ministering in copes, for all they thought even surplices of the essence of anti-christ."-(Ibid, pp. 30-31.) As to the reformers, I think worse and worse of them."-(Ibid, p. 33.) "I am every day becoming a less and less loyal son of the Reformation," &c. &c.

I have made these extracts, that the reader might have a distinct view of the light in which the great Reformation and these Reformers, Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, &c. whom we have been taught from infancy to look upon as Martyrs, for the truth against the usurpation of Papal Rome, are regarded by this party. The very name of Martyr is discarded, and they are held up as having suffered not for truth, but for falsehood and heresy! and as having died as heretics! Bishop Jewell is called a dissenter, and the name Protestant exchanged for Catholic. This party and the Romanists are here declared to constitute one party, arrayed against dissenters and the advocates of Protestantism. Is there nothing here that looks like an advance towards Romanism, like, at least semi-Popery? Why, to me it is so plain, that I can see what the Reformers called "the mother of harlots" without the aid of glasses!

Whoever has read the productions of the advocates of this new Theology, will perceive, in all their writings a marked reverence for Rome; an attempt to hold her up to public confidence; a fawning about the Papal Church as their "dear and beloved sister," their "holy home," of which the following quotations are specimens. 'Is it then a duty to forget that Rome was our Mother, through whom we were born to Jesus Christ."-(Tract No. 77.)

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"O Mother Church of Rome, why has thy heart

Beat so unruly to thy northern child.”—(Lyra Apostolica, p. 229.) A leading principle with Protestants is, that the Bible is the only rule of faith. To this the Romanist adds, "the traditions of the Church," as of equal authority. All Protestants say, with Chillingworth, "the Bible is the only sufficient rule of faith and practice." But, what say these tract men upon this point? "We may say 'the Bible and nothing but the Bible,' but this is an unthankful reception of another great gift equally from God, such as no Englishman can tolerate; but we take the sounder view, that the Bible is the record of necessary truth, on matters of faith, and the Church Catholic tradition, is the interpreter of it."-(Tract No. 71.) "If it were possible that the Catholic Church could in the highest and exactest sense, meet in a Catholic council we should receive its sentence as infallible truth. In proportion then as a general council realizes this idea we hold sits decision in reverence."-(Brit. Mag. vol. 12.) Here is taught what the Reformers rejected; and which, if they had not rejeczed, they could not have justified their action-what all Protes

tants now look upon with horror, that the traditions of the Romish Church are of equal authority with the Bible and both EQUALLY FROM GOD, and that the decisions of the Catholic Church council are INFALLIBLE TRUTH. In nearly all their works you will meet with such expressions as the following-"The Bible is not the only ground of faith." 'The Bible and Catholic tradition together make up a joint rule of faith.' "The notion of the Bible

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being the sole authoritative judge in controversies of faith is a self-destructive principle." When this double rule is in colliszon; that is, when Catholic tradition is contrary to the plain declaration of the Bible, to know which of the two parts of this is to be regarded as supreme in authority they say, "when the sense of scripture, as interpreted by reason, is contrary to the sense given to it by Catholic antiquity, we ought to side with the latter." That is, we ought to side with an unreasonable interpretation of the Bible provided it be given by the Romish Church! Here the reader will perceive, that so far from having semi we are one step beyond Popery; for tradition is placed above the scriptures.

