It is related in the Anglo-Saxon history, that when the Catholic missionaries came from abroad, to announce the truths of the Gospel to our pagan Anglo-Saxon ancestors, it is related that an aged and venerable, but unconverted Thane thus addressed his pagan prince on the subject. "When," said he, "O King, you and your ministers are seated at table in the depth of winter, and the cheerful fire blazes on the hearth in the middle of the hall, a sparrow perhaps, chased by the wind and snow, enters at one door of the apartment, and escapes by the other. During the moment of its passage, it enjoys the warmth; when it is once departed, it is seen no more. Such is the nature of man. During a few years his existence is visible: but what has preceded, or what will follow it, is concealed from the view of mortals. If the new religion, offer any information on subjects so mysterious and important, it must be worthy of our attention." (Ling. His. Anglo-Sax. vol. i. pp. 29-30.) Happy shall I consider myself, O Englishmen, if in the above pages, I have advanced anything, that may be thought worthy of your attention on the subject of religion. Our lives, as this pagan, but aged and venerable Thane justly observes, are beautifully pictured by the short flight of a sparrow, flying through the narrow space of a hall, with a door open at each end. But after this short passage of life, there is something most awful, and mysterious awaiting us, and the true religion of God, only can unfold to us, how we may best prepare ourselves for the revelation of those awful moments, when time shall end, and eternity begin. Surely then, the sincere search after the true religion, must be a subject worthy of your information, of your attention, and of your frequent consideration. Happy, again I repeat it, shall I consider myself, if anything that I may have said, shall tend to assist you in the above important, and essential investigation. Refer, however, the glory and honour, not to me, but to the holy Catholic Church, under whose guidance I have been instructed. O holy Church, the pillar of truth and the child of Jesus Christ, if I stray from thine unerring word, I shall soon (a weak and frail child of Adam) fall down the awful precipice of spiritual inconsistencies, contradictions, and errors. Should I have advanced anything contrary to any article of thy holy faith, I am ready publicly to recall it. Under the safe shelter of thy unerring authority, I will fix my resting-place, and there, fear neither the scoffs of the infidel, nor the flimsy reasoning of those, who have unfortunately strayed from thy secure paths. O Englishmen, if you would only seriously, and conscientiously examine the real merits of the Catholic Church, you would soon find that she is built upon the pillar of truth, and that she is the admirable work of that wise builder, Jesus Christ, who built His house upon a firm foundation. "And the rains fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, but it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock." (St. Matt. vii. 25.)
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FOOTNOTES:
[H] In the preceding pages, I have asserted, that the Protestant Church, is unjust, in taking from the poor their portion of church property, which was left them by our charitable Catholic ancestors; nay, that it is also unjust, to exact tithes from those, who do not belong to the Protestant Church of England. Now this bold assertion against the Protestant Church, certainly requires a little explanation. A law may be considered in two points of view, as a law of the land, and as a law of God. Now as the law of tithes in the Protestant Church, is sanctioned by act of parliament, of course the Protestant Church, is justified in exacting these tithes, for it has the law of the land at its back in this respect. But then, the Protestant law of tithes, considered in a moral point of view, is certainly an unjust law. And why? Because it takes from the poor, what was justly left them by our charitable ancestors, and it exacts money from the Catholics and dissenters, without doing any thing to them in return for this money. Thus you see, that the law of man and the law of God, sometimes contradict each other; and this is often the case, in your scriptural Church as by law established. But is not God always above man? Certainly; and therefore the law of God, ought always to have the preference to the law of man. But this subject of Church tithes, reminds me of the famous Dr. Hook of Leeds, who is often writing against the Roman Catholic Church, but slyly never condescends to answer any of her replies. Now, mark well, I am going to prove, even to a demonstration, from the words of Dr. Hook, that the Roman Catholic Church, is really the true Church of Christ in these realms. Well, you will say, if you can do that, Dr. Hook must be a very strange and inconsistent doctor of our Church. Really, do you know, I was just thinking the same. In the year 1832, the Somerset County Gazette informed the public, that Dr. Hook, in a sermon which he preached before the Queen, uttered the following remarkable words: "Were all connection between church and state, at this very moment to cease, the church (that is, the Protestant Church) would remain precisely as she now is; that is to say, our bishops, though deprived of temporal rank, would still exercise all those spiritual functions which, conferred by higher than human authority, no human authority can take away; still to vacant sees they would consecrate new bishops, still ordain the clergy, still confirm the baptized, still govern the church." Such are the famous words of Dr. Hook, in his sermon before the Queen. Now let us see how nicely, they prove the Roman Catholic Church, to be the true Church of Christ in these realms. Whether this prophecy of Dr. Hook respecting the Protestant Church, would be really verified, were his church to be separated