Transcribed from the 1840 John Stacy edition by DavidPrice.
REASONS FOR JOINING
THE
NORFOLK & NORWICH
PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION
IN
A LETTER
TO A CLERICAL FRIEND.
BY THE REV. WILLIAM HULL,
MINISTER OF ST. GREGORY’S.NORWICH.
NORWICH:
PRINTED BY JOHN STACY, OLDHAYMARKET.
MDCCCXL.
p. 3ALETTER,
&c.
My dear Sir,
You have not stated the nature or the grounds of thosescruples which prevent your immediate adhesion to ourrecently-formed association;—nor will I attempt toconjecture what they may be; especially since you avow yourcordial approbation of every well-timed effort in defence of ourProtestant faith and liberties against the malignant aggressionsof Popery. I am not able to imagine any substantialobjection on the part of a truly Protestant mind.
Believing, as I firmly do believe, that our National Church isfounded on truth, and that the Protestant ascendancyinvolves the temporal and spiritual welfare of the people ofthese realms,—believing also that the agents and emissariesof Popery have, for a series of years, been actively employed inembroiling the affairs of this kingdom, with an ultimate view tothe restoration of the popish priesthood, together with theirdark superstitions and inhuman despotism,—believing thatnew and unwonted energies must be called into action, in defenceof our national religion, or that, by secret undermining and openassault, “our holy and beautiful house where our fathers p.4worshipped” will soon be levelled with the dust,“and all our pleasant things laid waste,”—Ihail the formation of the Protestant Association as a propitiousevent, and deliberately, from the religious conviction that I amin the path of duty, enrol my name as a member.
In stating thus freely my own forcible impressions, I disclaimany intention of impugning the motives of those who are not,equally with myself, convinced of the expediency or utility ofthis association. Whatever may be the ground of yourhesitation, I have entire confidence in the purity and integrityof your principles.
Nevertheless, allow me to say, with deference, that yourindecision, in this case, does not for a moment cause me to waverin my own convictions, since I cannot but suspect that yourdoubts originate in an imperfect conception of the perils towhich our religion and our country are exposed. Were thesedangers of less appalling magnitude, I also should have strongscruples against this or any similar association. They arejustifiable on no other ground than that of absolutenecessity. They bring with them many incidentalevils.—They lead into collision adverse parties, andproduce impassioned controversies; they create evils which no mancan be right in abetting, even indirectly, but with a view toward off others which are more injurious to the publicwelfare. Besides which, no man of feeling would rashlyhazard the obloquy which will be cast upon him by his opponentsin this age of low-minded invective and scurrilousdefamation. Nor is it a small evil to p. 5lose thefavourable regards of upright and conscientious persons who takean opposite view of the exigencies and the duties of thetimes. For m