{"collection":"philosophy-ethics","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_62002/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_62002","id":"gutenberg_62002","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62002","summary":null,"tags":["Category: History - Religious","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Catholic Church -- Controversial literature","Catholic Church -- Doctrines","Catholic Church -- Relations -- Methodist Church","Methodist Church -- Relations -- Catholic Church"],"text":"Transcribed from the 1827 [Third edition] M. Goodwin edition by David\nPrice, email ccx074@pglaf.org\n\n                        [Picture: Pamphlet cover]\n\n\n\n\n\n                            A PLAIN STATEMENT\n                                  OF THE\n                          DOCTRINES OBJECTED TO\n                                  IN THE\n                             CHURCH OF ROME,\n\n\n                                 AND THE\n\n               REASONS FAIRLY ASSIGNED FOR SEPARATING FROM\n                              HER COMMUNION.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                            BY JOSEPH REILLY,\n                     _Late a Roman Catholic Student_.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n    \u201cThe Ancients are to be followed not one step further than they\n    follow Truth.\u201d\u2014_Just. Mart._ c. i. _ad. Ant. Imp._\n\n    \u201cProve all things, _hold fast_ that which is good.\u201d\u2014_St. Paul_.\n\n                              THIRD EDITION.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                  DUBLIN\n\n                PRINTED BY M. GOODWIN, 29, DENMARK-STREET.\n\n                                  1827.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n\n\n\nTO THE READER.\n\n\nHAVING never before had any necessity of appearing before the Public,\nespecially on such an occasion as this, it is with much reluctance I am,\nin defence of my character, now compelled to give a fair and candid\nstatement of the motives that induced me to leave the Church of Rome;\nwhich I did not do, until I tried every means to quiet an anxious mind,\nand troubled conscience, and after many private and public interviews\nwith my Pastor, each of which only augmented, nay, confirmed my doubts of\nseveral of the doctrines of the Church of Rome, (hereafter stated,)\nbecause I found by such interviews I had nothing from God\u2019s word to rely\nupon; nothing but tradition and the assertions of interested men to rest\nmy hope of salvation upon; and even these when _fairly examined_ could\nnot afford me any plausible authority for the articles of religion\ndoubted of.  I little thought, after having acted as I did, by continuing\nto meet the Priest at every time and place he appointed, to remove my\ndoubts of certain doctrines which I conceive were unauthorised by God\u2019s\nHoly Word, and therefore not taught by our Lord and his Apostles; (these\ninterviews I continued, until he candidly told me he _was not able_ to\nsatisfy me, and said he could not blame me to follow the dictates of my\nconscience.)  I say, then, I little thought that after this I would be\nobliged to vindicate myself from aspersions, resorted to evidently to\ndeter others from pursuing a similar course; that, at the expense of my\nreputation, they might suppress the general and so much dreaded inquiries\nof the public mind after truth.  I therefore lay before the public and\nthe candid reader a plain statement of facts, and let my motives, and\nnecessity for so doing, be my apology for its inaccuracies.\n\n                                                               THE AUTHOR.\n\n\n\n\nA PLAIN STATEMENT, &c.\n\n\nHAVING been intended by my parents for a Clergyman of the Church of Rome,\nI was brought up and educated for that purpose, under the immediate care\nof my late uncle, the Rev. Edmund Reilly. P.P. of Killesandra, until his\ndecease in 1814.  I persevered, however, and having finished the studies\nrequisite for admittance to College, I was recommended to the Rev. Dr.\nReilly, Bishop of Kilmore, for admittance on the establishment of\nMaynooth.  I received for answer, that in consequence of the many\napplications, prior to mine, his Lordship could not then procure me a\nplace; but being desirous for that office, (as intended,) I renewed my\napplication for the American mission, and obtained from my Bishop an\n\u201c_Exeat_,\u201d and recommendatory letter for that purpose as follows:\n\n    \u201cFargalus, Dei _et Apostolic\u00e6 sedis gratia_ Kilmoriensis Episcopus in\n    Hibernia, &c.