It is hoped that the following brief summary of the leading doctrines held by the two Churches of England and Rome, with the authorities on which they respectively rest, may prove useful to some of the readers of these pages, whether as promoting their inquiry, or confirming their faith.
| CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
| CHURCH OF ROME.
|
| I.
Holy Scripture containeth all things that are necessary to
salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be
proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should
be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite
or necessary to salvation.—6th Article of
Religion. See Deut. iv. 2; Isa. viii. 20; Rom. xv. 4; 2
Tim. iii. 15–17; Rev. xxii. 8.
| I.
All saving truth is not contained in the Holy Scripture, but
partly in Scripture and partly in unwritten traditions, which
whosoever doth not receive with like piety and reverence as he
doth the Scriptures, is accursed. If any one doth not
receive all these books (viz. the apocryphal mixed with the
genuine and canonical books), with every part of them as they
used to be read in the Catholic Church, and as they are contained
in the ancient vulgar Latin edition, for holy and canonical, and
shall knowingly contemn the aforesaid traditions, let him be
accursed—Decrees of the Council of Trent.
|
| II.
We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own
works or deservings.—11th Article of
Religion. See Ps. cxliii. 2; Luke xvii. 10; Rom. iii.
22–24, 27, 28.
| II.
If any man shall say that the good works of a justified man
are in such sense the gifts of God, that they are not also his
worthy merits; or that he, being justified by his good works,
which are wrought by him through the grace of God and the merits
of Jesus Christ, of whom he is a living member, does not really
deserve increase of grace, eternal life, the enjoyment of that
eternal life, if he dies in a state of grace, and even an
increase of glory, let him be accursed.—Decrees of the
Council of Trent.
|
| III.
The offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption,
propitiation, and satisfaction, for all the sins of the whole
world, both original and actual; and there is none other
satisfaction for sin, but that alone.—31st
Article of Religion. Gal. iii. 13; Heb. vii. 26, 27;
ix. 12, 22, 24–28; x. 14; 1 John iii. 1, 2.
| III.
If any one say that in the mass there is not a true and proper
sacrifice offered unto God; or, that to be offered is nothing
else but for Christ to be given us to eat, let him be
accursed!—Decrees of the Council of Trent.
I further profess, that in the mass is offered to God a true,
proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and
dead.—Creed of Pope Pius IV.
|
| IV.
The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardons,
worshipping, and adoration, as well of images as of reliques, and
also invocation of saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and
grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to
the word of God.—22d Article of
Religion. Texts opposed to the doctrine of
purgatory: Eccl. ix. 5, 6; Isa. xxxviii. 18; St. Luke xxiii.
43; Heb. ix. 27; Rev. xiv. 13. Texts opposed to the
doctrines of the worship of images and the invocation of
saints: St. Matt. iv. 10; Acts iv. 12; x. 25; 1 Cor. iii. 11; 1
Tim. ii. 5, 6; 1 John ii. 1, 2.
| IV.
It is lawful to represent God and the Holy Trinity by images;
and the images and relics of Christ and the saints are to be duly
honoured, venerated, and worshipped. And in this veneration
and worship those are venerated which are represented by
them.—Decrees of the Council of Trent.
I most firmly assert that the images of Christ and of the
Mother of God, who was always a virgin, are to be had and
retained; and that due honour and worship are to be given to
them.—Creed of Pope Pius IV.
I constantly hold that there is a purgatory; and that the
souls detained there are assisted by the prayers of the
faithful.—Creed of Pope Pius IV.
|
| V.
There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the
Gospel; that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the
Lord. Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to
say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme
Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel,
being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the
apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures;
but yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or
ceremony ordained of God.—25th Article of
Religion. St. Matt. xxviii. 19; xxvi. 26; St. Mark xiv.
22; St. Luke xxii. 19, 20; 1 Cor. xi. 24.
| V.
Whosoever shall affirm that the Sacraments of the New Law were
not all instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord; or that they are
more or fewer than seven; or that any of them is not truly and
properly a sacrament, let him be accursed.—Decrees of
the Council of Trent.
I profess also that there are truly and properly seven
Sacraments of the New Law instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ,
and necessary for the salvation of all men, (though not all of
them to every one,) viz. Baptism, Confirmation, the Lord’s
Supper, Penance, Extreme Unction, Orders, and
Matrimony.—Creed of Pope Pius IV.
|
| VI.
It is a thing plainly repugnant to the word of God, and the
custom of the primitive Church, to have public prayer in the
Church, or to minister the Sacraments in a tongue not
understanded of the people.—24th Article of
Religion. 1 Cor. xiv. 3, 6, 14, 16, 19.
| VI.
Although the mass contain great instruction for the faithful
people; yet it has not appeared expedient to the Fathers, that it
should be everywhere celebrated in the vulgar
tongue.—Decrees of the Council of Trent.
|
| VII.
The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay people: for
both the parts of the Lord’s Sacrament, by Christ’s
ordinance and commandment, ought to be ministered to all
Christian men alike.—30th Article of
Religion. St. Matt. xxvi. 26–28; 1 Cor. xi.
28.
| VII.
Whosoever shall affirm that all and every one of
Christ’s faithful are bound by divine command to partake
the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist in both kinds as
necessary to salvation, let him be accursed.—Decrees of
the Council of Trent.
I confess also, that under one kind only is received the whole
and entire Christ, and the true Sacrament.—Creed of Pope
Pius IV.
|
It is confidently believed by those persons who are most familiarly acquainted with the state of the property adjacent to the new Romish Church, that within a very few years nearly the whole of it will be covered with new buildings. And it is so far removed from the churches and National schools at Fulham and Walham Green, where the population has also increased of late very considerably, that it is easy to foresee the necessity which will arise for some new provision for the spiritual instruction of such a district, growing up nearly in the centre of the parish of Fulham. In such cases, all experience teaches that it is far wiser to anticipate the measures that may be required for meeting the exigency, than to adopt them after it has occurred. And the Vicar, therefore, deems the present a suitable opportunity for making it known, that the promise has been secured of a most eligible piece of land, near the locality here described, and containing rather more than the third of an acre, which would be well calculated, either now or hereafter, for the erection of school-rooms, or a church adapted to the wants of this growing population. The owner of the land, knowing the important object for which it has been wished to obtain it, has liberally consented to accept a price considerably below that which its marketable value would command, and the Bishop of London has kindly given his sanction to the measure. To those persons whose interest in the spiritual edification of their poorer neighbours may induce them to promote it, the Vicar will be thankful to afford any information that may be wished, in reference to this object, and to receive from them any amount of pecuniary assistance that will be needed to meet the expense, which of course must be considerable.