ANCIENT CHRISTIANITY, AND THE DOCTRINES OF THE OXFORD TRACTS FOR THE TIMES. BY THE AUTHOR OF "SPIRITUAL DESPOTISM." Fas est etenim, ut prisca illa cœlestis philosophiæ dogmata processu Isane I FOURTH EDITION, WITH SUPPLEMENT, INDEX, AND TABLES. VOL. I. LONDON: HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. PREFACE. ALTHOUGH during the past twelve months the doctrines promulgated by the writers of the Tracts for the Times have lost nothing of their original and intrinsic weight, their relative importance has been sensibly diminished by the rapid advances of that system with which those doctrines cannot fail to be associated in the public mind.-The sudden expansion of romanism in all parts of the world where it has a footing, has had the inevitable effect of reducing the apparent magnitude of what so lately had attracted all eyes; and it now seems that the wave of Oxford divinity, mantling as high as ever, is but a billow in the mighty swell which is curling on toward our shores. These writers, who, in fact, have not received strict and discriminating justice from all hands, may loudly protest against the unfairness of being thus left to be swallowed up in the deluge which the old dragon is pouring from his jaws. They may indeed have some good reason to complain in this instance; for have they not themselves' prophesied ' against Rome? have they not, in one breath, denounced PREFACE. ALTHOUGH during the past twelve months the doctrines. promulgated by the writers of the Tracts for the Times have lost nothing of their original and intrinsic weight, their relative importance has been sensibly diminished by the rapid advances of that system with which those doctrines cannot fail to be associated in the public mind.-The sudden expansion of romanism in all parts of the world where it has a footing, has had the inevitable effect of reducing the apparent magnitude of what so lately had attracted all eyes; and it now seems that the wave of Oxford divinity, mantling as high as ever, is but a billow in the mighty swell which is curling on toward our shores. These writers, who, in fact, have not received strict and discriminating justice from all hands, may loudly protest against the unfairness of being thus left to be swallowed up in the deluge which the old dragon is pouring from his jaws. They may indeed have some good reason to complain in this instance; for have they not themselves' prophesied' against Rome? have they not, in one breath, denounced |