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reserving to my next some other reminiscences of a city through which you passed so hastily, still dear to me from many a pleasing association. Your affectionate father,

A. CAMPBELL.

MODERN CHARITY, SINCERITY, & LIBERALITY.

(From a Public Journal.)

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philanthropy which makes no distinc-
tion between the doves and the ser-
pents of the human race; the bene-
volence which blends all principles
into one general mass of confusion
or attempts a cordial coalition between
light and darkness, truth and error,
Christ and Belial. Neither Christ
nor his Apostles have taught us this
lesson. We shall not learn it in Wis-
dom's school; and CHARITY itself
prohibits its practice. I add, with
your Exeter correspondent, "that I
have nothing whatever to say against
individual Romanists." That there
are, and have been, clergymen in the
Roman Catholic church who in their
social characters, separate from their
clerical claims, have been ornaments
to society, and an honor to humanity,
is most readily conceded.
The Apo-

SIR,-The letter from "ONE WHO HAS SEEN," which appears in this day's Journal, on the subject of "The Roman Catholic Religion" out of England, is a testimony of great worth to the British public. Last week I received a letter from a friend who has spent some time on the Continent: he says " England is, after all, the land of liberty, of bibles, of philan-calyptic prophecies concerning Antithropic institutions, of missionary en- christ relate not to personal characterprise, of Sabbaths, and the home ters, but to the nature and spirit of of religion. She is the refuge of the their religious connection. For, as a oppressed, the sanctuary of justice, man may be a very good neighbour, and the guardian of morality. Of her and in other respects an estimable comparative righteousness we are member of society, while yet he is a never so convinced as after a few rebel against his sovereign; so a weeks travel on the Continent, where clergyman, whether a Catholic or you will see vice rampant in nearly Tractarian, may have many amiable every shape." These witnessess are and estimable qualities, and yet be a true; and the whole British nation member of Anti-christ; by which is may rely upon it, that Dr. spoke not meant merely the power of the the genuine sentiments, and expressed Pope, of the conclave of cardinals, or the ardent wishes, of every papist's of a general council; but as including heart in Ireland, and doubtless in all that power which the priesthood England also, when he so pathetically have assumed over the persons, propredicted the rapid approach of the perties, or consciences of men. This period which should give to the Bri-explanation of my meaning I think it tish empire "a Catholic King, a Catholic Parliament, and a Catholic Church." Heaven forbid, therefore, that we should countenance, and much less caress the destructive principles of popery. Neither charity nor patriotism-neither justice nor piety, requires this; yea, it would be a breach of both, to cherish the enemy of God and man in our bosom and home. I neither understand, nor approve of the indiscriminating liberality, so fashionable in the present day; the

necessary to premise, and trust it may not be overlooked or disregarded in any future papers from my pen, on the subject of “ ROMANISM," or Tractarianism.

As the stream is first in the fountain, so are all the meanderings of error in one great mistake; and as men recede from the fountain of truth they grow in the world's esteem, and in catholic charity. The most charitable writer in these days of "Christian liberality" is he who in

cludes most persons in the way to
heaven. He who widens the gate of
life and broadens the way thither, so
as to admit all the religionists of every
creed and every practice, is the
paragon of charity, and possesses the
most "Christian spirit." Hence the
Christian Deist calls for catholic
charity as due to moral virtue, more
honorable to our nature, and more
beneficial to society, than "the obe-
dience of faith." The Socinian pleads
for catholic charity on the footing of
sincere obedience to the Gospel, as
the best system of moral virtue, with
the best motives and helps to the
practice of it; and this in opposition
to the divine person and the atone-
ment of the Son of God. And even
Antinomians now cry up catholic
charity, while they boast of grace and
imputed righteousness, and make little
account of the institutions and com-
mands of the Lord Jesus, and of those
works without which faith is vain, and
profession but "sounding brass, or a
tinkling cymbal." The "Plymouth
Brethren," too, are building their
house on the sand in making what
they call charity the bond of union,
instead of " THE TRUTH," without
which there can be no true charity.
Men may allow one another the
merit of sincerity: this, however, is a
virtue of but subordinate value. There
are sincere Turks, Jews, and sceptics
of every school-sincere Catholics
and Protestants-sincere Wesleyans
and sincere Calvinists. But so long
as sincerity will not convert error into
truth, nor truth into error, it has but
little efficacy upon the heart, and is,
therefore, no means of salvation. We
all allow a hypocrite does great homage
to the truth; for he feigns a regard
for it, though it be contrary to the
bent and inclination of his heart. He
is, therefore, a despicable character.
No man can, indeed, be a good man
unless he be sincere or honest in his
pretensions; but yet goodness and
sincerity are not convertible terms;
for a man may be the worse, as well

as the better, for being sincere. Paul was the worse, or more violent persecutor, because he was sincere in it; and the Roman Catholic Church is the more to be dreaded because of her "infallibility," and the sincerity of those in her communion who maintain this figment. There appears to be as much virtue in sincerity as there is in the Propitiation itself, if the praises daily offered to this idol are to be taken as proof of the esteem in which she is held by many. Sincerity saves all; and, like the altar which sanctifies the gift, it makes acceptable the rites of the worshippers of Mahomet

