Prefatory Note to the Thirteenth Edition of Bishop Chr. Wordsworth's "Union With Rome"
A new edition of this most valuable essay will, we feel sure, be welcomed by many readers at this critical time in the history of our National Church. The writer, an High Churchman of the old school, intensely loyal to the Church of England, writes from the standpoint of sound churchmanship, intimate knowledge of ecclesiastical history and classical antiquity, and devout loyalty to the Word of God. He recognizes the supernatural element in prophecy, the guiding inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the Divine superintendence of a risen and exalted Christ over His Church in all the Christian centuries.
The Bishop proves his argument step by step by constant and searching appeals to Christian antiquity, and if those who are now endeavouring to promote corporate re-union with the Roman Church would study the whole subject in the light which Bishop Wordsworth's exact scholarship and devout piety throws upon schemes which have been tried over and over again and have invariably ended in failure, a great lesson would have been learned and a great danger averted.
Here is a Churchman speaking to Churchmen, we hope that many will listen to his voice, and pay heed to his counsels.
C. J. Casher, D.D.
Preface to the Twelfth Edition
A Postscript is added to this new Edition, in which some passing events, in the history of the Church of Rome at the present time, are examined and considered, with reference to some prophecies in the Apocalypse.
The Author offers an apology to the reader for referring so often as he has there done to other publications of his own; but, while he did not wish to repeat what is said in those other works, he was not willing to omit proofs corroborative of the statements made in the following pages, without giving some indication of the places in which those proofs may be found.
Riseholme, Lincoln
Prayer
Merciful Lord, we beseech Thee to cast Thy bright beams of light upon Thy Church, that it being enlightened by the doctrine of Thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist, Saint John, may so walk in the light of Thy Truth, that finally it may attain to the light of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.