of faith to God-Not confined to the immolation of animals or sensible
things-It is granted that in the Eucharist there is a sacrifice, and a
true sacrifice, but not an animal sacrifice, or a propitiatory sacrifice, or
the sacrifice of a sensible thing-It is a spiritual sacrifice-The pro-
phecy of Malachi truly verified in the Chistian Church-The great
sacrifice under the new law-The proof of the true interpretation of
Malachi, given from the Fathers-Tertullian-Clement of Alexandria-
St. Augustine-St. Augustine's beautiful sermon on Easter-day, ex-
planatory of the Eucharist and its elements-Totally irreconcilable
with Transubstantiation-St. Augustine's definition of sacrifice-St.
Jerome St. Isidore of Seville on the sacrifice of the Eucharist-His
explanation of the meaning of the elements-No one denies the Eucha-
rist to be a sacrifice-The question is, What kind of sacrifice?-Sursum
Corda-The word Mass an innovation-Dr. Milner claims all the Eastern
Churches as agreeing in this doctrine with Rome-Assertion more easy
than proof-Seven reasons showing that Eastern practice is no justifi-
cation of Rome-Milner's attack upon the "inconsistencies" of the
Church of England-She has priests, but no sacrifice; altars, but no
victim; an essential consecration of the elements, without any effect
upon them-True meaning of the word priest-It is both iɛɛús and
pεoßúrepos, both Sacerdos and Presbyte —Sacrifice, properly under-
stood, renders the distinction unnecessary-Sacerdotium and Sacerdotal
-Altars do not necessarily imply a victim-Altars of incense, altars
of memorial or testimony, altar in heaven-Altar as defined by St.
Augustine, St. Jerome, and St. Isidore of Seville-Ara and Altare—
Milner's notion thus inconsistent with Scripture and the Fathers-
Romanists themselves have no actual victim-The Council of Trent as-
serts Him to be only mystically immola.ed, and defines the Mass to be
that whereby Christ's "bloody sacrifice once to be perfected upon the
cross might be represented, and its memory might remain to the end of
the world"-Immolation is only represented, under visible signs-But
this is not having a real victim-Milner's reproach of "altars, but no
victim," therefore, recoils upon his own Church-Consecration of the ele-
ments-Before consecration they are common-After consecration they
are the outward and visible signs of au inward and spiritual grace-
Milner's charge not only false but absurd-Analogy of holy water and
Chrism-The doctrine of Rome a blasphemous fable and dangerous
deceit Blasphemous as injurious to the majesty of the Son of God, as
arrogating His authority for an act of profanity. and as subjecting the
glorious Saviour to the control of the priests-ll aggravated by curs-
ing those who hold the pure truth of the Holy Scriptures and the an-

cient Fathers-It is a deceit, as claiming an actual Victim, while it pre-
tends only to a mystical immolation-It is, moreover, dangerous both
to priests and people-Language severe, but necessary in answer to
such a coarse and unscrupulous libeller as Milner. Pp. 210-238.

LETTER XXXVIII.

