Gentlemen, before we proceed any further, I think it requisite to call your attention to two points. First, that your _Protestant_ ancestors, _really_ did to our _Catholic_ ancestors, what you now merely _fancy_, without any grounds, that the _Catholics_ of the present day, are wishful to do _to you_. Now, upon this point, I shall thus argue: Your Protestant ancestors did these things either _justly_, or _unjustly_ to our Catholic ancestors. If your Protestant ancestors did these things _justly_, why should you Protestants make such a row, at the _mere shadow_ of these things being done again? But if your Protestant ancestors, did these things _unjustly_, then you must acknowledge, that the Church of England, owes its first foundation to acts of injustice. The second point which I wish to settle, before I proceed any further, is that the spiritual members of the Church of Rome, have the most just, and the only claim, to the honourable name of Catholic. Let us now hasten to the first of these points. Gentlemen, the following facts, as _historical_ facts, are _undeniable_, and whoever has the temerity to deny them as _historical_ facts, I certainly envy not his knowledge of, nor his veracity for, historical testimony. MARK WELL, I am not going to talk about the soundness, or unsoundness of the following opinions, but I merely wish you to bear it in mind, that it is an _indisputable historical_ fact, that these opinions were really, and conscientiously believed by the Christian world in former ages. Well, then, the following are undeniable historical facts: That, in former ages, the Christian world believed that the Catholic Church, was the first Christian Church, and began with our Saviour, that St. Peter was appointed, by divine authority, to be the Head of this Church, that the Popes of Rome were the true successors of St. Peter, by divine authority, and that they were always considered, the one Shepherd, to whom all Christendom owed spiritual obedience. All Christendom, in former ages, with here and there an exception, held these opinions, and when the Christian religion, was introduced into England (which was effectually done about six hundred years after our Saviour), these opinions prevailed in England, as well as in all other Christian countries. The Pope was the Spiritual Head of the Church here, as well as in all the Christian world. He exercised His Spiritual authority, without any co-partnership with, or dependence upon the State. The Catholic Church then also claimed to hold its possessions in the most independent manner, it claimed a prescriptive right to all its possessions; in short, it claimed to hold these possessions as firmly, and as justly, as a man claims the rightful possession of his life, and his free will. Now, mark well, I am not talking, as I just now observed, about the soundness or unsoundness of these opinions, all that I am contending for at present,