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The Papal Church claims Divine authority for her words and works; where does she find any for the statement above quoted? Is it in the command given to the first Ministers of the Church; "go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature?"

It was indeed necessary for the very existence of the Church of Rome that she should retain for her priests alone the free access to that Word of God which was designed for all people, or the fundamental doctrine of papal infallibility, imposed on all her members, could never be accepted by them: reserving to herself the custody of God's Word, she could easily and did-set forth what doctrines she chose, however unscriptural and false; issuing by "Divine Authority" any mandates and dictates she pleased, and demanding adherence to the most absurd doctrines and fables, from all the "faithful."

The Church of England on the contrary, while claiming to be a "witness and keeper of Holy Writ," pretends to no authority or power beyond that put into her hands in that Word. She is a "witness,' inasmuch as her existence as Christ's kingdom on earth, proves the truth of His Gospel and promises; letting her light shine before men in defence and confirmation of that Gospel. A "keeper," as she publishes and promulgates throughout the land, “to be read in Churches," taught in her schools, to be distributed among her members, the pure, uncorrupted Word of God, not authorising incorrect ver

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sions, nor permitting it to be tampered with. having set forth thus the Bible as her basis of faith, she is in consistency bound to abide by its doctrines and precepts, "not decreeing anything against the same," nor enforcing anything to be believed of necessity beyond it. Where either in doctrine or ceremonial does she accept aught which is contrary to the teaching of the Bible, or what essential article of belief does she bind on us beyond what it contains? Has she not in a preceding Article declared, "Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation." The Church of England challenges all those, who charge her with holding an unscriptural creed and superstitious liturgy, to an investigation into her true faith and practice by the light of the open Bible.

"Where was Protestantism during the Middle Ages?" asks the Church of Rome. "Where it is now, in the Bible;" the Anglican Church replies. Rome was the custodian and "keeper," though not

a

"witness"—of that faith which she dared not show forth to the world, but kept safely nevertheless, through barbarous, unsettled times, till the Reformed Church, no longer afraid of proclaiming Christ's true Gospel, earnestly contended for the faith once delivered unto the saints, that she might

be a

witness" not withholder, of the Word of God, sole infallible authority, before all the world.

But a Church must be a Church, not a mere unorganised assembly of Bible readers. She must possess a definite creed, a settled form of worship, and certain rites and ceremonies wherewith to consecrate and celebrate events in the lives of her members. Like other organisations she must enact and enforce laws and rules which her members are bound to observe. All Churches do so much; most of them more; presuming on a fancied Divine authority, they impose on their adherents doctrines and ceremonies for which no warrant can be found in Scripture.

Our Church, as has been said, only lays claim to that which cannot with reason be denied her, power to frame her own rites and ceremonies, according to the spirit of the Word of God, and to settle all controverted points—as in these Articles -as she judges to be most in accordance with that Word; at the same time she distinctly repudiates for herself any authority to ordain anything which is contrary to the Scripture teaching, or power to interpret any part of the Bible in such a manner as would establish doctrine or precept contrary to the tenor and spirit of the Bible as a whole.

The Bible, and the earth, therefore every

Bible alone, is infallible on doctrine, ordinance, or rite,

not contained in, or sanctioned by it, in letter or spirit, is one which will not be authorised nor allowed by our Church.

ARTICLE XXI.-" Of the Authority of General Councils."

The first clause of this Article contains a protest against the claim put forward by the Popes of Rome that they alone have authority to call, and preside at, General Councils; and declares, in accordance with the position given by the English Church to the Sovereign as earthly Head of the Church as of the whole realm, that the heads over divers countries have alone power to command or forbid the assembling of Ecclesiastical representatives.

And having assembled, our Article goes on to declare, they have no such Divine authority as they claimed in mediæval days, but can only confer and act like any other body of fallible men, to the best of their judgment and ability; it expressly asserts in parenthesis that they are merely an assembly of erring mortals, many of them probably unregenerate in heart, and if not habitually under the influence of God's holy Word and Spirit, will not be endowed with special power from on high for the occasion.

Therefore, reverting to the idea of the last Article, doctrines or ceremonies decreed at such councils are not to be received or followed by the Church, except on examination they be found in accordance with, and justified by Holy Scripture, the sole and constant authority and appeal of our Church in her doubts and difficulties.

Would that each and all her individual members followed her example more closely here, in consulting and appealing to the Bible in every emergency and perplexity, for that enlightenment and advice which can never fail.

ARTICLE XXII.-" Of Purgatory."

The whole series of monkish inventions concerning the state of the departed is here included under the term Purgatory; but we will examine them in order.

The first of these abuses, Purgatory itself, dates from the third century, when Origen, one of the early Fathers, taught that "the souls of good men would hereafter-namely at the Day of Judgment, -pass through a purgatorial" or cleansing fire.

Before this we find no allusion to any such doctrine, though in the Clementine and other very early Liturgies are prayers for the faithful departed."

*

St Augustine in 407, asserted as probable that the purgation by fire of departed spirits took place in the interval between the days of death and judgment, instead of on the latter day.

* "Let us pray for all those who have fallen asleep in the Faith: "-Clementine Liturgy.

"And to the spirits of all these give rest: "-Liturgy of St. Mark.

"Remember all those that are departed in the hope of the resurrection to eternal life, and give them rest where the light of Thy countenance shines upon them :"-Liturgy of St. Chrysostom.

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