Not to extend to Offices, &c. in the Established Church, or Ecclesiastical Courts, Universities, Colleges, or Schools; nor to Presentations to Benefices. XVI. Provided also, and be it enacted, that nothing in this Act contained shall be construed to enable any persons, otherwise than as they are now by law enabled, to hold, enjoy, or exercise any office, place, or dignity of, in, or belonging to the United Church of England and Ireland, or the Church of Scotland, or any place or office whatever of, in, or belonging to any of the Ecclesiastical Courts of Judicature of England and Ireland respectively, or any Court of Appeal from or review of the sentences of such courts, or of, in, or belonging to the Commissary court of Edinburgh, or of, in, or belonging to any Cathedral, or Collegiate, or Ecclesiastical establishment or foundation; or any office or place whatever of, in, or belonging to any of the Universities of this realm; or any office or place whatever, and by whatever name the same may be called, of, in, or belonging to any of the Colleges or Halls of the said Universities, or the Colleges of Eton, Westminster, or Winchester, or any College or School within this realm; or to repeal, abrogate, or in any manner to interfere with any local Statute, Ordinance, or Rule, which is or shall be established by competent authority within any University, College, Hall, or School, by which Roman Catholics shall be prevented from being admitted thereto, or from residing or taking degrees therein: Provided also that nothing herein contained shall extend or be construed to extend to enable any person, otherwise than as he is now by law enabled, to exercise any right of Presentation to any Ecclesiastical Benefice whatsoever; or to repeal, vary, or alter in any manner the laws now in force in respect to the right of presentation to any Ecclesiastical Benefice. Proviso for Presentations to Benefices connected with Offices. XVII. Provided always, and be it enacted, that where any right of presentation to any Ecclesiastical Benefice shall belong to any office in the gift or appointment of His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, and such office shall be held by a person professing the Roman Catholic religion, the right of presentation shall devolve upon and be exercised by the Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being. (To be continued.) THE CHRISTIAN WATCHMAN, AND MIDLAND COUNTIES' PROTESTANT MAGAZINE. THE CHARACTER AND TOKENS OF THE TRUE CATHOLIC CHURCH, BY THE REV. RICHARD WALDO SIBTHORP, B.D. (Late Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.) (Continued from page 55.) It is easy to find the causes of a state of things which is become a fact of history, and a matter of observation with those who are acquainted with Roman Catholic countries. They exist in the doctrines and discipline of the Roman Church. The tenet of a future state of temporary punishment, from which the sinner may be delivered by either his own alms and devotions, or by the prayers and good works of others, which is in fact her doctrine of Purgatory, indirectly opens the door to unholy and careless. living. It is the eternity of the punishment of sin which gives it its peculiar terror: and whatever affects this truth, weakens a check which God has given to the powerful impulse of evil passions. If "masses to be said after death, and the prayers and intercessions of survivors for generations, and the merits and good deeds of others, shall be able (as the Church of Rome teaches,) to liberate the soul from punishment, and open to it heavenly bliss, a period, even of a thousand years, of suffering presents, (not only not the same check to the indulgence of sin which an eternity of misery, as taught by Scripture and Protes F tauts, presents, but) not even a check sufficient to operate effectually as a restraint from it. There is a hope and a prospect of final escape from consequences given to sinful man, which if not an encouragement to risk them, weakens one of the strongest checks against risking them, when passion is seeking to silence the remonstrances of reason, of conscience, and of duty. It is the belief of the vast mass of the members of the Roman Church that pardon of sin directly follows, and is necessarily connected with, the absolution of the priest given after confession.* Such a belief is the natural result of her doctrines of Penance and Absolution. Sin will be easily committed, when it is so easily remitted. It is a well known fact of history, that the pardon of sins was purchasable for certain stated sums; and under the eye, and with the sanction of the Supreme Head of the Holy Church, men might commute with money for their offences, agreeable to a list of prices for each particular offence, which was publicly set up at Rome. Was CHRIST or Satan most served by such a trafic? The sale of indulgences (a monstrous doctrine yet defended by the Roman Church) is too well known to be denied.