they had themselves deceived him, and seduced his mind by a feigned correspondence, and other acts of dissimulation, not unworthy of the disciples of Loyola? What mean the published apologies for those disgraceful acts, under the eye, and with the sanction of the fathers of the heresy? What mean the apparent conceit, arrogance, dogmatism, and radicalism of not a few of the illinstructed young men who are sent out from Oberlin to preach down dead professors of religion, and dead ministers, and orthodox creeds and catechisms, and to proselyte the world to the kind of sanctity taught by the faculty of that institution? But we forbear. It is, we are persuaded, but to know Oberlin thoroughly, to be convinced of the utter falseness of all its pretensions to uncommon spiritual mortification and holiness. Perfectionism, indeed, can never bear a rigid and impartial scrutiny, as to its visible effects, any more than as to the radical principles which produce them. Its grapes, however beautiful in the eye of the distant or cursory spectator, are still the grapes of Sodom; and its clusters are the clusters of Gomorrah. In proportion to the developments which are made, new evidence is afforded that this heresy, however diversified or modified by circumstances, is everywhere the same in its essential features, and in its tendency; arrayed alike against evangelical doctrine and order; fostering fanaticism and spiritual pride; and, whether it nominally acknowledge or reject the ordinances of the Gospel, taking away the grounds which support them, and robbing them of the salutary influence, which in their legitimate use, they are adapted and designed to exert.

It is time to draw these extended remarks to a close. Reader! the progress of this doctrine, the indifference of many professedly evangelical men with regard to its diffusion, and the disposition manifested by not a few to apologise for its propagation, are indications most unpropitious to the cause of humble, meek, spiritual Christianity. Perfectionism, with whatever professions" of love, tenderness, and devotion," it may be accompanied, is not the progeny of light, but of darkness; and as truly as Universalism or Socinianism, it should be viewed and treated by ministers and churches as a fundamental error. Tending as it does to sap the foundations of all true religion and genuine morality, apostasy to it should be regarded as an evidence either of a peculiar species of monomania, a profound ignorance of the meaning of the terms employed, or of the want of that humility, without which all pretensions to piety are vain.

Be jealous of any system of mental philosophy, the principles of which naturally lead to the adoption of this great error, so contrary to the word of God, and the conscious experience of the most eminent believers. It is worthy of very serious inquiry (if indeed there be any room to doubt on the subject), whether some modern speculations concerning moral agency, and the divine influence in the production of holiness, have not contributed largely

to the existence and progress of the peculiar form of this error, which has within the last few years swept like a simoom over some of the fairest portions of our Zion. Guard with constant

vigilance the citadel of truth at its very vestibule.

Christian reader! "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines; for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein."

This subject urges upon you most impressively the duty of an humble walk with God. Is it true, that sin mixes with and pollutes all your doings-your most disinterested charities, your holiest prayers, your most grateful praises? Is it true, that you will daily, hourly, every moment, need a fresh pardon, and the aid of all-conquering grace, till your feet shall stand on the shores of the celestial Canaan, with the harp of God in your hand and the wreath of immortality encircling your brows? The dust then surely becomes you. There lie and confess your sins, and acknowledge the justice of your condemnation, and weep with ingenuous sorrow, and beg for mercy.

Unite with fervent prayer, untiring watchfulness, and diligence. To this your innumerable inward foes, ever ready for the assault, seem continually, vehemently, irresistibly, to urge you. In such a situation, can you sleep? Awake, for the powers of hell are near, and are eagerly pressing on to circumvent and destroy you. "Wherefore, take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Let not the reality of your continual imperfection be your excuse; but rather let it excite you to more ardent exertions to reach the crown of life.

Be satisfied with nothing less than perpetual progress in holiness. You have but commenced the war; there remaineth yet much land to be possessed; go on from victory to victory, till not an inch of the promised territory shall continue in possession of the enemies of your Lord.

Persevere for a few days, and you will gain the perfect purity and bliss after which your glowing heart aspires. No sound of clashing arms, no opposing hosts, are in heaven. Its quietude is never invaded by anxiety or fear. Its holiness is untarnished as its pure light, and enduring as its years. Triumphant termination of conflicts and of wars! Hasten, then, blessed day, so long desired by the holy creation.

