But again, in the Epistle to the Hebrews there is another doctrinal corruption. In the 11th chapter of that Epistle, and the 21st verse: By faith Jacob dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and adored the top of his rod." 66 idolator before Here this translation makes Jacob an the Lord, ADORING the top of his rod." But we know the use that is made of this; it is in order to sanction the Church of Rome in her adoration of images, as the note appended shews us. The note says "In paying a relative honour and veneration to the top of the rod or sceptre of Joseph, as to a figure of Christ's sceptre and kingdom." I now pass to another doctrinal corruption contained in the 2nd Epistle of Peter, the 1st chapter and 10th verse, "Wherefore brethren labour the more, that by good works ye may make sure your calling and election." The words " good works" are not to be found in any Greek copies of authority; the Church of Rome inserts the words "good works" because she depends so much upon "works," and therefore desires to have some verse in the Word of God to support her. Here, then, is another doctrinal corruption opposed to the whole Scripture, and to the honour of the living God, that " by our good works we are to make our calling and election sure." You will see a parallel passage to this in the 13th of Hebrews, and the 16th verse, "And do not forget to do good and to impart, for by such sacrifices God's favour is obtained." Here again is another departure from the Greek, in order to support that doctrine of a mixture of faith and works, which is held in the Church of Rome as the ground of the sinner's salvation. But let us compare two of their Bibles; first the Bible brought out by Pope Sixtus the Fifth, and then another by Pope Clement the Eighth. We have been told that there were 2831 errors in the Protestant Bible. In Dr. James's Bellum Papale, it is shewn that there were upwards of 2000 errors in the "Infallible Bible" of Pope Sixtus the Fifth,-it was so corrupt that Pope Clement the Eighth was obliged to put it aside altogether, and bring out a new edition. I shall advert only to one passage to shew the difference in the two Bibles. The 2nd Epistle of Peter, the 1st chapter, and the 16th verse, is translated in the Douay Bible, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables." In Pope Sixtus the Fifth's Bible the word translated here "cunningly devised" is "Indoctas," but in Pope Clement the Eighth's Bible he strikes the "in" from the word, and reads it "doctas." Here are two words as opposed in meaning as they can be. In one copy it would be— "We have not followed unlearned fables.' "We have not followed learned fables." infallible heads unable to agree in the translation of a simple Greek word. In the other- The Reverend Gentleman has asked us to prove the inspiration of the Epistles to Timothy and Philemon. It is rather unhappy, in a member of the Church of Rome, to ask any question about the inspiration of the Epistles to Timothy. I trust that the Reverend Gentleman will not treat me as a Scripture Reader was lately treated in Ireland, being bound over to keep the peace for reading to a Priest the portion of one of these Epistles that I am now about to read to you, the Priest having assevered that he was put in terror of his life by the reading thereof. These are the words: "Now the Spirit manifestly saith, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, and having their conscience seared, forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanks giving by the faithful, and by them that have known the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected that is received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer."-1 Tim. iv. 1-4. When there exists a Church amongst us that forbids us to marry, and commands to abstain from meats, more especially at the present season, we need have no doubt of the inspiration of the 1st Epistle to Timothy. I now proceed to propose, briefly, some few arguments in favour of the perfection of the Holy Scriptures. The Apostle Paul gives us to understand that he committed to writing that which he had spoken. In the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, the 11th chapter and the 23d verse, he saith— "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you." Now, if this word "delivered" were translated literally, it would be "traditioned" unto you. He then goes on to WRITE the things that he had "traditioned" or spoken unto them. Again, in the 15th chapter the 1st and 2nd verses: 'Now I make known to you, brethren, the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received and wherein you stand: By which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain." " In these verses the Apostle distinctly tells us that the Gospel which he had preached, and which also they had received, he "now" made known unto them. He now writes that very gospel which he had spoken to them; and what does he tell them with regard to that which he had formerly preached to them? He says, "By which also ye are saved.” Thus, by the written Word of Godby what the Apostle Paul preached, and afterwards wrote, we can be saved. This is all we contend for, that "the Holy Scriptures can instruct to salvation through faith, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ." The Reverend Gentleman has said, that the Bible is the object of our faith-this we deny-we have no object of faith but one, the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Bible teaches us what we are to believe respecting Jesus, what we are to know and feel respecting ourselves-it opens to us the path to immortality-it dissipates the clouds of spiritual darkness, and shews us the undimmed rays of light and beauty which fall from the face of