Reasons for refusing to continue a member of the church of Rome. ...

Front matter

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Introduction

Various expounders of Truth — The Word of God alone, Truth to a Christian — Refusal to remain a Member of the Church of Rome — No Change of Religion — Inducement to Join the Chm-ch of England — Not merely because she is a Branch of the Catholic Church — Christ the End of the Law — Infallibility — Private Judgment — Authority of Scripture — Transubstaiitiation — Intercession of Saints — Invocation of Saints — One Degi*ee of Worship — Images — EiTors of the Church of Rome — Ministers — The Words of Jeremiah — St. John — Aaron — Uriah — Doubts — True Principle of the Gospel— Reasons for Joining the Church of England — Unity — Principles of the Church of England — Reformation of the Jewish Church — Reformation of the Church of England — The Lawful Succession of her Ministers — Her Worship — Christian Liberty— The Church of England, the Bulwark of the Reformed Faith 7

Chapter I

False Charges against Seceders from the Church of Rome — The Love of Truth — Embracing a Pure Mode of Worship by Joining the Church of England 21

CONTENTS-

CHAPTER 11.

PAGE.

Existence of God-— Man — His Dependence on God—- Import ance of True Notions of God— Man's Intellect— Clear Idea about God— Consentient Testimony of Men — Nature — Fate — A Power Independent of Matter — Necessity of a Revelation —-Man's Creation — His Faculties— Obedience to the Law of God — Man's Disobedience — Promise of a Saviour — The Destruction of Mankind — Types of Christ and his Church — Ciiinese Records of the Flood— Call of Abraham — History of the Jews, Typical of Christ and his Church— Revelation- Its Objectors — Nature of Religion — Importance of Written Documents — The Books of Moses — Their Authenticity — M. Champollion Figeac's Description — The People" of God 24

Chapter III

Existence of Christ — Interpolation in the History of Joseph us —The Gospels — The Apostles— Studied Silence of Josephus —False Gosj)els — Eastern Philosophers — Image of the Virgin —Chapel of Loreto— The Gnostics — Proofs of the Divinity and Humanity of Christ, taken from the Gnostics — Use of Images— Consent of the Jews— Their Tradition about Jesus Christ — Duty of a Christian — Sacrifice of our Reason — Natural Phenomena — Deception of the Senses 36

Chapter IV

Trinity — Ground of our Belief — Tri-une Power in Man — Distinct Set of Faculties — One Mind — Saying of Plutarch — Not Applicable to the First Man — Words of Jesus Christ. . . . 46

Chapter V

Jesus Christ the Redeemer and only Mediator— New Covenant — New Conditions — ^Preaching of the Apostles — The Catholic Church— Propagation of the Gospel — Early Divisions — Heresy — Christian Doctrine in the Bible alone — New Testament not written by mere Chance — Tradition to be Rejected — Mission of the Apostles— View of the Early Church — Rapid Spread of Christianity— Pliny's Letter to Trajan . . , ,

CONTENTS.

Chapter VI

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Difficulty of Tracing the Rise of any Superstition — Worship of Saints — Not Known to the First Christians — Early Traces of that Superstition— Relics — Influence of the Imagination— Prmce Hohenlohe — Dr. Paris — Female Devotees — Mesmerism — Estatica di Caldero— Dr. Elliotson's Remark— Shrines of Martyrs— Belief in the Influence of Relics — Latria — Dulia — Hyperdulia — Heroes and Demi-gods — Pilgrimages — Passion for ReUcs

Chapter VII

Introduction of Abuses Accounted for— Gregory Thaumaturgus — Mart3'rs put in the Place of Demi-gods — Corruption of Christianity — The Idea of Intercession of Saints whence Taken — Images Really Worshipped — Arguments of Idolaters — Plea for Modern Image — Worship— Captious Excuses — Decree of the Council of Trent — Praying to Saints Obligatory — Worship of Saints Kept in the Back Ground in England — The Jesuits— Litany of the Virgin