Auricular Confession-Common ground of agreement-Repentance,
confession, and absolution necessary to salvation-Rome has added the
Sacrament of Penance-Change of the Scriptural term repentance-
The integral parts of Penance are Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction
-Contrition alone blots out sin, but seldom sufficiently intense-De-
ficiency of intensity made up by aid of the priest-Confession as defined
by the Catechism of the Council of Trent-Rules as to the age, the fre-
quency, the sins, the secrecy of Confession-Satisfaction-Prayer, fast-
ing, and alms-deeds-Satisfaction by proxy-The power of the priests
really to absolve from sin-No pardon to be obtained, or even hoped for,
without Penance-The 21st Canon of the Fourth Council of Lateran in
1215-Change of the form of Absolution-The true point of controversy
-Not in the necessity of contrition, confession, restitution-Not as to
the power of remitting sins, an essential part of the inward and spiritual
grace of the two sacraments-But in the private tribunal of compulsory
judgment—The differences between Rome and England in ten points—
Rome's idea of Christian liberty-The Apostolic power of forgiving and
retaining sins to be exercised through the Sacraments-The Apostles
held the keys of the kingdom of heaven-Opening the door, and closing
it again-The Apostles had no private confessional-Testimony of the
Fathers The passage quoted by Milner nothing to the purpose-Ter-
tullian proves nothing-Nor Origen-Basil refers only to the Monks-
St. Augustine spoke of public penitence, and public absolution-The
true doctrine of the Fathers-Tertullian-Public penitence, and only
once-Penitence of the heart-Athanasius-Augustine-Three kinds of
penitence-Condition of the Church then similar to the present-No
compulsory private Confessional-Fleury's acknowledgment that com-
pulsory Confession began with Chrodegang in 763-Absolution given
before penance fulfilled; first by Boniface, the Apostle of Germany—
Penitentials-Commutation of penance for money-Penitences rendered
impossible by cumulation-Fleury condemns the Council of Trent-The
old canonical rules utterly destroyed by the Crusades-The Roman
system without warrant from antiquity-Milner's boasting—Transports,

joy, and comfort-Pride of heart, or strength of intellect, no preservative

against error-Influx of credulous barbarians-Adoption of heathen

days and festivals-Corruption not owing to any deliberate design on

the part of the clergy-Pious frauds-The world getting into the

Church-The spirit of accommodation-Public penance changed to

private-The Fourth Council of Lateran was no shock to the mind of the

Church-No resistance to it-The Confessional no safeguard against any

sin, except leaving the communion of the Church of Rome-Practical

working among the people-How much time to each penitent to confess

a year's sins of thought, word, and deed-No priest can do justice to all

his flock-Strange and mournful mockery-Impossible for the sinner to

remember a whole year's sins-The system of the Church of England

infinitely superior-The discipline of the primitive Church retained-

What the Church of England does not do-Excess of transport and joy

no proof of truth. Pp. 239-272.

LETTER XXXIX.

Indulgences-Milner declares it a sacrilegious crime in any person to
be concerned in buying or selling them-Fleury says the Plenary In-
dulgence took the place of wages to the Crusaders-Leo X. and St.
Peter's-Indulgences notoriously a matter of open bargain and sale
throughout Europe-Milner silent about all this-Of this "sacrilegious
crime" Popes, Councils, Cardinals, and Bishops were all guilty for four
hundred years together-Milner compares the selling of Indulgences
to Judas selling his Master-He compares it with the selling of bene-
fices in England-Milner always ready to strike boldly and confidently,
whether the spot be vulnerable or not-Policy of this unscrupulous
Jesuitism-Milner's statement of the Roman doctrine-Eternal and
temporal punishment both due to sin-The former expiated by Christ,
the latter by Satisfaction as a portion of Penance-The Church, spe-
cially the Pope, has jurisdiction over this satisfaction, and can remit
it in whole or in part by an Indulgence-This statement entirely lame,
insufficient, and delusive-Nothing said about purgatory, or the treasury
of works of supererogation-Benefits expected from Indulgences-Their
sale highly lucrative-Public traffic only discouraged as too open a
scandal-Milner talks of the Indulgences of the Church of England!-
Canon of the Commutation of Penance-Indulgences in the celebration
of marriage-No commuting of penance without payment of fees-Petty
and contemptible parallel for the enormities of Papal Indulgences-The

Silkworm a parallel for the Anaconda-The true character of an Indulgence proved from the Pope's Bull for the jubilee of 1825-Here is the whole matter-Indulgences not granted for nothing-Plenary Indulgence in this country may be had on nearly half the days in the year -It is always, however, a cash transaction-How escape Milner's charge of sacrilegious blasphemy?—The people give the gift; the priest gives the Indulgence-Abundant supplies of Indulgences sold everywhereDecree of the Council of Trent concerning Indulgences-Moderation to be observed-Wicked merchandisings to be altogether abolished-No pains at all taken to prevent this detestable simony-All who do not agree to the Council's novelties are anathematized-Leo X. naturally confident as to the tenure of power-The merchandisings not very wicked, for none of the agents were ever punished for their faults in selling then-Forty-six years had elapsed since Tetzel's abuses until the Council of Trent passed its decree-Protestant censure has done more to reform the Church of Rome than the Council of Trent. Pp. 273-284.

