 as1 e4g41 in ,ezek4 xviii4 #cj3--8,repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions40 ,luke xiii4 #c4 8,except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish40 ,and ,acts ii4 #ch3--8,repent and be baptized every one of you1 for the remission of sins1 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost40 ,in all these passages the ,council of ,trent1 ,sess4 xiv4 #b1 has changed 8repent10 into 8do penance10 and has so made the rite a substitute for the principle4 ,of course the pious ,romanist would say1 8,we have the principle too1 for we truly repent in penance40 ,but that does not affect the question4 ,the ,bible has promised remission of sin1 and connected it with the principle2 the ,church of ,rome has adopted the promise1 but transferred it to the rite4 ,the effects of this on different minds are1 of course1 very various4 ,in some of a devout and conscientious character1 it produces the most earnest attention to the positive duties of religion1 and gives them a dim gleam of doubtful hope in the unceasing observance of all prescribed services4 ,but when there is not this spirit of devotion1 it enables a wicked man to make a compromise with ,god1 and to follow the natural bent of his natural heart1 by attending to the ,church's services1 while he utterly neglects the weightier matters of the law4 ,in the late trials for murder in ,ireland1 it was remarked that many of the guilty culprits were persons remarkable for their attention to the ritual of their ,church2 and there was a case at the close of the last ,irish rebellion in which the hour of a murder was thus proved4 ,one of the witnesses swore that it took place after the hour of twelve o'clock on ,saturday night1 and he was sure of the fact because the murderers were determined to have a supper before they went on their guilty errand1 and that ,saturday being a fast-day1 they could not touch meat until after the clock had struck4 ,the ritual of fasting was rigidly observed1 while the regard for life was altogether gone4 ,in one of the jails at ,rome there is a celebrated bandit1 by name ,gasparoni4 ,this man1 by his deeds of bloodshed1 had desolated an extensive district in the neighbourhood of ,rome1 though all the while he avowed himself a very religious man4 ,sir ,fowell ,buxton inquired of him whether he had fasted when he was a bandit4 ,he said1 8,yes40 8,why did you fast80 was the next question4 8,because ,i am of the religion of the ,virgin40 8,which did you think was worse1 eating meat on a ,friday1 or killing a man80 ,he answered without hesitation1 8,in my case it was a crime not to fast2 it was no crime to kill those who came to betray me40 ,the man had no true holiness1 but had taken the ritual of fasting as its substitute1 so that in the midst of his murders he believed himself a very religious man4 ,the same principle appears in the ,romish treatment of the ,lord's-day4 ,the moral commandment of the ,most ,high ,god is abandoned1 and for it you find in many ,romish catechisms the substitute of human ritual1 8,thou shalt keep the festivals40 ,and this appears in the universal practice of ,romish countries4 ,they appear to regard it as a duty to attend mass1 but that once done1 the whole day is devoted to amusement4 ,the rite is observed1 and the conscience satisfied1 so that the unregenerate heart is left at full liberty to pursue its own course1 and take its pleasure on the ,lord's holy day4 ,thus the same persons who are engaged in the utmost apparent devotion at mass in the morning are found in throngs in the dissolute ,french theatre at night4 8,attend to the ,church's rites and live as you please10 appears to be the maxim of their morality4 ,you perceive the same thing in ,romish literature4 ,it has been one of the characteristics of the late movement toward ,rome that amongst its most devoted followers it has let loose the spirit of the world4 ,you will observe1 for example1 in ,burns's ,catalogue the strangest possible mixture of ritualism and worldliness1 and will see the book of ,romish devotion placed side by ride with the wild ,german love story4 ,thus has ,popery taken hold of the great grand gift of ,christianity1 and presented it to its votaries in a form accommodated to human nature4 ,it does not deny the necessity of holiness1 but it so transforms its character that the unholy man may think he has attained it1 and the ,italian murderer conscientiously believe himself religious4 ,a second substitution for true holiness is asceticism3 according to which system the unholy heart finds its refuge in a separation from ordinary men4 ,christianity carries holiness into life1 asceticism takes the hermit out of it4 ,but yet it is perfectly natural that men should seek such a refuge4 ,when they feel the