SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS. I. THE REASONS OF THE INQUIRY; or, an account of the motives which first induced Mr. Thomas Good- III. THE RIGHT OF ALL MEN TO INQUIRE; or, self-in- terest cautions men to take nothing for granted against the advantages that are offered to them in the Church of Rome, and warns them that they will be inflicting a serious wrong upon themselves VII. THE GUIDE WHO CAN BE BOTH SEEN AND HEARD ; or, the leadership of an invisible guide not adapted 96 VIII. THE PERFECT SOCIETY, WHICH IS AT HOME EVERY WHERE; or, the strength of numbers, and the IX. THE DIVINE INSTITUTION OF THE SACRAMENTS; or, the beautiful order and impartiality of the gifts of Divine grace, and the comfort and peace of mind that is to be derived from the use of the Sacra- ments, particularly from the Sacrament of Penance 136 X. PURGATORY, AND PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD; or, the wonderful comfort to be derived from the doc- trine which teaches the surviving mourners to offer prayers and alms-deeds for their departed friends 159 XI. THE PATRONAGE AND INTERCESSION OF MARY THE MOTHER OF GOD AND OF THE SAINTS IN HEAVEN; or, the supernatural strength and courage to be XII. CONCLUSION. Philip removes a few remaining dif- PREFACE. ALL men understand the Religion which Jesus Christ came into the world to bring to men to have been placed on the footing of an invitation to come to Him, to receive at His hands such rich and signal benefits as entirely befit the character of the Divine Giver. And with the direct invitation of Jesus Christ to come to Him, no men, as a rule, have any quarrel; just in the same manner as the guests in the parable, who were invited to the king's supper, in no way quarrelled with the king for inviting them, though they did not all accept the king's invitation. Why, then, may not the invitation to enter the Communion of the Roman Catholic Church be equally freely given without its being liable to be made the ground of any legitimate quarrel? Again, the Psalmist bears testimony that many say, Who showeth us any good things?" (Ps. iv. 6); whereas, speaking for himself, he says, "I expect to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living" (Ps. xxvi. 13), Now, if it be good and pious to hold this same hope in company with the Psalmist, what reasonable objection can there be against a plain and open inquiry into the good things which the Church of Rome offers to all, without partiality or preference? 46 Catholic charity, also, will not fail to see the good work that lies before it in the steady promotion of this inquiry; for " charity," as St. Paul says, never faileth," and "love is strong as death, and many waters have not extinguished charity" (Cant. viii. 6). Let each good Catholic, then, every where only take courage to say to a neighbour: "Do not suppose that the call “to this inquiry comes from any mere word of mine. "I do no more than entreat you to consider that it "is your own self-interest which dictates to you to "take nothing for granted against it, and which tells you that you will do yourself a very great wrong 66 66 66 by assuming the danger of any imposture, with"out having first diligently examined for yourself. "The Jews of Berea, you will remember, are said "to have been more noble than those of Thessalonica, "for the very reason that they refused to take for granted that St. Paul was the impostor which he was generally said to be; and they instituted a "search for themselves into the Scriptures to see if "the things were not what St. Paul had preached "to them (Acts xvii. 11). Suffer me, then, in the same manner to offer you a short and easy introduc"tion to a similar search into the Scriptures by means "of the little book, of which I here beg your accept66 ance. From its pages you may inform yourself, free "from all danger of being offended, as to what the privileges and advantages are which the Communion of "the Roman Catholic Church offers to you. And do "not wonder at my solicitude that you should read it; "for my religion teaches me to have this missionary charity for others; and I hope I show in my own case the deep value I have for these advantages.” 66 "Cast thy bread on the running waters, and after many days thou shalt find it again" (Eccles. xi. 1), says the Scripture; and what stronger encouragement for its work of love can missionary charity desire than is contained in these words? A PLAIN ENGLISHMAN'S INQUIRY INTO THE PRIVILEGES AND ADVANTAGES THAT ARE OFFERED TO ALL IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION. DIALOGUE FIRST. MR. GOODMAN'S REASONS FOR MAKING HIS INQUIRY INTO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION. Loquuntur: MR. THOMAS GOODMAN, a retired Merchant of the City of London, in affluent circumstances; and his friend MR. PHILIP FAITHFUL, a Roman Catholic, who has also retired from business in the City, in the possession of a competent fortune. SCENE: The road through East Sheen to Richmond (Surrey), on a beautiful morning at an advanced part of the Summer. Mr. Thomas Goodman. Good day, my old and excellent friend Philip Faithful. I am certainly quite in luck's way this beautiful summer morning to find you out at this hour; and from the direction you seem to be taking, I hope that, in addition to the loveliness of the day, I may have the pleasure of your company at least part of the way to Richmond, where I am going on some little business. There have been many things passing B |