Part 3

“St. Peter, the prince of the apostles, to whom our Lord himself gave the name of Peter, which signifies a rock, and told him at the same time that on that rock He would build His Church, and that the gates of hell should not prevail against it,—this same Peter went to Rome and became its Bishop; and from that time the Church of Rome, as being the See of St. Peter, has ever been looked upon by the faithful as the mother and mistress of all churches, and each of his successors in turn as the visible head of the Church on earth.”—P. 5.

“It is generally believed that Caractacus settled in Rome with his family; that his daughter was called Claudia, and that she married a noble Roman called Pudens, who, together with herself, afterwards became Christian; that they had a daughter who was afterwards celebrated as a saint under the name of St. Pudentiana; and that this Pudens and Claudia, whom St. Paul mentions in his Epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. iv. 21), were no other than these. It is said also that this noble British household gave shelter and hospitality to St. Peter, while he lived as Bishop in Rome; a retired room in the house being set apart as his chapel. A church was afterwards built on the site of this house, which having been since twice rebuilt, is still known by the name of St. Pudentiana; and it is this church which, from its connexion with the history of our country, has been assigned to Cardinal Wiseman as the church from which he takes his title.”—P. 7.

“Several miracles attended the death of this our first martyr (Alban). When on his way to death, he came to a river which divided the town from the hill where he was to suffer; the people thronged the bridge over it in such multitudes that he feared he should not be able to pass all that day, and longing for his crown, raised his eyes to heaven and prayed. And God straightway divided the waters as for His people of old, so that he walked through dryshod.”—P. 9.

“The next thing that we hear of the Church in Britain is, that two bishops from Gaul, Germanus and Lupus, were sent over here to preach to the people, many of whom had been perverted by false teachers; but all gladly listened to the preaching of these holy bishops, and returned to the way of truth. They were the more easily persuaded, because the preaching of these men was also accompanied by the working of miracles. After a public conference, in which the heretics had been completely put to silence by the eloquence of the bishops, an officer in the Roman army stepped forward with his little daughter who was blind, and begged that they would bestow such relief upon her as they were able. The bishops desired him to try first the powers of those false teachers who had been just now disputing against them. But these declined the trial, and united with the officer in begging her cure at the hands of Germanus and Lupus. Upon this Germanus offered up a short prayer, and invoking the Holy Trinity, pulled from his bosom a little box of relics which he always carried about him. This he applied to the girl’s eyes, and her sight was immediately restored.”—Pp. 9, 10.

Extracts from a tract, entitled, “_How Antichrist keeps Christmas_; or, _A Peep at Christmas in a Catholic country_.”

“It is true, indeed, that Christmas is a festival of such universal gladness, as to thaw for a moment even the icy heart of Protestantism; sending a ray of joyousness down into the cold depths of the population of this country, where all is so smooth and smiling on the surface, all so chill and joyless underneath. At Christmas I really believe a thrill of gladness darts through the heart of the great majority of the people. Churches and chapels are made gay with shining leaves and scarlet berries; carols are sung in the streets; the words, ‘A merry Christmas to you!’ pass from mouth to mouth; and beef and pudding, the outward form which joy is wont to put on in this cold, hungry climate, smoke on many a board to which, alas! for every other day in the year they are utter strangers. Nay, it is to be hoped that even in union workhouses there is an intermission of gruel for Christmas day.”—Pp. 4, 5.

