cannot but be injurious and may be fatal to salvation. Were then the Apostles endowed when they received the Power of the Keys, to open the gates of heaven, and either declare or confer salvation, freeing the mind from a reliance on hope, the effect would be as injurious to the individual as it appears to be inconsistent with the general purposes of the divine dispensations. These observations are equally applicable to the Apostles themselves, and may be applied with confidence. They made no claim to superiority above other men; they were, as St. Paul declares, of the like passions, and they wrought out their salvation by the same means. St. John, in a text above cited, declares that he is bound to confess his sins so that even he might obtain remission of sin. This admitted, still it must be observed, that were the Power of the Keys given to the Apostles nothing more than the declaration of forgiveness conditionally, it would be no power at all, at least no more than what every person might be said to possess, and therefore the grant of the keys would have been useless. Something more must therefore be implied when the gift was conferred.

St. John writes, "All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death." Again, "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he (the Saviour) shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it." According to this text, all unrighteousness, that is, whatever act, whether of deed, word, or thought, not perfectly right, is a sin: whence it follows that every act done by man, an imperfect being, must be in some degree imperfect or sinful. It is needless to observe that according to this doctrine there must be an infinite difference of the degree of sinfulness in the scale of sins, some being sins unto death, some sins not unto death: they are sometimes distinguished by the name of sins deadly and sins venial. An

u 1 John v. 16, 17.

instance or two of each may sufficiently illustrate this doctrine.

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."x Such is the duty enjoined by St. Paul in the exercise of the Power of the Keys. It appears that sins more accidental than wilfully intended are venial sins. The Apostle writes on another occasion, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." It appears from this text that ignorance, under excusable circumstances, is a venial sin; and therefore the Apostle, acting in accordance with the text of St. John, prays for such wanderers from the truth. So also the Church of England prays that God will have mercy on all Jews, Turks, infidels, and heretics, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of the word, and so fetch them home to the flock of the Lord and Saviour.z The Apostle in the cited text directs that the censures of the Church ought to be withdrawn when the transgressor returned to his duty, and he ought to be restored to society and respectability. The continuance of censure when the cause is removed becomes sinful. This power was transferred to the successors of the Apostles through succeeding ages, and still properly belongs to the Church. The precept remains a rule to guide the conduct even in matters not ecclesiastical.

Sins held to be deadly, or decided obstacles to salvation, were ascertained by the Apostles with great precision, as may be seen on reference to many texts. These texts, if duly considered, shew that all the sins called deadly are offences

* Gal. vi. 1.

y Rom. x. 1, 2. z Collect for Good Friday.

a 1 Cor. iii. 3. vi. 9. Gal. v. 19-21. Ephes. v. 3, 5. Coloss. iii. 5. James iii. 14. Rev. xxii. 15. John xiv. 12.

in breach of the ten commandments recited in the Book of Exodus, and of the new or eleventh commandment given by the Saviour, enjoining love or affectionate benevolence as a Christian duty. These authorities shew that the Apostles in the exercise of the Powers of the Keys acted with proper caution, and confined themselves within proper limits. Their precepts gave validity to the law delivered by the Saviour, the God that appeared on Mount Sinai; and also to the new law added by him to the ancient code during his ministry upon earth. In this they promoted the purpose of the Saviour, who came not to destroy the law but to fulfil. This statement will be found to be evidently true on all points, except perhaps the application of the second of the ten commandments to such societies of Christians as are separatists from what is termed in our creed the Holy Catholic Church, but are not worshippers of idols.

The Saviour hath said, "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me;" and St. Paul, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha ;"d that is, let him be accursed, and the object of divine wrath. Again, St. Paul writes, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. In a subsequent verse he reproves them for their expressed preference of different teachers of the gospel, even though the doctrines taught were the same. A breach of Christian unity is a breach of the law of love, and accordingly St. Jude writes of "mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they that separate themselves; sensual, not having the Spirit,"f that is, the Holy Spirit. St. Paul says, "A man that is an heretic, after the first and d 1 Cor. xvi. 22. Whitby, Comment.

b Matt. v. 17.

c John xvi. 21.
e 1 Cor. i. 10.

Jude xviii. 19.

second admonition, reject." The Apostle did so on some occasions. Exhorting Timothy "to hold the faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme," that is, not to speak evil of the true faith.

Acts such as these are held to be in breach of the first of the ten commandments, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." These words enjoin unity of worship; and, as commentators explain, not only those persons sin who neglect to serve the true God, but those also who neglect to serve him aright. This was the error of the Samaritans, who feared the Lord and served their own gods after the manner of the nations. To avoid this error and preserve unity in religious worship has been the end and aim of all the divine ordinances from the beginning of the world. This was the reason why sacrifices in the high places of Israel were forbidden, and offerings were only to be made at the Temple at Jerusalem. The same uniformity is required by the gospel, under which religion shall be then pure and perfect, when, according to the words of the Saviour, "there shall be one fold and one shepherd." k

It were easy to shew by the citation of a few texts, that what is called religious liberty is not allowed by the law of God, although it may be permitted by the law of man. The mischiefs arising from such liberty are manifold. For these reasons our Church prays in the Litany against "all false doctrine, heresy, and schism," requiring every man to accede to the faith and submit to the ordinances of the constituted authorities, or powers that be; advising every one who may have particular opinions on points of doctrine not of vital importance, to adopt the advice of St. Paul, who writes, "Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God." If thou

g Tit. iii. 10. b 1 Tim. i. Exod. xx. 3. 2 Kings xvii. 33.

19, 20. Whitby, Comment.
k John x. 16. 1 Rom. xiv. 22.

hast any peculiar opinion as to any matter of practice, and, it may be added, of opinion also, on which, if the written word be not sufficiently intelligible to prevent doubt or dissent, adopt the advice or rather the command of the Apostle, keep the opinion to yourself, and do not disturb Christian harmony and general uniformity. Of this and other similar subjects the present age seems to be ignorant, or at least, regardless of the truth. The prevailing belief acted upon is this, that it is a matter of the utmost indifference what form or how many forms of religion may be used in any country. This is an utter denial of the truth of the article in the creed which claims belief of one Holy Catholic Church, it is an act of direct violation of the duty prescribed by St. Paul, it is an act which received his strongest censure, the censure of excommunication, and he possessed the Power of the Keys. The sin of heresy and schism our highest authorities are seemingly afraid to denounce. One only of the bench of bishops has of late dared to state the truth,m which was immediately opposed by the utmost insolence of error, whose bold assertions were heard with indifference, if not the approval of silence.

The duties of the Apostles comprised not only the stewardship of the mysteries, but the institution of rites and ceremonies necessary to secure decency and order in the assemblies and services of the Church. The discharge of these duties was enjoined when the Saviour said, "as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you." Before his crucifixion he had himself instituted the figurative rites of the two sacraments: the Apostles were therefore required to continue the work thus begun, and to ordain such observances as circumstances might render expedient or necessary. The first epistle to the Corinthians affords instances of the exercise of the Power of the Keys by St. Paul. He res

m The Bishop of Llandaff, in the debates in the House of Lords during the Session of 1845.