ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION. THE Author feels himself called on to express his gratitude to God for the favourable reception this work has met from the public. A thousand copies were disposed of in six or eight weeks, and of these the greater number was sold in this country. By those who have mourned over the distracted state of Irish society, this will be considered extraordinary success for a book which has neither politics nor bigotry to recommend it which breathes neither frigid liberality nor scorching zeal-which speaks the truth with fidelity, and yet in love. The writer feared that the conflicting parties that divide our land would regard his performance with coldness; and, indeed, many persons took it up under the influence of unfavourable impressions. But Protestants of all classes have been equally loud in their approbation. He hails this as an omen of good to Ireland. It shows that when Truth goes forth in her own unadorned loveliness, without the insignia of sectarianism, or the fire-brand of party, there are, in all denominations, many loyal hearts to welcome her. Among those who have most warmly encouraged his humble labours, the Author refers with peculiar pleasure to the Clergy of the Established Church, whose generous conduct is the more to be admired, because the work contained passages relating to the Irish Establishment which rendered his motives liable to misconstruction. These pas sages are, in the present edition, so modified as to remove, he trusts, all well-founded causes of complaint. He begs also to acknowledge his great obligations to his numerous Reviewers who so promptly and earnestly recommended his little Manual to the attention of their readers. He has further only to express his regret that several typographical errors escaped in the first edition, in consequence of his not seeing the corrected proofs before the sheets were printed off. The work is now carefully revised, the style having been, in many places, improved, several arguments strengthened, and the whole rendered more worthy of public approbation. Armagh, July, 1836. PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. Ir is now more than ten years since this work was first submitted to the public. Certain unfavourable circumstances have retarded the sale of the second edition of two thousand copies. It is now exhausted, and the long-existing demand for a cheap issue can be met. Never, perhaps, has any book had a larger circulation in proportion to the number of copies published. There is scarcely one of them that has not been lent from one person to another, till it has been completely worn out by diligent reading. This has been especially the case among the Presbyterians of Ulster, to whom the Author owes much for the unvarying kindness he has for many years experienced from both ministers and people. I have abundant reason to know that "THE GUIDE FROM THE CHURCH OF ROME TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST" has been the means of confirming the faith of many Protestants, and that it has prevented some from joining the Church of Rome; while the number of intelligent persons who have been led by the study of it to embrace the Reformed faith is such as to call forth the liveliest gratitude to Him by whom so humble an instrumentality has been thus signally blessed. Most interesting cases of this kind occasionally come to my knowledge where I least expect them. When lately visiting the Island of Arran, off the coast of Galway, I learned the delightful fact, that a respectable lady and her maid, both French, had been converted by the reading of "THE GUIDE," and become most devoted Christians. The ardent gratitude with which they were accustomed to mention the Author's name, though never expecting to meet him on earth, is an ample reward for his labour. What can be more gratifying than to witness the joy of souls whom we have aided to rescue from bondage, and to find them labouring to impart the same blessings to their relatives and friends? How much of this happiness might be enjoyed if we were more diligent and faithful! I had once a letter from a well-educated young man, a Methodist, inviting me, in the name of the Society to which he belonged, to lecture in their chapel. He said he conveyed this request with peculiar pleasure, as my book had led him to relinquish the errors of Romanism. A gentleman who is now a Rector in the Church of England assured me, some years ago, that he himself knew five or six persons who had been converted by the same means. to my knowledge accidentally. I mention these as some of the cases that have come I hope there are very many others, which only the light of eternity will make known, and that what have already occurred are only the first fruits. In addition to these blessed results, I believe a lively sympathy for the Roman Catholics of Ireland has been awakened by this single narrative among Christians of different denominations in Great Britain, and that they have thus, to some extent, been induced to aid our Home Missionary operations. After ten years' study of religious society in Ireland, during which I have seen it in