OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM, DRAWN FROM THE AUTHENTIC AND ACKNOWLEDGED STANDARDS OF THE CHURCH OF ROME: NAMELY, HER CREEDS, CATECHISMS, DECISIONS OF COUNCILS, PAPAL BULLS, ROMAN CATHOLIC IN WHICH THE PECULIAR DOCTRINES, MORALS, GOVERNMENT, AND USAGES OF THE NEW YORK 474350 ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1909 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1841, by GEORGE LANE, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New-York PREFACE. DURING the last twenty-two years the writer of these pages has employed much of his time, reading, and attention in reference to the controversy between Roman Catholics and Protestants. His early associations and circumstances in life were also favourable to an intimate acquaintance with the subject. The whole controversy was briefly gone through and committed to writing in the years 1819 and 1820. This was followed by the collection and arrangement of materials in the course of his reading. The whole, in an improved and enlarged edition, was written down again and finished in 1830, and laid aside for his own satisfaction and use. Thus far he had no intention of giving his views to the public in a printed book. Still the work of collecting authorities and additional matter was continued. At the earnest request of the late Dr. Ruter and other friends, he resolved, about seven years ago, to attempt the recomposition of the whole, for the purpose of publication. The leading reasons for such an attempt are the following: First. He believes firmly, that the system of popery, as taught in the standards of the Church of Rome, as enforced by the clergy, and as believed and practised by the great body of Romanists, clergy and laity, is at variance with the pure religion taught in the Bible, and is injurious to the public and private morals of this whole nation, and of the world; and, if unchecked, will retard or destroy true religion, and overturn the civil and religious liberties of the United States. Such he believes is its tendency, whether this is the design of its leaders or not. Secondly. Another reason which induced him to publish these volumes is, to disabuse the public mind respecting the deceitful character of popery. Romanists misrepresent their own creed, their church, and its institutions. The most forbidding features of this professedly immutable system are kept out of sight by its Jesuitical teachers, while a Protestant sense is attached to most of their doctrines and peculiarities. By this means, they designedly misrepresent themselves, and impose on the public. One object, then, of this work is, to spread before the people true popery, and to strip it of its Protestant garb, which it has for the time being assumed. Popery is truly irreformable, and it cannot change essentially without destruction. Hence it professes to be unchangeable. Pope Pius's creed affirms that the church hath held her doctrines as she now holds them. Infallibility and unchangeableness are their boast. Pope Gregory XVI. in his encyclical letter of August. 15th, 1832, says, "Ever bearing in mind that the universal church suffers from every novelty," as well as the admonition of the pope, St. Agatho, 'That from what has been regularly defined, nothing can be taken away, no innovation introduced there, no addition made; but that it must be preserved untouched as to words and meaning.'" Again, he says, concerning the Church of Rome, "It is no less absurd than injurious to her, that any thing by way of restoration, or regeneration, should be forced upon her as necessary for her soundness or increase, as if she could be thought obnoxious to decay, to obscurities, or to any other such inconveniences." And Mr. Charles Butler, Esq., in his Book of the Roman Catholic Church, p. 11, says, "It is most true, that the Roman Catholics believe the doctrines of their church to be unchangeable; and that it is a tenet of their creed, that what their faith ever has been, such it now is, and such it ever will be." And as Roman Catholics profess this immutability, Protestants cannot be charged with uncharitableness in ascribing great unfairness to them, when they vary so glaringly from the accredited standards. of their church. Thirdly. An additional reason for writing these pages is, to inform Protestants concerning the true nature, tendency, and design of popery. On account of the sound Scriptural truths in which the great body of American Protestants have been educated, they think it impossible that any men called Christian can seriously hold to the principles charged on Roman Catholics as parts of their creed and religion. They have taken advantage of this, and profess to Protestants an adherence to many of the leading truths of our Protestant religion. Hence many Protestants think Roman Catholics are misrepresented, when their real system is delineated. *St. Celest. P. Epist. xxi, to the bishops of Gaul. + St. Agatho, P. Epist., to the emperor Apud.—Labb., tom. ii, p. 235. |