ARCHBISHOP MURRAY'S BIBLE.And this is the word which by the Gospel hath been preached unto you.

"Here they (i. e. heretics), add, by the Gospel is preached, in favour of their heresy, that there is no other word of God but the written word only.”—Heret. corrup. ut supra.

"By the Gospel: these words are added deceitfully and of ill intent, to make the simple reader think that there is no other word of God but the written word; for the common reader hearing this word, Gospel, conceives nothing else.”— Ward's Errata, page 87. Dublin Ed. 1807-(70).

In all the above cases, the reading stigmatized by Ward and the compiler of the "Table of Heretical Corruptions," as false, heretical, abominable, &c., has been adopted by Archbishop Murray in his text, which, though containing in these cases all the supposed Errata of our Bible, is declared by him suited for the profitable perusal of the faithful; therefore all the ribaldry which Ward and the writer from whom he has copied, have heaped on our version, fall plump on the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin-and when we reject his slander with contempt, it is a satisfaction to know that we must be supported by the Most Rev. Dr. Murray. This defence of our version against Ward is the most complete possible; for it shows that the very Church whose Clergy as a body patronized and have quoted from his work, are to the full as obnoxious to his censures as we are; and am I not justified in asserting that the facts I have brought to light were not known to this Rev. body, when they adopted Ward's censures? for it cannot be supposed they were induced from mere odium to the Protestant religion, to revive and circulate criticisms which they knew their own prelates had disregarded. Whatever may be the general opinion of other parts of this address, all must confess that from henceforth we may expect to hear no more of "Ward's Errata of the Protestant Bible," which has turned out to deserve equally well the appellation of the "Errata of Archbishop Murray's Bible." P. 19-21.

ART IV.-The Anti-Carlile; or, Convincing Reasons for a full Belief in Christ, and his Divine Doctrines: addressed to the deluded Professors and Patrons of Deism, Atheism, and the Irreligious of every Denomination. By RICHARD CUMBERLAND, Esq. London: Richardson, 1826. 8vo. pp. 35.

A WELL-TIMED reprint of a forcibly written tract by the veteran author, Richard Cumberland. What success it had at the time of its publication (more than twenty years since) we have no means of ascertaining. The evidences for the Christian Revelation are here concisely stated, and in a popular style, well calculated to engage the attention of those who may not have the means of procuring, or leisure for perusing, larger treatises on this important subject.

MISCELLANEOUS.

ROMANISM CONTRADICTORY TO SCRIPTURE.

MR. EDITOR,-Various efforts have, of late, been made, to persuade us that the peculiar dogmas of the Church of Rome are not so obnoxious as our forefathers at the Reformation believed, and as the

venerable compilers of our Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies not only believed, but asserted. Unhappily for the professors of these liberal 'opinions, the Church of Rome remains the same; she has NOT retracted a single iota of the unscriptural and anti-scriptural doctrines and practices sanctioned by the assembly, called the Council of Trent, and which are made necessary articles of faith in the creed of Pope Pius IV. As all the readers of your excellent journal may not have the means of procuring, or leisure for perusing, the unrefuted and unanswerable works of the Rev. Dr. Philpotts, Messrs. Townsend and Todd, Dr. Southey, and other distinguished defenders of our Protestant faith, it has occurred to me that a compendious statement of the principal CONTRADICTIONS OF SCRIPTURE by the peculiar DOGMAS OF ROMANISM, might not be altogether useless at this time. Such a manual is here attempted. The references to the Scriptures are necessarily brief; and the contradictions of the inspired volume are given for the most part in the words of the Creed of Pius IV. or of the Tridentine Decree. A PROTESTANT.

To the Law and to the TESTIMONY: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.-Isaiah viii. 20. PROVE all things: hold fast that which is good.—1 Thess. v. 21. STAND FAST, therefore, in the LIBERTY, wherewith Christ has made us FREE, and be not entangled again with the YOKE OF BONDAGE.-Gal. v. 1.

I. OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

1. The Holy Scriptures are a coMPLETE Rule of Faith. The Reformed Church of England, in common with all Protestant churches, admits of no other rule of faith and practice than the Scripture, "which containeth ALL things necessary to salvation," (Art. vi.); and which, according to St. Paul, is able to make us wise unto salvation: for all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Tim. iii. 15—17.) Now, if the man of God, who is to instruct others, and to declare unto them the whole counsel of God, so far as is necessary for their attainment of salvation, be perfectly instructed for the discharge of his high and responsible office from the Scriptures, these must necessarily contain all saving truth, all that is needful to be known by him and by every private Christian in order to salvation. Compare also Psalm xix. 7, 8. Isaiah viii. 20. 2 Pet. i. 19–21. John xx. 21.

