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dead language? replied, "The devil does not understand Latin." Whether this is a general opinion need not now be determined. But Reynolds Scott, a writer of great learning, says, "Our witching writers saie that divells speake onelie the language of that countrie where they are resiant, [resident,] as French, or English," &c.

But must the people be kept from worshipping God understandingly, for fear the devil will know what is going on? And is it so certain, after all, that Satan is excluded from assemblies where the Latin is used?

Some learned Papists tell us of the "numberless, barbarous, half-formed, and daily changing languages of modern Europe;" and ask, would it have been respectful, or secure, or prudent, or practicable, to have their Liturgy in these languages? The answer is, Why not? The prophets, and Christ and the apostles, used the vernacular of the people to whom they spoke in their day. No part of the Bible was originally written in the Latin. Romanists have translated both Testaments into English. If God's word may lawfully be in our language, why may not the Roman Missal also? But the whole question is settled by God himself. In the passage already cited from Paul, it is shown that a religious service, conducted either in speaking, singing, or praying, in a language not understood by the congregation, is to be avoided, and that God's servants must earnestly desire gifts whereby they may edify the people.

2. The use of relics in the church of Rome clearly proves the power and extent of superstition in that communion. Till of late, relics made but little noise in the United States. But no doubt we shall hear

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very soon and commonly of wonders performed by means of some old rag, or tooth, or bone, said once to have belonged to some one now esteemed a saint. In Rome itself, "they show the heads of St. Peter and St. Paul, encased in silver busts, set with jewels; a lock of the Virgin Mary's hair, a phial of her tears, a piece of her green petticoat, a robe of Jesus Christ sprinkled with his blood, some drops of his blood in a bottle, some of the water which flowed out of the wound in his side, some of the sponge, a large piece of the cross, all the nails used in the crucifixion, a piece of the stone of the sepulchre on which the angel sat, the identical porphyry pillar on which the cock perched when he crowed after Peter denied Christ, the rods of Moses and Aaron, and two pieces of the real ark of the covenant." Volumes might be filled with similar statements. In the Mass House at Dobborane, in Mechlenburg, Nugent says, they show the following relics: "1. Flax for spinning, which belonged to the Virgin Mary. 2. Hay, which the wise men had for their camels and left behind them at Bethlehem. 3. A piece of the garment of Lazarus. 4. A piece of linen worn by the Virgin Mary. 5. A piece of the head of Tobit's fish. 6. A part of Judas' bowels that fell out. 7. The scissors with which Delilah cut off Samson's hair. 8. A piece of the apron which the butcher wore when he killed the fatted calf for the feast of the prodigal son. 9. One of the five stones which David put in his sling when he went out to meet Goliath. 10. The branch of the tree on which Absalom hung by the hair. 11. A part of Peter's fishing net. 12. The heads of the apostles Thomas, Peter, and Paul."

3. In like manner one might refer to the super stitious use of charms, by which the Romish church leads those in her communion to expect to avoid or expel certain natural evils, asserting her authority over noxious insects by means of holy water and certain other superstitious acts and doings.

4. The Romish church makes also high, though false pretences to the power of working miracles. The Catholic Herald, of Feb. 1, 1844, intimated an expectation that some miracles might ere long be wrought at the graves of two deceased Roman bishops. in this country. How perfectly idle all these claims are, it is not necessary here to discuss. Not one of them is accompanied by such evidences as to satisfy a reasonable spirit of inquiry.

5. Nor are the tortures self-inflicted by members of the Romish church less superstitious. But enough of these disgusting themes.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT.

THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN; FOR THE LORD WILL NOT HOLD

HIM GUILTLESS THAT TAKETH HIS NAME IN VAIN.

HE verb take, found in this commandment, occurs

THE

very often in the Bible. It is also rendered take up, take away, bear, bring, bring forth, stir, lift up, fetch, set up. Here, and in many other places, it has the sense of use or employ.

The name of God is a phrase of frequent occurrence in the Bible. Few words are employed in more varied senses than the word name; and yet there is seldom difficulty in ascertaining its precise signification. The name of God stands 1, for his proper name, as Jehovah, God, the Most High, the Almighty, I am what I am, &c., Deut. iv. 35; vi. 4; Num. xxiv. 16; Rev. i. 8; 2, for his titles, as Creator, Shepherd, Saviour, Redeemer, &c., Eccles. xii. 1; Ps. xxiii. 1; Isa. xliii. 11; Ps. xix. 14; 3, for his attributes or perfections, Ex. xxxiii. 19; xxxiv. 6, 7; 1 Tim. vi. 1; 4, for his word, Ps. cxxxviii. 2; Acts ix. 15; 5, for his grace and mercy shown to sinners through Christ,

John xvii. 6, 26; 6, for his help and assistance, 1 Sam. xvii. 45; Ps. xliv. 6; 7, for his honour, Ps. lxxvi. 1, and in many places; 8, for the display of his perfections in the works of creation, Ps. viii. 1, 9; 9, for the illustration of his attributes in providence, Ps. xx. 1, 7; 10, for his worship and service, 1 Kings v. 5; Ex. xx. 24; 11, for God himself, Ps. xxxiv. 3; lxi. 5; Prov. xviii. 10. The name of the Lord therefore is either Jehovah himself, or any thing whereby he is known. Hopkins: "It is not an unusual figure to put the name for the thing or person that is expressed by it." Any thing relating to the true God, his being, his nature, his will, his works, his worship, any thing relating to the service rendered him, or to the doctrine concerning him, pertains to his name.

The phrase the LORD thy God has been explained in the preface to the ten commandments.

The word rendered in vain is a noun. It occurs nearly fifty times in the Hebrew Bible. The Lexicons define it, evil, iniquity, wickedness, falsehood, emptiness, vanity, nothingness. Twice in this commandment it is rendered in vain; twice also in Deut. v. 11, and once in Ps. cxxvii. 1, and exxxix. 20. Its most comprehensive meaning is vanity. It is often so rendered, Job vii. 3, xv. 31, xxxi. 5, xxxv. 13; Ps. xii. 2, xli. 6; Isa. v. 18, xxx. 28. It is frequently rendered vain, and several times false or lying; Ex. xxiii. 1; Deut. v. 20; Ps. xxxi. 6; Jonah ii. 8. Some render the prohibition of this commandment thus: Thou shalt not utter the name of Jehovah unto a falsehood. The original fully bears this translation. Perhaps it is better than that of the common www. As in other commandments, God may here

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