THE

SPIRIT OF POPERY:

AN EXPOSURE

OF

ITS ORIGIN, CHARACTER, AND RESULTS.

IN LETTERS

FROM

A FATHER TO HIS CHILDREN.

KHOTH

LONDON:

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY;
Instituted 1799.

SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY, 56, PATERNOSTER ROW, AND 65, ST. PAUL'S
CHURCHYARD; AND BY THE BOOKSELLERS.

1840.

WILLIAM TYLER,

PRINTER,

5, BOLT COURT, FLEET STREET.

CONTENTS.

LETTER I.

THE interest of a parent in his children's welfare-The soul of inesti-

mable worth-Wisdom of true piety-Religion is a personal thing

-The extent of its influence-Object of the great adversary of

man-Bunyan's description of Pope and Pagan-Difference be-

tween our times and his-Revival of Popery in France-Its state

in the United Kingdom-Necessity of caution and vigilance—The

claims of others

Page

LETTER II.

All things on earth exposed to corruption-Advent of Christianity—

Various means of its early corruption-Cyprian's account of the

Christian Church in the third century-The "Man of sin"-Civil

power of the Roman Pontiff-Assumption by the Pope of eccle-

siastical authority-Clarke's estimate of the predictions of Anti-

christ-Kings and people laid under tribute-The doctrine of the

infallibility of the Romish Church promulged-Arrest and mar-

tyrdom of John Huss-Exertions of Wycliffe-Martin Luther-

The sale of indulgences-Creed of Pope Pius IV.-Its insidious

and unscriptural character.

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LETTER III.

Claims of oral tradition examined-Many things which Jesus said and

did not written-Sayings of the apostles not recorded-None of

these authoritative-That the Divine will should be entrusted to

human tradition is improbable-The transmission to us of the

Divine will by tradition is impossible-Let us repair, then, to "the

Apostle of our profession"

LETTER IV.

Chillingworth-"The Bible and the Bible only, the religion of Protest-

ants"-Assertion that the Romish Church determined the canon of

Scripture denied-Charge of the corruption of the Bible by Pro-

testants refuted-History of the Vulgate-Strange predicament of

Romanists-Contrast in the position of Protestants-Authorized

version of the Scriptures-The Rheimish Testament-The Douay

Bible-The assertion is unfounded, that the Romish Church is the

only proper interpreter of Scripture-Claim of infallibility exa-

mined-Inspiration the only basis of authority-Individual respon-

sibility proportioned to privilege-Search the Scriptures-Awful

ignorance among Romanists of the revealed will of God-Use of

the Latin language in Romish services

LETTER V.

The Pope-Palace of the Pontiff-Presentation to him-His visit to a
Church-Pomp in which he appears-His splendour at the Feast of the
Annunciation-The Agnus Dei-Procession on Palm Sunday-Cere-
mony of washing feet-Its gross absurdity-The curse on all Jews,