3.H.1825- THE воок OF THE Roman-Catholic Church: IN A SERIES OF LETTERS ADDRESSED TO ROBT SOUTHEY, ESQ. LL.D. ON HIS BOOK OF THE CHURCH." BY CHARLES BUTLER, Esq. SECOND EDITION. Hæc à quovis alio quàm à me, scribi velim; à me, potiùs quàm à nemine. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET. MDCCC XXV. то CHARLES BLUNDELL, ESQ. OF INCE-BLUNDELL, IN THE COUNTY OF LANCASTER. DEAR SIR, I REQUEST your acceptance of my REPLY TO DR SOUTHEY's "BOOK OF THE 66 CHURCH;"-a work with which are not unacquainted. you probably It abounds with the strongest criminations of the roman-catholic religion, and of the conduct of our roman-catholic ancestors. I do not recollect that a publication more offensive, either to the understandings or the feelings of the roman-catholics, has appeared within our memory. a 2 I willingly admit, that, to produce against our creed or conduct, all that research or fair argument can supply, is legitimate controversy; but surely, to conceal our merits, or to represent them very briefly and imperfectly, and to display our defects at length, and with the highest colouring; to impute to our general body what, in justice, is only chargeable on individuals; or to estimate the writings or actions of our ancestors in the dark ages, by the notions and manners of the present age, is a crying injustice. Does not Dr. Southey too often fall into all these errors? Is he sufficiently aware, that the roman-catholics have sustained a defamation of three hundred years?That, in consequence of it, an immense mass of prejudice was raised against them? That it yet retains its place in many uninstructed minds; and that it is not wholly eradicated from all the liberal and the informed? None of these believe that London was set on fire by the (V) roman-catholics, or in the truth of Oates's revelations : But the prejudice originally created by these fictions, has not entirely lost its effect: it still influences some respectable persons, in their opinions of the roman-catholic religion, much more than they are aware of. This prejudice," the Book of the Church is admirably calculated both to keep alive and increase:-To counteract its tendency is the object of the present pages. If Dr. Milner had framed " his Strictures upon the "Book of the Church" on a more extensive plan, it would have made this or any other answer to it unnecessary. Such as my pages are,-I INSCRIBE THEM TO YOU: I hope they do not contain a word, at which the very learned, elegant and eloquent author of the work, to which they are addressed, can take just offence. My publications are numerous,-perhaps too numerous: -but I trust they do not contain one harsh |