As to the worshiping of Mary, I say that if we ought to worship her because she bore Christ in her womb, we ought, for the same reason, to worship the earth because He was buried in it, the world because He lived in it for thirty years, the heaven because it is His throne, in short every thing because He is every where and fills every thing with His presence. But no apostle of Jesus Christ ever exhorted any one to worship Mary. In all their epistles to the churches, her name, as I have already said, is never once mentioned.

THE WORSHIP OF IMAGES.

Now, as to the worship of images, and the passage from St. Basil to which you alluded, "the honor (offered) to the likenesses is transferred to the prototype." I say that St. Basil said this in reference to Christ and not to material likeness, which were not found in the Christian churches in the days of St. Basil-at that time not a picture existed in any of the Eastern churches. This is what he said about Christ,-“He is the image of God and we ought to worship Him;" this is true.

Eusebius, the friend of Pamphilius, one of the 318 "inspired Fathers" who composed the first Ecumenical Council at Nice, whom the great and holy Basil surnamed "trust worthy," and the great and holy Constantine called "the beloved brother," and about whom he said, "he has been judged worthy to be bishop over the whole church, by the testimony, so to speak, of all the world," according to the testimony of the 7th Ecumenical Synod, wrote to Constantia Augusta, sister of Constantine the Great, never to accept an image.

In the records of the 7th Ecumenical Council, we find the following: "Likewise Eusebius, when Constantia Augusta requested an image from him, "he answered thus-'Since you have requested me to send an image of Christ "to you, I ask which likeness of Christ do you mean? The real, unchang

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"able, the one faithfully expressing his true characteristics, or the one he "assumed for us, in taking upon himself the form of a servant? I can hardly "believe myself that you wish for the (real) likeness of God, having been 'taught that no man hath known God at any time save the Son-neither has "any one known the Son worthily, save the Father who begot him. Most "surely then you ask for the likeness of the servant's form which he on our "behalf assumed. But we know that even this is mingled with the glory of "the Godhead, and that mortality is swallowed up of life. Who can then with "dead colors and lifeless shades depict the magnificent splendor that radiates "from his transcendant glory! When the inspired disciples upon the mountain "could not endure it, but fell upon their faces declaring the vision unbearable; "if, therefore, his fleshy form was susceptible of so much power as to be changed, by the indwelling Godhead, what can be said of him, when having "cast off his mortality like a garment, and having washed away his corruption, "has changed the form of a servant in the glory of the Lord God, after his "victory over death, his ascension in the heavens, his being seated on the "royal throne at the right hand of the Father, and his rest in the indescriba"ble bosom of God. At his approach the heavenly powers shouted, saying, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and "the king of glory shall come in.' Eusebius, too, being a member of this "party, as it has been proved by his own letters and the works of history, rejects, as a Theopaschite, the image of Christ, and for this reason he writes to Con"stantia, wife of Lucinius, and sister of Constantine the Great, that he possesses 66 no likeness whatever." (See Records of Synod, Tome 2, page 856-857, Paris ed., 1761.)

Thus testifies the 7th Ecumenical Council about Eusebius, a most celebrated Father in the Ecumenical Council at Nice. Although one of 318 "inspired Fathers," and one having a life-long intimacy with Constantine, who died three years previous to the death of Eusebius, is condemned by the 7th Ecumenical Council, were then the "Fathers" who constituted the council inspired in power equal with the "Apostles," as you affirm in the 9th chap. of your pamphlet, "about the inspiration of the Councils, although they contradict each other? Which may we call more orthodoxy, Eusebius, one of the "318 inspired Fathers"-the intimate friend of Constantine the Great, and who, as I think, drew up the creed of the Eastern Church, or the 7th Ecumenical Council, which assembled 787 after Christ condemned him; let every sensible man judge for himself. Christ says, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." This promise may be claimed by two or three Americans, and prove as true in their case as for Romans or Greeks. Wherever people are gathered for prayers, for the preaching the Word of God, for singing spiritual songs, and for giving Him the glory, He is in the midst of them. But not when people assemble to legislate for others,

because in religion, there is but one law-giver, as James, the brother of Christ, tells us. The Lord Jesus condemns those who were "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Mark 7: 7-13. He said to his disciples, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Mat. 28: 19, 20. Their work was to teach men to do whatever Christ commanded, and nothing else. He gave them no power to legislate, but instructed them to preach the commandments of God. Any addition to or subtraction from that which God commanded, is forbidden. Rev. 22. Every thing human may be faulty, whether it be the work of one man, or of a nation, or of a whole church, either Jewish or Christian. The Jews not satisfied with the plain word of God, and His commandments, added also the traditions of their fathers. But do you suppose their religion on this account, was improved? By no means. Lord Jesus Christ condemned them severely for this, saying, "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." "Ye hold the traditions of men making the word of God of none effect, through your traditions which ye have delivered." Mark 7: 7, 8 ; Mat. 15 2-6-9.

The

Christ also forbids to call any one father, or master. "For one is your master in heaven and one your master Christ." Mat. 28: 8, 10. The passage "Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind. on earth," &c., was never intended for legislating in the church, but for the conduct of the church toward the brother who transgresses a known law of God, which also is evident from what is said before"Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone; if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church, but if he neglect to hear the church, let him beunto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Mat. 10: 1518. For instance, should a brother sin against another brother and refuse to repent while rebuked by the offended brother, by others whom he might take with himself, and finally by the whole church, and is for this reason expelled, it will be bound in heaven, or in other words, ratified. In all this there is no legislation, save what Christ commanded on the conduct of one towards his offending brother. This act of the church, under such circumstances, is simply the application of a law enacted by the only law-givers. Here can exist no more legislation, ex

cept what is in the trial or condemnation of one in a court according to known law.

The preacher has the authority to tell the sinner, If you repent your sins will be forgiven, because Christ affirms it, but if you persist in sin you will perish, because Christ affirmas it. He can do nothing more. But if Christ gave the twelve a power or a peculiar authority, as some one may infer from the "Receive ye the Holy Spirit; whosoever sins. ye remit they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained." John 20: 22, 23—to him he gave it and not to any others whom some denominate successors; for the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ had no successors; they were twelve, not twelve thousand or twelve millions, yet should I ever hear those called successors of the apostles speak in foreign tongues without learning them, then I may suppose that perhaps they are successors of the apostles.

All who preach the Word of God, and salvation through Jesus Christ, are in some sense successors of the apostles, but not in the sense of having the power to perform miracles or to speak foreign tongues, or to bind and loose the sins of any one they choose, whether for money or not.

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD.

Concerning your course of argument to prove that we ought to pray for the dead, I simply say that the passage to which you refer and upon which you base your opinion, comes not from the canonical books, but from 2nd Maccabees, which is not found among the books approved by the 6th Ecumenical Council as inspired, so that your argument stands on a weak foundation.

CONFESSION.

As to confession, I only say that in the days of Chrysostom secret confession was practised only by the Western Churches.

TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

As to transubstantiation, because you said the partakers of the bread and wine in remembrance of the death of Christ, are not benefited, for they have only the shadow and not the substance-I ask, "Did not Christ command us to eat the bread and drink the wine in remembrance of Him ?" 2 Cor. 11: 24. When the twelve communed from the hands of Christ, do you suppose that they eat him alive while he still lived? Even if they ate him according to the letter, did he not tell them that

the flesh profiteth nothing?" John 6: 63. Did not Paul say,

"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now, henceforth, know we him no more"? 2 Cor. 5: 16. Christ also says, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing-the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life." John 8: 63. He also said to