The Progress of Morals, Day 1
- Number of sermons read: 9 (if there's one thing that will slow the LP down, it's transcribing)
- Date range: 1822-28 (all pre-Emancipation)
- Authors of interest: the best-known are Baptist W. Noel (still in his Anglican phase) and Hugh M'Neile.
- Running themes: idolatry; justification by faith alone; the right of private judgment; sola scriptura; Christ crucified; apostolicity (Protestants, yes; Catholics, no).
- Points of interest: Most of the sermons were from a series of controversial lectures delivered to a mixed Protestant and Catholic audience. As a result, the clergymen usually took care to indicate that they were not attacking "individual" Catholics (just the RCC); that any criticisms were made out of love; and that these lectures were intended to lead Catholics to salvation. M'Neile, who could get a bit cranky, pulled the "you're going to accuse me of being a bigot" card. Several sermons responded to an earlier disquisition by a Catholic priest.
- Other excitement: The adapter I purchased in the USA didn't fit in the UK plugs--which, as far as I can tell, rather negates the point of an adapter in the first place--thereby necessitating a quick afternoon trip to a nearby electronics shop.