BOOK OF SPORTS. 89 
nion, always stand more or less, by the 
customs of the People. [ could add much, 
too, upon the notorious and uniform disposi- 
tion of the Church of Rome, to concede almost 
every thing to the inclinations of the People, 
compounding only for an implicit confession 
of its faith, and implicit submission to its au- 
thority. But lam content with what is histo- 
rically unquestionable ; namely, that the Ro- 
mish Church has always lent itself to the 
sports and recreations of the People, almost 
whatever they might be; and that it is almost 
the Reformed religion alone, which, at any 
time, has interfered with, reprehended, or 
suppressed them. You will remember that 
the “‘ Book of Sports” was the great stum- 
bling-block between English Protestants and 
Roman Catholics, at a later date in history ; 
and, in truth, the two Churches stand upon 
such opposite foundations, affecting these 
and all other questions, that here, as in every 
thing else, they are the most unalterable an- 
tagonists. The Reformed Church stands 
upon a theory defended as true; the Romish 
Church upon a practice defended as ancient ; 
the one appeals to reason, the other to usage, 
icy 
