66 66 do they involve themselves in who depart from the standard of the gospel! If the Holy Ghost sanctify the just by his grace, he leaves nothing for the priest, holy-water, or purgatory to do; for as he is perfect master of his business, he will either complete the work or resign it altogether. The Lord says, My grace is sufficient for thee, but my Spirit shall not always strive with man." ye Roman Catholics! can you not see your own doctrine proves that you are made merchandise of by your priests? For your Christian Doctrine, as you call it, asks, "Who will go to heaven?" and then answers, They who keep the commandments of God, and die in the state of grace." And yet your priests tell you that you must go to purgatory! If you keep the commandments of God, and die in the state of grace, what more can God do for you, or you for him, in this life? Yet still it seems you must go to purgatory. Christ has opened the way to heaven, and offers it freely to all, saying, "He that will come, may come;" yet the pope has endeavoured to erect toll-bars upon it, and woe unto them who pass without paying, for they are called thieves, robbers, and heretics, for refusing to acknowledge the inscription of his Miler, which is mystery; (Rev. xvii, 5.;) and the demand of his pocket, which is money. Now, from these views of the system of popery,views which cannot be refuted,-I appeal to the world, if any one can censure me for departing from so dangerous a system. However others may get salvation in that church, who serve God according to the best of their knowledge, yet I saw that there was no salvation for me in it. Nothing less than a divine conviction of the truths already stated, could ever have caused me to leave the Church of Rome, for I remained in it until conscience refused to be silent any longer, and then persecution soon put me to the rout. But with one of old I desire to pray, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge!" for being without light, "they know not what they do." But we look forward with hope, that God will yet, in the wise order of his providence, by some means, remove prejudice and superstition from amongst this people, that they may receive the scriptures, which will teach them the truth as it is in Jesus. Then shall they serve God, and walk in the light, even as he is in the light, and have fellowship one with another, knowing that "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son (and not penance or purgatory) cleanseth from all sin." 1 John i, 7. Then strife and animosity shall cease, and all nations and colours shall love God above all things, and their neighbours as themselves. The Judge of all the earth will do right, who, at the great day of final retribution, shall give unto every man according to his works. An address to Roman Catholics. HAVING made these few observations, I now address myself to you, my Roman Catholic friends. This little work is not intended to irritate, but to instruct you; and although you may imagine yourselves above seeking knowledge from such an insignificant source, as you may term it; yet remember that wherever truth is to be found, if it be fairly tried, it cannot be overturned. Let not prejudice to opinions and individuals, or fear of being led astray by this work, prevent your giving it a fair trial. Exercise your reason and judgment; and if your cause be right, you need not fear any danger by examination; and if it be wrong, the sooner you find it out the better. Your immortal souls are of infinite value; therefore a knowledge of the way by which they are to be saved, must be a matter of the greatest importance. God created you rational creatures, for which you must be accountable. Why then should you content yourselves to rest the safety of that upon the word of others, for which you must be accountable yourselves? You are not allowed to read the scriptures; consequently you can know but little of the word of God, the word of man being all you have for your religious instruction, which cannot stand the test when tried by controversy or otherwise; and then, when you see your cause fall to ruin, and are unable to support it, you generally make use of opprobrious and insulting language to your opponents, and would rather conclude with a noisy clamour, and unchristian language, than have nothing at all to say; and although, by the force of truth, you may discover your error, yet your prejudice and superstition, blown up by the furious wind of fiery resentment, blast the good which may be received, and drive you back to your dark retreat. Why are you so much afraid of coming to the truth? How often to you, also, has the word of salvation" been sent? And still you reject it before you have tried what it is, because you differ in opinion with those by whom it is offered. You are ready to conclude without any hesitation or research, asking-"Can any thing be good which comes from these people?"! 66 Some of you are as much afraid of the bible, as you would be of an enemy of the most dangerous kind. How shameful as well as dangerous it is, in this age of the world, that you, who call yourselves christians, should not only be ignorant of the scriptures, but have an aversion to them! And this you imbibe almost from your infancy; which you cannot deny, for I speak from experience, as the following relation of a simple fact, which occurred in my own life, can prove. When I was a boy, at school, I one day looked into a Primer in which were a considerable number of wood cuts representing various objects, one of which was in the form of a book, and underneath it appeared these words, "The Holy Bible." I closed the book with aversion to what I had seen, and uttered words to myself too wicked to be related, against the bible, of which I knew nothing more than that I thought it was false and dangerous, because it belonged to protestants, who I thought could not be saved unless they became Roman Catholics. To whom is the cause of this gross ignorance of the best of knowledge amongst you to be attributed, but to your priests, who keep you in the dark, that they may make merchandise of you, and use you as they please? But this will not excuse you if you persevere in ignorance; for "light is come into the world," and if you neglect to seek it, or refuse to receive it when offered to you, no apology for ignorance can be available at the judgment-seat of Christ; for he may say to you, "I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." Prov. i, 24, 25, 26. This is your 66 condemnation, that light is come into the world;" and still ye "love darkness rather than light." Your danger is described, the way of safety pointed out to you, as strong as the mind can conceive, or language express; and yet you will not believe these things, though the voice of God from heaven gave testimony of them: for what more can be done to reveal the will of Heaven to man, than by giving to him the scriptures? Were an angel from heaven to descend to reveal the will of God to the human race, we have cause to think he would bring the bible in his hand, and enforce |