96 THE PRACTTÒAL USES DEEM. XXXV ?. company, who deny the propitiatory virtue óf the blood of Christ ! Let them find a better ground tò build their hopes of pardon upon : But do thou lay thy foundation on this rock, and the poWvers of hell shall not prevail against it." Second doctrinal inference. How strange and unrea sdnabie is the doctrine of the popish church, who while they profess to believe the religion of Christ, yet intro- duce many other methods of atonement for sin, beside the sufferings of the Son of God, and the atonement Which Jesus has made. Every time they celebrate the Lord's supper, and the priest communicates the consecrated bread to his deluded followers, they suppose there is a fresh propitiation Made for sin : Therefore they call it the sacrifice of the mass, and imagine that their unscriptur.al representation of this holy ordinance, is a real propitiation, not only for the sins of the living, but for those that are dead also. Whereas St. Paul assùres us, Heb. ix. 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many. Heb. x. 14. By one offering he hathfor ever perfected them that are sanctified. T confess, this practice of theirs in the mass, looks something like a pretence of honour, to the name and death of Christ; because, they declare, the mass is but, as it were, a repetition of the very sacrifice of Christ himself: Though that is expressly contrary to the language of scripture; for " this man Jesus, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down at the right hand of God," Heb. x. 12. because his single sacrifice was all-sufficient, and needs no repetition. But, beside this, they have many other methods of atonement which men perform, and which they add to the atonement of Christ. What are all their imposed penances, their pilgrimages on bare feet, the scourgings of their own bodies, the garments of hair worn upon their flesh, and their multitudes of repeated Latin pray- ers? What are theyall but toilsome and painful labours, invented by men to make atonement for the sins 6f the soul? Reflection. " Blessed be the name of our God,- who has delivered our nation from this bondage óf iniquity, from these foolish yokes and burdens óf superstition; these profane dishonours done to the sacrifice and atone=
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