\n\n    \u201cTestamur per presentes, Dominum, Josephum Reilly, nostr\u00e6 pr\u00e6dict\u00e6\n    Dioecesis alumnum, natum ex legitimo thoro, hactenus ibidem probe,\n    and Chrsitiane vixisse, et multa solid\u00e6 pietatis specimina dedisse,\n    cum autem educationis et missionis gratia Americam (seu allo)\n    proficisci decreverit, eundem omnibus et singulis intime commendamus,\n    &c. &c. datum hoc die decimo septimo junii.\n\n    \u201cAnno Domini Nostri Jesu Christi, millessimo octingentessimo decimo\n    octavo.\n\n                                                     FARGALUS, qui supra.\u201d\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n    \u201cFargalus, by the Grace of God, and of the Apostolical See, Bishop of\n    Kilmore in Ireland, &c.\n\n    \u201cWe testify by these Presents, that Mr. Joseph Reilly of the\n    aforesaid Diocese, legitimately born and brought up, has hitherto\n    lived there in an honest and Christian manner, and has given many\n    proofs of solid piety.  But having for his learning and mission\u2019s\n    sake resolved to proceed to America or elsewhere, we earnestly\n    recommend him to all and every one of our brethren, &c. &c.\n\n    \u201cDated June 17th, in the Year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1818.\n\n                                                     FARGALUS, qui supra.\u201d\n\nDuring my preparation to go on said mission, I was informed by several\nclergymen of the Church of Rome, who had correspondence with the then\nRoman Catholic Bishop of New York, that no person would be received there\nas a clergyman, unless well qualified to preach and defend the Gospel; as\nin that free country every person has the liberty of objecting to any\ndoctrines unauthorized by the Gospel.  This led me to apply myself\nseriously to the study of the Scriptures, in order to be capable of\nvindicating the religion I was about to teach; to whose sacred contents,\ntill then, I was nearly as great a stranger as to the Koran of Mahomet.\nWhy, oh! why should any person, designed to teach the Christian religion,\nremain so very ignorant of the foundation of all true and saving\nknowledge, as if the knowledge of that which alone can make men wise unto\nsalvation, were of minor importance, if not altogether unnecessary?  But,\nalas this is the case with regard to candidates for the Roman Catholic\nPriesthood.\n\nI also had several conversations with some of my Protestant neighbours,\non many of the controverted points of doctrines taught in the Church of\nRome, which still made me feel more forcibly the necessity of being well\nversed in Scripture, in order to be able to withstand and confute every\nobjection that might be raised against my creed, which was the sole\nobject of my pursuit thus far.  In the course of my reading the\nScriptures, I was particularly struck with our Lord\u2019s last charge to his\ndisciples, as in Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.  Also the following passages, \u201cGo\nye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and\nof the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things\nwhatsoever I have commanded you, and lo! I am with you always even to the\nend of the world,\u201d &c.  Mark xvi. 15, 16.  \u201cGo ye into all the world, and\npreach the Gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized\nshall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.\u201d  Luke xxiv.\n47, 48.  \u201cAnd that repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in my\nname to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.\u201d  Gal. i. 8.  \u201cThough we, or\nan angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel, let him be accursed.\u201d\nCol. iii. 16.  \u201cLet the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and\nadmonishing one another in psalms and hymns,\u201d &c.  Acts xiii. 38, 39.\n\u201cBe it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this Man is\nPREACHED UNTO YOU THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, and by him all _who believe_\nare _justified from all things_.\u201d  Acts v. 31.  \u201cHim God hath exalted a\nPrince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of\nsins.\u201d  Compare with Acts x. 43.  And Acts x. 35. with Rom. ii. 8\u201311.\n\u201cGlory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew\nfirst, and also to the Gentile.  But indignation and wrath upon every\nsoul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first and also of the Gentile,\nfor there is no respect of persons with God.\u201d  \u201cThe Gentiles having not\nthe law, are a law unto themselves; their conscience in the mean time\naccusing or excusing them.