132 ROMK AND HKR CHURCH. 



mine tho?c pillars upon which rest the fairest and most beautiful of 

 edifices — the Established Church of England, — when talent and genius, 

 worth and understanding, condescend to become the advocates of super- 

 stition and idolatry, and strenuousl\' labour to effect equality for those 

 who were never known to rest content with it ; — when things arrive at 

 this alarming crisis, it behoves every honest man to stand forth, and 

 endeavour, to the best of his ability, to avert from his country the hor- 

 rors of monkish superstition and of papal idolatry. 



" To all who would treat such fears and apprehensions as imaginary 

 and ideal, the Editor recommends the calm perusal of the following Dis- 

 course : from it they will acquire sufficient information to guide them 

 in forming an accurate opinion of the nature and temper of papal 

 government, in temporal as well as in spiritual matters ; and enable 

 them to ascertain the objects which for centuries it has had in view, and 

 the means and wavs by which, without mercy or judgment, it has at- 

 tempted to obtain them. 



" The author, in this powerful and fearless exposure of the Romish 

 church, its delusious, its impositions, and its unparalleled cruelties, has 

 armed the Protestant advocate with weapons which no adversary can 

 foil ; while he has, at the same time, laid open the crimes, enormities, 

 and atrocities, of every description, with which the self-styled infallible 

 and impeccable church of Rome polluted itself for ages. 



" While the subject of Catholic emancipation, as it is technically 

 called, or of Catholic claims, as the Papists themselves modestly term it, 

 is daily canvassed, — while it is even now under the consideration of the 

 legislature, whether they will or will not concede to seven millions* of 

 the people the same portion of liberty and equality which they possess ; 

 while, in short, the die is about to be cast, which will either leave us 

 under the happy and mild government of a Protestant prince and Pro- 

 testant legislature, or subject this favoured country and her sister island 

 to scenes of anarchy and bloodshed, — let such as take a warm interest in 

 advancing the Catholic claims, and in placing the Catholic subject on a 

 par with the rest of the people, — let such read this Discourse coolly and 

 deliberately, laying aside all previous impressions ; and, when they have 

 done so, let them speak and argue from at least theoretical conviction. 



" Admit Catholics to a participation in the administration, and no 

 very distant era would behold our church-government transferred from 

 Lamhcth to the Vatican, and the diadem of England only as a jewel 

 in the mitre of a Roman pontiff. 



" It is now upwards of seventy years since the Sermon now again 

 brought before the public was first printed. Immediately on its publication, 

 it was translated into two or three European languages, and such was 

 the effect produced by its perusal abroad, that even foreign prelates did 

 not disdain to answer 't, with a view to preserve the character and 

 maintain the dignity of their church, and to show and prove to all 



• "I would ask Mr. B — gh — m, if he were to subtract from this seven millions 

 of people all children, women, and labourers, liow many would he have left who 

 would be bettered by emancipation, and how many would he find who knew, 

 until they were told, that they had been labouring under this grievous weight of 

 oppression and bondage ?" 



