Mark the published statement of the Priests. I am to be told that, put as I am, in some measure, at least, in charge (in accordance with the laws of this country,) over the souls of the people in my parish without exception, I am not to go into the houses of some of my parishioners; or, if I do so, I am to be treated with scurrility and insult! Let me ask you, does any man or woman here believe that there is a Protestant Clergyman or a Dissenting Minister who would have said that if any Romish Priest came into the house of one of his people he was to be treated with scurrility and insult? I can only say from the depth of my heart that I should be utterly ashamed of any Protestant Clergyman who so disgraced himself. We are told however by the Priest that if we venture to pass the door of a Roman Catholic we shall be treated with “scurrility and insult”—I repeat the words because I was careful to ask the Incumbent of St. Peter’s for the very words employed. But are we to receive this doctrine? is there any man in this country except the owner of the house or tenement—be it among the humble tenements of London ’Prentice-street, or the villas of Edgbaston—who has the power to say to me that I shall not enter that house? Is it come to this, that, in these days of freedom, in the 19th century, I am not to be at liberty to enter the house of one of my parishioners, whether he be a Roman Catholic or Protestant, (so long as the householder permits my visit) without receiving scurrility and insult at the instance of a Priest! I, for one, unhesitatingly declare, and I believe I shall be supported in the declaration by the body of my brethren, that I do not mean to abide by any such rule.
But the Priest was provoked, forsooth, by the conduct of certain Protestant Clergymen and their agents who enter the house of the poor Romanist, to pervert his faith! The charge is that we are making proselytes. If by this it be meant that we are trying to get people over from one Church to another, I demur to it. It is my object, with God’s assistance, to make them Christians, to draw them to Christ, but I wish to make them converts and not proselytes. I wish indeed to see them Church of England Christians, because I believe that my own dear Church exhibits Christ in her Articles and formularies, and is a truly Scriptural Church. But I confess that I was almost provoked to a smile when I read of the complaints of Rome that we are seeking to proselytise! Rome which is literally setting wife against husband, daughter against father, by the most insidious artifices; perverting Protestants, and even the children of Protestant Clergymen, by artifices the most subtle! Rome which is not content with contesting the ground with us in our own land but in heathen countries also, as well as in our colonies! The charge of proselytising comes with a very bad grace from the Church of Rome! Let me however say that though I do not wish to proselytize but to convert, I will not undertake to keep my Scripture Readers out of any house at the dictation of Priest or Pope. I will not undertake to leave men in error and darkness. Let us use lawful, open handed, means, let us not have recourse to subtle artifice. Let us have all as open as the day, and I have no fear for the ultimate progress of the truth. And we ask all members of the Church of Rome to confine themselves to honourable, straightforward, proceedings.
It will perhaps be said that in what I am now about to urge I am trenching on party politics. I appeal to my two years’ ministrations in this town, whether I have at any time been guilty of advancing anything in the shape of party politics. But there are some questions in which politics and religion are so intimately blended, that I hold it to be false delicacy to abstain from the bold avowal of our sentiments. I put it to you—are we prepared to pay money to the Romish Priests for burning Bibles in Ireland or in England, without a manful, constitutional, struggle? I know that if you deviate from the simple ground of principle, and begin to talk of expediency, a strong case may readily be made. On grounds of expediency, I myself should be disposed to yield, but as a sworn minister of the Church of England, I have proclaimed Rome to be IDOLATROUS; and if you are ashamed of your Church, I AM NOT; and I will not consent, either directly or indirectly, to support idolatry—I will not consent to pay money for a Priest who goes into London ’Prentice-street or into Ireland to burn the Word of God.
But bear with me awhile, while I advance my second lesson. Be thankful for the Protestant Reformed Church of England. We are not half thankful enough for the Church of England. And though some of our Dissenting enemies desire to pull her down, they little know how much they risk. They little know what a protective position the Church of England occupies between them and the tyranny of Rome. [18] Whatever the Church of England may have been in times gone by, and I do not say that the bitter weed of bigotry is entirely eradicated, yet she is now practically a tolerant Church.