burden of sin1 and experience the temptations of a surrounding world1 it is no wonder that they should seek a remedy in a complete retirement from its influence4 ,to give themselves up to fasting1 penance1 and solitary communion with ,god1 must lead1 they very naturally argue1 to the enjoyment of more holy peace than they can hope to find in the midst of the duties and varied engagements of society4 ,hence every false faith has produced its devotees4 ,under different systems they have assumed a different character1 but in all the principle is the same4 ,the ,hindoo separates himself from the world1 and stands with his arm erect till it becomes stiffened into a fixed position2 while the ,buddhist and the ,romanist retire to the convent that they may there withdraw from the world1 and devote themselves wholly to spiritual exercises and to ,god4 ,but though this is natural1 it is a mere accommodation4 ,the real evil of the human heart is not corrected by the change1 nor have the hair shirt and the leathern girdle the slightest influence in controlling the corrupt passions of the nature4 ,there may be as much pride1 self-righteousness1 and ill-governed temper in the lonely hermit's cheerless cell1 as in the deep current of the world's society4 ,at the same time it is an accommodation1 for it employs the name of ,christ1 and gives the semblance of a very elevated piety4 ,it adopts the language of devotion1 and prescribes a course of action and self-denial4 ,it gives the inquirer something to do1 and something to bear2 it separates him also from other men1 and so1 though his heart be not purified1 it gives him the hope that he is holy4 ,this was remarkably seen in the case of ,ignatius ,loyola4 ,like ,luther1 he was awakened to a deep sense of sin1 and it is a remarkable fact that the two greatest phenomena of the sixteenth century1 the ,reformation1 and ,jesuitism1 should have sprung out of the same uneasiness for sin4 ,luther found peace through the blood of the ,lamb1 and holiness in the work of the ,spirit2 ,loyola was as much distressed as he1 and failing in his discovery of ,christ1 he took refuge in the substitute of an ascetic life4 ,he tore himself away from his kindred and father's house1 determining to undergo penances of the severest character1 and to serve ,god in ,jerusalem4 ,he hung up his shield before an image of the ,virgin1 and1 having clothed himself in coarse raiment1 he stood before it for whole nights with his pilgrim's staff in his hand4 ,at ,manresa he passed seven hours daily on his knees1 and scourged himself regularly thrice a-day4 ,he devoted three whole days to making a general confession for sin1 but the more he explored the depths of his heart1 the more painful were the doubts which assailed him4 ,having read in some of the fathers that ,god had been moved to compassion by a total abstinence from food1 he remained from ,sunday to ,sunday without tasting anything1 and at last only broke his fast in obedience to the positive injunctions of his confessor4 ,such were the efforts of a master mind1 to create for itself an artificial holiness1 and such are the principles more or less involved in the whole system of the monasticism of ,rome4 ,it substitutes devotion of act1 which withdraws men from their appointed sphere1 for devotion of heart which glorifies ,god in its varied duties3 and thus presents a spurious holiness within reach of unconverted minds4 ,,iv4 ,but the great root of the matter yet remains in the craving of the soul for ,reconciliation4 ,that there is this craving none can deny4 ,it is seen in all classes1 in all nations4 ,buddhists1 ,hindoos1 ,mussulmen1 ,jews1 ,protestants1 ,romanists1 and even ,infidels1 all bear testimony to a certain undefined longing after peace4 ,now this peace is given by the ,gospel1 in the free1 full justification of the believer through the perfect atonement and imputed righteousness of the ,lord4 ,but in the practical application of it to the heart there arises this difficulty4 ,our safety depends on an invisible union with an invisible ,redeemer4 ,faith is not a thing which can be seen and felt4 ,it looks away from self to ,christ1 and disappears as soon as you look back on self to find it4 ,now if a man be enabled by the ,holy ,ghost to look simply to ,christ1 this difficulty vanishes through the all-sufficiency of the one object there presented to his view4 ,but if1 on the other hand1 this faith be wanting1 and the freedom of ,divine grace remain unknown1 the human heart at once makes an effort for some visible1 tangible mode of laying hold of acceptance in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the system1 therefore1 best accommodated to the natural man would be one which embraced all the rich promises of the ,gospel1 but connected