THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 15 FIVE SERMON S PREACHED IN THE PARISH CHURCH OF BLACKBURN, ON OCCASION OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE REFORMATION, CELEBRATED OCTOBER 4TH, 1835. BY THE REV. JOHN WILLIAM WHITTAKER, D.D., VICAR OF BLACKBURN. LONDON: JOHN COCHRAN, 108, STRAND. BLACKBURN: W. H. MORRICE. MDCCCXXXVI. PREFACE. THE first of the following discourses, being of an introductory nature, was delivered on the Evening of Sunday, September 27th, 1835, with an intention that the remaining four would be preached on the 4th of October. For this purpose it had been arranged, that there should. be four services at the Parish Church of Blackburn, by separating the Litany (as a second Service) from the Morning and Communion Services, to which was assigned an unusually early hour, those of the Afternoon and Evening remaining as on ordinary occasions. But this projected order was unexpectedly deranged. The number of communicants at the Lord's table was so great, amounting to nearly five hundred, that the early Morning Service was prolonged to the unusual length of six hours. Consequently the second Morning or Litany Service was lost, the fourth Sermon was delivered at the Evening instead of the Afternoon Service, and the fifth was postponed until Sunday Evening, October 11th. This circumstance was not regretted by the author, as he wished the fourth of these discourses to be heard by as many of the people as possible. And it is believed that it was distinctly heard by a congregation of not less than five thousand persons. Having to address a very mixed auditory, it was his desire to use the plainest language, and to leave none of his hearers in doubt of his sentiments on all those important points which he was able to treat of in such a limited compass of time. He believes that, however imperfectly he may have discharged it, he has done what, under circumstances, it was his bounden duty to do in preaching and publishing these discourses. And he now puts them forth into the world, with prayerful hope that the Lord, whom he serves, will bless them as means of converting men to the truth, and building up that spiritual fabric-His Holy Catholic Church. Blackburn, Dec. 31st, 1835. |