lous about inward purity, yet were they most strenuous promoters of outward cleanliness: to return from market, and eat without previously washing, was in their estimation a grievous crime: the washing of cups and pots and brazen vessels and of tables, was much more insisted upon by them than the cleansing of the soul from moral defilement. The commandment of God, which enjoined men to honour and support their parents, was superseded by the declaration, that, if their substance were made corban, which means a thing dedicated to the service of the temple, they were released from the obligations of filial piety. They persecuted Christ, because he performed his works of mercy on the Sabbath as well as on other days. Whilst they scrupulously paid tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, they neglected the weightier matters of the law-judgment, mercy, and faith. In short, as whited sepulchres look beautiful without, but are inwardly filled with uncleanness, so they," outwardly, appeared righteous unto men, but, within, were full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Such were the causes of those severe reproofs which Christ, who knew their hearts, so frequently addressed to them. Upon the present occasion, the chief subject of his complaint is their "making the word of God of none effect through their tradition.'

This, be assured, my brethren, is an offence of no small magnitude. When we consider the infinite wisdom and righteousness of God, we must acknowledge, that every revelation made by him to his creatures must be of the highest importance. It must be perfectly fitted for the end which it was designed to answer.

Nothing, therefore, can be added to it, and nothing taken from it, without the utmost criminality. To add

to his word, is to intimate that we are wiser than God, and can improve his declarations or injunctions: to take from it, must argue a disbelief of his veracity, or a contempt for his authority. Surely such conduct is little short of atheism; for to impeach the wisdom or the truth of God can hardly be less audacious than to deny his existence: and those do impeach his wisdom or his truth who make his word of none effect. The traditions of men may have some weight in matters wherein man only is concerned; opinions and customs which have the sanction of antiquity, or the acquiescence of the wise and virtuous, should not be lightly disregarded; but where religion is concerned, the authority of Divine revelation must prevail over every other. In saying this, I do not mean to impeach those forms of worship or outward ceremonies, which, though not enjoined in Scripture, do not contradict it, but rather harmonise with its general tenour. But I do contend against every doctrine which places the precepts of men upon higher authority than the word of God-which leads to a disregard of that word-which opposes its fundamental doctrines--or imposes a yoke on men's consciences inconsistent with "the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free."

Such a yoke has been imposed by the Church of Rome. It appeared so intolerable to our forefathers, that, in order to cast it off, they deemed it necessary to withdraw from her communion. That they were justified in doing so, has been already maintained; and will

appear more evident, if we contrast the traditions of Romanism with the pure and holy precepts of the word of God. With that word the supporters of tradition do not allow the laity to become acquainted. They discourage as much as possible all translations of the Scriptures into the vulgar tongue, and do not permit any persons to read or even to possess such translations, without an express license from the bishops or inquisitors. Thus, with respect to the greater part of the members of their communion, they make the word of God of none effect. But a very small portion of Scripture is read in public worship, and that in Latin, which. the generality do not understand. In consequence, the members of the Romish Church labour under a grievous ignorance of the word of God.

In the meantime, the authority of tradition is strenuously maintained. The Creed of Pope Pius IV., which contains a summary of the doctrine maintained by the Council of Trent, declares, "I most stedfastly admit and embrace the apostolical and ecclesiastical traditions, with the rest of the constitutions and observations of the Church." Again, the same Council of Trent asserts that " all saving truth is not contained in the holy Scripture, but partly in the Scripture, and partly in unwritten traditions; which whosoever doth not receive with like piety and reverence as he doth the Scriptures, is accursed."

Let us now consider some of the chief of those traditions which are asserted to be of so much authority.

I. The supremacy of the Romish Church over all others is one of the leading articles. The Creed of Pope Pius IV.,

already cited, because, since the Council of Trent, it is the standard of doctrine, holds this language: "I acknowledge the holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church to be the mother and mistress of all Churches; and I promise and swear true obedience to the Pope of Rome, who is the successor of St. Peter, the prince of the Apostles, and vicar of Jesus Christ." Now, if any Church could justly have claimed to be the mother of all others, it must have been the Church of Jerusalem; because there the Christian religion was first promulgated, and from thence the Apostles went forth to evangelise the world. But our Lord prohibited all disputes concerning preeminence amongst his disciples. Peter and John allowed themselves to be sent forth to minister by the other Apostles; Paul declared that he "was not a whit behind the chiefest amongst them," and upon one occasion publicly reproved Peter, which he would not have presumed to do, had he owed subjection to him. Christ alone is the Head of the Church; that Church is one, howsoever dispersed its members may be throughout the earth; and no one portion of it has a right to claim dominion over another: but in every city or country those who profess the faith of Christ constitute the Church of that city or country, and are subject only to their own lawful rulers-the bishops and pastors who by the providence of God, and by regular ordination, are set over them.

II. As a natural consequence of this assumption of authority, the Romish Church asserts, that out of her pale is no salvation. Now, that out of the Catholic

Church of Christ there is no assurance of salvation, we may readily admit; but then the Catholic Church comprehends all true believers, whether in Rome, in England, in India, America, or any other part of the world. Of these, many never were subject to the Church of Rome; and some never perhaps heard of the existence of that Church. But of the Church, which is the body of Christ, they are willing members, and rejoice to hold fellowship with him and with each other.

III. Our Lord Jesus Christ ordained but two sacraments; baptism, by which we are made members of his mystical body; and the holy supper, by which we commemorate his dying love, and spiritually feed on his most precious body and blood. But the Papists have added to these five others: viz. confirmation, penance, extreme unction, holy orders, matrimony. None of these have the essential character of a sacrament, the being ordained by Christ himself: nor can it be said of them, that they are generally necessary to salvation."

Confirmation appears to have been a practice of Apostolic institution, and to have been a medium of conveying spiritual gifts to those who worthily received it. But though a lawful and most profitable ordinance, it is not a sacrament, because not of Christ's institution. Penance may be enjoined by the Church to the offending members of her body, before they are restored to communion; but it is no sacrament: neither is extreme unction, which, as practised by the Romanists, is a superstitious custom, holding out deceitful hopes of benefit to the departing sinner, and too often creating a false and dangerous