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sects which arose in this country shortly after the Reformation. I think this Protestantism ought certainly to die, or else I could not presume to call myself a faithful member of the English Church; and I think that if the Catholic element in the English Church as opposed to this Protestantism does not triumph over it so that it shall die—then that which is opposed to both, namely the Roman element, will come in and gain the victory. The heresy of denying the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism is Protestant and not of the English Church: if that heresy as Protestant does not cease—then (I meant by the passage) the Roman element will subdue the Catholic—and the English Church as holding the mean between the two extremes will be lost.
But, as I said, the whole passage is rather a dark anticipation of what might be coming upon us—a kind of prophecy, not of wish but of fear. And yet how remarkable it is that I myself am not one of those who would fulfil my own prophecy, and here by the very fact of coming among you as your Parish Priest, am actually contradicting it:—whereas on the other side, it is these five clergy and the subscribing laity of the memorial who, if they had their way, would fulfil it this day against themselves! For observe, this is the very point. I foresee a danger—I anticipate an evil—and I come in my humble way, not to fulfil it, but to avert it. Just as if you were on a perilous pass of some rugged mountain—a narrow ledge along which you had to walk, and the snow-drifts were deep, and the mists of the valley were rising up; and all was dark and dreary, and a fathomless abyss stood before your feet, and you said in your terror, "I shall perish"—but nevertheless you would not in any wilfulness precipitate yourself into the abyss on purpose? No! You would do the best you could to avert the danger that in your fear you foresaw. You would keep your footing as long as you could. You might be induced to cry out in fear just at the moment, but your own habitual courage would induce you to go on in the path as long as you possibly could.