Chapter VIII

Existence after Death — Transitory State — Purgatory — Judas Maccabaeus-Apocrypha— Belief of the Jews about Purgatory — Canonical Books — Jerome's Statement — Motives of the Council of Trent — Silence of Jesus Christ concerning Purgatory — Doctrine Taught by Jesus Christ — Doctrine of the Heathen — Funeral Rites — Tapers — Feast of the Purification — Doctrine of the Apostles — St. Peter— St. Paul — Belief of the Early Chiistians — Gradual Introduction of the Belief in Purgatory — Funeral Rites of the Early Christians — Macrobius— Pra^'ers for the Dead — No Reference to Pui'gatory — Reference to the Resurrection — Eastern Churches — Expiatory Sacrifices— Christ's Sacrifice for Sin — Superabundance of the Merits of Saints — Their Application — No Merits in Men

Chapter IX

Frequent Apostacy in the Early Church — Means to Check it— Public Penances — Their Relaxation— Their Effects — Their Uselessness — Origin of the Doctrine of Good Works — Indulgences — Means of gaining an Indulgence— Superstition

CONTENTS.

Chapter X. Page

Free Grace — The Reformed Churches — The Roman Church— St. James — Dead Faith — Works the Evidence of Faith — Abraham's Obedience — The Word of God the Protestants' Rule of Faith— Merit of Good Works Taught by the Roman Church — Errors arising from this Doctrine — Ascetic Life — All Eastern Nations addicted to it — Uselessness of Ascetism — Jerome's Testimony — Effect of Periodical Fasting — Souring of the Temper— Jerome's Violent Temper — Want of Genuine Christianity — Mistaken Admiration— False Miracles — Image of the Zodiacal Virgin — Worship of Men — Worship of the Virgin— Mary Substituted for Cybele — Supreme Worship paid to Mary 110

Chapter XI

Tendency to Materialize — Its Effect — Figurative Language — Christ's Discourse to the Jews — Meat to Everlasting Life — The Bread of Life— The Bread from Heaven— The Divinity of Christ — Christ's Body Sacrificed for Sin— Christ our Food- Spiritual Purport of his Words — Christ's Answer to Nicodemus — Material Figure — Spiritual Doctrine 128

Chapter XII

The Lord's Supper— -Custom of Sacrifices— Feast upon the Sacrifice — The Moment of the Institution of the Eucharist — The Passover — The Words of the Institution — Spiritual Interpretation — Its Efiects — Material Interpretation — Its Results — Christ the Paschal Lamb — The New Covenant — Union with ' Christ— The Blood of the New Testament— The Fruit of the Vine— Christ's Discourse to the Jews, not immediately applicable to the Eucharist— Baptism — Regeneration — Benefits of the Sacrifice — The Idea of a New Sacrifice — Effect of this New Tenet — Its Evil Consequence — The Elements Worshipped as God . . . , , . , , 138

Chapter XIII

Scriptures the only Proper Rule of Faith — Value of the Testimony of the Fathers— Ambiguity of the Fathers — Explanation of the Eucharist — Spiritual Meaning — St. Augustine's Distinction—Time and Place— Nature of the Sacrament — The Bread and Wine the Sign of an Inward Grace— Gradual Worship of the Elements— Pagan Ritual , » \65

CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV. Page

Reverence first showed to the Bread and Wine— Worship of the Type — Opinions long Divided about the Real Presence- Innocent III. — Excommimication — Plenary Indulgence — Albigenses — Crusade— -Early Protestants — Inquisition — Fourth Lateran Council — Transubstantiation — Canon of the Mass — Spiritual Union vsrith Christ — No other Possible — Evil of the Tenet of Transubstantiation — Intention Required in the Priest — Caution to Roman Catholics — Anathema — Pagan Ritual — Pagan Origin of the Mass — The Use of Salt — Holy Water — Driving a^Yay of the Evil Spirits — Sign of the Cross — Salt Used at Baptism — Use of Spittle — Baptism of Bells 163