But it is the fashion of the day to decry Protestantism, “Protestantism is a mere negation!” We do not mean to say that Protestantism will take a man to heaven. But we do say that it is the glory of our Church that, when the truth of God had been overlaid with error and corruption, she came out of the corruption herself, and made a bold protest against it. Let us not be ashamed of the name Protestant. We want not Protestantism as a mere toast at a jovial dinner—as the mere shibboleth of a party. Our Protestantism is a holy thing. It is a protest against the corruption of the truth of God. And, if you love Protestantism, dally not with Popery. Don’t go to Roman Catholic Chapels to hear the pretty music! Don’t let your children have tales and novels which contain poison, simply because they are nicely got up and illustrated. A man may drink poison out of a golden cup; but it is poison still. Your only safety is to have nothing to do with it. Touch not the unclean thing.
Thirdly.—Circulate the Scriptures. If you cannot do it by your own individual exertions, join those Institutions which are established for this purpose. Join the Christian Knowledge Society; join the British and Foreign Bible Society. Support our Parish Scripture Readers’ fund; and if the emissaries of Rome are going up and down in our town, let us at least be equally diligent; and ask whether we ought not to determine to have an enlarged band of Scripture Readers to counteract their efforts.
Fourthly.—Remember the solemn privilege and responsibility of possessing the Bible. It is a privilege to possess the Bible; but that privilege entails an awful responsibility. For when the Lord Jesus shall come a second time, to judge the world, he will demand an account, not merely from the Priest who burns the Bible, but the Protestant who neglects it. A neglected Bible is as bad as a burnt Bible. At the last day, it would be better for us to have been members of a Church which withheld the Word of God from its people, than, having the Word, to have neglected and despised it. All you that have the Scriptures in your houses, first given perhaps by some affectionate parent, now no more—Servants, to whom some kind and pious Mistress has given a copy of the Word of God, which you have left unread—you little Children who have received a copy of this Holy Book in the Sunday or the National School—beware lest the Word of God neglected and despised should rise up against you at the last great day. Beware, lest, being Protestants in name, ye be wanting in Bible faith, Bible hope, Bible lives.
Before I sit down, I desire to address another portion of the congregation to-night.
My Roman Catholic hearers, you have not often listened to a Protestant preacher. Perhaps you may never listen to another. And perhaps from what you have read of speeches and sermons against Romanism, you think that we are one and all fire-brands, cherishing and indulging bitter animosity against you.
I am free to acknowledge, and I say it with all honesty, that I much regret the way in which some persons talk about Romanists. I believe that a great many rash and bitter words have been employed; much that is inconsistent in the sight of God with Christian charity. I admit this, but let me also say that you must learn to distinguish between language against your system and language against yourselves. We do believe your system to be idolatrous. We do believe it to be opposed in many essential points to the Word of God. And though there be some traitors in our camp who eat our bread and want to fraternize with you, we tell you that the great body of the Protestant Churchmen of England have no sympathy with these traitors. But I earnestly invite your candid attention while I solemnly ask you one question. Does your Church circulate the Word of God? I do not say does your Church, in some particular cases, withhold her objection? but as a Church is it a Bible-circulating Church? I am dealing with fellow immortals, fellow sinners. Let me a moment put aside the distinctions of Protestant and Romanist. Let us, my Roman Catholic hearers, recollect that we are both poor worms of the earth—with immortal souls—passing into an awful eternity—an eternity into which you and I may be plunged speedily. I say unto you then, as dying men and fellow sinners, that all is not right, if your Church or your Priests stand between you and the Word of God. I say to you, though the Pope himself preach to you, “Search the Scriptures” for yourselves; assert the right of examining the Word of God. I do not say to you “Become a Protestant,” “Become this, become the other;” all I now say is “Search the Scriptures” with honest, hearty, humble, childlike prayer. Search them “daily.” They will enable you to test the rules and doctrines of the Church of Rome.