Further, the Scriptures prohibit all additions from being made to them by any mortal. Ye shall NOT ADD unto the word which I command you.-Deut. iv. 2. Every word of God is pure. ADD thou NOT unto his word, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.-Prov. xxx. 5, 6. I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall ADD unto these, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.-Rev. xxii. 8. Agreeably to these declarations of Holy Writ, the CHURCH OF ENGLAND professes 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 salva

tion;" (Art. vi.) and "that besides the same" [Scripture] the Churc "ought not to enforce anything to be believed for necessity of salvation." (Art. xx.) But the CHURCH OF ROME, in direct contradiction to the divine commands, equals unwritten traditions with the Holy Scriptures, and pronounces a curse on all that do not receive those traditions. "I most stedfastly admit and embrace the apostolical and ecclesiastical TRADITIONS, with the rest of the constitutions and observations of the said Church." (Creed of Pius IV. Art. 13.) "All saving truth is NOT contained in the Holy Scripture, but PARTLY in the Scripture, and PARTLY in unwritten TRADITIONS; which whosoever doth not receive, with like piety and reverence as he doth the Scriptures, is accursed."! (Concil. Trident. Sess. 4. Decret. de Can. Script.)

2. Canon of Scripture. In the name of Scripture we understand those canonical books of the Old Testament, of whose authority there NEVER was any doubt in the Church. .. And the other books (the Apocrypha) as Hierome saith, the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners, but yet it doth not apply them to establish any doctrine." (Art. vi.) But the Romish Church makes the apocryphal books of equal authority with those of the Old and New Testament; although such apocryphal books were never recognized as canonical by the Jews, to whom were committed the oracles of God, nor by the primitive Church, nor by any General Council, nor by the modern Greek Church. "If any one doth not receive all these books," (i. e. the apocryphal books which are intermixed with the genuine and canonical books) " with EVERY PART of them, as they use to be read in the" [Roman] "Catholic Church, and as they are contained in the ancient vulgar Latin Edition, for holy and canonical, and shall knowingly contemn the aforesaid traditions, let him be anathema! (Conc. Trid. Sess. 4. de Can. Script.)

NOTE that, besides the above-stated reasons why Protestants reject the apocryphal books, these books clearly and manifestly evince that they never were inspired, by the acknowledgments which the writers of some of them make to that effect; (see the prologue to the Book of Ecclesiasticus, and compare 1 Mace. iv. 46, and ix. 27, and also 2 Macc. ii. 23, and xv. 38,) and also in the fabulous and contradictory statements which they contain, and which are directly at variance with the canonical Scriptures. To select only a few instances:-The absurd fable of Bel and the Dragon contradicts the canonical account of Daniel being cast into the den of lions. Judith (ix. 2-9) is represented as justifying the murder of the Shechemites, which is condemned in Gen. In the Second Book of Maccabees, suicide, which is prohibited in Exod. xx. 13, is mentioned with approbation in 2 Macc. xiv. 41-46, a passage of which it is not easy to say whether we ought most to abhor its wickedness, or to wonder at its matchless nonsense. Magical ceremonies, which are forbidden in Levit. xix. 26, are introduced in the book of Tobit, vi. 16, 17; the transmigration of souls, a doctrine that is contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture, in Wisdom viii. 19, 20; prayers for the dead, in 2 Macc. 43, 44; sinless perfection in this life, in Ecclus. xiii. 24; and the prayer of Manasses, and justification by the works of the law, or that men must be indebted for eternal life to their own exertions and alms-giving, in 2 Esdras viii. 32, 33, Tobit xii. 8, 9,

xiv. 11, and Ecclus. iii. 30, xvii. 22; all which are directly repugnant to the letter and spirit of the Bible. Baruch (i. 2.) contradicts the historical fact related in Jer. xliii. 6, 7; the statement in 1 Macc. viii. 16, is contradicted by every Roman historian; and the account of Alexander in 1 Macc. i. 6, 7, is not supported by the historians who have recorded his last hours.

