CONCLUSION. Permit me, candid reader, to entreat you, before laying this little work on the shelf, to decide, whether I have substantiated my grave charge against Romanism and Tractarianism; namely, that both systems ECLIPSE the SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, by misplacing, misrepresenting, concealing HIM, the bright and glorious Centre of revealed truth. Surely, we have arrived at the conclusion that Tractarianism is but a counterpart of Romanism, assimilating to it in all those of its varied phases we have been tracing ;-is but a scion, on the old stock ;-is but (as Tract 77 infers) a loving and admiring daughter of her precious Mother, Rome? And is not the fact equally apparent to every unprejudiced mind, that the teaching, both of Papists and Tractites, is alike at fearful variance, with the teaching of our Divine Saviour? Have we not found (and that from their own writings) that they allow where He forbids; that they forbid where He allows; that they speak negatively where He speaks affirmatively; that they speak affirmatively, where He speaks negatively; that they bless whom Christ condemns; that they con demn, whom Christ approves? Thus put they bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter: darkness for light; and light for darkness. In short, they coffin the religion of Jesus; array it in the shroud of their own fanciful imaginings; then "lay it in state," in the darkened chamber of gross superstition; in every way suited to attract and gratify the vain heart of sensual man. Much is there to please the eye; "gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet,.........and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble:" Much is there, to please the ear; "the voice of harpers and musicians." How sweet those swelling notes of melody! How thrilling, those chorus bands! Much is there, to please the taste; architects and painters, sculptors and all kinds of cunning artificers, have contributed their skill to perfect the splendid PAGEANTRY. But will a dead religion please the living God? Can the combined powers of earth and Hell, again entomb our risen Lord? Oh, painted faced, gorgeous-apparelled Jezebel; thou, art not "she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the Sun"-thou art not the Dove, the undefiled one, the white-robed bride of the King of saints-she awaits, her now ascended Lord-from Heaven. But I know the argument with which you would ply me, O, ye Romanistic and Tract arian teachers, in defence of your principles. "Ours is the old religion," you would say; "but surely ye are the men, and wisdom shall die with you-yet are ye wiser than the fathers? With us are the grey-headed; and very aged men; with us, those who lived in Apostolic days." Pardon me, Romanists and Tractarians-methinks I have nullified, that, your old-fashioned boast of antiquity; for have I not proved, beyond the reach of contradiction, that your religion is not quite OLD ENOUGH. You boast of" the fathers," but we have gone to the writings of the "GRAND fathers, and GREAT GRANDfathers; the Apostles and Prophets; and find your teaching erroneous. The Inventor indeed of those lying traditions, which you believe; is very old, older than the Apostles; older than the Prophets; older than the Patriarchs; older than Enoch! older than Adam-for before all these-THE LIAR existed,—he was from the beginning. But the Inventor of our BIBLE, the alone rule of our faith, is older still. He was in the beginning, yes, HE is the ALPHA; and so could say of the Evil-one, as He once said of Abraham, before "Satan" was, I AM." But will the Romanists and Tractarians be allowed to ECLIPSE THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS for ever? O no, the time hastens on, when that SUN shall shine forth, in naked brilliancy; and rightfully monopolising the Heavens; the stars shall fall;-the natural Sun shall lose its light; the moon shall be turned into blood; the firmament shall melt with fervent heat; -the earth and all that is therein shall be burned up: when that Sun, unasked, shall blaze forth with terrifically majestic splendour, to scorch with devouring heat, all who rejected the mild, benignant, saving rays of His Mediatorial Sun-shining. They would not look to Jesus, when He so affectionately and tenderly invited them "look unto Me, and be ye saved,"-but then will they be compelled to look upon Him, whom they rejected; not the meek and lowly Saviour, offering mercy and pardon; but with eyes like flames of fire; and crowned with many crowns; and apparel red, and vesture dipped in blood; with voice like the sound of many waters-travelling in the greatness of his strength; the Omnipotent Conqueror conquering every enemy, with the breath of his mouth and the brightness of his coming-treading with mighty step the winepress of Almighty God. And "who shall abide" that "day of his coming,-who shall stand when he appeareth, for he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap ?" O no, the day hastens on when there shall be cast into the burning lake of fire and brimstone, "There to converse with everlasting groans, Unrespited, unpitied, unrelieved, Ages of hopeless end," "the Beast and the false-prophet, the fearful, and -- unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers and idolaters, and all liars." No sun, no moon, no stars, nor even light of a candle there, in that dark, dreary, dismal abode of despair. TOTAL eclipse this, of hope and joy and happiness and peace, to the miserable occupants of the bottomless pit. But we ask again, will the Romanists and Tractarians be allowed to eclipse THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR EVER? O no-for "I looked" said St. John, in prophetic vision-" and lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads"-O no, for "I saw," said the same evangelical seer, as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways thou King of saints."O no, for "I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation and glory, and honour and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood |