1549. THE TOMBS OF THE PROPHETS, A DISCOURSE ON THE CORRUPTIONS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. BY R. M. BEVERLEY, ESQUIRE. SECOND EDITION. Beverley: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY W. B. JOHNSON, MARKET-PLACE AND MAY BE HAD OF ALL BOOKSELLERS. 1831. PREFACE. WHEN a huge edifice is shaken by a small force, it is evident that the edifice itself must be in a very rotten condition; or, that the foundations must be giving way. Such is the present condition of the Church of England; for, though it becomes not me to say so, yet it cannot be concealed that my 'Letter to the Archbishop of York,' (dated February 19th, 1831, and written in September, 1830,) has produced a practicable breach in the walls of the Establishment. I had anticipated some success in the way of attack, but chiefly because I thought it would be firing the first gun; for it did not escape my notice, that a vast train of artillery was ready for the battle, though there was a sad want of bold engineers to undertake the siege. To my great surprise, however, my own mortar has by itself done no small damage to the main wall of the fortress; and I doubt not, when the other guns are brought to bear on the works, we shall soon enter in with drums heating and colours flying, to plant the standard of the Cross on the citadel of Babylon. A shilling pamphlet against five millions sterling, (annually received by the Clergy for not preaching the Gospel,) are great odds; but such is the deplorable state of Babylon, that with all its wealth and all its power, it cannot resist even this small opposition! Far be it from me, however, to attribute the success to my exertions: I know very well that the whole success depends on the corruption and weakness of that system which I attack; for all that is requisite in this siege, is to tell the truth: let the truth be told, without concealment, and without fear of giving offence, and against such warfare the Church of England has no sort of chance : her corruptions and her abuses are so monstrous, that they need be only shewn to be hated; the only difficulty is to find persons who have the courage to withdraw the veil from the abominations that stand in the holy place. A person who undertakes this task must make up his mind to be excluded from all fashionable society; ladies and gentlemen like to support the Church, because it is the fashion; no person is admitted at Almacks' who opposes the Church; no person can go to Court who has displeased the Bishops. War against the Church is, with ladies and gentlemen, considered very plebeian; he that has discomposed the slumbers of the Establishment is not prèsentable; he that has shattered the nerves of the Prelates is not a man of drawing-rooms and dinner parties. Next, then, to losing caste, is the difficulty of encountering evilspeaking, lying, and slandering; for the Clerical party have always large ammunitions of such filth wherewith to defend their fortress. It is their Greek fire, their most dreaded means of self-defence. This Greek fire blazes and stinks in sundry Reviews and Newspapers well known to the public; and consequently you will find, that more |