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ASSERTIONS

OF A

ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST

EXAMINED AND EXPOSED:

OR THE

CORRESPONDENCE

BETWEEN THE

REV. JOHN VENN, M.A.,

VICAR OF SAINT PETER'S, AND RECTOR OF THE UNITED PARISH OF
SAINT OWEN, HEREFORD,

AND THE

REV. JAMES WATERWORTH,

ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, OF NEWARK :

RESPECTING CERTAIN ASSERTIONS MADE BY THE LATTER AT THE

66

HEREFORD DISCUSSION:"

WITH AN

APPENDIX, AND AN INDEX TO THE DISCUSSION AND
THE CORRESPONDENCE.

BY THE REV. JOHN VENN.

HEREFORD:

CHARLES ANTHONY, WIDEMARSH-STREET; AND EDWARD WEYMSS,

BROAD-STREET.

LONDON PUBLISHERS:

SEELEY, BURNSIDE, AND SEELEY, FLEET-STREET.

DUBLIN CURRY AND CO.

1845.

HEREFORD:

PRINTED BY CHARLES ANTHONY, TIMES OFFICE, WIDEMARSH-STREET,

AND EDWARD WEYMSS, JOURNAL OFFICE, BROAD-STREET.

PREFACE.

It is not without doing some violence to my feelings that I now lay before the public, in a more permanent form, the entire correspondence which has taken place between Mr. Waterworth and myself in the Hereford Newspapers. I especially regret the necessity of reprinting Mr. Waterworth's letters, for reasons which will be obvious to every one who reads them. But the cause of Truth positively demands it of me. A large edition of the Report of the public oral discussion which took place between us, upon subjects of vital importance, has now been circulated; and it is a duty which I owe to all who have read the Report of the Discussion, to give them an opportunity of reading the Correspondence which arose out of it. The perusal of this correspondence will enable them to estimate the comparative value of the assertions and quotations made by Mr. Waterworth and myself. They will there see, on the one hand, that such assertions and quotations of Mr. Waterworth as I selected for examination were utterly unable to stand the test and they will see, on the other hand, that Mr. Waterworth declined specifying one single instance of misstatement or misquotation on my part, though challenged again and again by me to do it.

Although the "Correspondence" is now published chiefly for the use of such as may have read the Report, yet it may prove interesting and useful to others also. The following important

questions amongst others, viz., (1) Whether the Canons ascribed to the 4th Lateran Council were actually passed by that Council or not; (2) how far the charge so frequently brought against the Church of Rome of being opposed to the free circulation of the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue, is well-founded; and (3) to what extent the Church of Rome has given her sanction to the blasphemous Psalter of Bonaventure :-have been fully, and I trust I may add, satisfactorily discussed.

That portion of the correspondence which relates to the charges brought by the Rev. R. Simpson against Mr. Waterworth, I would have omitted as being altogether of a personal nature, and uninteresting to the general reader, had I not felt that the omission was liable to be misunderstood and misrepresented. It has, however, been printed in a smaller type, so that the reader may, if he please, easily and at once pass it

over.

I have not put any notes either to my own letters or to those of Mr. Waterworth; lest I should possibly appear to be taking an unfair advantage of my opponent :-but I have added some additional matter in an Appendix.

A copious Index, not only to the "Correspondence," but to the "Report of the Discussion" also, has been kindly and carefully drawn up by a friend; which will doubtless add much to the value of both publications.

I take this opportunity of acknowledging the aid I derived, whilst writing these letters, from the following valuable Protestant works amongst others :

The Statutes of the Fourth General Council of Lateran; by the Rev.
John Evans, M.A. London: Seeley and Co. 1843.

The Laws of the Papacy; by the Rev. Robert Mc Ghee, A.B. London:
Seeley. Second Edition. 1842.

The Literary Policy of the Church of Rome; by the Rev. Joseph
Mendham, M.A. Second Edition. London: Duncan. 1830.
Letters of Observator, and the Rev. E. Egan, in 1835-6. Whitchurch,
(Salop): Newling. 1837.

Letters on the Revival of Popery; by William Blair, Esq., A.M.
London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. 1819.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, illustrated; by Robert King,
A.B. Dublin: Grant and Bolton. 1840.

Mariolatry or Facts and Evidences demonstrating the Worship of the
Blessed Virgin by the Church of Rome. Second Edition. London:
Painter, Strand. 1841.

I earnestly hope that this "Correspondence" may help, not only to make known the real character of Romanism, but also to put Protestants upon their guard against the statements of Romanists. The system of the Church of Rome exercises such a fatal influence, even over her most able and learned advocates, that their statements, though made in the boldest tone of confidence, and with all the air of truth, can never be received with safety.

To the blessing of God I now humbly commend this publication!

HEREFORD, July 12, 1845.

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