Adore the grace and faithfulness of your redeeming God. He has not only forgiven the sins of your unregenerate days, but he has borne with your renewed provocations since your conversion -your ingratitude, your coldness, your worldliness, your self-seeking, your manifold abuses of his love. Nor will he leave unfinished the work which he has begun. He will guide you by his counsel,

and afterwards receive you to glory. Thus will he keep, bless, save, all the armies of the ransomed, to the praise of his glorious grace for ever. What patience, what condescension, what unfainting, boundless love! "O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children of men."

ESSAY XVIII.

TRANSUBSTANTIATION.*

THE title in the margin would seem to import that the Catechism brought into view, is the work of the Council of Trent; we are informed in the preface by the editor, that this is not the fact; but it has received this denomination from the circumstance that the fathers of this synod made a decree, that such a work should be prepared,and appointed the persons who were judged fit to undertake

A translation of this decree is prefixed to the volume now under review, in the following words:

"That the faithful may approach the sacraments with greater reverence and devotion, the Holy Synod commands all bishops not only to explain in a manner accommodated to the capacity of the receivers, the nature and use of the sacraments, when they are to be administered by themselves; but also to see that every pastor piously and prudently do the same, in the vernacular language, should it be necessary and convenient. This exposition is to accord with a form prescribed by the Holy Synod for the administration of the sacraments, in a Catechism, which bishops will take care to have faithfully translated into the vernacular language, and expounded to the people by all pastors."

The execution of this work, under the superintendence of the archbishop of Milan, was committed to four persons, three of whom were of the episcopal order. When completed it was presented to Pius the Fifth, and by him handed over for revisal to a congregation, over which presided Cardinal Sirtet, who is here characterised as "profound and judicious." The style, we are informed, was retouched by the learned Manutius; or, according to others, received its last improvement from the classic pen of Bogianus; and was speedily translated into the languages of Italy, France, Germany, and Poland. It is a book, undoubtedly, on which great pains were bestowed; and it has ever been in high esteem with the Romanists of every class. Whether the English translation here

Pub

* Published in 1834, in review of " The Catechism of the Council of Trent. lished by command of Pope Pius the Fifth; translated into English, by the Rev. J. Donovan, Professor, &c., Royal College, Maynooth."

presented to the public has been faithfully made from the original, we have no opportunity of judging, as we have not been able to lay our hands upon the original work. The only circumstance which has excited a suspicion that some things have been omitted, is, that a citation which we have met with in a late author, cannot be found in this volume. This may, however, be a mere mistake; we mean not to bring any charge of unfaithfulness against the editor. Upon a careful perusal of this Catechism, candour constrains us to acknowledge that it contains more evangelical truth than we had expected to find; but at the same time it contains the errors of Popery, exhibited without disguise. Our object, in this review, is not to travel over the whole ground of controversy, which would require volumes, instead of a few pages, but to confine our attention to a single point, namely, the doctrine of transubstantiation. On many other points, it is a matter of uncertainty, or at least of disputation, what the Romanists really do hold; but here they avow their belief, and profess to hold all that their opponents have ever charged upon them. Here, then, the parties are fairly at issue; and as this doctrine is considered by them to be fundamental, and as this single error deeply affects their whole system, it will probably answer a better purpose to assault this stronghold, than to run over the long list of errors which have been charged upon that degenerate church. If we should succeed in demolishing this single error, it would go far towards the subversion of their whole system. Our object is to treat this subject calmly and dispassionately, without having recourse to ridicule, sarcasm, or declamation; and much less to abusive epithets. We are of opinion that a controversy with Roman Catholics, as with all other persons, should be conducted with a spirit of meekness and benevolence. Truth needs no poisoned weapons for her defence; truth deprecates such weapons, because they can be successfully wielded by the advocates of error. We feel ourselves bound, however, to strip this monstrous error bare, and hold it up to the view of all reasonable and impartial men as an absurdity which never had among men a parallel. But while we shall endeavour to exhibit this incredible dogma in its true features of deformity, we will carefully avoid using any arguments or illustrations which appear to us fallacious or sophistical. What we principally fear is, that most of our readers will think that we use too many arguments, and dwell too long in the refutation of an opinion which needs only to be distinctly proposed to be rejected as an incredible thing. But let it be considered that this error has struck its roots very deep, and is supported by all the influence of superstition, and by the authority of a power supposed to be infallible. We intend to make no appeal to those termed fathers; not because we believe that a fair construction of all that they have written would be unfavourable to our cause, but because we view them to be erring and fallible men like ourselves, to whose opinions we are under no obligation to submit. Our appeal is to reason and scripture; and in the