SOME ACCOUNT OF THE CONVERSION OF THE AUTHOR TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH, IN
1798.
The author's father and grandfather, prebendaries of
Lincoln.--The Cathedral service described.--The service in
Magdalen College Chapel at Oxford.--The author's mother and his
maternal ancestry.--November 5th.--School at which the author
studies.--Mrs. Ravenscroft, a Catholic neighbour.--Dr.
Geddes.--The author matriculates at Oxford.--The Tale of a Tub,
its speciousness.--The Douay Translation of the New
Testament.--Advice of a schoolmaster.--Gibbon the
Historian.--Defence of the Reformed Church.--Argument derived
from the exclusive antiquity of the Roman Catholic Church.--The
Kirk of Scotland denies that it can be in the wrong, as
strenuously as the Church of England
does.--Infallibility.--Richard Paget.--Archbishop Laud.--The
author takes the degree of Master of Arts.--In Deacon's orders:
he fills a curacy in Lincoln.--Becomes a fellow of his
college.--He resides on his fellowship.--His probationary
exercise.--His sermon at St. Mary's Church, Oxford.--Its
success.--He preaches against non-residence.--Decease of his
mother.--The author resigns his fellowship, and removes to
Lincoln.--The Bampton lecture.--Dr. Routh.--M. l'Abbe Beaumont,
an emigrant priest at Lincoln.--A disputation.--Catholic
arguments which impress the author's imagination.--Nicole and
Arnaud.--Bossuet.--Ward's errata.--Of the sacraments.--Of
purgatory.--Chillingworth.--Of abstinence.--The author
convinced, after investigation, of the genuineness of the Roman
Catholic doctrines, visits London.--He attends high mass.--His
conversation with Dr. Douglas, the R. C. metropolitan
bishop.--Rev. Mr. Hodgson appointed to be his priest and
confessor.--His conversion completed.--The author baptised.--The
author's apology to the Protestants, on account of his having
been in holy orders of the Established Church.--He receives
confirmation in the chapel of Virginia-street.--The author's
idea that the Roman Catholic worship should be by law the
established religion in Ireland.--Anecdote of Archdeacon Paley;
who declared that he considered such a concession to the Irish
nation expedient. 3