LETTER XL.

Purgatory and prayers for the dead-Milner's unwarrantable assumption that the admission of the latter proves the former-Purgatory includes prayers for the dead, but prayers for the dead do not include purgatory-The intermediate state-Hell, or the place of departed spirits-Milner gives no definition of purgatory-All that is " necessary to be believed on the subject"-purgatory, a well-known term-Milner dishonestly claims the Fathers, and all the Oriental Churches, as teaching the Roman doctrine-Material fire-The first prayer-book of Edward VI. contained a special prayer for the departed—Many Anglican divines in favor of such prayers-Rhetorical flourish-Faith rests not on natural, but on revealed religion-Examination of Milner's argument in detail-Full statement of the Roman doctrine of purgatory-The strongest basis of priestly power over the Laity-No danger of any one coming back from purgatory to disprove the Pope's claims-Masses for the dead pay better than for the living-Scriptural proof-Text from the Second Book of the Maccabees-Not canonical Scripture-The passage proves too much for the Roman doctrine-The slain soldiers died in the mortal sin of idolatry, which would carry them past purgatory-Sacrilegious to pray for them at all—“Baptized for the dead" in 1st Corinthians--Marcionite heretics-St. Chrysostom's interpretation-The same

given by the Romish annotator on Tertullian-The Douay Bible gives three explanations of the text, not one of which is sustained by the Fathers-Yet Milner says that the case is "clear" from this text-He states that the Jews to this day pray for the dead-Jews are no authority for Christians-Even so they do not believe in a purgatory-Intermediate state held by the Fathers from the Scriptures, and therefore also by us-"Till thou payest the very last mite"-This is against the Romish notion of purgatory, where the poor soul can pay nothing for himself, but all must be paid by others for him-"Saved, yet so as by fire" -"The day of the Lord" is the Day of Judgment, before which time, according to Roman doctrine, purgatory is to be closed—The sentence spoken of to be delivered after the resurrection-St. Paul applies the fire to men's works, Rome to their souls-Saved "so as by fire," means 'as a brand from the burning," with great difficulty-"Saved" cannot mean merely an alleviation or shortening of pain in one who was sure of salvation at any rate-St. Paul uses fire as a comparison; purgatory uses the fire itself "Not forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come"-Not implied in this that sin will be forgiven in the world to come-If this be implied, our Lord taught what Rome calls heresy-It is not sin, but only its temporal punishment, that is expiated in purgatory—Sin is forgiven by the priest's absolution in the ConfessionalRoman distinction between the eternal and the temporal punishment of sin-List of texts quoted by Milner in favor of this notion-The case of Adam-Of Israel and the Golden Calf-Of David, both in regard to Bathsheba and the Numbering of the People-The incestuous Corinthian-Contrast between St. Paul's action and that of the Pope-The Fathers-Confession of the Benedictine editors of St. Ambrose-Uncertain, various, and inconsistent, for 1400 years-Neither the Bible nor the Fathers, Rome's real authority-Development and the Modern Church-St. Chrysostom-The quotation continued by way of answer to Milner's use of it-No disguise as to the opinion of the Fathers-Two remarks-1. The Liturgies of the fifth century pray for the Virgin and Saints; was it to deliver them from the pains of purgatory?—2. Love of the brethren enjoined, and mutual remembrance, whether gone before or yet in the flesh-This remembrance is refreshment and joy to the blessed in Paradise-Founded in the instincts of human natureThis commemoration retained in our Prayer for the Church MilitantThis has nothing to do with purgatory-Prayer for others does not imply that they are in suffering-Universal duty of prayer-The connecting of purgatory with prayer for the dead is at war with primitive practice and the reason of mankind-Tertullian-Cyprian speaks of public