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TIIOUGH,'fS ON TIIS PAINSTIIOOD AND TIIIX CON!'ESSIONAIT, 523<br />
a'r(l ver_v c{)r,si:tel:tlv th,.y exert tlreir utrnost to kcerr ilre Dil,lg gsa,,, tlre neoule. 'nui<br />
*hich if searched uith huurilitv, irr the fear of Go,l,'rvill rleliver the Jteufl.<br />
of their ha.ds, arrrl expose their airful heresi'es anrl blaspherny, anil gross<br />
idoi,rtr r'.<br />
U.dcl tire .\ar,rn'c pri'srh,r,d, tlr,'1111s Go,i rr.as Dreachetl in the ceremonial<br />
larv. as ltis r'otiltrtailtltirerrts serc {iven irr tlre rn,,r.trl ln,r,. Idolatrl waS e.\pres!;y<br />
a_ud rrrilutelv forlrirkleo-tlre con{es.ion to<br />
'flre lrriests, and priesrly ahsulutiu', u?<br />
s'rn ri'as not knog'n. Iliglr-priesr offered up hloorl o{]'erings iorhis orvrr sius<br />
ald for tlre sirrs ut tlre pcopir, h-e coufessed ove'r.the heud ofiire scape.goat the<br />
sins of ail Islael, rlhirjh rhe goat carried a,vav iirto au unl-lrrorvn lan,l.'irerebv<br />
t1'pf iy.i^ng Jesus rn1.-. Fligh-Priest nraking inrerression for rne; ako otiliri,'g up<br />
himself as a lvhole burnt-offerirrq, beaiirre arr'av all rny sius and r.asting lheur<br />
into the buttorrrless.a of Goti'. ererlasting l,rve arrrl rrrercj, so tlr,tt hc saith,<br />
I rill remenber lhetn no ntore.<br />
rvilat.is<br />
- .lJLrt<br />
nrirn, tliat he should tre a priest and mcdiator'! a priest must be<br />
faittrfui, ar;d one in rvhonr I rnay surcly iru.t; a priesr unrler the <strong>Gospel</strong> urrrst<br />
be liiur:elf withorrt sin, I'or lrorv can he'rlerliaie betrveerr a sinner and his God if<br />
he be hi.rself rr sinner arrd unholy ! A pliesr [rust he one wlro r:an have a feelinq<br />
for our infirrriiies, and sympathize rvith our alflicti'ns, n.t.nly such as rnav<br />
be nade kncrln bv the rrrruth,5ut suclr as are fi:lt in rlre ireart-apriest rnu-*t be<br />
acrluainted wirh our heart-sini also, and seeret faults. rhat no hriman eve can<br />
searclr-u'hat then is man that he should stand betrveen me and mv God t" Shall<br />
wc f!'rsake the lonutain rf living rvaters, and herv out such lrroken cisterrrs, lvhich<br />
can hold no water I Slrall I trust. in rrran, rvherr it is tvritten, ,. cursed is man<br />
that trustetb in man, and rvho nraketh flesh his arm, he olrall be like tlre beath<br />
irr the desert, he shall not see rlhen any qood cometb," .ler. xvii. .,But hlessed<br />
is the rnan that trusteth in the Lold, he shall he like a tree plarrted bv rhe<br />
watefs that spreadeth out her roots hy the tiver,,'&c. ..'fhe<br />
lreart is deceir-<br />
Iul above all things and desperately wicked,,, Jer. xvii., and the deceitfulnese<br />
.rf tlre lroart, is.1rerfrap., in rrothirrqinor.e glaiing, than ir is in religi,m-from ili.t<br />
lras ari"en irr all.ages of the rvorld, the crrr"ed s)stem, of priitst-braft. Priesrs<br />
are to be met rvith iu every country, Lry u,lrnse iristrumentality, Satan subjugates<br />
wbole nat ons; not onli the haiba;ous anrl the un, ivilizcil-hut the "mosr<br />
t'nligl;tened, as it respects hu'nan rvisdorn and the rnost civilized. What nation<br />
in Europe. is -not<br />
governed bv priest-crali? lrorv lrolds Napoleon his<br />
srvay iu France? rshat supi)orts thcdispotism of the corrIinental sovereignsl<br />
In one serrse indeed..rrrav priest-cralt.ay, [,v rle kirrgs rule and princes cleiree,<br />
n.ot jnstice. .<br />
Brrt blesserl be God, Jesus r*igns ove.-r ali, arrd in his appoirrtei<br />
tinr, he rviil trarrrple every anti-chrisI un(ler foot, and break ]ris en'ernies to<br />
pieees as a pottei's veisel.<br />
Brrt the evils ofthe confessional, anrl the priesthood connected rvith it, rvill<br />
appear mr're evideut, rvhen rye consider the state of everv natur.al rnan. arrd the<br />
nec_essity of legeneration, as staterl hy rlre L,rrrl Jesus Uhiirr, in the 3rd chaptcr<br />
o,t Jolru-" Eicepl.a rnan be born agairl, he cannot -see th; kingdorn ot Gorl.<br />
We are atare tlrat the Rornan C:tholic Church teaches. tbat this"nerv birtlr or<br />
re:1e neratiorr is eHer terl by.satcr.-baptisrn. 'flrc ahsurtlirv ol such te:rclring is<br />
sutficientlv proved bythe litc and corlversati,,n uf those rrlrir h;rve beerr banti.ed,<br />
rvhich difiers not in rhe least irorn orhers, rvlr,r proless no reliqiorr at all.' We<br />
rnal' then rvilhnut hleach of cl.rarity con,.lurle, thit tlre office ol the priesttrood is<br />
conferred up.c! lnen:.rvho.krrorv of no other change of elr*racter or positiol,<br />
than that rvhich is efl'ected hv rrarer-lraptism, conseouenrlv these men'are stili<br />
in tireil rratural or crrnal state. \1'haf tLat'stute is. rnav l,e learnI frorn tlre<br />
rvortl ,f {iod, even in the lerter, though no ,na,r ,u[rc, Iias not lriruse]f goue<br />
thlough .tltc<br />
chalfe rllri'.I our Lorrl speaks oll 1an duly errter intl r[e Jate-<br />
Inelli rvh;clr tlre Holv Glrost gives in rhe S,:ripiure, of the rlepravity of human<br />
nutrrre; rlre firsr accbunt is, ;; All flr'sh huth ctrrupted itself,," (ien.'vi..,Every<br />
imagination or the thousbts of the heart is only evii continuaily,', Gen. vi... Thi<br />
lreart is deceitful above-'all ttrings, and rlespeiately rricked, tulio crn knour it,"<br />
J.r. xvii. "'flie iuol hath sairl in his heartj no G,id, thevaie (orrupt,tlrev have<br />
rlone abominairlc rvorks, tliere is noue that doeth gootl. 'TLe Lorrl 'looketi fronr
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