the oblations of the Hindoo, the Jew, and sectaries of every name. It has brought salvation to the votaries of every creed; and finds Jehovah in Jove, and Jesus in Saturn, and all the graces of the Spirit in the Queen of Heaven. I can, therefore, pay no homage in this temple of the goddess Sincerity, because she cannot make a truth out of a lie; and as God saves men by "the belief of the truth," as one Apostle affirms (2 Thess. ii. 13), the sincere belief of a lie will not constitute any man righteous in God's sight, nor save his soul from death; and it is evident that the insincere acknowledgement of truth is as valueless as the sincere belief of a lie : therefore the truth must be sincerely believed, or there is no value in it. I had a few counterfeit bank notes, which I once sincerely believed to be genuine ; but my sincerity availed me nothing when they were presented at the bank. They were not worth a farthing in the pound.

Charity, then, "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth." It delights in the character of the true God drawn in the Bible, and has no regard for any other, though drawn by the wisest of men, and applauded by multitudes. Surely no man of common sense can imagine that the God of John Wesley and the God of John Calvin are the same God. And he that fancies that the God of the

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every person, be his creed what it may. Whereas apostolic charity despises all the little singularities of parties, and bears good-will to all men, and is ready to do them good as op

fined to those in whom the truth dwells. The charity of the Gospel is the imitation of the divine goodness, breathing nothing but benevolence towards friends or foes. God shows kindness to all, making his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sending his rain on the just and on the unjust; but he taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. No action, then, however commendable, no character, however highly esteemed, that is not formed upon the love of the truth, can be well-pleasing to God. All love to the truth is influenced by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of the truth, who is therefore likewise called the Spirit of love. And thus we see the true difference betwixt the Spirit of God, and the spirit of falsehood, by which men fortify themselves in their disobedience to the word of God, and flatter one another down to eternal perdition.

Orthodox and the God of the Unitarians are one and the same divinity, can easily believe in transubstantiation, and the other heresies of the Church of Rome. The profession of charity must proceed on some pro-portunity presents; but its joy is confession of the faith. Anciently, men were acknowledged as Christians, or objects of charity, on what they had to say of Christ, or, on their calling Jesus, LORD. The Ethiopian eunuch was acknowledged for a Christian, when he believed in the heart, and confessed with the mouth, that JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD (Acts viii. 37, 37; Rom. x. 9, 10.) But now the expression of mutual charity proceeds on some such profession as this "I sincerely consider you a good Christian; and I presume you can think no less of me." Thus the spirit of the world, which always fortifies men in a sense of their own importance, worth, and excellency, speaks "peace" to thousands walking in the broad way to destruction. And this spirit of pride, under the borrowed name of charity, always opposes the truth, and charges the love which is of it with some malignant disposition. All historians who record the sufferings of the first Christians, under Nero and Domitian, and even Trajan, state that the cause of all those persecutions was the want of a truly catholic spirit. One said they condemned not only all the religions, but ridiculed all the gods of the Pantheon. Another called this uncharitable, obstinacy to the government; and with Trajan said, "If for no other cause than this they deserve to die." And others affirmed that these Christians would acknowledge no intercommunity of religion with any but those who acknowledged Christ as the only Saviour, and kept his commandments. Thus Catholic charity with the Pagans and with the moderns is pretty much the same thing. It is not the love which is of God-the fruit of "the belief of the truth"-but the expression of a favorable opinion for

It follows, then, that Christian charity has no affection for error or iniquity; it expresses none. It remonstrates, expostulates, reproves, and rebukes in all zeal and benevolence. It flatters not the wicked, and censures not the righteous. It loves the truth, and will tell the truth without disguise, and without a mixture of error. This, sir, with me is true charity and a Christian spirit. He that censures me for the exercise of it mistakes either the thing itself or my meaning, as much as he who censured his neighbours for telling him that his house was on fire, and if he did not escape from it he must be consumed; or he who told the physician he was cured, because he said his patient must die if he took not his medicines.

In true charity,

ANTIPAS.

LETTERS ON ROMANISM.

NO. II.

DEAR SIR:-Agreeably to the promise made to you in closing my last letter, I now proceed to a statement of the additional reasons which yet prevent my return to the pale of your church, in which I was born, baptized, and confirmed. I shall begin with your sacrament of Extreme Unction. As but few of your own people, and yet fewer Protestants understand it, I hope you and my readers will bear with me even if I should occupy this letter with its consideration. When rightly understood it is a terrible sacrament. I will strive so to explain it as to bring it to the level of every mind, and from your own standard authors which lie before me. The name of the sacrament explains it; it is anointing by holy oil of a sick person when recovery is extremely doubtful. This, and the fact that it is supposed to be the last act of religion, give it its name. The object of this anointing is thus explained by the doctors of Trent :

"The devil is always busy in seeking to destroy the souls of men, yet it

is at the hour of death that he most vehemently exerts all his power; and the object of this anointing by holy oil is to fortify the soul in the dying hour against the violent attacks of its spiritual enemies, and to enable it to make a holy death, and to secure a happy eternity."