them with something which could be said or done1 so leaving men in no doubt as to their position4 ,now this desire is exactly met by the ,church of ,rome4 ,it presents its pardon in a tangible1 visible form1 and it leads the soul to rest for its assurance upon something safely done4 ,the sin is confessed1 the penance performed1 the absolution pronounced1 and there the matter ends4 ,the guilty man has no further occasion to distress his mind upon the subject4 ,the language of the catechism of the ,council of ,trent is very curious as illustrating the endeavour to connect pardon with a visible act4 ,it first draws the distinction between the inward disposition of repentance and the outward act of penance1 and adds1 #ac1 8,that it is the outward penance in which the sacrament consists1 and which contains certain external actions1 which are subjects of sense through which the inner feelings of the mind are manifest40 ,the next section explains the reason why the sacrament of penance is said to have been instituted1 viz41 to assure us of our pardon1 for without it1 8there must have been most anxious suspense of mind respecting inward repentance1 since every man would have had good reason to doubt his own judgment in those things which he was doing40 ,to avoid this anxiety1 therefore1 the pardon is connected with a visible act4 ,it is found1 accordingly1 in practical life1 that the priest's absolution is regarded by the ,romanist in the same light as ,god's forgiveness1 and that1 whatever be the state of heart1 that visible act is deemed sufficient4 ,pat ,burns1 now a devoted ,scripture ,reader under the ,irish ,society1 was for ten years the leader of a desperate gang of ,ribbandmen1 and he told a friend of mine that during that time he frequently went to the priest1 paid him all dues regularly1 and obtained absolution from time to time1 as his conscience felt uneasy after the commission of crime2 that the priest generally put a penance upon him1 and that when it was performed1 he considered himself as good a man as any other1 and as fit for heaven4 ,this same person added that the priest had never once directed him to the ,word of ,god1 or to the ,lord ,jesus for salvation4 ,the same connexion between confession and reconciliation was curiously illustrated by the following fact4 ,the priest in my friend's parish gave nothing during the late contribution towards ,irish distress1 but the poor creatures excused his penuriousness on the plea that it was unlucky to take a priest's money--that a priest's money being paid at confession and absolution1 is the price of sin1 and often comes from murderers and other bad characters1 as the price of absolution and pardon2 and if1 therefore1 you buy a horse with it1 he will get lame2 and if you buy seed corn it will be blighted4 ,i am perfectly aware that it may be justly argued that these facts among the people do not prove that the principle has been adopted by the ,church2 but ,i think it must also be admitted that they do show how exactly suited to the natural man is the connexion which ,rome does assert between the pardon of sin and certain visible actions amongst men4 ,god connects his pardon with a deep seated spiritual faith4 ,the human heart says1 8,let me do something4 ,let me work it out4 ,let me have some assurance that ,i am forgiven40 ,popery steps in1 and adapts its principles to both1 asserting on the one hand the necessity of faith1 but prescribing on the other a certain penance1 and then sealing the whole with the priest's absolution1 so as to leave no doubt on the sinner's mind4 ,according to the language of a late pervert1 the priest 8shewed her how she must unite her sacrifice with the holy atoning blood of ,christ1 and then in his name pardoned and blessed her4 ,thus sin had not been suffered to remain upon her soul40 ,see how the ,gospel was retained1 and at the same time accommodated to the natural cravings of the anxious heart4 ,the atoning blood was preached1 but the act of penance received with it1 so as to give it a tangible application4 ,but this accommodation fails in giving lasting peace4 ,nothing1 in short1 can really satisfy but the atoning blood of ,christ alone1 and to this failure may be traced the whole tissue of ,romish rites4 ,penances1 absolutions1 masses1 holy waters1 holy pilgrimages1 holy retreats1 and1 last of all1 extreme unction1 are nothing more than fresh efforts to satisfy the heart2 and1 though all be combined1 they are all found insufficient4 ,there are1 we know1 true believers1 who1 though trammelled by the system1 yet rise above it to ,christ2 and there are others1 again1 whose conscience is so deadened that they live at ease in ,zion2 but for conscientious anxious souls the means are insufficient1 and anxious fears keep