A Letter to Lord Fielding. Suggested by the late proceedings at the New Church at Pantasa

A learned clergyman writes a thoughtful, polemical letter to an English nobleman, prompted by recent disputes at the New Church in Pantasa. He asks why the lord has turned away from the Anglican communion to join a dissenting body, framing the conversation as a search for truth rather than a personal attack. The tone is courteous yet firm, invoking the weight of historic theologians and councils while inviting the reader into a measured debate over faith, tradition, and ecclesiastical authority.

The letter begins by tackling the first of many contested points: the canon of Scripture. Drawing on the writings of Cardinal Bellarmine, St. Jerome, and other scholars, the author argues that the Protestant and Catholic Bibles differ fundamentally, especially concerning the Apocrypha and certain epistles. He promises to continue the examination with other topics such as the Mass, aiming to demonstrate that the divisions are more than mere “pride and points of honour.” This early‑act discourse sets the stage for a measured yet passionate defense of Anglican doctrine.