\u201d\n\nFrom all these testimonies of holy writ, I saw with great astonishment,\n1st.  That to the end of time, every preacher sent of Christ, and really\nbelonging to him, must preach diligently to all people, every thing which\nHe preached, and must not add nor diminish ought, on pain of eternal\nwrath; and that in the GOSPEL alone are to be found all these things\nwhich must be so taught.  2dly.  That \u201crepentance and remission of sins,\u201d\nappear to be the essence of the Gospel.  3dry.  That the people are to be\ninformed of this, or \u201cthat this is to be made known and preached to\nthem.\u201d  That in order to obtain these great gifts of God, and be saved,\nthey must repent, believe in Christ, and earnestly ask them by\nimportunate prayer to God, and to God alone; which if they neglect not,\nthey shall succeed, \u201cfor every one that asketh receiveth.\u201d  Matt. vii. 8,\nand vi. 12.  \u201cOur Father\u2014forgive us our trespasses,\u201d &c. and thus shall\nthey, according to the Gospel, this message from God delivered them, \u201cbe\nloosed\u201d by the Holy Ghost (whom God given to all who thus obey his\nGospel) from all their sins, condemnation, and liability to punishment:\nand this, through the alone infinite merits and \u201cblood of Christ, which\ncleanseth from all sin.\u201d  1 John i. 7.  But that such as will neglect or\nnot believe this Gospel, this divine message, \u201cmust be bound,\u201d (i.e.) be\ncondemned; and therefore, that it is God himself, not his servants, that\nwill most assuredly confirm to all believers severally, the message thus\ndelivered by his faithful messengers, and will loose or bind them,\nforgive or condemn them, severally, according to his Gospel; and\ntherefore, that in the Gospel it is no where found, that any power,\nfarther than this, is given to the servants of God.  For though Jeremiah\nwas commissioned of God \u201cto build and to plant kingdoms and nations, to\npull down and to destroy them,\u201d (Jer. i. 10.\u2013xvii. 7, 8, 10) yet he never\ndid any such thing in whole or in part, actually, but declaratively only;\nhe delivered his message from God, and according as it was obeyed or\nrejected, so were those to whom it was sent planted or destroyed\u2014rewarded\nor punished.  And in this sense were the apostles, by preaching the\nGospel, to forgive sins, to bind and loose; and also to remove, in\nconjunction with the members, from the society or church, incorrigible\noffenders, or to receive them again on true repentance.  1 Cor. v. 1,\n5.\u20132 Cor. ii. 7, 10.\n\n4thly.  That, whereas Christ commanded his Gospel to be given and\ncarefully taught to every creature, that it might dwell richly in them;\nso every creature, therefore, should, above all books and things have the\nGospel, and that, to prevent this in any wise, it not to obey Christ, but\nto contravene his will, which would, of course, be the designation of\nfalse and antichristian prophets.\n\nTo claim, then, an authority from Christ, to prevent even children from\nhearing, learning, or having the Gospel, (for Timothy from a child knew\nthe Scriptures) is claiming authority from Christ, to contradict himself,\nwhich it blasphemy.\n\nContrasting these impressive charges, which we must believe, and these\ndoctrines and observations so plainly and so legibly contained therein,\nwith many of the present doctrines and practices of the Church of Rome, I\nfound them in my mind so incongruous, that it became a matter of serious\nand anxious inquiry how to reconcile such mighty difficulties.  Hearing\nthat the ancient Fathers had authorised the doctrines and practices of\nthe church, I had recourse to their writings, and to my astonishment\nfound that they had exalted the authority of the Holy Scriptures, and\nextolled their divine precepts as the only true and unerring guide to\neternal happiness.\n\nThis led me to inquire the reason why the present Church of Rome, which\nprofesses to be the only true, infallible, holy, and apostolic guide to\nheaven, differed so essentially both from Scripture and the Ancient\nChurch; and why, instead of following the parting injunctions of our\nblessed Lord, her priests teach many contrary doctrines, to the injury of\nmany piously disposed minds, leading them from the essential truths of\nsalvation, by faith in the atonement alone, to church authorities lately\ninvented, (to say no worse,) which cannot profit, and to ceremonies and\nforms of worship unknown in the Primitive Church of Christ?