and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."-In the sacramental means of grace, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord, the Divine Presence is, without doubt, to be found. In reference to Baptism, our Lord's words are, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." In this Sacrament, we are baptized into Christ's death, and raised to newness of life in His resurrection; but we cannot be thus renewed, unless God be present. The Apostle, however, tells us, that He is present, and that it is by His Spirit, that we are baptized into the body of Christ.-In the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, Christ is verily and indeed present, although in a mysterious or spiritual manner. None who take the Holy Scriptures as their rule, and follow the voice of the Church as their guide, can entertain but one opinion concerning this important truth. "I am the living Bread," said our Lord, "which came down from heaven: except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you." "And He took bread and

c St. John iii. 5.

e 1 Cor. xii. 13.

d Rom. vi. 3, &c.

f St. John vi. 51, &c.

gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of Me; likewise the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you." "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing."—In the Christian Ministry, the Divine Presence is also to be found. "I will not leave you comfortless," said our Lord to His Apostles, "I will come to you." And in reference to the same great mystery, the following words are very remarkable; "The glory which Thou gavest Me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as We are One; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one." That the Divine Presence was not to be confined to the Apostles, but to be extended to the Priesthood in all ages, is evident, from the terms in which our Lord delivered His commission to the eleven: "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."-Thus, there can be no doubt, but that the Divine Presence is connected with each of the marks of the Church. It is this, which gives to the Word, the Sacraments, and the Ministry, an importance which they otherwise could not have.-The Divine Presence in these, is

g St. Luke xxii. 19, &c.

i St. John xvii. 22.

h St. John xiv. 18. 28. k St. Matt. xxviii. 20.

a high mystery, which the world cannot see', but which involves an unspeakable comfort to the faithful, and an incalculable loss to those who separate themselves and fall away.

Q. It would appear, that all these marks are of a very sacred character, and that the least interference with any one of them must be highly injurious to the portion of the Church which would venture so to meddle. Can you then inform me, if any portions of the Church have become defective or impure through want of due respect for the first mark?

A. Yes! By departing from the revealed word of truth as the only rule of faith and practice, many parts of the Christian Church have become grossly impure and corrupt: so much so, that in some instances, "the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." The Church has lost her beauty, and her candlestick has been removed; the inhabitants of places once highly favoured, have become ignorant of the truth, and are again the slaves of the wicked one. In other parts of the Christian world, the word of God has in a great measure been expelled from the Church, and hence an inlet to every error in doctrine and practice has been opened, and

1 St. John xiv. 19, 20. xvi. 16.

m About the year 1215, the use of the Holy Scriptures was prohibited by the Council of Toulouse.

Churchmen, instead of being an honour, have become a disgrace to their holy profession. Again, among the various religious communities, Holy Scripture has been so expounded, that one part of it becomes repugnant to the other". No portion of the Church can be justified in prohibiting its members from reading the word of God, which as a lamp ought to direct the Christian's steps in the paths of righteousness; and it is a strong proof that the portion of the Church, which so prohibits the use of the word of God, is conscious of some gross corruption within its own sphere. Neither can any religious communion be a safe place of refuge, in which so partial an interpretation of the revealed word of God is given, as interferes with the eternal attributes of God, and mars the grand plan of human redemption. "The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure word of God is preached." Hence any community of Christians, that prohibits the Divine Word, is endeavouring to screen its faults by concealing one of the marks of truth; and any community that misinterprets it, is attempting to support some peculiar system, by means nearly similar. This very circumstance must excite more than a suspicion, that such communities are in error.

■ Vide Appendix, Note A.

D

Q. Have any portions of the Church become defective or impure through want of due reverence for the second mark?

A. Yes! Some portions of the Church have dared to alter the means which God appointed for conveying His blessings: on the one hand, adding to their number, and, on the other, interfering with those originally instituted. Christ ordained two sacraments, as generally necessary to salvation; but some portions of the Church have increased the number to seven. Our Lord expressly told His Apostles how the sacraments were to be administered, but some portions of the Church have taken away the cup from the laity. Nor is this all. The Apostolic doctrine is, that Christ, as the great High-Priest in His Church, offered Himself without spot to God-One sacrifice, Once for all-by which One offering, He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified: and, that after He had offered this One sacrifice for sins, He for ever sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool°; but in direct contradiction of this doctrine, portions of the Church profess, "that in the Mass there is offered to God, a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead; and that, in the most holy

• Vide Hebrews, chap. ix. and x.