department of our labours; not to the entire exclusion of such historical evidence as may remove difficulties or elucidate truth; but mainly exhibiting the moral evidence which arises out of the nature of Christianity itself: that every one with a Bible, may judge whether this religion really contain those elements which commend themselves to the convictions of plain honest men.

Nor do we aim here exclusively at the conviction of the unbelieving, but also at the instruction of believers; to stir up their pure minds by way of remembrance; and by a fresh view of the gospel to invigorate their faith, as not founded on cunningly devised fables, but on the solid groundwork of truth. Gibbon, the historian, states in his Journal—“ I finished the 14th vol. of the Bibliotheque Raisonnée. It contains Foster's Sermons. Wonderful! a divine preferring reason to faith.” It was wonderful; for they are the same thing as one another.

Mr. Locke, no mean judge either of reason or religion, expresses the same sentiments in his "Essay on human understanding." Book iv. chap. 16, at the end, he observes,-" of FAITH and the precedency it ought to have before other arguments of persuasion, I shall speak more hereafter, where I treat of it, as it is ordinarily placed, in contradistinction to reason; though in truth it be nothing else but an ASSENT FOUNDED ON THE HIGHEST REASON." And in the eighteenth chapter of the same book, when he treats of the supposed separate province of reason and faith, he distinguishes between them as the natural and supernatural sources of truth; from ordinary reason, and from divine revelation. But in the latter case, we are to employ reason, first to discover what is revelation; and secondly, to interpret its meaning.

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"For to this crying up of faith in opposition to reason (he concludes) I think in good measure ascribe those absurdities that fill almost all the religions which possess and divide mankind." Hence men have been "led into so strange opinions and extravagant practices in religion" —"that in effect, RELIGION which should most distinguish us from beasts, and ought MOST PECULIARLY TO ELEVATE US AS RATIONAL CREATURES, above brutes, is that wherein men often appear most irrational." We have need then to vindicate the gospel from all supposed or assumed opposition to reason; as being so far from the ally of superstition, that it is the truth (which is reasonable) and will therefere "make us free" from the bondage of imbecility and doting delusions.

Having thus far shewn that Christianity is a reasonable religion; that the faith it requires is understanding and recognising its truths; that the authority it assumes is the force of moral demonstration; that it presupposes, appeals to, and exercises our rational faculties; that it does not condemn as natural reason the attempt to investigate its nature, but the futile attempts to do without it, or the more insolent plan of passing it by; that it condemns as carnal reason, the attempt to shackle enquiry by the stereotyped inventions of men; and that it commends as spiritual the true insight into its doctrines and spirit;-we are prepared for further investigation of the nature or claims of this divine message to mankind.

II.

PRIESTS' RELIGION.

HUMAN AUTHORITY AND INVENTIONS versus CONSCIENCE AND THE BIBLE.

The Scriptures are the only standard of Christian faith and practice: every one is at liberty to examine them; but no one is at liberty to decline this examination: and though we may receive the help of others, we may not rest on their authority, (which is man-worship ;) nor receive as religion, what is not in the Scriptures, (which is willworship.)

THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM, WHAT THEY ARE, AND WHO STOLE THEM.

There are three things which may reasonably be asked respecting the Bible, is it true? what does it mean? to whom does it belong?

For if as some assert, it belongs to the Church, (a mistaken name either in great wickedness or great ignorance bestowed on or assumed by the priesthood;)—if it belong to the priesthood or Clergy, and their word is the evidence of its truth and meaning, religion (in this case) is a belief in men, not in God or his word. All investigation is at an end; we must shut our eyes and seek some one to lead us by the hand.

But since the priesthood cannot bear witness to itself, except in a partial court, we require some evidence arising out of the Scriptures themselves, as to the parties they belong to.

This evidence we are sometimes favoured with, as the priesthood point to the keys and then proceed to lock up our consciences. It is therefore necessary to enquire,-what are the keys, and to whom do they belong? Our Lord said unto Peter, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”—(Matt. xvi. 19.) Undoubtedly this was a figurative expression: but its proper meaning may easily be discovered.