\n\nI anticipate the inconceivably awful condition of a dying sinner, knowing\nscarcely any thing of the religion of the Lord Jesus but what is\nrepresented to his senses by the ceremonies of the mass, the gestures of\nthe Priest, and some vague notions he may form from what is repeated for\nhim in a strange tongue, and I could not but conclude that such\nceremonies were ill calculated to give sinners a well grounded hope of\nsalvation; and this I was convinced of, even from seeing the Roman\nCatholics scramble on Sundays after mass for holy water, holy candles,\npalm, ashes, &c.\u2014I found on the other hand that the Holy Scriptures\nreveal Jesus Christ to be the _only true_, _and yet_ an _all_ sufficient\nSaviour.\u2014Acts iv. 11, 12, and Heb. vii. 25.  That he is made unto all\nbelievers, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and\nredemption,\u20141 Cor. i. 30.  And that they who ask from our heavenly Father\nfor his Son\u2019s sake, shall receive this salvation, and the fruits of their\nhaving received it, will be afterwards manifested in their life and\nconversation.\n\nNo Christian will deny that this is the Gospel way of salvation from sin;\nand if so, why lead the unwary into the labyrinths of useless ceremonies?\nOne who knows the value of souls cannot but feel deep concern and regret\nfor the delusion of a generous, zealous, and unsuspecting people.\n\nThese considerations urged me to state some of the many errors which\ncaused me to separate from a people, whose welfare I shall ever have at\nheart.  I have experienced many signal favours from them, and know the\nunbounded confidence they place in him, to whom they intrust their\nsalvation.  My heart\u2019s desire and prayer for them is, that they may be\nsaved; for I bear them record, they have a zeal for God, but not\naccording to knowledge.  To them also were committed the oracles of God,\nbut they have preferred the traditions of men, and awfully surrender\ntheir Bible, their only unerring guide, and submitted to learn the\ndoctrines of Jesus Christ, not from his holy word and that of his\nApostles, but from men in general very deficient in Scriptural knowledge.\n{9}\n\nCould I address them, it would be thus: Believe no teacher that comes in\nthe shape of man, or angel; but try the spirits; consult the word of God,\nthat cannot deceive you; compare the words and the actions of men with\nwhat you read there, and he who comes nearest to the doctrines of Christ,\nlisten to him, for the Apostle Paul has said, \u201cThough we, or an angel\nfrom heaven preach any other Gospel than that already delivered unto you,\nlet him be accursed.\u201d\n\nFrom all the above considerations and many others which cannot be\ncontained in the limits of a small pamphlet, a serious impression was\nmade on my mind for years, which was increased by being sometimes called\non to defend the doctrine of Invocation of Saints, Purgatory, &c. on all\nsuch occasions, I found I had not Scriptural, not even rational arguments\nto support their authenticity; but being still strongly prejudiced in\nfavour of the mother church, I considered her authority was founded by\nJesus Christ, and that doubting of her doctrine, would be a glaring\nbreach of the faith of our blessed Lord.\n\nLet me now for a moment advert to that which held me so long in suspense,\nnamely, being instructed from my infancy to believe, \u201cthat to doubt of\nany article of faith taught by the church, would be dangerous to my\nsalvation;\u201d and this, I know, keeps many from following that plain and\nmost necessary direction of the Apostle, \u201cexamine yourselves whether ye\nbe in this faith or not; know ye not yourselves, how that Christ Jesus\ndwelleth in you, except ye be reprobates.\u201d  It appeared a most necessary\nduty for the Apostle to impress on his flock, to examine themselves, to\nprove and try whether they were _now_ in the faith or not; whether they\nenjoyed it, or whether they might not be resting in the name, without the\npower or practice of experimental religion, as taught by him; he knew the\nname availeth nothing without the spirit of genuine religion, influencing\nboth the heart and life of its professor.  May this salutary, and most\nnecessary command be no longer overlooked; and the mere name (which is\nbut the shadow,) be no longer vainly substituted in its stead.\n\nI again had recourse to Scripture, tradition, &c. to be able to defend\nher doctrines, but in every attempt to do so, I was secretly forced to\nfeel my incapacity to withstand the convincing truths of God\u2019s word.\nHere the reader may easily imagine what anxiety of mind I felt, on\ndiscovering errors in my mother church, so manifest, that all endeavours\nto gloss them over with far-strained arguments, and make them appear\nplausible, to individuals even of ordinary capacities, proved\nineffectual, and recoiled with double force on my own conscience.  