rising up within the heart4 ,from these remaining doubts has arisen the last crowning accommodation in the system1 namely1 purgatory4 ,in former days ,i used to wonder what could be the attraction of the doctrine of purgatory1 more especially when ,i found that there was scarcely any portion of the system which persons embraced with equal readiness4 ,it is said of it in the catechism of the ,council of ,trent1 8,besides hell there is a fire of purgatory1 in which the souls of the pious being tormented for a definite time1 expiate their sin2 that so an entrance may be opened to them into the eternal country1 into which nothing defiled can enter40 ,now it may be fairly asked from what principle in the human heart can such a decree have sprung8 ,we can understand men cheerfully performing penance1 and craving the absolution of the priest4 ,but what can make a pious soul desire to be burnt up in purgatory8 ,it is not merely a heavenly purification of the ransomed spirit to prepare it sweetly for the rich enjoyments of the kingdom1 but it is a burning in the fire1 and that1 strange to say1 is the peculiar privilege of pious souls4 ,can anything be more extraordinary8 ,and yet1 when you consider it1 can anything be more simple8 ,just take the case of one of these anxious minds1 of which we have been speaking4 ,he has been going about to establish his own righteousness1 but his heart is not holy4 ,he has endeavoured to unite his sacrifice of penance with the atoning blood of ,christ1 and he has received the priest's pardon1 but yet sin remains4 ,there it is1 eating into his heart's peace1 and cleaving like a leprosy to his soul4 ,and now death approaches1 the delusions of the lower world begin to vanish1 and then comes the question1 ,is sin forgiven8 ,he has received his last viaticum4 ,still1 is he safe8 ,he has man's absolution4 ,has he ,god's pardon8 ,he has performed his penance4 ,is sin fully expiated8 ,oh1 that we could point him at once to the simple sufficiency of the ,lamb's most precious blood6 ,but in default of that1 what must be done8 ,there must be a further accommodation of ,christianity4 ,the heart tells him that his own penance has been insufficient1 so the work of expiation must be carried out beyond the grave4 ,his conscience whispers that he is not yet prepared to die1 so he clings readily to the hope that something may still be done1 that complete preparation here on earth is not needful1 for that an intermediate state is to follow1 in which1 though unprepared at his dying hour1 he may yet be made meet for the kingdom of the saints4 ,or take the case of another character1 the man who has spent his life in neglect of ,god4 ,in the day of health he has been occupied with the world's interests1 and been enabled to stave off the great question of his soul's salvation4 ,but now the great enemy is upon him1 the day of account is near1 and the ,judge must be met in judgment4 ,under such circumstances1 a man will give anything for time4 ,if possible1 time here2 but if that is impossible1 time hereafter3 at all events1 time4 ,he will do anything to stave off the great decision1--he will grasp anything that postpones the necessity of preparation4 ,from this mind arises the hope amongst all classes1 of doing something for the dead4 ,i was once charged myself with carelessness as to men's salvation1 because a certain dead body was not carried into the church at burial4 8,if10 said the woman1 8you really believed that you saved souls by carrying the bodies into church1 you would have taken him in as well as others40 ,now the system of ,popery has grown out of this anxious fear4 ,it has met the fears of dying men1 by giving a system to their ill-founded hopes4 ,it has given the man who knows he is unprepared to die a resting-point beyond the grave4 ,it has shifted the work of preparation to a world unseen and unknown1 and so hushed the voice of conscience by assuring it that there still remains the hope of expiation for its sin4 ,purgatory1 therefore1 is the last stay for an unsatisfied heart4 ,it gives the hope of pardon after death1 and serves as a sedative for death-bed fears4 ,thus1 then1 we have traced some few particulars of the ,romish system to their hidden sources in the human heart1 and have observed some of the many perversions and modifications which it has provided for the sinner1 to assist him in the pursuit of peace4 8,oh1 how unlike the complex works of man1 ,heaven's easy1 artless1 unencumbered plan6 ,no meretricious graces to beguile1 ,no clustering ornaments to clog the pile1 ,from ostentation1 as from weakness1 free1 ,it stands like the cerulean arch we see1 ,majestic in its own simplicity4 ,inscribed above the portal1 from afar ,conspicuous as the brightness of a star1 ,legible only by