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"The false and erroneous doctrine of the Calvinists.

"On Holy Baptism.

"I. That Baptism is an external washing, by which a certain internal ablution from sin is merely signified.

"II. That Baptism does not work, nor confer regeneration, faith, the grace of God, and salvation, but only signifies and seals them.

"III. That not all, who are baptized in water, but the elect only, obtain by it the grace of Christ, and the gifts of faith.

"IV. That salvation doth not depend on baptisin, and therefore in cases of necessity, should not be permitted in the church; but when the ordinary minister of the church is wanting, the infant should be permitted to die without baptism.'

"V. The infants of Christians are already holy before baptism, in the womb of the mother, and even in the womb of the mother, are received into the covenant of eternal life: otherwise the Sacrament of baptism could not be conferred on them.

"The false and erroneous doctrine of the Calvinists.

“On Predestination and the Providence of God.

"I. That Christ did not die for all men, but only for the elect.

1 This article stands in the original, "Salutem non dependere a Baptismo, atque ideo, in casu necessitatis, non permittendum esse, in Ecclesiâ; sed in defectu ordinarii ministri Ecclesiæ, permittendum esse, ut infans sinè Baptismo moriatur." The case of necessity referred to in this place, seems to denote the circumstance, where a minister cannot be procured in time to baptize the child, while he lives. The Article seems to assert it to be a doctrine of the Calvinists, that baptism, being merely a rite, and not being necessary to salvation, and the minister being, by the discipline of their church, the only proper minister of baptism, it is improper, that, even in this case of necessity, it should be conferred by any other; and the child therefore should in such a case die without baptism.

"II. That Christ created the greater part of mankind for eternal damnation, and wills not that the greater part should be converted, and live.

"III. That the elected and regenerated cannot lose faith and the Holy Spirit, or be damned, though they commit great sins and crimes of every kind.

" IV. That those, who are not elect, are necessarily damned, and cannot arrive at salvation, though they be baptized a thousand times, and receive the Eucharist every day, and lead as blameless a life, as ever can be led."

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THE following Essay may be found to give account -I. Of the nature of religious profession, in respect to the vows, taken by persons entering into religion, of obedience, poverty, chastity, and stability: 11. Of the Eastern monks: III. Of the Western monks, or Benedictines; of the congregations, which have diverged from them; and of the introduction of lay-brothers into the monastic state: 1v. Some account of the Canons Regular of St. Augustin: V. Of the four Mendicant orders, the Franciscan, Dominican and Carmelite friars, and the Hermits of St. Augustin: VI. Of the Society of Jesus : VII. Of the Oratorian, Lazarist, and Sulpician communities: and VIII. Of the Military Orders of the church of Rome.

Those, who wish to see these subjects more fully treated, may consult l'Histoire des Ordres Monastiques, Religieux et Militaires, 8 vol. 4to. by Father Helyot, a Franciscan Friar.

This work, and the particular historians which we shall notice, in this Essay, will give the reader an accurate view of the Rules and Constitutions of the several Orders.

I.

EVERY Christian is bound, by his baptismal vows, to practise the precepts of the Gospel. A religious person, in the sense, in which that word is used in the ecclesiastical law of the Church of Rome is a person, engaged by a solemn vow, to practise, during his whole life, the counsels of the Gospel, in a mode, prescribed by a rule, approved by the Pope. A vow, is a promise made to God, to perform a good work, which is not a duty of obligation. A simple vow, is a vow, made secretly, and without solemnity; a solemn vow, is a vow made, with certain public ceremonies. The vow, made by a person, who professes himself of a religious order, is a solemn vow. The person received into it, pronounces, in public, the formulary of the vow prescribed by the order, and signs it with his hand; it is then registered. To the validity of THE RELIGIOUS VOW OF PROFESSION, the Council of Trent requires, that the party should have completed his sixteenth year, and should have passed through a year's noviciate.

In the early ages of the monastic state, those, who engaged in it, did not bind themselves to it by vow: when a vow was first made an essential part of monastic profession, is uncertain.

The vows of every religious order oblige the persons, who make them, to obedience, poverty, chastity and stability.

I. 1. The vow of obedience obliges them to a perfect submission to the rule of the order; and also to the will of the superior, in all things, not inconsistent with the law of God, or the word or spirit of the rule.

I. 2. The vow of poverty renders the person, who takes it, incapable of inheriting or acquiring property, except for the benefit of the order; and renders his enjoyment, even of the slightest article of property, as a book or a watch, absolutely dependent on the will of his superior. In respect to his inheriting or acquiring property for the benefit of the order, it is to be observed, that, in some countries, as in certain parts of Italy, it is

modified, in others, as in France,it is altogether prohibited, by the national law. Where it is prohibited, the religious person, in respect to property, is supposed to be civilly dead. This was the case in England before the Reformation; and it deserves attention, that the English law did not then notice or admit the proof of foreign profession, and therefore did not interfere with the property, in this country, of any person, professed abroad. The reason was, that if, in the English secular courts, it became necessary to ascertain, whether a person were a professed religious, the judges issued a writ, addressed to the bishop of the diocese, in which the party was alleged to have been professed, directing him to inquire and certify, whether the party were a professed monk, or not; and the bishop's certificate was the only regular evidence of the fact. Now, as a foreign bishop was not amenable to the jurisdiction of an English court, such a writ could not be effectually served on him.

I. 3. The vow of chastity consists in the renunciation of marriage.

I. 4. In the formulary of profession used in the Benedictine and some other orders, the party expressly vows stability, or perpetual residence, within the monastery, unless the superior dispenses with it. Where the vow does not express stability, it is always implied. But, stability is understood, in some orders, in a much looser sense, than it is in others.

II.

In the

THE Monastic State originated IN THE EAST. earliest ages of Christianity, many persons, in imitation of the Rechabites, the prophets, and St. John the Baptist, under the Judaic dispensation, embraced a life of solitude, and dedicated all their time to prayer, fasting and other exercises of a penitential life. Cassian mentions that, in the neighbourhood of Alexandria, a large number of Christians lived in separate houses, apart from the world, and wholly devoted to prayer, pious meditation, and silent labour. They were called "Monks," from

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