Thus,\nafter various perplexities of mind, I communicated my sentiments to a\nnear relative, (now in College) whom I considered more competent in such\nimportant matters, whose superior knowledge I presumed would be capable\nof removing my doubts, without any further exposure of what I then\nconsidered so dangerous to entertain.\n\nOh! what infatuation\u2014the offspring of prejudice was this; how many\nblessed religious enquiries are thus stifled by bigotry!  How preferable\nwas the conduct of the noble Bereans, Acts xvii. 11. who, when they heard\nPaul and Silas preach to them the Gospel, searched the Scriptures daily\nwhether these things were so, and many of them believed.  But the fear of\nman, a false notion of honour, and a reluctance to forsake a system,\nthough evidently erroneous, and supported by hereditary custom alone,\ndeter many from yielding to conviction.  I must say, my friend equally\nfelt the importance of our inquiry; we spent whole days together,\ncomparing the texts of the Douay and Protestant versions; but this proved\nineffectual, to support the doctrines I doubted of, and only contributed\nto increase the anxiety of my mind.  The idea of having so many of my\nrelatives connected with the church of Rome from time immemorial, often\ninduced me to imagine my doubts originated in some weakness of mind and\nwant of understanding; it would be endless to describe all the various\nfluctuations of mind I underwent, and the different means resorted to, to\nquiet such.\n\nAt length, unable to sustain a burdened mind any longer, I went to my\nClergyman, the Rev. Mr. M\u2018Gouran, for whom I had the highest veneration\nand esteem, stating plainly to him the situation of my mind, and the\nparticular articles of his creed I doubted of; solemnly avowing (which\nwas the case) that I only sought instruction, if I were in error, as I\nbelieved I was; for, after reading the Scriptures and a great part of the\nancient and modern works on the authenticity of the Roman Catholic\nReligion, I could find no tenable proofs for these following doctrines,\nviz. Invocation of Saints, Purgatory, Indulgences, Transubstantiation,\nAuricular Confession, and the Sacrifice and the Ceremony of the Mass in\nan unknown tongue, substituted for the Preaching of the pure Gospel; but\nthat, which of all other doctrines shocked and disgusted me most was, the\nAdoration of the Host, or Wafer, in Masses, Processions, &c.  I therefore\nhumbly appealed to him to satisfy me from any part of God\u2019s word on the\nabove articles, declaring to him I wanted only to be convinced of the\nabove doctrines; and if so, I would remain an obedient son of the church\nduring life, or if not, that as my salvation was dearer to me than life,\nI would separate from his church.\u2014In this the searcher of hearts knows I\nhad nothing in view more than to rest my belief and hope of salvation on\nJesus Christ, and to be guided by his doctrines contained in his holy\nword.\n\nIn justice to this Gentleman, I must say he tried every possible means\nwith me, at different times and places, but to no purpose.  At length,\nseeing my uneasiness, and feeling for my situation, he requested me to go\nto his house, and if he could not succeed in removing my doubts, he would\nallow me to follow the dictates of my conscience.  Accordingly I went\nrepeatedly, and he very patiently heard all my objections to his creed,\nproduced various authorities, chiefly from the Holy Fathers, all\ninconclusive, and insufficient to maintain the above doctrines.  In vain\nwe sought for Scriptural authority from them in any part of the sacred\nvolume; (for such were my convictions, that no inferior or after devised\nauthorities could satisfy my inquiry after truth,) at the same time I\nasked him, how could I be blamed for separating from him and following\nthe dictates of my conscience?  To which he then agreed, and so we parted\nwith the same candour and friendship that ever existed between us, deeply\nsensible of the favour he had conferred on me, by patiently hearing my\nobjections to the doctrines and practices of his church.\n\nMy doubts being now confirmed, the situation of my mind cannot be easily\nconceived.  To follow the dictates of conscience I was fully resolved,\nGod being my helper; yet, I could not but foresee the difficulties that\nlay before me; my mother a widow, in a great degree dependant on me; my\nfriends and acquaintances who, I knew, did not see or feel as I did, but\non the contrary would look on me as mad, and consequently must consider\nmyself as separated from them for life; I felt all this to its utmost\nextent.  