† In fact, the Roman Church has substituted external observances for internal compunction; outward duties for contrition of soul; and facilities have been given to the commission of evil, because the pardon of it is attached to means which do not necessarily include the entire forsaking of it. Now Protestantism and genuine Christianity KNOW NOT THESE DECEITS. They ever point out but one only ATONEMENT for sin, the blood of JESUS CHRIST: to the meritorious efficacy of which no penances, alms, pilgrimages, fastings and mortifications can add any thing, as they cannot produce its blessed *I do not charge the Roman Church with AVOWEDLY teaching this monstrous notion; but it is so direct and natural a result of her tenets respecting auricular confession and priestly absolution and penance, that not only the licentious and the thoughtless, but the uninformed, and, as is the actual fact, the great bulk of her members hold it, to the imminent peril or ruin of their souls, and the abounding of all iniquity in the earth. For a brief but forcible statement of facts as to this point, I refer the reader to an excellent tract called "Romanism contradictory to the Bible," by T. H. Horne, M.A. Printed for T. Cadell, Strand. 1827. effect. In order to this are required, Repentance towards GOD, and Faith in our LORD JESUS CHRIST.* The former, Protestants teach to consist essentially, not only in confession to God or man, but in a hearty sorrow for sin, and a diligent, immediate forsaking of the same :-the latter, they affirm from SCRIPTURE, while alone it justifies us before GOD, inasmuch as by it we apprehend CHRIST who is our righteousness,† is always, if genuine, productive of true piety, of holiness, of love to GoD and man. And it is the concurrent doctrine of true Protestants that if we desire to get to be with GOD in heaven, we must seek to do his blessed will on earth; and that all who have not so sought to please and obey GOD, whenever they die, will be punished with "everlasting fire with the devil and his angels." Nor are any tenets held, nor any devices in religion countenanced, by the Protestants, which tend to nullify or counteract these Scriptural doctrines. The text particularly refers to the method by which CHRIST sanctifies his Church in its members: that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. By "the WORD," can only be here meant the SCRIPTURES or written WORD of GOD, and the great instrument which He has appointed to be used for the conversion and instruction of man, Thus He prayed for His Church: sanctify them through thy TRUTH, thy WORD is truth.‡ All SCRIPTURE (says St. Paul) is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.§ Whether the Church of Rome, Protestants most highly regard, and most diligently use THE WORD, to edify and sanctify the souls of men, all may judge. The former withholds it from the bulk of her members, and justifies herself in so doing; the latter put it into the hands of all to study with prayer for the grace and teaching of the HOLY SPIRIT, to "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest," that thereby God their SAVIOUR may sanctify them; even with the washing of water by the WORD, and present them as a part of his glorious Church, holy and without blemish. And they may more reasonably lay claim to the title of "Holy Church" who +Jeremiah xxiii. 5, 6. *Acts xx. 21. Romans iv. 25. 1 Corin. i. 30, or constantly use, in order to produce holiness, the instrument of its production which God has appointed, than that Church which locks it up, and either uses it not at all or sparingly. I think it evident then, that the Church of Rome has no peculiar claim to the title and character of "Holy," if judged by actual fact as to the state of countries and people under her influence, by the direct tendency of some of her peculiar doctrines, and by her neglect of the Scripturally recognized means of sanctification: nor is she therefore identical with the Holy Church spoken of in the Scripture, and in the ancient confessions of faith referred to. No! that Church includes all, whether Protestants or Roman Catholics, who are made holy through the atoning blood of a SAVIOUR, and the influences of his HOLY SPIRIT: in whose hearts that SPIRIT has written those two great commandments of which hang all the law and the prophets: Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind—and thy neighbour as thyself:* who walk in newness of life, denying their sinful lusts and passions, seeking to please GOD, and glorify their SAVIOUR, and to be found in Him, not having their own righteousness, but that which is through the faith of CHRIST, even the righteousness of GOD by faith. Of such is the one "holy Church" composed-some triumphant in heaven, some militant on earth. Every age has witnessed an augmentation of their number, and increased that company which, as St John describes, stood before the throne, and before the LAMB, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; who had come out of great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the LAMB, and who with the "glorious company of the apostles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets, the noble army of martyrs, and all the holy Church throughout all the world" are ever to be before the throne of GOD, serving him day and night, freed alike from sorrow and from sin. 3rd."UNIVERSALITY" is a characteristic mark of the true Church of CHRIST; for Protestants believe not less than Romanists that this Church is "Catholic" in the full, but appropriate, *Matt. xxii. 37-40. + Phil. iii. 9. Revelations vii. 9-14. |