the light they give1 ,stand the soul-quickening words1 #8,,believe ,,and ,,live6'0 ,here1 therefore1 we may safely leave our argument2 and we would make1 in conclusion1 one or two very simple practical remarks4 ,in the first place1 then1 we must never feel surprised at seeing amiable1 excellent1 and apparently religious men brought under the influence of ,popery2 for it has surely appeared to-night1 that the characters most subject to its attraction are those who have felt the power of religious impression1 but who have not been led by the ,spirit to know the hallowed peace of saving grace4 ,those who are justified in ,christ are at peace1 and do not need it2 those who are insensible to ,divine things are at ease1 and do not care for it2 while the intermediate class1 consisting of those who feel the necessity of the ,gospel1 but do not enjoy its grace1--they are the persons most open to an accommodated system1 and most prepared for the reception of a spurious ,christianity4 ,until a man has felt some perplexity1 he has no desire to surrender his responsibility to another2 nor until he has felt sin's burden1 does he care for the temporary relief which may be found from penance and absolution4 ,and this explains the at first sight remarkable phenomenon of the rapid progress of ,romish principles in latter years1 notwithstanding the spread of evangelical truth1 and the increased circulation of the ,word of ,god4 ,the preaching of the ,cross disturbs more minds than it saves1 and so drives the unconverted to have recourse to some substitute for the ,gospel4 ,a second remark is1 that we must never be astonished at the alliance often witnessed between ,popery and ,infidelity1 for they spring from the same elements in the human heart4 ,unbelief and superstition appear1 at first sight1 to be directly opposed2 but in their secret springs they are closely allied4 ,they are two human remedies for the uneasiness of the human heart1--the one rejecting1 the other accommodating the ,gospel4 ,and whenever the time shall arise1 that the witnesses for ,christ shall be called on once more to bear their cross for the name of ,jesus1 they must be prepared to encounter both in a confederate effort against the faith4 ,in two particulars they agree1 in one only they diverge4 ,in their uneasiness under the influence of the ,gospel1 and in their rejection of its simple plan of life1 they are one3 the difference is only at the third stage1 when the one rejects revelation1 the other accommodates it to its will4 ,lastly1 we are surely taught that the one and only remedy for ,popery and ,popish tendencies is the free1 sovereign1 and unfettered grace of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,we may discuss the many questions arising out of the system1 and overthrow the ,romish advocate even on the ecclesiastical argument2 but in so doing we only protect the outposts4 ,if we would strike at the root of the evil1 we must do it by setting forth at once the fulness and freedom of the salvation that is in ,jesus4 ,let the doctrine of justification by faith be written on the heart by the ,holy ,ghost1 and there will then be little fear from ,popery4 ,let that one great fundamental truth be neglected and obscured1 and the more earnest that we are in an awakening ministry1 the more effectually do we prepare the way for ,rome4 ,in every point1 then1 let us meet ,antichrist by exalting ,christ4 ,if men are harassed by perplexity1 let us assure their faith by proclaiming ,christ as revealed in ,scripture4 ,if men are craving after communion with ,god1 let us set ,christ before them as the sinner's advocate4 ,if they long for holiness1 let us tell them of ,christ as our wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption4 ,if they seek justification1 let ,christ be honoured as the ,lord their righteousness2 and if they look for some further expiation of their in purgatory1 let us still tell them of ,christ1 who 8by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified40 ,this is the weapon which ,peter wielded on the day of ,pentecost1 and which burst the hold of the ,popery of ,judaism4 ,this was the message with which ,st4 ,paul set at nought the rising ,popery of ,galatia4 ,this was the mighty power which1 in the days of the ,reformation1 shook ,rome to her foundations2 and this is the only name whereby the witnesses for ,christ can ever look for victory1 for they overcome1 according to the scriptural record1 8by the blood of the ,lamb1 and by the word of their testimony40 ,,prayer ,,to ,,be ,,used ,,at ,,the ,,meetings ,,of ,,the ,,islington ,,protestant ,,institute4 ,,almighty ,,god1 who hast built ,thy ,church upon the foundation of the ,apostles and ,prophets1 ,jesus ,christ himself being the chief corner stone1 and hast