all its forms, and in every part of VI PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. the kingdom, I can assure my British readers that the picture here drawn of Romanism is by no means exaggerated. Many converts have told me that, in reading my narrative, they seemed to be reading their own history; and this truthfulness has, I think, greatly contributed to its success. In this edition I have made some slight verbal amendments, but the principles and arguments I have left untouched, because I am still convinced they are found unanswerable. There was one passage, however, that gave much dissatisfaction to the clergy of the Established Church, which is now omitted, because the state of things to which it referred has happily passed, or is passing, away! But for this passage, though never designed to give offence, the present edition might have been the tenth instead of the third. I trust that, as the necessity of Christian union is now strongly felt, no party or personal considerations will be allowed to prevent the extensive circulation of a work which has been already proved, even by the Divine sanction of the Head of the Church, to be well calculated to meet the dangers of these times. It is needless to remark that such a "Guide" was never more needed, and that Protestantism in these lands requires just now the harmonious operation of all the spiritual forces we can bring into the field for defence as well as for conquest. I beg to take this opportunity of correcting an impression which has been taken up erroneously, from this narrative-namely, that the Author was formerly a priest. This is not the fact. He was never intended for the priesthood, and, before he was old enough to enter it, he embraced Protestantism. Dublin, September 1, 1845. J. G. CONTENTS. ཅཔ་ LETTER II.-Early Piety-First Communion-Confirmation-Confession-The Curate-General Confession-Anecdote-Clerical Caprice-A Divorce- Parish Priest-Inconsistencies-Converted Priest-Bigotry-Mountain Pages. LETTER III.-Discussions-Transubstantiation-The Senses-Popular Super- stitions-Education-Religious Melancholy-Influence of Confession- Suspense-Novel Reading-Infidel Writings-Church History-The Al- ternative-The Friars-A Convent-Conforming Infidels-Party Spirit, 11-20 LETTER IV.—Infidelity—Implicit Faith-Index Expurgatorius—Art of Reading -Indifference-Power of Conscience-Vague Aspirations—Adam Smith on Atonement-Infidelity Irrational-An Infidel's Confession and Hope...20-27 LETTER V.-A Devotee-Predestination-The Disappointed Candidate-An In- fidel Teacher-Traits of the Clergy-Catholic Seminaries-Character of the Priesthood-Their Education, their Avocations, their Politics, their Social Position, all tend to Confirm their Faith in Romanism...non...m27-35 LETTER VI.-A Maynooth Priest-A Liberal Rector-A Miraclemonger-A Zealous Clergyman-False Delicacy-The Bible a Dangerous Companion -Fear of Man-The Word Blessed-Church of England.n LETTER VII.-Systematic Slander-Political Prejudices-The Convert's Trials -Proselytism-Papal Policy-The Proselyte-The Convert-Apathy of Protestants-Prospects of Converts-Social Persecution ...............44-52 LETTER VIII.-Rubicon of Romanism-Religious Customs-Protestant Wor- LETTER IX. The Convert's Reasons-TRANSUBSTANTIATION-Grounds of Belief -The Ideal System-Reason and Faith--A God in Jeopardy-Contradic- tions-Power of God-Resurrection-Incredulity of Thomas-Scriptural Arguments-Literal Interpretation............ LETTER X.-TRANSUBSTANTIATION continued-Silence of Antiquity-Its Earliest Advocate Its Catholic Opponents-Gregory VII.'s Appeal to the Virgin LETTER XI. THE MASS-Who said the First Mass?-Last Supper-Unbloody Sacrifice Office of Priest-Melchizedek-No Priest but Christ-Rhemish Translators The Supreme Pontiff. LETTER XII. JUSTIFICATION-Depravity-Standard of Duty-Supererogation LETTER XIII. PENANCE-Auricular Confession-Power of the Keys-"Tell the Church"-Binding and Loosing-Public Confession-Confession to Men-Restitution and Auricular Confession LETTER XIV.-INTERCESSION OF CHRIST-Submediators-Intercession of Saints -Praying to Saints-Polytheism-What is Prayer?-The Virgin Mary -Papal Foundation-Worship of Angels-Catholic Arguments...mm87–97 LETTER XV.-PURGATORY-Masses for the Dead-Repetition of Sacrifices-A Third Place-Pardon in Eternity-Salvation by Fire-God's Building -Spirits in Prison-Prayers for the Dead-St. Hilary's Purgatory...97-108 LETTER XVI.-IMAGES-The Image of God-Lord's Supper-Helps to Devo- tion-A Praying Machine-Spiritual Worship-Religion of the Imagi- nation-Second Commandment-Worship of Images-The Cherubim- The Brazen Serpent-Changing Laws-An Exhortation...........................108-115 LETTER XVII.-THE RULE OF FAITH-The Church and the Bible-The Pre- sent Pope and the Press-Papal Claims-The Priest and the Infidel— The Pope's Logic-Infallibility LETTER XVIII.-THE ROMAN RULE OF FAITH-Catholic Bibles-Vulgate- Douay-Ward's Errata-Perversions of Scripture-Notes and Comments -The Fathers-Apocrypha-Tradition-Papal Infallibility121-129 LETTER XIX.-REGENERATION-Baptism-An Unregenerate Convert-Me- - LETTER XX. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST-The Ancient Irish-The Waldenses |