have been readily discovered, had they been opposed to the divine precepts of Christianity.

Should any indelicacy be found in the course of the extracts the writer may have occasion to make, the Papists must not charge him with impropriety on this score: since, were quotations from their own works not to be stated in precisely their own terms, they would be the first to insist upon the unfairness of so "obvious" a proceeding; and which would be attributed-not to the desire of drawing a veil over what an opponent might consider as gross or blasphemous, but-to a wish wilfully to pervert the sense and meaning, for the mere purpose of urging a contrary inference to that which such passages were intended to convey.

Fully aware of the motive which would attach to a Protestant did he not strictly adhere to the very letter in adducing a proof of the errors of Popery from Popish orthodoxy, the writer feels that he has no alternative; but trusts that members of the Reformed Church will not mistake for his any such Papal authorities he may deem it necessary, in proof of his assertions, to quote. He now calls upon the Romish priestshould any individual of such distinction think it worth his while to notice this "Examination,” to refute it—not by the arts of jesuitical sophistry, but, if he can, by an honest appeal to scriptural truths. It will, even by the Papist himself, it is hoped, be acknowledged that they have been fairly brought forward and distinguished from the comments of profane writers on the present occasion, in opposition to the selected, and often misquoted and irrelevant, passages, strained to support the assumptions of Popery; nor can it, with justice, be deemed unfair to compare and contrast the writings of Papists with themselves and with each other; or, with their own freedom of assertion, to comment and draw natural conclusions from real facts.

CHRISTIANITY AND CATHOLICISM

CONTRASTED.

We now commence our "Grounds" of the Roman Catholic Faith with its title-page, determined that no word shall either be added to or subtracted from it until we arrive at its conclusion. We applied to our Roman Catholic friends to inform us what description of book it would be first necessary to peruse to obtain a knowledge of their "profession of faith ;” and they recommended that which we are about to give entire ; and which, on a similar application at the booksellers' whose names appear in the imprint, was readily handed down from the shelf.

"The GROUNDS of the CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, as contained in the Profession of Faith, published by POPE PIUS IV. By the Ven. and R. R. RICHARD CHALLONER, D. D. Bishop of Debra, and Vic. Apost. Twelfth Edition.

"Be ready always to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you."-1 Pet. iii. 15.

"London: printed and published by Keating and Brown, 38, Duke-street, Grosvenor-square, and 9, Ivy-lane, Paternoster-row.

1823."

As the above title-page shows the work before us to have been first published by a Pope, and, in our own times, adapted by the late Dr. Challoner-a "venerable and right reverend bishop and vicar apostolical”—a divine whose "Garden of the Soul," &c. is deemed by the Popish clergy to be of greater importance to their flocks than Holy Writ, since the first is industriously circulated among them, whilst the latter they are forbidden (often on pain of excommunication) to peruse ;-as the above

title-page is stamped, we say, with the authority of a pope and a bishop, it cannot be denied that we have been recommended to read the best summary of the Roman Catholic Faith extant. It will be perceived that its date is 1823; and as it is the "twelfth edition," we cannot but presume that every correction has been carefully made in so important a little apostolical morceau as Popish divinity itself could wish.

The motto adopted, either by the bishop or the pope, is from the 1st of Peter, iii. 15. Why "meekness and fear" should have been omitted we know not; surely Roman Catholics do not scorn the first and defy the last? The passage in the Testament runs thus: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." But we next come to the two first sentences (coupled together as one paragraph) of the Athanasian Creed, thus:

"Whosoever will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith, except every one do keep whole and undefiled: without doubt, he shall perish everlastingly."St. Athanasius's Creed.

Nobody, we should think, will suppose that this brief extract is not evidently adduced to prove that, according to the Creed itself, none shall be saved but Roman Catholics. But as we find nothing further said of this Creed in the "Grounds" before us, and as it is retained by the REFORMED CHURCH, perhaps a few words upon the subject may not be deemed impertinent. In the early ages of Christianity there arose many schisms among the various churches, as Christ had himself foretold, and more particularly (as will be proved hereafter) after the assumption of infallibility by the Church of Rome.

The Athanasian Creed, as it is generally called, (many doubting if it was written by Athanasius,) does not, nor was it intended, to apply more particularly to the Roman Catholic than to the Eastern, Greek, or other Catholic churches. It

asserts the doctrines of the Gospel, and states explicitly what a Christian should believe. This was at a period when the schisms above alluded to were, as is the case in our own times, made a pretence by infidelity for introducing heresies, or the dangerous errors of fanatics and demagogues. Those whom we find most general in their expressions of disapprobation respecting this Creed are, it may be said, men who have given themselves the least trouble to understand it, according to the doctrines of the Reformed Church. "He that believeth not shall be damned," is an expression used by Christ himself, Mark xvi. 16; and St. Peter informs us "that there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we may be saved, but the name of JESUS." The Athanasian Creed expresses in as strong and precise terms to those for whose immediate guidance it was written, the consequence that attaches to the unbelief of the Christian Faith; and necessarily distinguishes the doctrines of the Trinity with respect to the exact manner in which it is to be understood by all orthodox Christians. The penalty, according to the belief of Protestants, as expressed in the Creed, applies to those who hold fundamental errors incompatible with the articles therein contained; and such errors, it has been shown, are condemned by Scripture also. Be it remembered, however, that the Protestant is not taught to believe the whole creed as necessary to salvation; but by the Creed itself all that is required of us is that "before all things we hold the Catholic (or universal) Faith;" and the Catholic Faith is, by the third and fourth verses, explained to be this: " that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance." This is all that is required to be believed; and to those who may have thought otherwise we recommend a more attentive perusal of the language of Christ himself.

As the term "Catholic" is supposed by some Protestants to be synonymous with Papist, and by still more Papists, as

they have been taught by their clergy, that it only applies to themselves, it should be understood, that the word Catholic or Universal, has been always applied by every Christian Church; why it is in England more generally used towards Roman Catholics than to others, will appear in its proper place. But the object of the Popish clergy, in prefixing the extract we have quoted from the Athanasian Creed to their profession of faith, cannot be misunderstood, any more than their little effort in distinguishing the term Catholic by italics throughout the Creed itself; as also in other of their publications. We now come to the "Profession," &c!

A Profession of Catholic Faith, &c.

I, N. N. with a firm faith believe and profess all and every one of those things which are contained in that Creed, which the Holy Roman Church maketh use of; viz. I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; and born of the Father before all ages; God of God; light of light; true God of true God; begotten, not made: consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. Was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried: and the third day he rose again according to the scriptures: he ascended into heaven; sits at the right hand of the Father, and is to come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-giver, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who, together with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And (I believe) one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church: I confess one baptism for the remission of sins: and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

I most steadfastly admit and embrace apostolical and ecclesiastical Traditions, and all other observances and constitutions of the same Church.

I also admit the holy Scriptures according to that sense which our holy mother, the Church, has held, and does hold, to whom it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the scriptures: neither will I ever take and interpret them otherwise, than according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers.

I also profess, that there are truly and properly seven sacraments,