"We

Another leading question between Protestants and Catholics is, the right of private judgment, whether a person, inquiring what he must do to be saved, is to take the inspired Apostles for his authorized teachers, or the exposition given by a corporation, who claim to have received in regular succession the exact mind of the original writers of the Bible. In other words shall we go to the Bible or to THE Church for an answer to that all important question. Protestants say, to the former; Catholics to the latter. What say these tract men? "We maintain, that the true sense of scripture is handed down from age to age by transmission; and the witnesses to it profess no more than to have delivered what they have received; also that private individuals depend more or less upon the word of these more holy than themselves, who assure us that they go on continually to find greater accordance between the written and the unwritten word." conceive, then, that upon the whole, the notion of gaining religious truth for ourselves by our private inquiry, whether by reading or thinking, whether by studying scripture or other books, has no broad sanction in scripture, is not impressed upon us by its general tone nor enjoined in any of its commands. The great question which it puts before private judgment is, Who is Gods prophet? And where? Who is to be considered the voice of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church?" "Catholic antiquity is the authoritative teacher of Christians."(British Critic.) Here then is most clearly set forth the Romish doctrine, that the interpretation of the scriptures, by the Church, is to be received by the people as scripture. This being the doctrine of Mr. Bolles accounts for his sneer at private interpretation: and "the beautiful specimen" of it he gives in his letter to me. Let it be re

membered, then, that the doctrine now taught by these Apostolicals, these self-styled Catholics, is, that the soul-stricken sinner, inquiring, "what must I do to be saved?" is not to be answered by scripture, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," but by the Church "Baptism is the condition of salvation, and the Lords Supper is the life giving bread from heaven."-Tract No. 5.) Almighty God has said," so says Mr. Newman, "his Son's merits shall wash away all sin, and that they shall be conveyed to believers through the two sacraments." He also affirms that "the Church has the power of dispensing grace" not only through these two sacraments, but "through those of its own appointment," and that "it is conveyed to individual christians only by the hands of the successors of the Apostles and their delegates. The doctrine here advanced is, that the inquiring sinner must be directed, not to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ;" not to pray, "God be merciful to me a sinner;"-for Mr. Newman says "it requires the labor of a long life to learn how to pray"-but to go to the Church, and receive the sacraments from these Apostolicals, who through a chain of drunkards, Simonists, and heretics, have obtained the "donum et Gracia," the "claves sive potestas clavium" and thus thou shalt be saved. Else if thou refuse or a priest of this succession be not at hand thou shalt die and be damned! From all such doctrine, "Good Lord deliver us."

Another doctrine held by Romanists, but rejected by Prates tants is "transubstantiation." I need not detain the reader with quotations from the old Reformers to show in what light they held this doctrine, and what importance they attached to it. I will refer directly to these tract men. What say they? “I should like to know why you flinch from saying, that the power of making the body and blood of Christ is vested in the successors of the Apostles." "Can any devout man reckon it a matter of small moment, whether the minister with whom he communicates be a minister by Apostolic succession or no? In the judgment of the Church it makes no less difference than this: whether the bread and cup which he partakes of shall be to him Christs body and blood or no." The sentiment of this quotation shows that the author claims that the communicant must receive the sacra ment from a minister in Apostolic succession, and that the bread and cup thus received shall be to him Christ's body and blood! Dr. Hook says, "Jesus Christ's body may be burned in a fire, and his blood poured out upon a consecrated pavement." Mr. Newman, thinks it literally true, that "the consecrated bread is Christ's body" so that there is " a real super local presence in the holy sacraments." Dr. Pusey tells us, that "antiquity continually affirms a change in the sacred elements." Is there nothing that savors of Rome here, rather is there not "full grown Popery"?

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Another item, is the "invocation of Saints." In tract No. 75 we have a re-appropriation of prayers from the Romish Breviary for the use of Protestants, among which are, the following"Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that by the glorious intercession of the blessed Mary, ever, Virgin we may enjoy eternal bliss.” Holy Mary and all the Saints, intercede for us unto the Lord." "Therefore I beseech thee, blessed Mary, ever Virgin, the blessed Michael Archangel, the blessed John Baptist, the holy Apos tles Peter and Paul, all Saints and those my Father to pray the Lord our God for me." Whether this re-appropriation of the Romish Breviary has been introduced into St. James, or whether its Rector, as the faithful agent in carrying out these principles has followed the illustrious example of Mr. Newman in erecting crosses over the holy altar, in kneeling with his back to the people while reading prayers, I have not been informed. If not, it will be well for the people worshipping there to begin to examine the subject; for Dr. Pusey says, "changes of this character should be made slowly so as not to startle the congregation with what is to them an apparent innovation"; and especially as these tractators tell us 66 we cannot stand where we are, we must go backward or forward, and it will surely be the latter; and as we go on we must recede more and more from the principles, if any such there be, of the English Reformation." Dr. Pusey further says, "pray for Gods departed servants, since knowing them to be in a state of imperfect bliss until the resurrection. Whenever we pray for the final coming of God's kingdom we do in fact, (if we have any thoughts for the departed) pray at the same time for the perfecting of their bliss." In tract No. 77 we read, "Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, intercede for us." And most of their writings are spiced with all the mummeries of crucifix, and chrism, holy oil, holy water, crossing, &c. "Let us keep fasts and vigils with the blessed Apostle, Peter, whose deeds of grace working together with our prayers we may obtain what we seek through our Lord Jesus Christ."