promised that the gates of ,hell shall not prevail against it2 we approach ,thee in the name of ,him who is the one ,mediator1 the ,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life4 ,we praise and magnify ,thy holy name for ,thy distinguishing goodness towards us as inhabitants of this ,christian land1 and members of a ,reformed and scriptural ,church4 ,we adore ,thy grace in that wonderful interposition of ,thy ,providence1 by which our fathers were rescued from the yoke of superstitious bondage1 and taught to serve ,thee in spirit and in truth4 ,but we confess that we have not rendered again according to the benefit we have received4 ,we have neither prized nor improved our privileges as we ought4 ,we have sinned1 and our fathers have sinned1 and we have reason to fear lest there should be wrath upon us and upon our people1 and lest ,thou shouldest pour out the spirit of slumber and delusion upon us4 ,yet ,thou art the same ,lord1 whose property is always to have mercy4 ,remember not our offences1 nor the offences of our forefathers4 ,turn us again1 ,o ,lord ,god of hosts2 cause ,thy face to shine1 and we shall be saved4 ,direct our hearts and minds by ,thy ,holy ,spirit4 ,give us understanding of the times to know what we ought to do4 ,let ,thy merciful help especially prevent and follow us as members of this ,society4 ,may we begin1 continue1 and end everything in ,thee4 ,let us not contend for names and words1 but for ,thy glory1 and the truth of ,thy ,gospel4 ,grant us a simple love of the truth1 and an experimental acquaintance with it4 ,let us not be 8carried about with divers and strange doctrines10 but let our hearts be 8established with grace40 ,and let us not only believe with the heart1 but with the mouth make confession4 ,with meekness of wisdom may we ever be ready to defend our principles and to protest against error4 ,let us unite holy zeal1 boldness1 and stedfastness1 with a spirit of genuine charity4 ,grant us a right judgment in all things1 ,christian unanimity in our counsels1 and perseverance in well-doing4 ,keep us humble1 depending entirely upon the promised grace and help of ,thy ,holy ,spirit1 and watchful1 as those who are not ignorant of the devices of ,satan4 ,raise up1 we earnestly entreat ,thee1 champions for the truth2 revive in our days the spirit of the martyrs and reformers of old4 ,spare to ,thy ,church those who are zealous for ,thee4 ,may the faithful never fail from among us1 but let the rising youth be trained to walk in the good old paths4 ,and as ,thou hast commanded prayers and intercessions to be made for all men1 we beseech ,thee for our sovereign lady1 ,queen ,victoria1 that she may ever be mindful of the responsibilities of her office and the obligation of her oath4 ,bless abundantly the ,ministers of ,state4 ,guide and govern the senate of our land4 ,strengthen and encourage those ,protestant ,representatives who are faithful to ,thy cause2 increase their influence1 and add to their numbers4 ,pour out ,thy ,spirit upon all estates of the realm1 the clergy and the laity1 the rich and the poor4 ,may they strive together1 as members of one body1 for the common faith4 ,let it please ,thee to comfort and succour all oppressed ,protestants1 and confessors of the truth1 enabling them to forgive their enemies1 and to maintain their own stedfastness4 ,and very earnestly do we beseech ,thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived4 ,strengthen such as do stand1 and raise up them that fall4 ,finally1 we commend ourselves and the work of our hands unto ,thee1 entreating ,thee to accept our persons and our services1 not weighing our merits1 but pardoning our offences2 and so to overrule all events1--nay1 even the errors and infirmities of ,thy servants1--to the advancement of ,thy glory1 and the good of ,thy ,church1 that truth and liberty1 piety and peace1 may be established among us to all generations4 ,these and all other mercies we humbly beg in the name and mediation of ,,jesus ,,christ1 our most blessed ,lord and ,saviour4 ,,amen4 ,n4,b4 ,the passages within brackets may be omitted at discretion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,macintosh1 ,printer1 ,great ,new-street1 ,london4 ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author4 ,i4 ,the ,,scriptural ,,principles of our ,,protestant ,,church4 ,second ,edition4 ,price #cs4 ,,ii4 ,the ,,time of the ,,end2 or1 ,the ,world1 the ,visible ,church1 and the ,people of ,god at the ,advent of the ,lord4 ,third ,edition4 ,price #as4 #f;d4 ,,iii4 ,the ,,communion and ,,communicant4 ,a ,practical ,tract for ,enquirers respecting the ,lord's ,supper4 ,price #c;d41 or #bs4 per dozen4 ,,iv4 ,,baptism as ,,taught in the ,,bible and the ,,prayer-,,book4 ,fifth ,thousand4 ,price #b;d4