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cursed!! and at the principal of which our Royal Master stands the anointed defender!" Therefore, then, stands he eminently cursed by oath and protestation, by all his "loving," gentle" Romish subjects.

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Fourth, That in the event of this unnaturalthis most unholy alliance, carrying this dreaded point, and succeeding in reducing the fairest fabric (though much it standeth truly in need of reform), that ever yet was framed and put together by art or liberty of man, you, my staunch Christian countrymen, may form a proper estimate of the fitness of those representatives whom ye have sent, not only to support the interests of your country and selves, in our Commons House of Parliament, but, ABOVE ALL, the honour of your GOD!! Last-That, should this most unhallowed, yea, accursed power, in combination with that of infidelity, as aforesaid, gain possession of our sanctuary, the very vitals of our Christian government, ye may apply the wisdom of Scripture to the signs of the times; by which ye may feel assured, that the beginning of

*

* Accursed; nay, take not my word for it, but see Galatians, i. 7, 8, 9.

troubles before the time of the end draweth

near.

But let me, ere I close the scope of my intention in bringing this before the British world, to mention what I deem, of all its objects, the most hallowed, though yet it has been unexpressed.

The hope that it may be the means of bringing an eternal soul to light and life, even though it be but one!

And, oh, my friends, whatever creed ye hold, for I war not with "men," but " principles," should the unerring ray of light, as constantly you will find it shining in these pages, momentarily illume the darkened chamber of your sluggish or rebellious minds, e'en then that instant seize the treasure, and hug it to your souls, for be assured 'twill lead you on to everlasting life.

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But, my friends, this dreaded event has not yet taken place. Oh, that the Almighty GoD would deign, in His mercy, to inspire me with words of wisdom, to instruct and make the way so plain, "that the wayfaring man, though a fool, may understand;" that I might be able to make well apparent from His Holy Word the

danger-the imminent danger-to which we shall be subjected from the outpourings of His wrath, by holding converse with this accursed thing. And, oh! that I might be the instrument of pointing out with perspicuity the only right road-the only road—PERFECT RELIANCE ON HIM! to produce the straightforward determination in ye all, my countrymen,

TO DO RATHER WHAT IS RIGHT, THAN WHAT IS

EXPEDIENT. That so-should the Almighty find us to have become a peculiar people, zealous of good works and His honour—“peradventure He may spare the city, and destroy it not," (Gen. xviii.); but avert the dreadful judg ments which overhang all who hold community with the abominations which He has denounced; and which must as surely descend upon this our wretched country, as this question, as it is called falsely, passes into a law. For has He not said, "Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees!" and "Shall I not visit for these things? and will I not be avenged on such a nation as this? saith the LORD." Jer. v. 9. Has He said it, and will He not SURELY DO IT?!

Arouse yourselves, then, my inert, though well-meaning countrymen. Ye, who are allowing this question to take its chance, as ye say! For do ye not see, that those who neglect to protest against the Beast, and the mark, and number of his name, are negatively, yet most materially, assisting his advancement? For this the ready plea is urged, “It is plain that if, out of a population of fifteen million, fifty thousand only petition, the general opinion must be thirty to one in our favour." Now, such an assertion, my countrymen, backed by the appearance of truth, to which I fear your supineness has given but too favourable a colour, cannot otherwise act upon the Minister but with a very embarrassing influence; for when he sees on such a vital question so great a disparity of numbers apparently in favour of Romanism, what CAN he do?

In the task undertaken, it hath been found good to select this creed of Pope Pius IV. (as some delight to call it), which he extracted from the Provisions of the Council of Trent, assembled 1545, for the settling many points of controversy which had arisen in the then

Romish Church. This council continued sitting for seventeen years, until 1562, “in order to correct, illustrate, and fix with perspicuity, the doctrine of the Church, to restore the vigour of its discipline, and to reform the lives of its ministers." In effect, this assembly of monks concocted certain articles of doctrine, which they declared not only equal, but superior, to Scripture, as you will see in the last twelve articles of this much celebrated and, amongst those of the Romish communion, universally received, creed. It is divided into twenty-four articles, of which in the first twelve you will recognise the Nicene Creed (in point of fact similar to that called the Apostles' Creed), and is the same that the Church of England confess in their Communion Service: and it was called the Nicene Creed from the following circumstance: "When the teachers of the Church found themselves disturbed, and their people corrupted more and more by the daily increase of the * Arian heresy, up

* Which has since deteriorated into Unitarianism, which community consists of that class of Infidels who deny that Christ is GOD. Jones on the Trinity. Letter to the Common People, eleventh edition, page 98. See Appendix, No. I.

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