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A Letter to Lord Henley, on the Deficiencies of His Plan of Church Reform
A Letter to Lord Henley on the Deficiencies of His Plan of Church Reform Author:Robert Mackenzie Beverley Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: id " this object, the importance of which has heen somewhat over- " rated, may he most amply and effectually secured to any " profession, by establishing in i... more »t a few splendid prizes of honour " and emolument." Truly, this language, from the pen of one professing to be a serious Christian, is amazing. What! talk of the faith of the crucified Jesus being brought home to the higher classes by " splendid prizes" ; and of the Church of Christ " obtaining support and acknowledgment" from the Aristocracy " to the great benefit of Religion !" Had this arrogant heresy come from an irreligious Conservative, who considered the Church of England as a politic machine to keep mobs quiet by the force of superstition—had it come from Bishop Warburton, or Marcus Tullius Cicero, it would have excited no surprise—but from Lord Henley ! In what chapter of the New Testament do we not find this pompous nonsense confuted ? Who, that values the Gospel, is not justly indignant at hearing of its receiving " support and acknowledgment from men of family P" Who does not, in a holy scorn, hear of high-born grandees lolling in their lofty places whilst the Christian Religion is " brought home" to their Lordships, and made as Aristocratical and glittering as shall suit their Lordships' ideas of a noble Heaven ? This, verily, is turning the Angel with the last trump into a Herald King at Arms—and is only equalled by the insolence of the Brothers of a Monastery in France, set apart for the nobility, who claimed the privilege of receiving the sacrament standing, and with their heads covered, being too proud to kneel and take off their hats before God ! Louis XIV., not without much opposition, took away this privilege, to the extreme indignation of the noble fraternity. Let me, however, at once dissipate t...« less