Toleration: a Discourse delivered in St. John's Church. By Evan M. Johnson [pp. 185-201]

Toleration.
may peruse.* Let it be remembered that the language
referred to, was deliberately framed by venerable, pious men,
by Episcopal dignitaries, who lived in the midst of the
Papacy; who knew it well; and who were willing to have
language of this kind publicly read from the sacred desk,
for the instruction of the people. Surely Mr. J. forgot that
when he was penning some of his severest sentences, he was
inflicting a heavy blow on his own Homilies!
5. Is it not manifest that a large part of the population of
the United States really need instruction in regard to the
true character and tendency of Romanism? Do we not see
Protestants of intelligence and wealth contributing largely,
almost every day, towards the erection of mass houses for the
Papists, not one of whom will ever give a cent in return for
bearing forward our religious enterprizes? Do we not see,
after all the information and warning that have been given
to the public on this subject, Protestant parents, and even
Protestant parents professing piety, sending their children to
Roman Catholic seminaries, thus exposing their tender and
inexperienced offspring to all the seductive and proselyting
arts, known to be familiar with that denomination? The
Papists themselves speak without scruple of their proselyting
projects by means of their seminaries. Archbishop Whitefield, of Baltimore, in a late report to an association in Vienna, formed for the express purpose of spreading Romanism
in America, says-" I cannot omit mentioning, that in this
school, as in all the Catholic institutions for education, A
LAR'GE PORTION OF THE CHILDREN ARE PROTESTANTS; a
* "For she (the Church of Rome) being indeed not only an harlot (as the
Scripture calleth her) but also a foul, filthy, old withered harlot; (for she is indeed of ancient years) and understanding her lack of natural and true beauty,
and great loathsomeness which of herself she hath, doth, after the custom of
such harlots, paint herself, and deck and tire herself with gold, pearl stones,
and all kind of precious jewels, that she, shining with the outward beauty
and glory of them, may please the foolish fantasy of fond lovers, and so entice
them to spiritual fornication with her; who, if they saw her, (I will not say
naked) but in simple apparel, would abhor her as the foulest and filthiest harlot
that ever was seen, according as appeareth by the description of the garnishing
of the great strumpet of all strumpets, the mother of whoredom, set forth by St.
John in his Revelation." And again; "It is most evident by their deeds that
they make of them no other books nor scriptures than such as teach most
filthy and horrible idolatry, as the users of such books daily prove by continual
practising of the same. O books and scriptures, in the which the devilish
schoolmaster, Satan, hath penned the lewd lessons of wicked idolatry, for his
dastardly disciples and scholars, to behold, read, and learn, to God's most high
dishonour, and their most horrible damnation." Homilies, p. 216. 8vo. Oxford
edition, 1802. Large portions of the same Homily are in a similar style.
ls36.]
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