church, and the persecutions with which, in all popish countries, they were perpetually harassed and destroyed. For the infallible head of the church having fallen into so great an error, as the establishing the worship of images, "giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils,* that is, to the adoration of demons, or dead men and women canonized,† was like the jews, (Rom, x. 2,) zea

* 1 Tim. iv. 1.

Imo

† Αλλ' ὅτι ἃ θύει τὰ ἔθνη, δαιμονίοις θύει καὶ ὁ Θεῶ illud dico, que immolant Gentes, damoniis immolant, et non Deo. The apostle here positively asserts that the heathen Gods were wicked spirits, or devils in the proper sense of the word; and the psalmist, according to the Septuagint, (Ps. xcvi. 5,) says the same : ὅτι πάντες οἱ 'θεοι τῶν ἐθνῶν δαιμόνια. The heathens themselves had a different idea of their gods and demons, but the primitive christians, says Whitby, "engaged to force their gods, by the power of the name of Christ, to confess themselves to be evil spirits, even before their worshippers. Quic quid Damonum colitis, victi dolore, quid sunt eloquntur; ipsis testibus, esse eos Damones, de se verum confitentibus credite, Minucius p. 31. Tertul. Apol. c. 23." Their evil doctrines, and seduction of mankind from the knowledge and worship of the true God to the vilest idolatries, and to abominable and even human sacrifices, (Ps. cvi. 37,) is a sufficient indication what sort of spirits they were.-The destroying the heathen idolatry

lous, (without knowledge, and above measure,) as is mostly the case in an erroneous belief. (Acts viii. 3.) And the obstinacy of the jews, in the abhorrence they always expressed against image worship, in persons who professed to know the true God, was felt as a sting, and revenged as a reproach; just as the pure maxims of Christ's doctrine, for the same reasons, were excepted against by the pharisees; "Master, thus saying thou reproachest us." The same seducing spirits, which suggested such impious and antichristian doctrines to sin-deceived minds,* suggested also, in due consistency with such a corrupt faith, a suitable

is called, destroying the works of the devil, (1 John iii. 8,) and is turning them from the power of Satan unto God. (Acts xxvi, 18.) The saint gods, and false mediators which are worshipped under various names in the church of Rome, are gods of the same stamp,-their doctrines are the same, and their worship idolatry. Rev. ix. 20. 1 Tim. iv. i, &c. Rev. xvi. 14:-xviii. 2. Daniel (xi. 39,) calls them Mahuzzim, God's protectors; and the saints in the church of Rome has every one his office, in the same manner as the gods of the pagans had before them. Leviticus xvii. 7.-Deut. xxxii. 17.-2 Chron. xi, 15.2 Kings xvii. 17.-Isa. xiii. 21 :-lvii. 5.-Ezek. xvi. 2:xx. 26.

* Isa. xxvii. 11.-2 Thess. ii. 11.

departure from christian charity, and even from the common sympathy of human nature.

That the jews, as living evidences of the truth of God, and faithful conservators and guardians of the holy scriptures,* should have been objects of peculiar aversion and rancour in the dark ages of popery, is the less to be wondered at; since the scriptures themselves were beheld with extreme jealousy, and an evil eye; and were not exempt from their full share in the general persecution which raged against all the evidences of divine truth. They were found equally contumacious, and incorruptible by any other means than force and torture, to make them speak in favor of the dogmas of popery. They were therefore kept out of sight, cloathed also in sackcloth, and persecuted with every species of literary torture, and loaded with contempt and blasphemy; and at last incarcerated in the

* Faithful for the main part,—a little tender only upon one point, the scripture evidences that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messias of the prophets.

Their blasphemy against the scripture will be pointed out on another occ:sion, as this was only one of the tricks of the

lonely dungeon of an unknown tongue, of which the appointed keepers had lost the key, and which they had long ceased to visit.*

trade. St Paul's objection against an unknown tongue in the church was of course over-ruled, by the superior authority of his infallible Holiness; who had power even to abrogate one or more of the commandments of God himself, and transubstantiate Christ into an idol,

The reading of the word of God is forbidden to the people in general, and those to whom it is indulged must have a licence for it, which comes very high, and is with great difficulty obtained. The reason is plainly because the Bible is an heretical book, and the fomenter of heresy. Bishop Burnet in his History of the Reformation, relates several instances of women and children condemned to the flames, by the bloody Bishop Bonner, for no other crime than the being in possession of a Bible. The Bible itself was burnt by the hands of the common hangman, and no translation suffered, until in the progress of the reformation they were obliged, in protestant countries, to allow one of their own manufacture, armed at all points, and fitted for their purpose.

Their chief authorities maintain the propriety of concealing the light of the word under a bushel, contrary to our Saviour; (Matt. v. 15,) and in opposition to the opinion of St Paul, (1 Cor. xiv. 2.) "Hæreticum est affirmare sacras scripturas necessario in linguas vulgares converti debere." "It is heresy to maintain that the holy scriptures ought necessarily to be translated into the vulgar languages." Sanders, de visib. Monarch. lib. 7.-And before the "Indices Expurgatorii.” published by the POPES authority, the fifth general rule is

The holy scriptures themselves are therefore also two witnesses and prophets which answer the description here given. One of them prophesying to the Old World of the Mosaic dispensation, and both of them, but particularly the New Testament, to the last

this:-Cum experientia docuerit, ex permissione sacrorum Bibliorum lingua vulgari, plus indè ob hominum temeritatem, ignorantiam, aut malitiam, detrimenti quam utilitatis oriri, prohibentur biblia lingua vulgari extantia, cum omnibus earum partibus, &c." "Seeing experience hath shewn, that through the rashness, ignorance, or malice of men, more harm than good hath arisen, by suffering the Bible to be translated into the vulgar languages; therefore all Bibles, in any such vernacular language are forbid, together with every part thereof, whether in print, or in manuscript. "Negamus," (says another of their greater lights,) "a laicis requiri studium scripturarum, imo salubriter dicitur eos a lectione scripturarum arceri: sufficereque iis, ut ex præscripto pastorum et doctorum vitæ cursum moderentur.' "9 "We deny that the study of the scriptures is required of laymen, but it is sound doctrine to maintain that they ought to be prohibited from reading the scriptures and that it is enough for them that they regulate the course of their lives by the direction of their pastors and teachers."-Hist. of Popery, vol. ii, p. 161–170. "Search the scriptures, for in them YE THINK ye have eternal life!" (John v. 39.)—These popish lights would persuade us that our Lord meant only a sarcasm, in this licence to read the scriptures.