Chapter XV

The Five additional Sacraments — Confinnation — A part of the Baptismal Rite — Why vested in the Bishop — Holy Chrism — Order — Marriage — Abuse of the Word Sacrament a in — Marriage of Priests — Penance and Confession — Repentance — Salvation — Penance as taught by the Church of Rome — Contrary to Scripture — Founded on the Doctrine of Merit in Works and Mortifications — Its Eff'ects — The Priest practically put in the Place of Christ— Confessi on taughtin Scripture — Remission of Sins— How understood by the Apostles — Mistaken Supposition — Origin of Private Confession — Absolution, Origurally Deprecatory, not Declai'atory — Extreme Unction — Its Nature and EiFects — The Use of Oil — Mistaken means of Salvation — Milner's Unfounded Boasting — False Confidence — Fetichism — Hindoo Fanatic 175

Chapter XVI

Fasting and Abstinence — Fasting not Necessary— Not commanded by Christ — Not Condemned— Fasting of early Heretics— Tertullian— Fasting first Voluntary, afterwards commanded as an Atonement — Christian Liberty — False Ideas about Fasting — Fasts in the Church of England— All to the Glory of God 193

Chapter XVII

The Church— What is the Church— The Catholic Church- Private Churches —Original Independence of Churches- Bishops and Presbyters — The x4postlcs not Local Bishops-^

CONTENTS.

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The whole Church Directed by them— Origin of the Order of Bishops — A Bishop over one Church— No Supreme Bishop — Provincial Councils — Rise of the Episcopal Power — Metropolitans — General Councils — Patriarchs 201

Chapter XVIII

Development of the Church — The Bishop of Rome — His Advantages — His Pre-eminence, the result of his Position — Government of the Church regulated by Constantine — Equality of Patriarchs — Pretensions of the Patriarch of Constantinople — Justinian's Letter — Universal Bishop — The Title given to the Bishop of Rome — Disputes between the Bishops of Rome and of Constantinople — Sovereign Pontiff — St. Peter — His Presence in Rome — His Twenty-five Years' Pontificate — Doubtful whether he ever was in Rome— Never was Bishop of Rome — Testimony of Irenaeus and Eusebius — Peter not the Head of the Church — The Rock, Faith in Christ, not Peter — Holding of the Keys — Peter the Founder of the Church — Dispute among the Apostles— The words of Christ to Peter— Peter Rebuked by Christ— No Master but Christ— Equality of the Apostles— Equality of Bishops— The Pope's Pretensions defeated by Peter's own Words— Causes of the Pope's Supremacy— Encroachment of Power— Inconsistency of placing Councils above the Pope— Power of Councils— Whence Derived— Council of Nice— Factions in Councils— Councils nothing more than Political Assemblies. 213

Chapter XIX

Gradual growth of Abuses— Mixture of Jewish and Pagan Rites — Tombs Converted into Altars— Mementos in Temples and Chapels— Devotions at the Shrines of Saints — Romanism in England — Difference between those who reject and those who admit the present Superstitions— The Church in the Fourth Century— Ambrose — Pretended Miracles — Sulpicius Severus — Popular Superstitions — St. Augustine's Relics — The Opponents of Superstition always Accused of Heresy — Vigilantius' Attemx^t to Stem the Torrent of Superstition — Not Accused of Perverting the Gospel — Virulently Attacked by Jerome — The mode of Worship at present Prevailing in the Church of Rome — Its Rise — Not fully developed in the time of Jerome and Augustine — Inconsiderate demand in Excuse of Abuses — Opinions gradually Formed — The Hindoos — Respect turned into Worship — Worship paid to Symbols — The Egyptians — Effects of Ambition in the Clergy — Gradual

CONTENTS.

Worship of the Elements in the Eucharist — The Emperor Charles the Bald — Bertramn — True Orthodox Doctrine — Taught by the Church of England in her Articles — The Christians after the Apostles, and their immediate Disciples like the Israelites after the Death of Joshua , '^1