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the Romanists, the whole truth, as it is in Christ, appear ed in its original purity; and as both Rome and the Protestant Churches agree in every thing which is really a part of the Apostolic doctrine, we cannot be charged with innovation.

R. Yet they say that ours is a new religion.

A. Any Protestant may rebut that charge with the Bible in his hand. The New Testament is the original charter of Christians; any thing under the name of Christianity which we do not find there, must be an abuse of more modern date than the Charter. The additions made by the Church of Rome are it is true very old; but the foundations over which she has built her fantastic structure must be older still. foundation, the Testament, is our religion, and we do not wish That to prove our religion older than Christ.

R. I wish you would have the goodness to mention the additions and innovations which the Church of Rome has made to the true and Scriptural religion of Christ.

A. I will, with grea: pleasure, in our next conversation

DIALOGUE III.

Conduct of the Churn of England and of the Roman Catholic Church comparea; some Account of the Innovations made by Rome: Tradition: Transubstantiation: Confession: Relics and Iniages.

Author. I PROMISED, at our last meeting, to give you an account of the innovations which the Church of Rome has made, and the human additions by which she has adulterated the pure doctrines of the Gospel. But before I begin, I must ask your opinion upon a case which I heard some time ago. Reader. I will give it you, Sir, to the best of my knowledge. A. The people of two neighboring islands, which acknowledged the authority of the same Sovereign, received each a governor from the metropolis. One of the Governors presented himself with his commission in one hand, and with the book of the Colonial Laws in the other. "Gentlemen," he said, "here is the King's commission, which authorizes me to govern you according to these laws. I will direct my officers to get them printed, and every one of you shall have a copy in his possession. If ever any one of you should think that I am stepping beyond my powers, or governing against the laws, he may examine the point and consult his friends about it; and if, after all, he feels inclined not to be under me any longer, I will not at all molest him in his removal to the neighboring island, carrying away every thing that belongs to him." The other Governor pursued quite a different course. He appeared in the capital with all the pomp and show of a King. He gave out, that he had authority from the Sovereign, not only to govern according to the standing laws, but to make new statutes at his will and pleasure. At the same time, he employed his officers to deprive the people of all the copies of the Colonial Laws that were to be found, and published heavy penalties against any one who should possess or read them without leave, or in a copy which had not his own interpretation of the statutes. Some high-spirited individuals presented a petition to the new Governor, stating, "that they were perfectly willing and ready to obey any one commissioned by their King; but, still they conceived themselves entitled to possess a

copy of the laws of the country; that if the Monarch himself had empowered him to make additional laws, they would make no objection to that, provided he showed an authentic copy of his commission." The Governor grew quite furious upon reading this remonstrance, and answered that he would not show any document relating to his power of making new laws that the king had conferred upon him this privilege, not in writing, but by a message; and, finally, that if the petitioners did not obey him in silence, he would employ force against them." Do, Sir, but prove to us your commission from the King, and we are ready to obey without a murmur."—"Take those fellows," said the Governor, " and let them die by fire." The order being executed, a number of citizens tried to escape from the island, but troops were stationed at every port and creek, and such as were found in the act of getting away were, without mercy, put to the sword or confined to dungeons, till they swore that they would receive whatever the Governor commanded, as if it had been a part of the book of the laws. To complete the picture of this Governor, I will tell you that there was not one among the laws which he added to the written statutes of the colonies, but evidently procured both to him and to his officers, an increase of wealth and power.-The question I wish you to answer is, under which of these two Governors would you advise a man to place himself?

R. I answer without a doubt,-under the first.

A. What! without any further inquiry; without examining the book of colonial laws; without hearing the reason of the other governor?

R. If I understood you rightly, the tyrant Governor (for he deserves no better name) does not wish to settle the matter by reasoning: he wishes to be believed on his word, and puts to death even those who would avoid his power by flight. He must be an imposter,-an usurper, who grounds his authority on his own word, and his word on his tyranny.