“Abundant food is a necessity of our climate, and a condition of our physical well-being to a degree that the people of the South cannot understand. We are told of our Saxon forefathers, whom I have before mentioned, that their frames, though so tall and well-formed, were neither so patient of labour nor of hunger as might be expected from their apparent strength. Alas! for the necessity which grinds down our poor to the endurance of both to such a hurtful degree. But to return to Christmas. The difference between Catholic and Protestant Christmas is this, that both love Christmas, but Catholics love it far more distinctly and consciously for Christ’s sake. The very name of the festival is theirs, Christ’s Mass; to Protestants one part of the word has confessedly lost its meaning, and the other is a dim vision. Look at the professedly religious part of the observance of this feast, and see what it amounts to. In the churches of the English establishment, except the holly boughs, what is there to tell of the Lord’s birth? Of course the lesson from Scripture recounting that event is read; so also are certain Psalms which prophetically relate to it; and a sermon on the Nativity is (sometimes) preached. But otherwise the ordinary routine of the service goes on the same as usual. ‘Dearly beloved brethren,’ holds on the even tenour of its way, with dulness scarcely mitigated; and there is really nothing either peculiarly to draw out the devotion of those assisting at it towards their infant Lord, nor, which is more to our present purpose, any special outpouring of such devotion on the part of the Church herself.”—P. 6.

Note B. (P. 17.)

It is hoped that the following brief summary of the leading doctrines held by the two Churches of England and Rome, with the authorities on which they respectively rest, may prove useful to some of the readers of these pages, whether as promoting their inquiry, or confirming their faith.

_Doctrines maintained by the Members of the Church of England and of the Church of Rome_, _with the authorities claimed by each in their support_.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND. CHURCH OF ROME. I. I.

Holy Scripture containeth all All saving truth is not contained things that are necessary to in the Holy Scripture, but partly salvation: so that whatsoever is in Scripture and partly in not read therein, nor may be unwritten traditions, which proved thereby, is not to be whosoever doth not receive with required of any man, that it like piety and reverence as he should be believed as an article doth the Scriptures, is accursed. of the faith, or be thought If any one doth not receive all requisite or necessary to these books (_viz. the apocryphal salvation.—6_th_ _Article of mixed with the genuine and Religion_. See Deut. iv. 2; Isa. canonical books_), with every viii. 20; Rom. xv. 4; 2 Tim. iii. part of them as they used to be 15–17; Rev. xxii. 8. read in the Catholic Church, and as they are contained in the ancient vulgar Latin edition, for holy and canonical, and shall knowingly contemn the aforesaid traditions, let him be accursed—_Decrees of the Council of Trent_. II. II.

We are accounted righteous before If any man shall say that the God, only for the merit of our good works of a justified man are Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by in such sense the gifts of God, faith, and not for our own works that they are not also his worthy or deservings.—11_th_ _Article of merits; or that he, being Religion_. See Ps. cxliii. 2; justified by his good works, Luke xvii. 10; Rom. iii. 22–24, which are wrought by him through 27, 28. the grace of God and the merits of Jesus Christ, of whom he is a living member, does not really deserve increase of grace, eternal life, the enjoyment of that eternal life, if he dies in a state of grace, and even an increase of glory, let him be accursed.—_Decrees of the Council of Trent_. III. III.

The offering of Christ once made If any one say that in the mass is that perfect redemption, there is not a true and proper propitiation, and satisfaction, sacrifice offered unto God; or, for all the sins of the whole that to be offered is nothing world, both original and actual; else but for Christ to be given and there is none other us to eat, let him be satisfaction for sin, but that accursed!—_Decrees of the Council alone.—31_st_ _Article of of Trent_. Religion_. Gal. iii. 13; Heb. vii. 26, 27; ix. 12, 22, 24–28; I further profess, that in the x. 14; 1 John iii. 1, 2. mass is offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead.—_Creed of Pope Pius IV_. IV. IV.

