| An apostolic institution |  |
| By James Boswell | |||
| Tuesday, 29 September 2009 | |||
| BOSWELL: " So, Sir, you are no great enemy to the Roman Catholic religion."
JOHNSON: "No more, Sir, than to the Presbyterian religion." BOSWELL: " You are joking." JOHNSON : " No, Sir, I really think so. Nay, Sir, of the two, I prefer the Popish." BOSWELL: "How, so/ Sir?" JOHNSON: " Why, Sir, the Presbyterians have no church, no apostolical ordination." BOSWELL: "And do you think that ab-solutely essential, Sir?" JOHNSON: "Why, Sir, as it was an apostolic institution, I think it is dangerous to be without it. And, Sir, the Presbyterians have no public worship : they have no form of prayer in which they know they are to join. They go to hear a man pray, and are to judge whether they will join with him." -Boswell's Life of Johnson
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