The great purpose of metaphors is for illustration or plainness; new truths or relations being rendered clear by comparison with familiar objects. Everybody knows what a key is; and none would find any difficulty in these words, till interested and designing men had turned a metaphor into a mystery, and a mystery into merchandize. This is not the only plain illustration misused by priests for their own selfish purposes of gain or aggrandizement.

The bread of life, essential to salvation, mentioned in John vi. 47-56. is employed for the same ends.

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Our Lord there uttered a plain truth, illustrated by our bodily wants, and usual support: but a spurious article has been substituted; the reality being made away with:-transmuted by transubstantiation into a sacrament, with which it had no connexion. And this bread of deceit is manufactured by the magical or black arts of a false priesthood. "How can this man give his flesh to eat?" enquired the carnal-minded Jews; and this is now carnally answered by a corrupt Church;—we can perform this miracle; see this bread, "hoc est corpus meum, a sacramental miracle, which has appropriately given rise to the equally charming text of the conjuror, "hocus pocus."

This bread of which a man must eat to have spiritual life, was not sacramental bread; for the Lord's supper was not then instituted; but deceivers have first transformed this bread into a sacrament: and secondly transubstantiated the sacramental elements into the body and blood of Christ. But to make their power and gain more enlarged and secure, they turned this merchandize into a monopoly, and say that only they can provide this bread; none can eat of the body of Christ, but from the hands of the only true Church: which the Romanists say is themselves, their wafer is our life!

And the Apostolical Successionists in the Church of England, assume the same miraculous monopoly; saying that only a true branch of the Church Catholic, can accomplish this work. And they seriously, if not knavishly, with an affected kindness, warn dissenters that it is a very grave question, whether they ever really partake of the body of Christ, from unauthorized teachers.

Now whilst they say we have not the body of Christ, we know that they have not his Spirit.

Thus a plain metaphor, which taught that as bread is to our bodies, as manna to the Israelites, so Christ and his words are to the soul-is turned into a source of spiritual miracle, monopoly and gain. Thus the Church is a den of thieves, and the sacraments become the delusive wares of this priestly market.

This same is true of baptism and its perversions; but these delusions we shall expose more fully, when treating of the true number and nature of the sacraments.

The same misapprehension has arisen respecting the simple matter of the keys; which properly handled, would have unlocked all these doubts; and given possession and security to enquirers. Whereas, these keys on the contrary, have been employed, to lock up men's consciences, to open men's pockets, and fill the coffers of the Church. We shall enquire

I. WHAT THESE KEYS ARE.

II. TO WHOM THEY BELONG.

III. WHAT USE IS TO BE MADE OF THEM.

I. What these keys are.

Plainly it was no real bunch of keys given to Peter; but something that should answer the same end as a key: namely a means of getting into some place, and retaining possession: by locking all thieves out.

A key is to open and fasten a door; it is not a Church door, either of

This is my body.

Rome or any other, in this case; but the door of the kingdom. Nor is there any real door, any more than a real key; but something that amounts to both.

When we do not understand a subject; we require A KEY TO THE DIFFICULTY; in other words, AN EXPLANATION.

A key to arithmetic, is a book that explains how to do the sums we could not do alone. So a key to the kingdom of heaven, is an explanation of its terms; letting us into a subject that is naturally beyond us.

Observe then, how the gospel is frequently described as a MYSTERY; the hidden wisdom or purpose of God, which eye had not seen, nor heart or mind entertained; but to which Christ gave his Apostles the key; that they might thus unlock the secrets of the divine will; and put into God's book, what was for ages locked up in his mind. And this is why the teaching of the gospel is a revealed mystery; a lock, opened by divine inspiration: we could not find out God and his will; no key of human construction, could open that treasure; but Christ came to give the keys of the kingdom; to explain and declare what men could not discover.

