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ognized, and Paul, at Antioch, withstood him to the face; and, so far from subsequently condemning himself for rashness, he deliberately declares, that Peter was to be blamed.

This fact takes out the key-stone of the papal system. Not only has his holiness of Rome no vestige of a document to prove the transmission of the keys from Peter's hands to his ;-not only is there no shadow of a reason for supposing that Peter ever intended, or ever possessed the power of transmitting the keys from his own to any other hand;-but there is, in the declaration of Paul, which we have quoted, satisfactory proof, that Peter himself must have exhausted the power, and with it all apostolical preeminence, long before he had concluded his ministry. Having employed the keys for the purpose for which they were intrusted to him, neither his own, nor any Sther hand, need or could, use them any more. I If supremacy there was none in Peter, then no

nchere else on earth can it be found; and every prewhasion to it, whether made by pontiffs or sovereigns, pron usurpation of the prerogative of our Lord Jesus to cost. The bishops of Rome led the way, and set

Axample of intrusion into the throne of Christ, by to tharing themselves, each one in his succession, to be subjisible and ruling head of the church on earth: while of thelergy intruded themselves into the priestly office Christ, pretending to offer sacrifices, and give ablution for sin. The principles of human nature, out

of which this ecclesiastical usurpation sprung, and the concurring circumstances which would favour its growth, and enable it to advance to maturity, were not concealed from the prophetic eye of the Apostle Paul. He saw the principles already germinating in the church, in his own day, and was inspired exactly to foretel the mode in which their then obstructed vigour would unfold itself; and the means by which, at length, their matured production should be made to wither and die. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then Ishall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."* The indisputable records of history testify that the Romish usurpation did grow to the full gigantic height which is described in the prediction; but the spirit of that mouth which

* 2 Thess. ii. 3—8.

gave the Apostles their commission, has been blowing upon it, and it is consuming away.

The commencement of its decline connects itself with the exercise of a claim which we have not had occasion to notice; but which, as it lays open one of the purposes for which the pretended power of the keys was employed, should not be altogether omitted. The claim to which we refer is that which is involved in the assumed authority to open the spiritual treasury, and to dispense to the members of the church, in the form of special indulgences, the stock of superfluous human merit, which is committed to the care and disposal of the successors of Saint Peter.

This stock of superfluous merit is produced, not by the efficacy of any official rites which have been discharged by the members of the hierarchy in their different gradations; these can avail only at the time, and for the persons on whose account they have been respectively performed. The efficacy of official rites resembles the circulating cash, which answers all the daily and ordinary demands of the spiritual traffic. It was very desirable, however, that there should be, as the concerns of the superior merchants were so exceedingly extensive, a funded stock, which might be applied to on extraordinary occasions, and for extraordinary purposes. The fact perhaps was, that while the inferior orders of the hierarchy were content, as well they might be, with the profits of the retail trade, the superior were ambitious of becoming capitalists.

And (for in the plenitude of their power what could they not effect!) a capital was forthwith created; and such a capital as no men ever enjoyed before, or ever will again. Relying on the acquiescence and approbation of all the dutiful and loving children of the church, whose virtues had exceeded the prescribed measure, and formed a surplus not needed by themselves; they took it up, as unemployed capital, to be collected into a general fund, for the use of the mother by whom these children had been nourished. The fund, when it was created, was one of no ordinary value; and by the continued contributions of numerous subscribers, who poured in the merit of their supererogatory prayers, and fastings, and almsgivings, and voluntary penances, and pilgrimages, and various selfdenying labours, it soon grew so rapidly and enormously, that no arithmetical figures could express its amount, and consequently no tongue could adequately extol the riches of the church by which it was possessed. It was seen, at length, that there was no necessity that it should be reserved for careful and cautious application, only in extraordinary emergencies; and it was deemed undesirable that it should remain as useless lumber in the treasury. Those who presided over the treasury began, therefore, now to entertain more extensive views, and to exercise more benevolent feelings. They saw that the sources of their supply could not fail, and they consequently resolved to make a liberal distribution. In pity to the

children of the church, dwelling in different parts of the world, whose virtues fell far below par, and whose purgatorial sufferings were on this account likely to be exceedingly protracted and severe, they kindly determined to apply the treasure which they superintended for their relief. Vessels were soon freighted with the most precious cargo which ever floated upon the waves, for the remoter regions of the earth, and for the isles of the sea; while agents were commissioned to travel over-land, with full powers to draw upon the bank for any amount which they might find It was, indeed, a the people disposed to receive. most magnificent concern, worthy of the genius and splendour of the illustrious individual who then filled the pontifical throne; and for a while it answered exceedingly well, to the mutual satisfaction, and reciprocal gratulation, both of those who dispensed, and those who received. It is true, there was occasionally a muttering of low and selfish complaint from some of those who conducted the retail trade, which was not a little injured by the wholesale dealings of the capitalists; but this, as might have been expected, was not much regarded by those, who felt themselves secure in the possession of the stock and the market. It happened, however, unfortunately for the concern, that one of their agents, who travelled to Germany, mismanaged their business, and gave offence to a monk, whose eye (naturally too clear for the region in which he dwelt), was beginning to look beyond his