I thought on that saying of our blessed Lord, \u201che that loveth\nfather or mother, or houses or land, more than me, it not worthy of me.\u201d\nI considered my salvation dearer than all the world beside; with these\nviews and reflections I resolved to commit my cause to him who has said,\n\u201ccast your burthen on the Lord and he will sustain you,\u201d and leave the\nevent to him, who has also said, \u201cfear not them who kill the body, but\nare not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him who it able to destroy\nboth soul and body in hell.\u201d\n\nThus far, having laid before you, candid reader, and my dear\nfellow-countrymen, whom, at God knows, I love, a true statement of the\norigin, progress and confirmation of my doubts of the doctrines I\nobjected to in the Church of Rome, together with the various means I had\nrecourse to for instruction and certainty on these matters, till the\nfinal interview as above mentioned.  After this I little thought of ever\nhearing the voice of calumny raised against me, and sinister conjectures\nput on the motives that induced me to act at I did, this being a matter\nthat could be judged only by him who reads the secrets of all hearts.  No\nslanderous insinuations that could be devised against my person, nor fear\nas to their consequence where I am known, could induce me to take any\nnotices of such on my account; but I feel myself called upon as a duty I\nowe to my merciful God and his holy truth, and for the sake of others\nthat may be in similar circumstances, to vindicate the propriety of\nleaving the Church of Rome, a Church whose doctrines I saw could not be\nsupported by divine truth.  And many such I know there are on whose minds\nthe light of truth is beginning to dawn, therefore if this humble,\nunadorned, yet true statement may prove useful to any of those, the\nobject I have in view will be fully attained, and outweigh all the\nsneering invectives that may be poured on this artless production.\n\nThe narrow limits of this small tract do not allow me to dwell as\nextensively as I wish, en the above controverted points, so I shall only\nrequest the seriously inquiring reader to compare all the present\ndoctrines, ceremonies and practices of the Church of Rome with the\nGospel, and find out their origin and authenticity in the Scriptures, (to\nwhich nothing may be added for ever;) and in the practice of the\nPrimitive Church, before he passes the rash opinion on me, that I then\nleft the Church of Christ, \u201cJudge not that ye be not judged,\u201d is written\nin holy Scripture.  I beseach you read attentively the 2nd and 15th\nchapters of St. Paul to the Romans, and consider that the Scripture is\nthe rule to direct the Church of Christ, and that no particular Church or\npeople can arrogate and usurp the power of establishing or retaining any\nthing incongruous with, or contrary to the sacred texts.\n\nAny Church thus counteracting the authority of God\u2019s law, cannot be the\nChurch of Christ, but must be Antichristian, and should be forsaken by\nall that are willing to take the divine counsel of Christ for their guide\nto eternal life.  Is it not the bounden duty of every rational mind, to\nprefer the will of God to his own or any other man\u2019s, to discover error\nand reprobate sin, in whatever shape or form it may appear; let the name\nand pretensions of any Church be what they may, a mere name is nothing.\n\nReader, let not your own, nor the will of any man, or party be the model\nof your life, and actions, but \u201cbe ye holy as I am holy, saith the Lord,\u201d\nand hearken not to the counsel of any man who does not in all things\ncomply with, follow, obey, and practise the law of Jesus Christ.  I am\nafraid that deep-rooted prejudices formed and nurtured by undue influence\nwill prevent many from embracing the plain truths of the Gospel.  Every\nChristian reader must allow that our Lord has done all things necessary\nfor our salvation, and expressly ordered his followers to neither add to,\nnor diminish from the Gospel.  Adding any thing would be superfluous,\ntaking from it, blasphemous.  All Christians, and the Council of Trent\ntoo, Sess. IV. agree that the holy Scriptures are the fountain of all\nsaving truth and good morals, written by divinely inspired men, under the\nimmediate instructions of our Lord, as St. Augustine and St. Iren\u00e6us\ntestify.  If this is believed by all, and as they say they believe it,\nwhy do some exclaim against them and prohibit their general use, yea, and\nanathematize any who dare look into their sacred contents?  