in some visible form, to which these expressions of our Saviour might be safely applied. But this is a mere fiction: it is a gross misrepresentation of the case. In the first four or five centuries, there is no doubt, a really Catholic church existed. But this was not the church of Rome, any more than it was the church of England. The first general council ever held, and that at a period when Christianity had spread over the whole civilized world,-was neither held at Rome, nor summoned by a pope, nor presided over by a bishop of Rome. It was called together by the emperor; held at Nice; and presided over by a Spanish bishop, as the senior member present. The same observation applies to several subsequent councils. In a century or two after, we find the four patriarchs, as they were called, of Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, and Alexandria, ascending to a rank above the other bishops of the church; and still later the number is reduced to two,-Rome and Constantinople. After a long contest for the rank and authority of universal bishop,-the east and west finally separate,-each declaring hostility against the other. Blame may be attached to either side; but one thing is clear, that Rome, with her division of the Catholic church, could have no right or authority to unchristianize or cast off the whole body of the eastern churches. Here, then, was a permanent division of the Catholic church into two great sections. About seven centuries after, six or eight nations of Europe found the exactions of the Papal see so heavy, that they also threw off her yoke. And, judging by the rule, " by their fruits ye shall know them," we do not find England, Scotland, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, and parts of Germany,

less moral, less peaceful, less industrious, or less respected than Italy or Spain, which adhered to Rome. We do not think, therefore, that in abandoning Rome, they abandoned Christianity.

Now when, after all these divisions and separations, we find one branch of the professedly Christian world setting itself up as "the church," "the Catholic church," we cannot look upon it or speak of it, as anything else than an instance of the most intolerable arrogance, and the most unfounded pretension.

Practically, too, this scheme is fraught with far more difficulties than Dr. W. himself has been able to allege against the Protestant rule.

"Before any one can even commence the examination of the scriptures," says Dr. W., "he must have satisfied himself that all these books and writings which are collected together in that volume are really the genuine work of those whose names they bear; and also that no such genuine work has been excluded," ,"1&c. Equally clear is it, that before any one can apply our Lord's words immediately before his ascension, to the church of Rome, he must have it clearly made out to him, that of all the various bodies of Christian ministers in the world, those holding under the bishop of Rome are the only ones who can rightly adopt and claim the promise then given. And, finding a multitude of other Christian churches in the world, with whom the Romish church holds no intercourse, he must see "that no genuine" church "has been excluded," so that the body is really Catholic and entire.

Now to the inhabitants of a Roman Catholic coun

1 Wiseman's Second Lecture, p. 32.

try, or even to such persons, here, as have been long living in quiet submission to the Romish priesthood, and have been inured and accustomed to the high pretensions of that church,—the conclusion may seem natural enough;-but in more than half the countries of the globe, the case would be different.

The Greek Christians might argue thus:-' Time was, when Rome and Constantinople were sister patriarchates in the same Catholic and universal church. In the seventh and eighth centuries, each see was filled in turn by men of more ambition and self-will than became their profession. Each alternately claimed the pre-eminence, while the other as firmly resisted the claim. Finally, the breach between these two sections of the general church became irreparable. The greater part of Christendom was divided between the two; the eastern patriarch taking his portion, the western his; since when the visible church has never once acted in concord and union, but each country or section has taken its own course; the greater part of Europe going with the bishop of Rome, and the Asiatic Christians, generally, with the patriarch of Constantinople. But, clearly,

neither of these rulers had any right to exclude the other from his place in the visible church; or to say, that his followers constituted the Catholic church; and that all who are not subjects of his, were rebels to the great Head of the church.'

6

The Armenian would reason in a similar manner. 'Our church,' he would say, was formed at the beginning of the fourth century, when Rome advanced no pretensions to the dominion of the Christian church. At that period, at the council of Nice, no one thought of such a thing as any dominion or rule

exercised by the see of Rome over all other churches. We, therefore, were no rebels or deserters from the allegiance of Rome, for, at that period, she claimed none. Since then we have heard, indeed, of her increased and exaggerated pretensions; but they concerned us nothing. And are we to be unchristianized and excluded from the visible church, merely because Rome, which is no mother of ours, has chosen to demand homage from the whole Christian world, and we, owing her no such submission, have refused to pay it?'

Of a similar character would be the remonstrance of a member of the Syrian church at Malabar. 'For more than fifteen centuries,' he would say, 'have we preserved the Christian faith, which we never received from Rome, and which we are not willing to allow Rome to take away from us. The Portuguese, when they first came among us, and found more than a hundred Christian churches, said, "These churches belong to the pope." "Who is the pope?" we answered; 66 we never heard of him." And was it to be endured that an Italian bishop, of whose name, even, we were wholly ignorant, and to whom we owed nothing of any kind, should send his demands of tribute and allegiance to us, who knew not even so much as his existence?'

Thus would all the easterns agree in declaring this assumption to be wholly unfounded; their faith and doctrine was Christian, they would say; their ordination and succession was apostolic; and they were no rebels to any lawful authority of the pope, for of such authority they had no knowledge. What is the answer to their case? It deeply concerns the present question,-for, if the Romish church be not,

indeed, the Catholic church, but only a section of it, -then it must clearly follow that in such promises as were just now quoted, she can claim no more than a mere participation.

"Lo, I am with you always,” said the Saviour; but with whom did he then promise to be present? With his whole church; with the Catholic church; not with the church of Rome exclusively or especially; with his whole church on earth, the representatives of which were then present. But if that promise was not made to the bishop of Rome, or to any other section of the church, then what title has that bishop, or any other, to impose laws on his brethren?

Thus the Romish Rule of Faith is clearly open to two objections: First, it removes from its just supremacy, as the sole and sufficient guide, and the ultimate appeal,-God's message to man, as found in Holy Scripture; and hands us over from a definite and intelligible rule to one which constantly evades the grasp, and affords nothing tangible or satisfactory to the enquirer. And, secondly, because, when it refers us to the judgment of the church, the Catholic church, as the only true rule of faith, it refers us to that which can no where be found,-inasmuch as the several divisions of the Catholic church are scattered over the face of the whole earth, disunited and contending against each other, a state which is greatly caused by the unfounded pretensions of the church of Rome. We regret, then, this rule, both because it is dishonouring to God and his word, and because it refers to a Catholic church,' which, partly owing to the divisions and dissensions caused by the claims of Rome, can no where, at least in our day, be discerned or consulted.