"When e'er across this sinful flesh of mine

I draw the holy sign,

All good thoughts stir within me.'

I will not detain the reader with other extracts from these works, which might be multiplied to almost any extent upon these and similar points of doctrine; against which the Reformers uttered their protest, inasmuch as the above must satisfy every candid mind that the tracts to say the least are of Popish tendency.

It may not be amiss however, in my justification, to introduce the opinion on this subject entertained by the Low Church party. The following from their paper published in London, called the "Christian Observer," will show whether they think Oxfordism is Romanism or not. "The whole matter, doctrinal and practi

cal, hangs together. It is essentially this, are we to have the Bible and Protestantism, or the Missal and Popery? We care not to stickle for one cross more or less; to decide how many images of Cherubim and Seraphim we may lawfully have here, or emblamatical medallions of the Trinity there, but, we ask to what is the whole matter tending? What are its obvious purposes and results? It is to unspiritualize religion-to make it physical; to convert sacraments into a kind of holy charms instead of a reasonable service; to undo the Protestant Reformation, to substitute a ritual religion for communion with God; to repudiate our sister reformed churches, and to embrace Rome, and above all to obliterate that scriptural and Protestant doctrine by which Luther said, we must stand or fall-justification by faith; and not as Rome teaches, through baptismal influence."

Similar views will be found in "A Synopsis of the whole Tractarian Scheme, written by the Rev. Wm. Goode, M. A. of Trinity College, Cambridge, rector of St. Antholin, London;" in Mr. Isaac Taylor's late work, entitled "Ancient Christianity," where it is most conclusively shown that Oxfordism is verily another Gospel or in "Oxford Divinity," by the Right Rev. Charles Pettit McIlvane, D. D., Bishop of the Protestant E. Church in the Diocese of Ohio, an octavo vol. of more than 500 pages. Where this tree "planted in the classic soil of Oxford" and so much admired by the Rector of St. James, and whose fruit is so delicious to him, is called by this prelate "The tree of Romanism," and its fruit "Romish fruit." The good bishop proceeds to show its affinity to Rome in a great variety of particulars of which the following are a part. "The doctrine of Original Sin-sin after Baptism-mortal and venial sins-Purgatory-prayers for the dead-Invocation of Saints-Transubstantiation-Anointing at Baptism and Confirmation-Sacramental character of marriageuse of Romish prayers--Books and Rules of Fasting-Image Worship-Tradition," &c. &c. He charges them with teaching the "opus operatum of Rome"-that the mere "outward performance of the ordinances of religion necessarily produces inward religion." Surely this will be authority that will have weight with Protestant Episcopalians here. Their prelate is far in advance of what I have ventured to assert.

It

may be proper also to present the opinin of the "Holy Mother Church" herself. The Pope and Cardinals will be likely to know whether the tree of Oxford bears the genuine fruit of papacy! Read, then, the communication from his holiness, for the year of 1839. "The attention of all good Catholics and especially the congregation for the propagation of the Faith, cannot be enough excited by the present state of religion in England, in consequence of the NEW doctrine propagated with so much ability and success by Messrs. Newman, Pusey and Keble, (the

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