The only person who can administer this sacrament is a bishop, or priest. You admit a midwife, or a layman to baptize; but a priest only can administer Extreme Unction. The reasons for this will appear in the sequel.

The oil used in this sacrament must not be common oil. That the effects intended may be produced, it must be oil of olives, "solemnly blessed by the bishop every year on Maunday-Thursday." I quote from Challoner; the sentence leaves it doubtful whether

the efficacy of the bishop's blessing continues only a year, or whether the oil used must be blessed on that day. It has what is called in rhetoric, a squinting construction. As the bishop is paid for blessing it, it is probable that he blesses but little at once, and that he gives it efficacy but for a limited time.

The effects and fruits of this anointing are these; it remits sins, at least such as are venial: it heals the soul of its infirmity and weakness; and helps to remove the debt of punishment due to past sins; it strengthens the soul to bear the illness of the body, and to repel its spiritual enemies; and "if it be expedient for the good of the soul, it often restores the health of the body." I wish you, sir, and my readers to ponder the sentence quoted. Its meaning is this; if the person is restored, it is a miracle wrought by extreme unction; if he dies, restoration would not conduce to the health of the soul !

The manner of administering this sacrament is as follow:

If the time permit, certain prescribed prayers are said the confiteor is repeated, and absolution is granted -then the priest making the sign of the cross says: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, may all the power of the devil be extinguished in thee, by the laying on of our hands, and the invocation of the holy angels, archangels, &c." Then dipping his thumb in the holy oil he anoints the sick person in the form of a cross, upon the eyes, the ears, the nose, the mouth, the hands and feet; at each anointing making use of this form of prayer:

"Through this holy unction and his own most tender mercy, may the Lord pardon thee whatever sin thou hast committed by thy sight. Amen." And the same prayer is repeated, adopting the form to the several senses.

The requisite dispositions in the receiver are, faith in the sacrament, a pure desire for the health of his

soul, and of his body if expedient, resignation, repentance, devotion.

In cases of recovery and relapse, it may be repeated, and as often as the person relapses.

And your Scriptural authority for all this you find in James v. 14, 15, which you thus translate :- "Is any sick among you? let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord will lift him up, and if he be in sin, his sins will be forgiven him."

The cures wrought by the anointing of James were for the establishment of the claims of the gospel; yours for the purpose of establishing the ghostly authority of your priesthood. That text above quoted is confessedly the only one on which you build your sacrament; and that text must be mistranslated, and utterly tortured out of its sense, and meaning, and end, even to afford a pretext to the use which you make of it. And this is but one of the many instances in which your church has changed and perverted the original meaning of the scriptures, and forged them into chains to bind men to your system of delusion. Having thus swept from your ex

Such is your extreme unction as described by the council of Trent, Challoner, and the poor man's cate-treme unction the only Scriptural chism. Although abridged, you, at least, will say that it is a perfectly fair abridgment. Let us now examine it in the light of Scripture and

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I ask you to look at your Greek Testament, and then to answer me on what authority you thus translate a portion of the 14th verse of James V. let him bring in the priests of the church?" Ah! the priests, the priests; this sacrament is for their benefit; and by a mistranslation, the power of anointing and praying must be confined to them!

But does the text afford the shadow of a support to the sacrament? No, not even the shadow. You utterly pervert the meaning of the apostle. The anointing and prayer of James is for the life of the sick, your anointing is for their death, and is never administered whilst there is any hope of life. The anointing of James is for the cure of the body; yours is for the cure of the soul, in reference to which the text gives no direction. The saving of the sick, and forgiveness of sins, are in consequence of the prayer of faith. Can none but a priest offer that prayer? The anointing of James and the prayers to be offered were to be followed with miraculous recovery, yours with speedy death.

authority claimed for it, and hung it up as a commandment of men, I have a few questions to ask in reference to it.

Is it so that God's people need the oil of Olives, blessed on MaundayThursday, to be placed upon their eyes, and nose, and ears, and tongue, and hands and feet, to secure the remission of their sins, and to heal the maladies of their souls, and to enable them to repel their spiritual enemies? If this oil can do it, what need is there of the blood of Christ? If the blood of Christ, and the presence of his Spirit can do it, what is the need of this olive oil?

But again you require in the receiver of this sacrament the dispositions stated above. Those are truly Christian dispositions, bating a few things in your manner of stating them. If these dispositions are possessed, will not the soul of the person be saved without your olive oil? If not possessed, will your olive oil save them?

Again among the effects of this sacrament, as stated in the poor man's catechism, p 329, is this, "it brings him (the sick man) in safety to the port of happiness." Now, sir, does extreme unction save from purgatory? This you will not say! If not, then

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