The Romish doctrine concerning It is lawful to represent God and purgatory, pardons, worshipping, the Holy Trinity by images; and and adoration, as well of images the images and relics of Christ as of reliques, and also and the saints are to be duly invocation of saints, is a fond honoured, venerated, and thing vainly invented, and worshipped. And in this grounded upon no warranty of veneration and worship those are Scripture, but rather repugnant venerated which are represented to the word of God.—22_d_ by them.—_Decrees of the Council _Article of Religion_. _Texts of Trent_. opposed to the doctrine of purgatory_: Eccl. ix. 5, 6; Isa. I most firmly assert that the xxxviii. 18; St. Luke xxiii. 43; images of Christ and of the Heb. ix. 27; Rev. xiv. 13. Mother of God, who was always a _Texts opposed to the doctrines virgin, are to be had and of the worship of images and the retained; and that due honour and invocation of saints_: St. Matt. worship are to be given to iv. 10; Acts iv. 12; x. 25; 1 them.—_Creed of Pope Pius IV_. Cor. iii. 11; 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6; 1 John ii. 1, 2. I constantly hold that there is a purgatory; and that the souls detained there are assisted by the prayers of the faithful.—_Creed of Pope Pius IV_. V. V.

There are two Sacraments ordained Whosoever shall affirm that the of Christ our Lord in the Gospel; Sacraments of the New Law were that is to say, Baptism, and the not all instituted by Jesus Supper of the Lord. Those five Christ our Lord; or that they are commonly called Sacraments, that more or fewer than seven; or that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, any of them is not truly and Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme properly a sacrament, let him be Unction, are not to be counted accursed.—_Decrees of the Council for Sacraments of the Gospel, of Trent_. being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the I profess also that there are apostles, partly are states of truly and properly seven life allowed in the Scriptures; Sacraments of the New Law but yet have not like nature of instituted by our Lord Jesus Sacraments with Baptism and the Christ, and necessary for the Lord’s Supper, for that they have salvation of all men, (though not not any visible sign or ceremony all of them to every one,) viz. ordained of God.—25_th_ _Article Baptism, Confirmation, the Lord’s of Religion_. St. Matt. xxviii. Supper, Penance, Extreme Unction, 19; xxvi. 26; St. Mark xiv. 22; Orders, and Matrimony.—_Creed of St. Luke xxii. 19, 20; 1 Cor. xi. Pope Pius IV_. 24. VI. VI.

It is a thing plainly repugnant Although the mass contain great to the word of God, and the instruction for the faithful custom of the primitive Church, people; yet it has not appeared to have public prayer in the expedient to the Fathers, that it Church, or to minister the should be everywhere celebrated Sacraments in a tongue not in the vulgar tongue.—_Decrees of understanded of the the Council of Trent_. people.—24_th_ _Article of Religion_. 1 Cor. xiv. 3, 6, 14, 16, 19. VII. VII.

The cup of the Lord is not to be Whosoever shall affirm that all denied to the lay people: for and every one of Christ’s both the parts of the Lord’s faithful are bound by divine Sacrament, by Christ’s ordinance command to partake the most holy and commandment, ought to be sacrament of the Eucharist in ministered to all Christian men both kinds as necessary to alike.—30_th_ _Article of salvation, let him be Religion_. St. Matt. xxvi. accursed.—_Decrees of the Council 26–28; 1 Cor. xi. 28. of Trent_.

I confess also, that under one kind only is received the whole and entire Christ, and the true Sacrament.—_Creed of Pope Pius IV_.

Note C. (P. 17.)

It is confidently believed by those persons who are most familiarly acquainted with the state of the property adjacent to the new Romish Church, that within a very few years nearly the whole of it will be covered with new buildings. And it is so far removed from the churches and National schools at Fulham and Walham Green, where the population has also increased of late very considerably, that it is easy to foresee the necessity which will arise for some new provision for the spiritual instruction of such a district, growing up nearly in the centre of the parish of Fulham. In such cases, all experience teaches that it is far wiser to anticipate the measures that may be required for meeting the exigency, than to adopt them after it has occurred. And the Vicar, therefore, deems the present a suitable opportunity for making it known, that the promise has been secured of a most eligible piece of land, near the locality here described, and containing rather more than the third of an acre, which would be well calculated, either now or hereafter, for the erection of school-rooms, or a church adapted to the wants of this growing population. The owner of the land, knowing the important object for which it has been wished to obtain it, has liberally consented to accept a price considerably below that which its marketable value would command, and the Bishop of London has kindly given his sanction to the measure. To those persons whose interest in the spiritual edification of their poorer neighbours may induce them to promote it, the Vicar will be thankful to afford any information that may be wished, in reference to this object, and to receive from them any amount of pecuniary assistance that will be needed to meet the expense, which of course must be considerable.