3. The Scriptures, both by precept and example, represent it to be the duty of ALL to read them.-SEARCH the Scriptures, is the command of Jesus Christ. (John v. 39.) I charge you, says St. Paul, that this epistle be read to ALL the holy brethren. (1 Thess. v. 7.) TAKE UNTO YOU, he says to the Ephesians, without exception, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, (Eph. vi. 17); by which we are enabled to repel the temptations and to resist the assaults of the devil. See also Col. iii. 16. The same apostle addresses the first part of his Epistles, not to the presbyters or bishops, but to the churches of God, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and to ALL that call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. See Rom. i. 7, 1 Cor. i. 2, 2 Cor. i. 1, Gal. i. 2, Eph. i. 1. The apostle James, in like manner, addresses his Epistle to the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad (i. 1); and Peter his first Epistle (i. 1) to the STRANGERS Scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia ; and his second Epistle yet more generally, to ALL that have obtained like precious faith with us (i. 1); the apostle John writes to Fathers, young men, and children. Now, what pretence can there be to hinder those persons from reading the Epistles which were addressed to them? The Bereans are commended for their diligent searching of the Scriptures (Acts xvii. 11). It was the duty of the Jews to have the law in their houses, and to read it to their children (Deut. vi, 7—9); and much more must it be the duty of ALL Christians to peruse the Gospel, since they live under a greater and richer economy.

But the Church of Rome PROHIBITS the reading of the Scriptures by the common people, alleging that more prejudice than benefit would arise to them from such perusal (Conc. Trid. Sess. 4. Decret. de Can. Scrip.); and makes it peril for booksellers to deal in Bibles. In the 4th Rule of the Index Librorum prohibitorum, it is thus enacted:"Inasmuch as it is manifest from experience, that if the Holy Bible, translated into the vulgar tongue, be indiscriminately allowed to everyone, the temerity of men will cause more evil than good to arise from it," (with as much reason might men be prohibited from eating or drinking, for fear they should abuse that liberty,) "it is on this point referred to the judgment of the bishops or inquisitors, who may, by the advice of the priest or the confessor, permit the reading of the Bible translated into the vulgar tongue by Catholic authors, to those persons whose faith and piety, they apprehend, will be augmented and not injured by it; and this permission they must have in writing. But if any one shall have the presumption to read or possess it without such written permission, he shall not receive absolution until he have first delivered up such Bible to the ordinary. Booksellers who shall sell or otherwise dispose of Bibles in the vulgar tongue to any person not having such permission, shall forfeit the value of the books, to be applied by the Bishop to some pious use, and shall be subjected to such

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other penalties as the Bishop shall judge proper. But regulars shall neither read nor purchase such Bibles, without a special licence from their superiors." Perfectly in unison with this decree is the Ency-clical Letter of Leo XII. dated May 3d, 1824, and addressed to all Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops. "We also, venerable! brethren, conformably to our apostolical duty, exhort you diligently to occupy yourselves, by all means, to turn away your flock from these POISONOUS PASTURES, (lethiferis hisce pascuis, . the Scriptures translated into the vulgar tongue and circulated by Protestants, which this meek and chaste servant of the servants of God' had just before termed a 'GOSPEL OF THE DEVIL'!) "Reprove, beseech, be instant in season and out of season, in all patience and doctrine, that the faithful entrusted to you, adhering strictly to the rules of our congregation of the Index, be persuaded that if the sacred Scriptures be every-where indiscriminately published, more EVIL than advantage will arise thence on account of the rashness of men." (p. 22, Paris Edit. 1825.) It is no wonder that the Romish Church is so inveterate against Christian people obeying the word of God, and reading it. The new doctrines contained in the creed of Pius IV. have no warrant in Scripture; and the assembly at Trent innovated in matters of faith by setting up unwritten tradition for a rule of it.

II. PRIVATE JUDGMENT IN MATTERS OF RELIGION. PRETENDED INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPE.

The Holy Scriptures invite and command inquiry. PROVE all things, says St. Paul; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thess. v. 21.) Beloved, believe not every spirit (or teacher), but TRY the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John iv. 1.) How are we to do this if we must take all things upon trust, and without any examination whatever? I speak as unto wise men; JUDGE ye what I say. (1 Cor. x. 15.) Be ye READY always to GIVE AN ANSWER TO EVERY MAN that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. (1 Pet. iii. 15.) But how can Christians give such answer, unless they understand and judge of the grounds of faith themselves? Though we, says St. Paul, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed. (Gal. i. 8.) Which passage plainly supposes that Christians may read and can judge for themselves, when and what doctrines are contrary to the Gospel, and that they ought to do it, and not blindly rely upon any one,-no, not an apostle, or angel from heaven. In contradiction to these and many other texts of Scripture which might be produced, the Romish Church claims to be infallible, and that it belongs to her to judge of the sense of Scripture; so that all persons are bound by her judgment and decisions. (Conc. Trid. Sess. 4, Decret. de Edit. et Usu Libr. Sac. Catechism of the Council of Trent, Creed, Art. 9, § 19, p. 96, Lond. 1677.) And in the Creed of Pius IV. Art. 14, every Romanist thus declares, "I also receive the Holy Scriptures according to that sense which the holy mother Church (to whom it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Holy Scripture) did, and doth hold. Nor will I ever take and interpret it otherwise than according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers."