erings as atonements for spiritual
sin, consistently object to the practice of penance, or the principle of
granting indulgences. It appears to us that there is no tenable ground
between the ultimate extension of the principle and its absolute
rejection,--between dissolving to each individual the connection between
guilt and punishment, and asserting that connection to be absolutely
indissoluble: thereby maintaining the genuine Scripture doctrine that
repentance alone can obtain remission of sins.

The lawfulness of the practice of penance and the enjoyment of
indulgences is, we perceive, defended by Catholics as being established
on the same ground as the Jewish sacrifices. They expressly state that
the _eternal_ pain due to guilt cannot be removed by indulgences, or
averted by penance, but only the temporal pain over which the death of
Christ has no power of remission. This bears a strong analogy to the
case of the Mosaic sacrifices, which were ceremonial atonements for
breaches of the ceremonial law, and were not of themselves, as is
universally allowed, intended to avert the penalties of spiritual guilt.
But this analogy yields no countenance to the Catholic practices we are
considering, unless it can be proved that two distinct species of
punishment were divinely ordained, and two distinct methods of atonement
prescribed. And even if this were proved, the case would not be
complete: for though we should suppose two kinds of punishment, and two
methods of reconciliation appointed, it is further necessary that the
offender should be liable to two distinct species of offence; a position
in which none but an ancient Jew was ever placed.

The Divine sanctions were altogether so different under the Jewish from
what they are declared to be under the Christian dispensation, that no
analogy which can be instituted between them will hold with any
completeness. A future state of retribution formed no part of the
revelation made to the Jews. To them, the ultimate punishment which they
could anticipate was national adversity, which was the infallible
consequence of moral guilt (unless averted by repentance), as ritual
penalties were the necessary atonement for breaches of the external law.
Of Christians, a higher obedience is required,--a more spiritual
devotion to the will of God; and this higher obedience is enforced by
more elevated sanctions. Christians are free from the Divine imposition
of external observances, and there