ON POPERY.

Ir is the duty, and ought to be the delight, of the Christian Minister, to bear on his heart at all times the spiritual interests of his people; and, when not engaged in public ministrations, to be yet laying up something in store, which may profit their souls and tend to their edification. It is under the influence of these feelings, that I desire to impart to you the observations that I made not long ago, during a visit to the Continent, upon the religion prevailing there; in the hope that they may lead you to clasp the Bible more closely to your bosom, and to bless a gracious God, who has caused the light of the gospel to shine with so much purity on the land live in.

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1. The professed religion of the greater part of Europe, is now, as it was formerly in England, Roman Catholic, that is, they regard the Pope of Rome as the Supreme Head of the Church, as the Successor of St. Peter, and Christ's Vicar General upon earth.-In times past the Pope assumed the prerogative of granting pardon for sins committed, however enormous, and even of selling indulgences for sins in contemplation; and so far was this monstrous usurpation carried at one period, that a scale of prices was annexed to crimes of different dye; and he, who could comply with the Pope's terms, might purchase absolution even for adultery and murder; an

absolution which, the people were taught to believe, was the same as a pardon pronounced by God himself, and would equally exempt the offender from all punishment hereafter.

These abominations, which prevailed in this country before the Reformation, no less than on the Continent, are indeed, in these days of light and knowledge, in a great measure done away: but the spirit of the religion is still the same: the priest enforces his spiritual authority wherever he can; insists upon confession of sins to himself as a necessary condition to absolution, and makes pardon to depend on the penances imposed.

You will easily perceive, how unscriptural is this proceeding; for who can forgive sins save God only, and what is penance without penitence in his sight? Such a system is indeed too well suited to the corrupt nature of fallen man: for he would gladly perform the most rigorous penance and undergo any painful privation, rather than "crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts." Far easier is it to confess your sins to a Priest, than to offer the sacrifice of a broken heart to God! far easier to change your food,to abstain from meat,-to fast for a time,-than to strive against your besetting sin, to pluck out the right eye and cut off the right hand that causes you to offend! far easier, in short, to practise any bodily austerities, than to keep the heart pure within, and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ!

2. Their churches are noble structures, and

when you enter them, the lofty roofs, the massy pillars, and the long-drawn aisles, impress the mind with reverential awe; and you are led involuntarily to say, "Surely this is the house of God!"-But this solemn feeling is soon painfully disturbed, when you look around and see so many paintings, and statues, and images, and reliques. Sure I am, that St. Paul's spirit would be stirred within him, were he now alive, and to witness what passes in a Roman Catholic place of worship here he would see one poor suppliant kneeling before a crucifix and gazing intently upon it, as if it were animated and able to help him! there he would see another bending before the statue of some favourite saint, repeating his prayers, presenting his offerings, and purchasing as it were, by the trinkets that he leaves and the candles that he lights, the saint's intercession: he would see different services going on at different altars, with distinct congregations around them, just as the inclinations of the people lead to the worship of this or that particular saint.

It is in vain to say, they worship the Saviour through the saint, and the invisible God through the visible image. A few reflecting minds may do this. But as human beings, we are strongly influenced by what is before our eyes, and the habit of bowing down before the sign, will lead us in time to venerate the sign itself, and to give to the saint those affections which are due to the

Saviour only. And I could not but observe, that the offerings to the virgin, or some tutelary

saint, for benefits received, or evils averted, often exceeded those that were presented to the Son of God himself.

In our pure profession of religion, we are invited to carry our sins and our sorrows at once to the Saviour's bosom: to approach the throne of grace in humble confidence, with penitent and believing hearts; to plead the atoning blood of JESUS as our only propitiation; and without the intervention of saint or angel, to rely on him alone as our advocate with the Father, assured, that "whosoever cometh unto him he will in no wise cast out."

3. But there is another feature of their public worship, that will affect you with still greater surprise. Contrary to reason and to common sense, and in despite of the express command of scripture, the service is performed in a tongue unknown to the congregation. The people understand one language, and the Priest prays in another. He stands before the altar, which is covered with images, and candlesticks, and crucifixes-arrayed in gorgeous vestments of gold and silver-bowing the head-bending the knee -waving the hands-saluting the cup-raising the host-and repeating the prayers in Latin. Meanwhile the people kneel and look on; they hear but they understand not; no intelligible word of devout supplication reaches their ear; nothing to humble the sinner and exalt the Saviour: he that prayeth is to them that hear as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.”

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Now then be more than ever thankful, that you have a form of prayer, in your own tongue, wherein you were born; so judiciously composed, (it has been said,) that the wisest may at once exercise their knowledge and devotion, and so plain, that the most ignorant may pray with understanding: so full, that nothing is omitted, which is fit to be asked in public; and so particular, that it comprises most things, which we would ask in private; its language simple and significant, most of the words and phrases being taken out of the Holy Scripture, or borrowed from the first and purest ages: so that, whoever takes exception at these, must quarrel with the language of the Holy Ghost, and fall out with the Church in its greatest purity.

4. I am next to speak of the awful profanation of the blessed Sabbath on the Continent. And here we witness another fatal feature of the Roman Catholic religion, in its tendency to rest on the outward act of worship, rather than to cherish those holy and heavenly affections excited in the bosom; I mean, that contrition of spirit-that renouncing of sin and self-that love to the Saviour that spiritual joy-that deadness to the world-and that communion with God.—No sooner is the mass ended, and the forms of religion complied with, than all the world is mad for gaiety and pleasure. The shops are opened, the theatres are filled, the gambling-houses resorted to, and fetes and fire-works, and cards and dancing, and music and mountebanks, and