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No one but he could give those keys; because, only he knew these things:- no man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him :" he has given the keys. For " no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him :"-to whom Christ will impart the keys. These keys therefore being the explanation or means of opening the secrets of the divine will, were given by Christ, who alone knew those secrets. No man cometh to the Father but by him; not only because of his atonement, but because he is the manifestation of the divine nature on earth;-" he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." But men could not see him; "the darkness comprehended it not:" therefore even Christ must be more fully revealed to his own disciples to fit them for the apostleship. They wanted a key to the strange events of his life; and this they had, when their eyes were opened and their tongues unloosed on the day of Pentecost.

The gift of the Spirit, was then the gift of the keys; it opened all things; and let the multitudes into the wonders and privileges of this new kingdom.

To this purpose our Lord constituted men Apostles-that they might know, and thus have the keys; that they might teach, and thus use the keys: (Eph. iv. 7—13.) in this manner hath God "abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence," "having made known to us the mystery of his will,"—unlocked his previously hidden purpose," to gather together in one, all things in Christ."

And as the Holy Spirit, was the key or explanation to the Apostles, so the writings they have bequeathed to us, "in words which the Holy Ghost teacheth," form the key for the whole world.

In other words, the New Testament, that grand work of the Holy Ghost, is now the key of the kingdom.

This key unlocks what the world never opened by its own wisdom;the doctrine of God, of the soul, of sin, of pardon, of renewal.

All these were formerly hidden from men; but are now fully opened by the keys, given to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, who have done

their endeavours, that after their decease we might have all these things in remembrance: hence this record or key called the New Testament. The learned author of "An Exposition of the Parables" affords an interesting illustration of this point-that A KEY IS A MEANS OF EXPLAINING a difficulty:-in his chapter on the "method of treating the Parables," (vol. 1. chap. xi.) he enquires after the "interpretation" of the parables; and observes that for this interpretation, "A KEY OR CLUE, which will decypher or unravel a given series of symbolical facts, is necessary."

Here the term "KEY" is used in the secondary sense of translating or decyphering any peculiar or secret characters. Thus persons corresponding with each other in times of danger and commotion, employ a secret method of cyphers or letters unknown to others; to interpret those letters, is to decypher them; and this is done by the key,-discovering the meaning of this private system. Short-hand also requires a key, or explanation of the characters. This method of expression occurs several times in in the chapter above referred to:-"the interpretation of an allegory, where we are left to conjecture, is difficult:-when we are possessed of the key, we may solve an allegory with facility; its own key, will open the most intricate lock;" that is, the true method of interpretation will fit the difficulties of a parable or allegory. Accordingly, this author adopts our Lord's interpretation of the parable of the Sower, "as a pattern or model of all future explanations"-the master-key to all the other parables. "A RIGHT DEFINITION OF THE KEY of a given allegory, (is) that IT IS SOMETHING WHICH WILL EXPLAIN every part;-what will explain every part of an allegory, is its key."*

These incidental illustrations, will sufficiently familiarise the mind of the reader with the proper use of our Lord's metaphor-I give to thee the KEYS;-the explanations of, or means of understanding and entering my kingdom.

"And this was fulfilled when the Apostles received power from on high to become intelligent witnesses of Christ; that is, not merely eye-witnesses of his life, death and resurrection, (all which events still left them much in the dark) but interpreters of the meaning of those events; by the aid of that Spirit which was the Apostles' key.

And since they spake not with the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in words which the Holy Ghost taught; since their writings are not the word of man, but in truth the word of God; the book they have thus left is our key, as much as the Holy Ghost was their key.

As they learned by direct inspiration what flesh and blood could not reveal; so we learn from their teaching how to unlock the divine mysteries.

This doctrine of the keys, we find exactly supported by Master William Tyndale, an early translator of the Scriptures into English.

In his work on "the obedience of a Christian man," he observes: "The keys whereof they [the English Popish Bishops] so greatly boast themselves, are no carnal things, but spiritual, and nothing else save knowledge of the law, and of the promises of the gospel; if any man for lack of spiritual feeling [be so carnal as to] desire authority of men, let him read the old doctors, [in proof.] If any man [being spiritual] desire authority * Edward Greswell, B.D., on the Parables.