from the state, I will not here enquire; but this I will say, it has been already really verified with regard to the Catholic Church in England. For although at the Reformation, the Catholic Church was deprived of all aid from the state, although she was unjustly spoiled of those temporal riches left by her charitable children, and although the exercise of her faith, subjected her followers to the most severe pains and penalties, (which must be for ever a disgrace to this country), still, Catholicity could not be extinguished in these kingdoms; for her bishops "still continued to exercise all those spiritual functions, which, conferred by higher than human authority, no human authority can take away, still, to vacant sees, they consecrated new bishops, still ordained the clergy, still confirmed the baptized, still governed the church." And hence this Catholic Church, notwithstanding all the stormy trials, which she has undergone in England, exists now, and is exactly the same in spiritual power, as she was before the time of the Reformation. If, therefore, Dr. Hook considers that this would be a mark of the true Church of Christ, were it to be verified with regard to his Protestant Church, we may justly infer, according to the Doctor's principle, that the Roman Catholic Church, is the true Church of Christ in these realms. And why? Because the doctor's principle, has been already really verified, with regard to this church in these kingdoms. Really, I begin to think that the famous Dr. Hook of Leeds, must be some relation to Martin Luther; for Martin, even after he had left the Catholic Church, proves, in the following words, that the Roman Catholic Church, was the true Church of Christ. In his book against the Anabaptists, he makes the following candid confession: "Under Papacy are many good things; yea, everything that is good in Christianity. I say, moreover," continues he, "under Papacy is true christianity even the very kernel of christianity." Here we have two doctors of the Protestant Church, leaving, even after they had strained every nerve to overturn this Catholic Church, we have, I repeat, these two Protestant doctors, leaving in their writings to posterity, one by his line of argumentation, and the other by his own words, the most incontestible proofs that the Roman Catholic Church, is really the true Church of Christ, and that her fabric, is adorned with all the rich treasures of christianity. O how true is the declaration of the wise man! (Prov. xxi. 30,) "there is no wisdom, there is no prudence, there is no counsel against the Lord."
[I] Joseph Hume, Esq., is, or nearly I believe, the oldest member of the present House of Commons, and it may be truly said, that, perhaps, no one in that House has acted with greater consistency, and more disinterested zeal, for the promotion of the welfare of his country. He has always been a staunch advocate for reform, a patriot for the rights of the poor, and a manly defender of civil, and religious liberty to all. Hence, poor Dan. O'Connell, was sensible of the distinguished political merits of this great, and consistent statesman; and hence, when an English constituency rejected this worthy member from a seat in the House, Dan. honourably obtained in Ireland a seat for this useful and consistent member. Now, I am glad to find, that the remarks which I have just made, agree with the opinion of this eminent statesman, respecting the loaves and fishes of the protestant clergy. The following, are the words which Joseph Hume, Esq. has just uttered on this subject: "but their zeal (that is, the zeal of the protestant clergy,) against the Catholics, looks to me, to originate from fear of the loaves and fishes, which they now so largely enjoy for doing little, and in many cases nothing of public duty." (Joseph Hume's, Esq., letter to W. J. Cole, Esq., Lechdale, Gloucestershire, 24th Dec., 1850.)
[J] I cannot help relating here a circumstance (I hope it is not foreign to the purpose) that happened to one of my acquaintance. He was travelling in a coach, in which were three other respectable passengers. Among other subjects, the conversation (as is often the case) turned on Catholics. One of the gentlemen, immediately commenced a philippic against the Catholics, and called them idolaters, superstitious, murderers, and many other pretty names. My acquaintance allowed the gentleman, to pour out his abuse for some time without interruption, and appeared much amused by his bold assertions, and flaming descriptions of the poor deluded papists. During the conversation, a person in liquor, rode up to the coach window, and began to annoy the passengers, by his yells and impertinent behaviour. My acquaintance immediately said to the gentleman, who was telling such pretty things about the Catholics, let us have this drunken man taken up, he has murdered two or three people. The gentleman replied, "Are you, Sir, certain that he has murdered two or three people? Can you prove it? Because it would be very unjust to take the man up, unless you could prove the crimes which you mention." "No," answered my acquaintance, "I am not certain. And let me ask you, if you are certain, that all the charges, which you have just brought against the Catholics are true? I am a Catholic, and must tell you they are false, and if you would only follow the advice, which you have just given me about this man, you would find the truth of what I say. If you would not wish me to accuse this man of a crime, which I am not certain he has committed, I beg that you, for the future, will never accuse the Catholics of charges, which you cannot prove to be true, and which, if you would only take the trouble to examine, you would find to be absolutely false." The gentleman looked much perplexed, and was so ashamed of himself, that he never spoke another word until they parted. The other two gentlemen enjoyed the joke wonderfully, and laughed most heartily.