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Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life Giver, who pro"ceeds from the Father and the Son; who, to

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gether with the Father and Son, is adored and "glorified; who spoke by the prophets and one holy catholic and apostolic church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins; and I expect "the resurrection of the body, and the life of the "world to come. Amen.

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"I most firmly admit and embrace apostolical " and ecclesiastical traditions, and all other consti"tutions and observances of the same church.

"I also admit the sacred scriptures, according to "the sense which the holy mother church has held, "and does hold, to whom it belongs to judge of "the true sense and interpretation of the holy "scriptures; nor will I ever take or interpret "them otherwise, than according to the unani"mous consent of the fathers.

"I profess also, that there are truly and properly "seven sacraments of the new law, instituted by "Jesus Christ our Lord, and for the salvation "of mankind, though all are not necessary for every one; viz. baptism, confirmation, eucharist,

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penance, extreme unction, order, and matrimony, "and that they confer grace; and of these, baptism, "confirmation and order, cannot be reiterated with"out sacrilege.

"I also receive and admit the ceremonies of "the catholic church, received and approved in "the solemn administration of all the above-said "sacraments.

"I receive and embrace all and every one of "the things, which have been defined and declared " in the holy council of Trent, concerning original "sin and justification.

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"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 sacrifice of the eucharist there is truly, really, and substantially the body and blood, 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.

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"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.

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"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.

"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 66 use of them is most wholesome to christian people.

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"I acknowledge the holy catholic and apostolical "" 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 par

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ticularly 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 of them I beg leave

to suggest, that in every religious controversy between protestants and roman-catholics, the following rule should be rigidly observed:-" THAT

ΝΟ DOCTRINE SHOULD BE ASCRIBED TO THE ROMAN-CATHOLICS 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 the 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 "Cate"chism 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 Misrepre"sented 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, to be an article of their faith. If they conceive that it is so stated, in any of them, 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

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