Is it because\nthey know that if the Bible be read, its superior light will dispel all\nthe darkness of superstition, and ignorance?  If this volume were not\nprohibited, in vain would they even by mere sophistry, attempt to build\nthe invocation of Saints, on the message and salutation of the Angel\nGabriel, mentioned in the 1st chapter of Luke, 26, and the five following\nverses.  Do they not understand that our Lord did not then begin his\nmission, which they might easily learn by reading the New Testament.  But\nhow can it be expected they would allow a book to be read that the\nBishops of Benonia said, \u201cwas the cause of all the storms and tempests,\nthat almost ruined the Roman Catholic Church.\u201d  I do not wonder that they\nshould prohibit and vilify the reading of that book, which contains all\nthat is sublime in doctrine and holy in tendency\u2014all that is consolatory\nto the human heart\u2014all that is requisite to make men wise unto\nsalvation\u2014that militates against all doctrines and inventions of men, and\nthe unedifying and unscriptural ceremonies of masses, and prayers in\nLatin, so contrary to the revealed will of God.\u20141 Cor. xiv.\n\nWhy are they not as zealous to expunge the unauthorised abuses that stain\nalmost every page of their common prayer-books, called the \u201cKey of\nParadise,\u201d \u201cPoor Man\u2019s Manual,\u201d &c. a few extracts whereof I shall lay\nbefore the reader.  I ask them can they meet the approbation of any\nrational mind having any just views of the atonement of Jesus Christ?\n_Nos cum prole pia benedicat Virgo Maria_.\u2014\u201cVirgin Mother we humbly crave\nthy blessing, and thy Son\u2019s,\u201d\u2014\u201cJesus, Mary and Joseph grant us rest,\npeace, pardon and glory,\u201d\u2014\u201cHail, holy queen, mother of mercy, our life,\nour sweetness, our hope; to thee we cry, poor banished sons of Eve; to\nthee do we send up our sighs, mournings and weepings; turn, thou most\ngracious advocate, the eyes of mercy towards us, and after this miserable\npilgrimage receive us,\u201d &c.  See the Litanies of St. Francis and the\nVirgin Mary, the Golden Litanies, &c.\n\nLet me here pause, and ask the reader, does he believe did Jesus Christ,\nthe lamb slain from the foundation of the world, make a full, free and\nsatisfactory atonement to God, for fallen man?  Is he now the only\nmediator between God and man?  Does he need other advocates to procure\nthe pardon of our sins from Almighty God?  If he did make full atonement,\nto attribute the mediatorial office to any created being, is blasphemy;\nif he did not, then the whole of the Christian religion is destroyed.\nBut he did make a full and ample atonement, therefore the mediatorial\noffice cannot be invaded nor in any wise attributed to any other, without\nawfully and irreverently confounding the infinite atonement of the Son of\nGod, with finite man.  It may be said, by way of evasion, not their\nmediation but intercession is solicited by their votaries.  Does the\nabove \u201cVirgin Mother, we humbly crave,\u201d &c. and \u201cJesus, Mary and Joseph,\u201d\n&c. imply nothing but intercession?  Is it not evident that the name of\nthe adorable Jesus is blasphemously confounded with his creatures, Mary\nand Joseph?  Do we not read above, \u201cMost Gracious Advocates,\u201d &c. and\nmany such in the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin, &c.?  Oh! what narrow\nviews must they have of the infinite mercy of Jesus Christ, that suppose\nhe must be influenced by saints or angels to hear our supplications; they\nforget what is said in Mat. chap. vi. 6, 7.  \u201cFor your father knoweth\nwhat things ye have need of before ye ask him,\u201d but not one sentence of\neither asking or soliciting the interference or intercession of any saint\n_departed_, or angel, is ever sanctioned or mentioned in holy writ, nor,\neven when our Lord resided on earth, it was never known that the Blessed\nVirgin\u2019s intercession was solicited by any sinner, though then it might\nappear a natural occurrence; yet, he publicly avowed, \u201cNo man cometh unto\nthe Father, but by me.\u201d  And as this doctrine of intercession of angels\nand departed saints is an addition to the gospel, so it must be,\naccording to St. Paul, Gal. i. 8. \u201caccursed.\u201d\n\nIf your prejudice be strong enough to make you believe the above prayers\nintimate only intercession, I will prove at once the absurdity and utter\nimpossibility of this man-devised system.  Do you believe in the\nomnipresence and omniscience of the Holy Trinity, and that no other being\npossesseth these attributes?  It must be answered, yes, for none dare\nbelieve otherwise.  