Jesus, "who is the image of God," on a sinner's soul. Wherefore, we say it is only through faith in Christ, that the Scriptures can make us "wise unto salvation"-they are the means, but the great object of Protestant faith is Jesus-and Jesus only. But the Apostle Peter seems to have had no knowledge of any revelation beyond the written Word; in the 3rd chapter of his 2nd Epistle, he thus writes: "As also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction." v. 16. St. Peter acknowledges only the Epistles of St. Paul-he acknowledges only the written word of the Old Testament-there is no mention whatever of tradition when he thus speaks respecting the Epistles of St. Paul. You will recollect a verse that the Reverend Gentleman quoted from the 1st of Acts, wherein we are told that Christ spake to his disciples for forty days, after he rose from the dead, and he tells us that secret things were then whispered into the ears of the Apostles, which they put into the ears of the Church, and that the Church has carried them down to the present day. Now it appears that the Apostle John did not keep these "secrets" to himself, but committed them to WRITING, for, in Epistle, it is said, "That which we have SEEN and have HEARD WO these things we wRITE unto you that your joy n And what he had seen and heard he tells us in the first verse: "That which was from the beginning, WHICH WE HAVE HEARD, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life-That we declare unto you." The way that he declared it was not by tradition, but by writing under the infallible direction of the Holy Spirit"These things wE WRITE to you."—v. 4. But again, when I desire to see the perfection of Holy Scripture, I turn to that part of the fifteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles to which the Rev. Gentleman has referred, to the account of that meeting which is commonly called the "Council of Jerusalem." How is the subject in debate settled by the Council? Different members stood up and spoke; and finally James arose, and closed with these words:—— "To this a' e words of the Prophets, AS IT IS WRITTEN."-v. 15, &c. The written word of God-the words of the Prophets-are adduced, to try whether the things which had been spoken in the previous part of the Council "were right and fitting words;" and then he quotes two passages from the Old Testament Scriptures. This was the way the Apostles managed a controversy wherein doubtful matters came before them. They deliver their opinions on one side and on the other, and then try do these "agree with the words of the Prophets, as it is written?" In the 18th Psalm, in the Douay edition (the 19th in the authorized Version), it is written, in the 8th and following verses, "The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls; the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones. The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves." In our translation, according to the Hebrew, it is"The law of the Lord is PERFECT, converting souls." In the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians, the 7th chap. and the 1st verse, it is written "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God." From the 18th Psalm, you heard that "the perfect law of the Lord is able to convert the soul." Here we read, that the same law of the Lord is able to perfect sanctification in the fear of God. Now, a thing which ი is imperfect in itself cannot produce perfection in another. Although the Church of Rome has discovered that 300 fallibles can make one infallible, we have not yet arrived at such a point in discovery. What are the words by means of which we are to perfect sanctification in the fear of the Lord? Revert to the last three verses of the 6th chap. of this 2nd Epistle, and you will there read quotations from the written word containing these promises, "by which we are to perfect sanctification in the fear of God." Here are two passages, the one referring to the conversion, and the other ascribing the sanctification, of the children of God to the instrumentality of the written word. Again, in the 26th chap. of the Acts of the Apostles, and the 17th verse, are these words: Delivering thee from the people and from the nations unto which I now send thee, to open their eyes, that they may be converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a lot among the Saints by the faith that is in me." Here the enlightening of the eyes-the conversion from darkness to light--the bringing from under the power of Satan to God-the receiving of the forgiveness of sins-and a lot among the saints by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, were the things that the Apostle was sent to accomplish. How did he effectuate this work? He tells us in the 22nd verse: "But being aided by the help of God, I stand unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, SAYING NO OTHER THING THAN THOSE WHICH THE PROPHETS AND MOSES DID SAY should come to pass." The Apostle thus informs us that the subject matter of his preaching was written in the Prophets and in Moses, and by that preaching he turned sinners "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God"-the written word was brought home to their hearts in the power and demonstration of the Spirit-and they received forgiveness of their sins through the blood of Jesus, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in the same Lord. Therefore, the declaration of Mr. Tottenham, respecting the 3rd chap. of the 2nd Epistle to Timothy, still stands unaltered: though assailed, it hath not been moved; even that word— "All Scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice." Herein is contained all that the child of God requires. He wants to be taught the knowledge of the one true God, |