LETTER X.

VIEW OF THE ROMAN-CATHOLIC SYSTEM.

SIR,

THE title which you give to the chapter of your work, which I have now to consider, is, "View of "the Papal System :" The words popery, papal and papist being particularly offensive to romancatholics, I have altered it, by substituting the word "roman-catholic" for the word "papal." In the oath, which the legislature has prescribed to us, we are styled "roman-catholics." On this account it has always been a rule with me, to denote, in my publications, the religious denomination of christians to which I belong, by the appellation of "roman-catholics."

Under the numerous heads of,-I. Devotion to the Virgin Mary, the saints and angels, and respect to the cross, and the relics of the saints:11. Purgatory, and prayers for the dead:-III. Auricular confession and indulgences:-IV. St. Augustine' and Pelagius :—v. Transubstantiation :—And VI. The authority of the pope :-I shall take successively into consideration, the principal subjects upon which you criminate the roman-catholics in your tenth chapter. A controversial discussion of any of these topics would be misplaced in this publication. All that I shall attempt will be, to state, in the shortest manner possible, the doctrine of the roman-catholic church on these different

heads, accompanying them with short remarks. I shall close my letter with some general obser

vations.

X. 1.

Devotion to the Virgin Mary, the Saints,-respect to the Cross, and to the Relics of the Saints.

1. "The saints, reigning with Christ, offer up "their prayers to God for man. It is a good and "useful supplication to invoke them; and to have

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recourse to their prayers, help and assistance to "obtain favours from God, through his Son Jesus "Christ our Lord, above, who is our Redeemer "and Saviour." This is the decree of the council of Trent*.-The catechism, published in pursuance of its decrees, teaches, that "God and the saints. "are not to be prayed to in the same manner; for "we pray to God that He himself would give us good things, and deliver us from evil things: "but we beg of the saints, because they are pleasing to God, that they would be our advocates, "and obtain from God what we stand in need "of t." Consult Bossuet's Exposition of Faith, under this article; read the catechisms, which we successively put into the hands of children, youth, and persons grown up: examine all our writers, either profound or popular, you will meet with the same doctrine. Open our prayer books, you will

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* Sess. xxv. de Invocatione Sanctorum.

+ Part iv. Quis Orandus.

find, that, when we address God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Trinity, we say to them, “Have mercy on us ;" and that, when we address the blessed Virgin, the saints, or the angels,-the descent is infinite,—and we say to them," Pray for us.”

What do we think of those, who give to the Virgin Mary, to the saints, or to the angels, the honour due to God? Open Mr. Gother's "Papist Misrepresented," abridged by doctor Challoner, -the editions of which abridgment are countless,

you will find in them these strong expressions: "Cursed is he that believes the saints in heaven "to be his redeemers; that prays to them as "such; or that gives God's honour to them, or to 66 any creature whatsoever. Amen."-" Cursed is "every goddess-worshipper, that believes the blessed

Virgin Mary to be any more than a creature; "that worships her, or puts his trust in her, more than in God; that believes she is above her Son, "or that she can, in any thing, command Him. "Amen."

Does not the Greek church; do not all the other churches, which separated from the church of Rome, before the Reformation, invoke the Virgin Mary, the other saints, and the angels? Does not Martin Luther* exclaim, "Who can deny that God "works great miracles at the tombs of the saints? "I therefore, with the whole catholic church, hold,

* In his letters to Spalatinus, and his treatise de Purgatione quorundem, and in his Preparatio ad Mortem.

"that the saints are to be honoured and invoked

by us. Let no one omit to call upon the blessed Virgin, the angels and saints, that they may inter"cede for them at the hour of death." Do not several distinguished divines of your church maintain the same doctrine? Is it not approved by Leibniz? Finally, does not doctor Thorndike t warn his brethren "not to lead people by the nose "to believe, that they can prove papists to be "idolators, when they cannot."

Then permit me to ask, whether the authorities which I have cited, do not give a true and clear exposition of the doctrine of the catholic church, upon this important subject ?-Whether the doctrine be idolatrous or superstitious?-Whether the practice of it do not fill the mind with soothing reflections? With thoughts that increase charity and animate piety? You cannot find a virtuous catholic, who will not own to you, that he considers the hours, thus spent by him, to be among the most pleasing of his life.

2. Pursuing the same method, in respect to the cross, and relics of the saints, I shall transcribe the decree of the council of Trent upon them: "Although the images of Christ, the Virgin "Mother of God, and the other saints, are to be

kept and retained, particularly in churches, and "due honour and veneration paid to them, yet we

Exposition de la Systême de Leibniz sur la Religion. Paris, 8vo. 1819, p. 161.

+ Just Weights and Measures, p. 10.

"are not to believe, that there is any divinity or

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power in them, for which we respect them, or "that any thing is to be asked from them, or that "trust is to be placed in them, as the heathens "of old trusted in their idols." Consult all the authors mentioned in the former part of this letter, you will find the same language. Open our catechisms, you will find it asked, " May we pray to "relics or images?" You will find it answered, No, by no means, for they have no life or sense "to hear or help us." Then, open Gother's Papist Misrepresented," you will read, "Cursed "is he that commits idolatry, that prays to images " or relics, or worships them for God."

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Such is the doctrine of the catholic church, on those subjects.

3. We venerate the cross, as a memorial of the passion and death of the Author of our salvation. We venerate the images, paintings, and relics, of the saints, as memorials, that bring their virtues and rewards to our minds and hearts. We also venerate their relics, as portions of their holy bodies, which will be glorified through all eternity. In all this, can you find out any thing reprehensible?

X. 2,

Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead.

As I am not writing a work of controversy, I shall say little on the articles in your present chapter which remain to be discussed.