A. Oh, my friend, how justly you have given your verdict! The Pope is the man. My parable applies literally to the case between the Roman Church and the Protestants. We, the Protestant Clergy, declare to the world, that our Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, have no authority but what the Scriptures confer upon us, for the instruction and edification of the people. We show them our commission in the book of God's word, and leave them to judge whether they are bound or not to listen to our instructions. If any one wishes to leave us, he is at liberty to do so: we use no arts, no compulsion to keep

any one within the pale of our church. To those who remain under our guid ince we give no other rule or law but the Scripture; our articles declare that nothing contained in them is to be believed on any other consideration, but the clear warrant of the Holy Scriptures. But hear the conditions which the Pope presents to mankind: "Come to me," he says, "as you wish to be saved; for none can escape the punishment of hell who reject my authority." I ask him for the proof that God has limited Salvation, by making it pass exclusively through his hands. He answers me, that he has received the power of interpreting the Scriptures, and adding to them several articles of faith: and that, by virtue of that power, I must believe what he affirms. I rejoin, that if the Scriptures said that the Bishop of Rome and his Church were to be the infallible interpreters of the written word of God, and that they had power to add to the laws therein contained, I should bo ready to obey; but since the Scriptures are silent upon a point of such importance, I will not believe the Pope, who is the party that would gain by the forced interpretation of those passages on which he wishes to build his power over the whole church. He now grows angry, and calls me a heretic, protesting that the Scripture is clear as to his being the head of the church and Vicar of Christ. Are the Scriptures so clear in favor of your authority, my Lord the Pope? Why, then, are you and yours so alarmed when you see the Scriptures in the hands of the people? If your commission from God is clear, why do you not allow every man, woman, and child to read it? Because (says the Pope) they are ignorant.-Ignorant, indeed! is the meanest child too ignorant to know the person whom his father appoints to teach him? Is a stranger to drag a child away and keep him under his control without the father saying, "this is to be your teacher; I wish you to obey him like myself?" The only thing, in fact, which the child can perfectly understand, is the appointment of the person who is to be his tutor: and are we to be told that because the mass of Christians are children in knowledge, they must blindly believe the man who presents himself, rod in hand, saying to them, "follow me, for I have a letter of your father's in which he desires you to be under my command?" "Shew me the letter," says the Christian. "You are a silly babe," says the Pope, "and must let me explain the letter to you." "Yes," says the Christian, "but all I want is to see that my father mentions your name, and desires me to obey you." "No:" is the Pope's answer; "my name is not in the letter, but St

Peter's name is there: St. Peter was at Rome, and I am at Rome, and therefore it is clear that you must obey me.""But tell me, I pray you, my Lord the Pope, does the letter say even that St. Peter was ever at Rome!" "No; but I tell you he was," says the Holy Father. "Still another question: is it in the letter that Peter was to govern all Christians more than any other of the Apostles as long as he lived?" "The letter does not say it, but I do." "So it seems that all your authority must depend, not upon any command of my heavenly Father, but upon your own word. If so, I will not follow you; but put myself under instructors who will read my Father's words to me, without requiring from me more than I find therein enjoined." Happy, my friend, is that Christian who can speak thus out of the Pope's grasp; for he is a fierce schoolmaster, and would tear the skin off any one's back who should not take his word on points relating to his authority. You know that I should be made to endure a lingering death, for what I say to you at this moment, if the Pope or his spiritual subjects, could lay hold on me in any part of the world, but where Protestants are in a sufficient number to protect me.

R. I see, Sir, that the Pope is just like the proud, usurping Governor you described. He grounds his claims on his own authority, and supports his authority by the sword. But what strikes me above all, is his fear of the Scriptures. If the Scriptures were favorable to him, he would not object to their free circulation. I believe you said that the Pope had intro duced many things in the Church which are not to be found in the Scriptures.

A. Very many, indeed; and what is still more remarkable, not one of which but is decidedly to his own profit. Here again the comparison between the Pope and the Protestant clergy is enough to decide any rational man in doubt what Church to follow. Any one who is capable of making the comparison, will clearly perceive, that on whatever points the Church of Rome and the Protestant Churches (especially ours of England) agree, the Scriptures are their common foundation. But as soon as they begin to disagree, the Church of Rome is seen striving after wealth and power in the articles which she adds to the Scriptures; while the Protestant clergy evidently relinquish both emolument and influence, by their refusal to follow the Romanists beyond the authority of the word of God. I will give you instances of this, as I proceed in the enumeration of the principal points of difference.

Tradition is one of the most essential subjects of dispute be