Page. Page. Protestant Persecution at Geneva.. 469 | Virgin Mary, Invocation to, defended 136 Preston School, Anniversary of Quick, Rev. Mr. Inscription in Me- Warfare, Spirit of defined by Irish Wickliff, account of his Doctrines and of Catholics at 22 189 415 221 149 414 476 7 Religious Toleration, decision in fa- Reformation, Remarks on the Tri- Further ditto 438 I THE TRUTH OF THE REFORMATION, tickled with his uncharitable decla AS DESCRIBED BY PULPIT ELOQUENCE. mations, that they requested him to LAST month noticed the dan-favour the public with his bigotted gerous tendency of the doctrines rhapsodies. Although, with the exinculcated by Wickliff to all civi- ception of another divine of the lized governments, whether catholic same church, who blew on the same or protestant, and I contrasted his day a double blast against popery, levelling principles, which the tri- this is the only harangue which I centenary celebraters of his memo- have seen committed to print, on the ry said were "enshrined in their occasion of this joyous triumph over hearts," with the jacobinical maxims superstition, idolatry, and slavery, propagated by the infidel philoso- yet there can be little doubt but all phers of France, with a view of de- the conventicles, from the Land's monstrating to the members of the end to the Orkney isles, as well as church of England, that much more many more of the regular churches, danger was to be apprehended from resounded with stentorian denunciathe increase of sectarianism, and the tions against the supposed errors of favourite notion of self-interpreta- the church of Rome, and the perils tion of the scriptures, than from the which must await the genius of proparticipation of catholics in the ci-testantism, should the catholics of this vil immunities of the British consti- kingdom ever be released from the tution. From a pulpit discourse, civil disabilities which they now which is now before me, in the form labour under; and the oration proof a pamphlet, and which was deli- nounced by the Rev. ISAAC SAUNvered on the 4th day of January DERS, A. M. rector of the united last, in consequence, I presume, of parishes of St. Andrew by the Ward"the call of "The Protestant Union robe and St. Ann Blackfriars, in the Society," to solemnize the great fes- city of London, 'may be considered tival of the Reformation from Popery as a fair criterion of the rest, as well as nearly as possible to the anuiver. as of the means used by the evansary of the death of the first broacher gelical and puritan part of the comof levelling and seditious doctrines munity of England to oppose the in England, under pretence of a civil emancipation of the people more enlightened system of religious of Ireland. An idea I know preeconomy, I find, however, thata vails with many catholics, that our beneficed member of the establish- manacles will soon be loosed; that ment has not only sounded the trump tolerant notions are spreading f fast of intolerance and falsehood against among protestants, and therefore ex• the just claims of his catholic neigh-ertion on our part is unnecessary to bours, but his auditors have been so I remove the remaining prejudices ORTHOD. JOUR. VOL. VI. G cation of their neighbours; and hence they may infer the little chance they have of succeeding to emancipate themselves, whilst such gross ideas prevail among the inhabitants of this "enlightened" and protestant country respecting their creed and conduct and my protestant readers will find, by historical facts and undeniable propositions, the gross impositions practised by the tri-centenarians, to deceive and delude them on the important question of catholic emancipation. The reverend author states in the advertisement, which is dated Blackfriars Rectory, that "this sermon was preached without the most distant idea of publishing it," but the importunities of his friends and parishioners overcame his modesty, and he was induced to submit it to public inspection. He then apologizes for the style, from its being delivered extempore and without notes, added to his desire to act honestly, in giving what he did preach rather than a fresh sermon, and concludes his introductory notice with the following sentences: which exist towards us: hence the mistaken apathy and fatal misunderstandings which dwell in our body, and stultify the efforts of those who labour to promote the end so much desired. But surely the unceasing activity of bigotry, so repeatedly exposed by me, and the visible effects which her insidious attacks have produced in allaying the progress of civil and religious toleration, ought to be sufficient to convince them that this is not a time for supineness and langour, but that a constant struggle should be made to confound the malignancy of our opponents, and impel the march of charity and truth; for how can, we expect to gain the summit of our legal wishes, when the pulpit and the press are arrayed against them, unless we make a vigorous defence of our civil and religious principles, from whatever quarter they may be assailed. Ever ready to vindicate the cause of TRUTH, I shall now lay before my readers a specimen of pulpit eloquence, not to be exceeded by the anti-papal declaimers in the days of the Scotch covenanters and English parliamentarians, for unblushing effrontery, groundless assertion, self-contradiction, and bare-licly before the world, have much faced falsehood. I allude to the "at heart the interest of the church as discourse of the above-named di- 'by law established, and the CAUSE vine, the circulation of which has OF TRUTH AS FOUNDED ON no doubt been very great, it having 66 THE REFORMATION. And, seebeen advertised in the public papers "ing that the CATHOLIC question of and placarded on the walls of the EMANCIPATION is now warmly agimetropolis, to bring it into notoriety."tated,it was thought that any thing My catholic readers, and especially "which served to draw the attention those in Ireland, will here see the "of protestants to the subject might state of bloated ignorance and cre"be useful, dulity which a great part of the protestants of England still labour under; for it should be observed, that this sermon was not preached before are blessings which can be continued a congregation of country boors, but "only while the PAPISTS are kept out before an assemblage of grave citi- "of power. The author has raised zens, in the metropolis of England "his feeble voice on the occasion; and emporium of the world, at whose "may others follow his example,and urgentrequest it was ushered into pub- "shew to the whole world that Englic notice, for the benefit and edifi-lishmen are consistent characters, "Those friends, whose partiality "has induced him to appear thus pub "Great are the civil and religious "privileges that are now enjoyed; "this every body knows, and as these 1 |