acted under the influence of a constant and powerful conviction, that if saved at all, it must be by their own good works.

My allusion to a particular class of clergymen, requires a little explanation. In the Church of Rome, there are no less than seven orders or degrees of ecclesiastics. These orders reach their culminating point in the priest; they are all concentrated in him. This, the reader will perceive, renders every priest a clergyman, although every clergyman is not a priest. These seven orders are divided into minor and sacred orders; the first comprising four, namely, janitor, lecturer, exorcist, and acolyth; the second comprising the other three, namely, sub-deacon, deacon, and priest. The latter three are sometimes called hierarchists: and the office of priest is the highest, for although there are canons, prebends, deans, archdeacons, vicars-general, bishops, archbishops, primates, &c., they are only dignitaries, or dignified priests. Indeed, the Pope himself-the chief officer of the church and the visible head of it-is but supreme pontiff, or chief priest.

The reception of the lowest order, that of janitor, constitutes the recipient a Romish clergyman. He is now invested with the soutaine, and the tonsure, and the cincture. That is, a bishop puts the soutaine upon him, fastens a broad belt round his waist, and

then with a scissors removes a little hair from the top of his head, as near the centre as possible, and of a circular form. This process destroys for ever his former lay character, and thus equipped, clipped and girded, he goes forth to do battle for Rome.

At this stage, the tonsure, or shorn spot on the top of the head, is very small, not exceeding in circumference that of a Canadian halfpenny. The obligations and vows, too, are but few and simple: but at every subsequent step, his progress is marked by an extension of the tonsure," and an augmentation of the vows and engagements, so that by the time he becomes a priest, the whole top of his head is completely bared, and whatever amount of brains there may be inside of it, is taken possession of in the name of the church.

This is the way she creates her agents, and keeps up a constant supply of them; and by them, she perpetuates her influence, and extends and consolidates her power. But this is not all. In carrying out its designs, and accomplishing its ends, the papacy strengthens her regular and standing forces by the help of some valuable auxiliaries, such as nuns, monks, tertians, lay brothers, sodalists, &c., all of whom are very zealous, and in great repute among the common people.

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A

The whole system is replete with ingenuity; but if we judge of the source of that ingenuity, by its devices and its acts, it will be very difficult to ascribe it to either a very honourable motive, or a very pure origin. A tree is known by its fruits; and the nature of a cause is explained by the effects that result from its operation. It is an elaborate piece of network, spread with great dexterity over the human mind; and in its manifold and complicated meshes, thousands and millions of precious souls are entangled and held in bondage.

In the next chapter I shall introduce some extracts from "Kirwan's Impressions of Canada." They originally appeared in the "New York Observer," and were re-published in the "Toronto Christian Guardian," whence I have obtained them. The author is an Irishman, and was formerly a Roman Catholic, but is at present a very distinguished Protestant minister, and is pastor of a Presbyterian church in one of the cities of the United States. As "KIRWAN," he is well known, and has rendered himself polemically famous. He has contended with many champions of the Romish faith, and has worsted them all. Every one that has entered the lists against him has he vanquished, but none more signally or more completely than Archbishop Hughes of New York,

CHAPTER XX.

REMARKS ON VARIOUS FORMS OF WORSHIP-EXTRACTS FROM KIRWAN'S IMPRESSIONS OF CANADA-OBSERVATIONS ON CHRISTIAN UNION, &C., &c.

THE Roman Catholics are very numerous where I now reside, and like every other part of the Province where that is the case, there is a great deal of outward demonstration. This consists chiefly of ringing of bells, processions, and such like. All this is unscriptural; but that is of little consequence; indeed the importance attached to these grotesque manifestations, and the frequent use that is made of them, look like a determination to oppose the inspired authority, which says, "the kingdom of God. cometh not with observation," and to invalidate the divine testimony, which declares that "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

The Persians, the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Gymnosophists of India, and the Druids of Britain, all these have practised strange things, and performed ludicrous rites in the name of religion. It must be remembered, however, that these were idolatrous nations, and that their priests were jug

glers. The worship of the sun, and the moon ; of fire, of serpents, of the druidical stone of destiny, and of such gross objects, harmonises with impure and absurd forms and ceremonies; they are the essence of it; but Christianity requires and suggests a different class of services. She claims our adoration not for Bel, or Nebo; not for Vishnu, or Thor, or Woden; but for the God of heaven; the pure and holy God; and says, "God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

Jesus came to teach us the way of life and salvation, to establish the worship of the one true and living God, and to shew us in what that worship consists. And how far the church of Rome conforms to His requirements, or follows His teachings, may be learned from her missal; seen in her service; and inferred from her history.

In every country, and in every state of society, she is the same; impervious alike to the tropics and the poles, to civilization and to barbarism. Submission to her supposed ecclesiastical authority induces either superstition or infidelity. This is notoriously the case in France, as every one who visits that country can bear witness; and that the same order of things prevails in Canada, is patent to all. The habitants, generally, are an ignorant