"the things, which have been defined and declared "in the holy council of Trent, concerning original "sin and justification.

"I profess likewise, that in the mass is offered "to God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice "for the living and the dead; and that in the "most holy sacrament of the eucharist there is truly, really, and substantially the body and blood,

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together with the soul and divinity of our Lord "Jesus Christ; and that there is made a conversion "of the whole substance of the bread into the body, and of the whole substance of the wine into "the blood, which conversion the catholic church "calls transubstantiation.

"I confess also, that, under either kind alone, "whole and entire, Christ and a true sacrament is "received.

"I constantly hold that there is a purgatory, "and that the souls detained therein are helped "by the suffrages of the faithful.

"Likewise, that the saints reigning together "with Christ, are to be honoured and invocated, "that they offer prayers to God for us, and that "their relics are to be venerated.

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"I most firmly assert, that the images of Christ, and of the Mother of God ever-virgin, and also "of the other saints, are to be had and retained; "and that due honour and veneration are to be given them.

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"I also affirm, that the power of indulgences was left by Christ in the church, and that the

"use of them is most wholesome to christian

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people.

"I acknowledge the holy catholic and apostoli"cal roman church, the mother and mistress of all "churches; and I promise and swear true obedience "to the roman bishop, the successor of St. Peter, "the prince of the apostles, and vicar of Jesus "Christ.

"I also profess and undoubtedly receive all "other things delivered, defined, and declared by "the sacred canons, and general councils, and “particularly by the holy council of Trent; and "likewise I also condemn, reject and anathematize "all things contrary thereto, and all heresies whatsoever condemned and anathematized by the "church.

"This true catholic faith, out of which none "can be saved, which I now freely profess, and truly hold, I, N. promise, vow and swear most "constantly to hold and profess, the same whole "and entire, with God's assistance, to the end of my life. Amen."

III.

Observations on such of the Articles of Faith, contained in the Creed of Pope Pius IV. as are expressed in general Terms.

DETAILED accounts of these would not suit the plan of these letters. On all I beg leave to suggest, that in every religious controversy between

protestants and roman-catholics, the following rule should be rigidly observed:-" THAT NO DOC

TRINE SHOULD BE ASCRIBED TO THE ROMANCATHOLICS, AS A BODY, EXCEPT SUCH AS IS AN ARTICLE OF THEIR FAITH.

Among the many misconceptions of their tenets, of which the roman-catholics have to complain, they feel none more than those, which proceed from a want of the observance of this rule. It is most true, that roman-catholics believe the doctrines of their church to be unchangeable; and that it is a tenet of their creed, that what their faith ever has been, such it was from the beginning, such it now is, and such it ever will be. BUT THIS PROPOSITION THEY CONFINE TO THE ARTICLES OF THEIR FAITH; and they consider no doctrine to be of faith, unless it have been delivered by divine revelation, and propounded by the roman-catholic church, as a revealed article of faith. This the roman-catholics wish their adversaries never to forget.

When any of their adversaries find, in any catholic writer, a position, which they think reprehensible, they should inquire, whether it be an article of catholic faith, or an opinion of the writer. In the latter case, they should reflect, that the general body of the catholics is not responsible for it, and should therefore abstain from charging it upon the body.

If they take the higher ground, they should first endeavour to ascertain, that it is an article of the catholic faith. But here, again, they should carefully examine, whether it be the principle itself,

which they mean to impute to the catholics, or a consequence, which they themselves deduce from it: these are widely different, and should never be confounded. If it be the principle, they should then inquire, whether it has been propounded as an article of faith by the church. A wise method of ascertaining this would be, to read the "Catechism "of the Council of Trent." A proper perusal, however, of that document requires attentive study. If they be unable to give it such a perusal, let them read Bossuet's "Exposition of Faith," and consult Mr. Gother's "Papist Misrepresented and "Represented," or at least doctor Challoner's abridgment of it; let them also read doctor Challoner's "Three Short Summaries of Catholic Faith "and Doctrine," contained in three sections prefixed to his "Garden of the Soul," the most popular Prayer-book of the English catholics. Having read these, let them ascertain, whether the doctrine, with which they charge the catholics, be, in terms or substance, stated in any of these works as an article of their faith. If they conceive that it is so stated, let them insert in their publication the passage in which they profess to discover the erroneous tenet; mentioning explicitly the work, the edition of it, and the page in which it is contained. Should the passage be found, in terms or substance, in any of the works which have been mentioned, then it will be incumbent on the catholics, either to show that the writer, in whose work the passage is found, was mistaken, (which, from the acknowledged character of all the works, will, in all probability,

never happen), or to admit that it is an article of their faith the roman catholics will then be justly chargeable with it, and with the consequences justly deducible from it. Whatever other opinions can be adduced, though they be the opinions of their most respectable writers, though they be the opinions of the fathers of their church, still they are but matters of opinion, and a catholic may dist believe them, without ceasing to be a catholic. Would it not be both a fair and short way of ending the controversy between the protestants and catholics, that every person, who charges the general body of catholics with any religious tenet, should be obliged to cite, from the catechism of the council of Trent, or from one or other of the works which have been mentioned, THE PASSAGE, in which such tenet is contained and propounded as an article of faith?

IV.

Application of the preceding Suggestion to the charge of corrupt Doctrine and unjustifiable Practices, repeatedly brought against the Roman-catholic Body in "the "Book of the Church."

I REQUEST you to consider with attention the rule which I have suggested: then to ascertain whether any doctrine, which you have imputed to the romancatholics, or the sanction of any practice which you have charged upon them, is to be found in the creed of Pius IV, in the council of Trent, in its catechism, or in any of the works which I have men