Note D. (P. 18.)

To those members of the congregation at All Saints, who have not yet introduced into their families the practice of domestic prayer, and who may possibly feel the want of some suggestions as to the books best adapted for conducting it, the Vicar would desire to recommend one or other of the following publications, according as they may find them most eligible for their own use. The different prices named would bring the books within the means of every class of his people; and he ventures to urge the adoption of the practice equally upon all.

_s._ _d._ Bishop of London’s Manual of Family Prayer, from 1 0 1_d._ to Family Prayers, by the late H. Thornton, Esq., M.P. 3 0 Family Prayers, by the late W. Wilberforce, Esq. 1 6 The Churchman’s Book of Family Prayer, by the Rev. J. 1 6 H. Swainson, Rector of Alresford A Manual of Prayer for Family and Private Devotion, 0 1 by the Rev. C. A. Heurtley

Note E. (P. 19.)

At a time when books of the most valuable and interesting character are published at prices far below any former precedent, it seems to be little less than the duty of every master of a Christian household to furnish to his servants a collection, however limited, of such works as would be at once most useful and acceptable to them, which a few shillings annually would serve to keep up or to extend. The Vicar would wish to recommend _The Churchman’s Monthly Magazine_ as one publication, which might, in any case, be added with advantage to such a library. It has now extended to five small volumes, and is continued periodically.

* * * * *

_The following Table shows the result of the former decennial inquiries into the population of the parish of Fulham_:

NUMBER OF HOUSES. _Males_. _Females_. _Total_. _Occupied_. _Empty_. _Building_. 1801 723 15 . . . 2086 2334 4420 1811 885 14 15 2714 3189 5903 1821 987 46 13 2949 3542 6491 1831 1163 111 52 3432 3885 7317 1841 1441 52 9 4189 5230 9419

R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

FOOTNOTES.

{3} 1 Sam. xvii. 34, 35.

{4a} 1 Sam. xvii. 50.

{4b} 1 Cor. i. 28, 29.

{4c} 2 Sam. xxiv. 3, 4.

{7a} Gal. vi. 2.

{7b} Eph. iv. 25.

{7c} 1 Pet. iii. 7.

{8a} Psalm xc. 10.

{8b} Acts xvii. 28.

{8c} Col. i. 27.

{9a} James i. 21.

{9b} Matt. iii. 7.

{9c} John v. 40.

{9d} John vi. 37.

{9e} Gen. vi. 3.

{9f} Heb. iv. 9.

{10a} Psalm xxxix. 12.

{10b} Heb. xi. 16.

{10c} 1 Pet. iv. 18.

{10d} Prov. xiv. 9.

{10e} Philip, iii. 19.

{10f} Heb. vi. 6.

{11a} Acts v. 15.

{11b} Gen. iii. 19.

{12a} 2 Pet. i. 10.

{12b} 1 Cor. vii. 29–31.

{13} 2 Sam. xxiv. 14.

{14a} Isaiah xxiii. 8.

{14b} Deut. iv. 6.

{17a} See Note A.

{17b} Heb. x. 23.

{17c} See Note B.

{17d} See Note C.

{18a} See Note D.

{18b} Isa. lviii. 13.

{19a} See Note E.

{19b} Address to the Sponsors at the close of the Office of Baptism.

{20a} Rev. x. 6.

{20b} Rev. xx. 13. (See the marginal reading.)

{20c} 1 Cor. i. 21.

{20d} 1 Thess. iv. 16.

{20e} Eph. v. 15, 16.

{20f} Rev. vii. 9.

{20g} Rev. iv. 11.