My bosom franchis'd and allegiance clear."Mácbeth. VOL. I. NEW SERIES. 何 LONDON: JOHN OLLIVIER, 59, PALL MALL. M.DCCC.XLVII. PREFACE. We cannot conclude our first volume without returning our most hearty and sincere thanks to our kind friends for the support which they have vouchsafed to us for the last sixteen months. Our professed object at the commencement of our public service was "to make the doctrine, discipline, and constitution of the Catholic Churches of Great Britain familiar to the meanest capacity of her uneducated and labouring members." How far we have fulfilled our profession shall be left to the impartial judgment of our better informed readers. We also forewarned them that the art of defence might make it necessary to invade our neighbour's territories. From the encroachment of some of our adversaries during the last year, this mode of defence has become absolutely necessary. These parties are constantly assailing the Catholic Churches of the three kingdoms; yet the morbid sensibility, and the sinful liberality of churchmen think it is uncharitable, and above all, illiberal, to oppose these assailants beard to beard, and to beat them back with their own weapons. This may liberality; nevertheless it is a sin; and a sin also that carries its own punishment along with it; the enemy takes advantage of our sinful and lukewarm liberality; and for which God may disgorge us into their net, which they no longer privily but be |