"Say, heav'nly powers! where shall we find such love? "Which of ye will be mortal to redeem "Man's mortal crime, and just th' unjust to save? "He ask'd, but all the heav'nly choir stood mute, "And silence was in heav'n." MILTON. Book 3. Silence might well prevail at such a weighty proposal; for any one of the highest order of angelic beings must shudder at the idea of becoming a substitute for man, to bear the stroke of offended justice. But the second person of the ever-blessed Trinity stepped forward, and offered himself to die for man, saying,— "Father, thy word is past; man shall find grace; man, Then might God the Father say in behalf of "Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom." Job xxxiii, 24. And then might angels sound a louder strain than when chaos sprang into all the beauties and sublimities of creation at the word of Jehovah; for though ""Twas great to speak a world from nought, ""Twas greater to redeem." Thus, after the act of man's redemption had passed in heaven, it might be said that God again visited his abject creatures, and proclaimed their deliverance; and although shame and fear had caused them to hide themselves amongst the trees of the garden, it was then that the dawn of mercy glimmered in the first Gospel promise, (Gen. iii, 15.,) which was fulfilled in the fulness of time; for "God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh." Rom. viii, 3. For he died in our stead, "the just for the unjust, God." 1 Pet. iii, 18. that he might bring us to Having been made sin that we might be made for us who knew no sin, the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor. v, 21. "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John. ii, 2. iv, 10. And he was fully qualified for this, being God with God and man with men; for in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Col. ii, 9. In whose glorious person all the attributes of Deity sweetly harmonize; for on the day that he suffered and died for man, the highest demands of justice were fully satisfied, whilst mercy was displayed in saving the transgressor: here, "mercy and truth met together; righteousness and peace kissed each other." Psal. lxxxv, 10. And when the Poet viewed the perfections of God delightfully harmonizing in the economy of man's redemption, he exclaimed, "Here the whole Deity is known, "Nor dares a creature guess, "Which of the glories brightest shone, Here we may stand astonished at the wisdom of God in the great mystery of godliness, "God manifested in the flesh." 1 Tim. iii, 16. "For without shedding of blood there could be no remission." Heb. ix, 22. Therefore, if Jesus Christ had been only God, he could not have suffered death; or only man, he could not have conquered death, nor effected our redemption; for God had been too terrible for our guilt, and man too frail for our relief; but God and man united in the person of Jesus Christ neither affrights us by his majesty, nor discourages us by his frailty. For being God and man in one person, in order to unite God and man in one covenant, and to make peace between the offended Creator and his offending creatures, he died "the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." And being perfect man, he could die; and perfect God, he could arise and not be holden by death; for he burst the barriers of the tomb, "ascended on high, led captivity captive; received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also." Psal. lxviii, 18. And there "he ever liveth to make intercession for us, and is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him." Heb. vii, 25. Thus it is evident, from reason and scripture, that we are not indebted to angels or men for our salvation, but to Jesus Christ only, who ratifies this assertion by saying,-"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." Isa. xlv, 22. The drift of this argument is merely to prove that there is salvation in none other (but Christ,) for, "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts iv, 12. "He is the atonement for our sins." 1 John ii, 2. Our "Advocate with the Father." 1 John ii, 1. "The head of his Church.". Eph. v, 27. And "The light of the world." John viii, 12. This is the true doctrine of Christ, and the subject of the Apostles' ministry; of which St. Paul speaks when writing to the Galatians. "There be some that trouble you, and would prevent the Gospel of Christ; but though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Gal. i, 7-8. But amongst the various denominations of professing christians, none appear to have subjected themselves more to this censure than the pastors of the Church of Rome; for notwithstanding their pretended sanctity, and lofty claims to evangelical pre-eminence, as being the successors of the Apostles, and the only true ministers of Jesus Christ; yet they exclude him from his offices, and introduce in his stead, penance, alms-deeds, and masses, for our atonement; saints and angels for our advocates; the Pope for our head; and tradition and the commandments of men for our rule and guide! This is too evident to be denied, and too dangerous to be received. And in order to prevent the denial of this statement, it is necessary to commence with a description of penance in their own words. Penance, they say, is a sacrament instituted by our Lord Jesus for the remission of sins committed after baptism; its matter is the sins of the penitent accompanied with contrition, confession to a priest, and satisfaction to God, by a faithful performance of the penance enjoined by the priest to whom we confess; the effects are, remission of sins, reconciliation to God, a restoration and increase of grace. Penance, then, is our only refuge, the only plank to save us after we have made shipwreck of our conscience by sin.* But in order to inform the reader more fully of the nature of penance, I shall further describe it according to my own repeated experience, in the following manner. Private and auricular confession is made to a priest, in which the person is commanded, under the penalty of a most awful punishment, to confess all the sins which he has committed either by thought, word, or deed, as far as he can remember, since his last confession. Then, after reproof and advice by the priest, he receives the sum of his penance, which generally consists in the repetition of a number of prayers for a certain time; not always, or every-where, as the Apostle would have it, (1 Tim. ii, 8,) but according to the nature and magnitude of his crimes; to which may be added a few Fridays' fasts, or a few stations performed at Baal,† the Rick,+ Lough-dharg,|| or some other place of superstitious antiquity appointed for that purpose. Then the venerable father raises his hand and puts it on the head of the penitent, and pronounces the words of absolu * See Mannock's Christian Doctrine explained, pages 146-7 and 8. N. B. Although this book is here and elsewhere called in this work by the name of Christian Doctrine, because it is not known by any other; yet it is a wrong title, as many parts of it are Antichristian. + Baal, an old building and a well in the West of Ireland. The Rick, the top of a lofty mountain in the county of Mayo, in form of a rick. Lough-dharg or Derg, an island in the North of Ireland. The most gross superstitions are practised at these places. |