APPENDIX. No. I.-See page 24. THE conduct of the Church of Rome, in relation to the second commandment, stamps on her worship the awful character of wilful idolatry. The prohibition of images in that divine precept is most express: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth, thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them."-It was absolutely necessary, either that the worship of images should be given up, or that the divine law which forbids it should be concealed. For, even in the darkest ages of Popery, the thinking and reasoning faculty of mankind was not quite extinct. The priests, as Mr M'Gavin remarks, could not inscribe the words of the second commandment on the wall behind the altar, and then lay down upon the altar an image or crucifix to be worship. ped. They could not insert the same words in any of their catechisms for the instruction of the people, and then exhort them to come and pay their devotions before an image of the Virgin Mary. Accordingly, they proceeded the dreadful length of mutilating the holy law of God, in all the catechisms and formularies of the Church. They expunged the second from the number of the commandments; and, in order to make up the deficiency thus occasioned, divided the tenth into two. Thus mutilated, the ten commandments are in these words : "Q. Say the ten commandments of God. 4. 1. I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no strange gods before me. 2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. 4. Honour thy father and mother. 5. Thou shalt not kill. 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 7. Thou shalt not steal. 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods." Exod. xx. In this mutilated condition did the law of God remain in all the catechisms of the Papal Church till the period of the Reformation. On the spreading abroad of its light throughout Europe, however, the villany of the priesthood was exposed; and, in consequence of the controversy with the Pro testant Churches, they found themselves obliged to make some alteration or other on the formularies of the Church. Accordingly, first of all, they introduced into some of their catechisms the second commandment, as part of the first, changing, however, some of its expressions, in the following manner : 66 Q. Say the first commandment. "A. I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no strange Gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven thing, nor the likeness of any |