Therefore, omnipresence, (i.e. being every where\npresent at the same instant of time,) it follows that being the attribute\nof God alone, no saint or angel can hear, at the same time, millions of\nvotaries praying in different places of the earth.  Hence, the\ninconsistency (to say no worse,) of such prayers, and of attributing as\nit were, omniscience, that is, knowing the secrets of the hearts of all\nmen at the same time, to any creature whatever.  Consequently, as they\ncannot know the secrets of the heart, they cannot be intercessors for\nman.  How absurd the idea! how fruitless the attempt, to pray or to\nsolicit their intercession, as it cannot be known but some of those\nprayed to, might have died in sin.\n\nFrom all these plain reasons, it is easily seen, how slippery is the path\nthey tread in, who do not follow the plain road marked out by our Lord\nJesus Christ.  How easily may every system, not founded on the rock of\nages be upset, when looked at through the gospel glass.  Let me\nparticularly address myself to my Roman Catholic brethren.\n\nHave I not laid before you a plain statement of facts as a sufficient\ncause, founded on Scripture, reason and common sense, for my separating\nfrom your church?  But not in the mean time particularly touching, by way\nof argument, on any but this one point of doctrine, leaving that to abler\npens.  I am sure it will be told you that I am among the followers of\nfalse prophets; you will allow our Lord must be the best judge of this;\nlet us hear him\u2014He declares \u201cthere shall arise false prophets that _if it\nwere possible_ shall deceive the very elect.\u201d\u2014Mat. xxiv. 24.  He does not\nleave us in the dark to know and ascertain them, and that by his usual\nand unerring guidance, and his short but comprehensive rule \u201cby their\nfruits ye shall know them;\u201d that it, by their lives and doctrines\nagreeing with what he commanded and taught, or the contrary, their adding\nto or taking from his word, for he that does so, God declares \u201che shall\nadd to him all the plagues in his book.\u201d  See Rev. xxii. 18, 19.  And by\ntaking away any of the words of his book, he also declares, \u201che shall\ntake away his part out of the book of life.\u201d  Now, if none of the\naforementioned tenets, to which I object, were ever taught by our Lord or\nhis Apostles, in the Gospel, consequently by such additions or false\nteaching, the teachers may be easily discovered, and these awful plagues\nmust ensue.  And if withholding the Scriptures, commanded to be searched,\nread, and taught, is taking from his words, this may create strong\nsuspicion that the dreadful curse of \u201ctaking away his part out of the\nbook of life\u201d must follow.  But if the Gospel be God\u2019s truth, they who\nstrictly adhere to, and teach it, must of course, be true, and cannot be\nfalse prophets.\n\nOh! my friends, think of these things: judge for yourselves, for no man\nwill stand for you in the judgment of the great day.  I well know the\neffects of prejudice in favour of long customs and habits; but this, you\nare aware, will be no apology in that dread day.  I am also aware you\nhave been told \u201cthat I was bribed for turning.\u201d  Believe it not, nay, I\nam certain you do not, cannot believe it.  You have long known me, and\nyou can now say, if I have ever acted any part that was base, or could\nleave room for suspicion.  No, no, my soul I shall never sell\u2014God forbid.\nNothing but conscientious motives, causing any man of character to do as\nI have done, could ever be thought of by any man of common sense or\npiety, much less by that God who will shortly judge you and me.\n\nSuch were my motives, and no other object had I, or have I now in view,\nas the searcher of hearts knoweth.  You see I did not do so from\ninfluence, or the impulse of a moment.  I examined and tried every matter\nwith the utmost caution and deliberation, and from the best authorities.\nSeriously reflect and examine for yourselves, before you rashly condemn;\nand my sincere prayer to God is, that in all things you may be directed\nagreeably to His will; that at the last we may meet at God\u2019s right hand,\nwhere dissentions and differences shall for ever cease.\n\n                                                            JOSEPH REILLY.\n\n\n\n\nFOOTNOTES.\n\n\n{9}  I have known several Roman Catholic Priests, who even have not had a\nBible or testament in their possession.","title":"A Plain Statement of the Doctrines Objected to in the Church of Rome: And the Reasons Fairly Assigned for Separating From Her Communion","tradition":"philosophy-ethics","translated_text":null,"word_count":6029}