take a walk upon a summer's evening. And shall such religion as this be allowed to send lords spiritual to a nominal Christian Parliament? Truly shall we be degraded in the eyes of GOD, when once again old Rome shall bring into our House of Lords her Holy Candles, Host, and Incense. I repeat it, when these commissioners of sin, arch-enemies and traitors against the Most High GOD, shall once more gain the High Place in this country, our doom is fixed for ever!!

XXIII.

I do acknowledge the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church to be mother and mistress of all Churches.

It has been before remarked, more than once, that the only title by which any church can lay claim to Catholicity and apostolicity, must be its holding firmly all the Apostolic doctrines. It has in this book been shown, that in every one step they have exceeded the Apostolic Faith, they have sunk deeper and deeper into perdition, so that they have at last lost every shadow of claim to being members of the Church of God. There was once an Apostolic Church in Rome, but that was fourteen hundred years ago. We find that the British church in the 6th century* protested against the then Heretical Church of Rome. According to the beforementioned luminous Mr. Sidney Smith, the doubting prebendary of Bristol, "time improves all things," (he was speaking of religion, and means his own apostacy, as I suppose, to show how much "it" had improved upon the creed and practice of the Apostles.) However, * Page 148.

we have proved that all that Mr. Smith says is not Gospel; and as time has evidenced in his case, its destructive influence in matters of religion, so have we of it proof more conspicuous and awful in the case of this once apostolic church.

-In taking a short review of the falling away of this once Christian church, of which the members must be so much improved, according to Mr. Smith, we observe, that, in the fourth century, upwards of two hundred years after the death of St. John, who lived to the advanced age of one hundred, the invocation of saints was introduced, as also prayers and worship to the Virgin Mary.

In the fifth, auricular confession was added to the Apostolic Church, by Pope Leo the Great, A.D. 450, and was made a "divine" law by Innocent III., A. D. 1215, fourth Lateran Council.

In the sixth, the supremacy of the Pope was founded; the religious use and veneration of holy crosses was invented; the setting of decrees of councils on a level with the word of God, with the right of interpreting Scripture, was assumed; and the celibacy of the clergy was attempted. The theatrical genius of Gregory the Great was much displayed, also, in this age by the invention of the mass. Some time, however, elapsed before his canon was generally used by all the Latin churches.

In the 7th, purgatory, which had eluded the prophetic vision of all the apostles, Pope Gregory declared was visible to him, though it was not dressed up in its present habitable form till some centuries after.

Images were established as proper aids to “spiritual” devotion in the eighth century, at the second Council of Nice.

Solitary masses and prayers for the dead were started in the eighth century, but Charlemagne opposed this false and wicked pretence. It was also opposed by a Synod, assembled at Mentz. In the tenth century, however, Satan tried this project once again, and succeeded à merveille. "Sacrifice" in the mass, an invention of the ninth century.

Eleventh century: Celibacy of clergy decreed by Council at Rome 1074.-(See p. 20. 1 Tim. iv. 1..4.) Tradition now made superior to Scripture.

Twelfth century: The traffic of indulgences was begun, and works of supererogation, to prop up the doctrine of indulgences were added.

N.B. Works of supererogation mean, that when, by your own unassisted efforts, you have "worked out" your own salvation, all that you do, over and above, go to the credit of the general account of Rome and Company, who forthwith lay them by in the spiritual treasury of the Holy See. From which all good Catholics, who are very bad men*, may, as occasion requires, supply their own deficiencies of truth, honour, virtue and religion, out of the over-and-aboves of the holy saints of this most holy church; ex. gr. the Seraphic Father Francesco. I consider him a good case to cite, because it has been shown, on authority no less than that of the

* This may appear paradoxical, but it is perfectly possible; because it is a general and indisputable principle, that the better the Papist, the worse the man.

infallible church, which claims the blessed Lord as its guardian to the end of the world, that this most Seraphic Father did much more than his holy Lord *. And so he doubtless did, if the Bishop of Rome be an apostle; for Christ Jesus our Lord only saved the righteous, with sinners who would be converted; but Father Francesco, of Seraphic fame, inasmuch as he did much more than our Lord, has opened the way to Heaven to every Romish infidel who pays his money for salvation.

And never let it be forgotten, that, to this seraphic Mr. Francesco, the poor deluded Romanists are, by the Popish Primate of Ireland, directed nightly to offer up their supplications, that he may transmit them, from where he is, to the throne of grace (? a work of supererogation, methinks); and, in the same breath, his old antagonist, St. Dominic, is likewise implored to be propitious :-doubtless, too, a gentle aspiration not to forsake his holy inquisition is piously breathed forth unconsciously.-(See Appendix, No. IV.)

In the 13th century, transubstantiation figured forth triumphantly, having overcome four centuries of opposition, whilst, in the fifteenth, the priests thinking that, in body, blood, bones, soul, and divinity of the blessed Lord, in transubstantiation, the people had so much more than enough (in having been taught how to gorge their God!), they could not feel annoyance at having taken from them that cup, which was the Lord's institution. Thus did they take away the entire sacrament of the blessed Lord, and substitute therefore a hellish and disgusting mockery. Here Satan, one

* See page 140.

should think, was thy work complete! But still, he thought, he'd add a little more, as if to make them burst from overeating. Accordingly, Suarez, the Jesuit, asserted, in 1480, the power of priests to do that which alone belongs to GOD, even to "forgive" sin !

Thus, then, in fifteen centuries, or rather in ten, did this Antichrist pull Heaven to the ground, and then erect herself; declaring, that at Rome were kept the keys of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory!

If any person, in his sober senses, will swear to me that all these things are apostolic ordinances, what shall I say to him? If courtesy prevents me saying, "Sir, you lie!" the man is, nevertheless, "A LIAR !" But if a man swear to a lie, and straight proclaim it, what does he then become? "A PERJURED LIAR!" So is every Romish priest, who, knowing what he swears, makes oath that this, this Romish church is apostolic, and consequently Catholic; and I pray, once more, that any Protestant into whose hands this book may fall, and who affects the least respect for GoD and his true worship, will never more disgrace the term of "Catholic," by giving it to Papists. This latter is the only name to which they have any right; but they are ashamed of it. (No wonder!) Then let them change it. If they will hold the Pope as their PAPA, why should they spurn the name which stamps them his? We next are told that she is the mother of all churches.

It is customary for mothers to be born before their children; but in the church of Rome there are two very striking and conclusive points which prove the