Synopsis
Protestant Catholicism, An Attempt To Investigate The True Marks Or Characteristics Of The Catholic And Apostolic Church by John Duff Schomberg. This work, published in 1852, presents a polemical defense of a distinctly Anglican Catholicism, arguing that Protestantism in the Church of England is essentially Catholic in doctrine, governance, and worship. The author defines Catholicism as the form of Christianity that adheres to the government, doctrine, and worship of the primitive and apostolic Church, and he contends that the Church of England preserves this heritage while remaining in continuity with early Church structures. The text surveys the nature of the Church’s hierarchy, emphasizing episcopal succession, the offices of apostles, prophets, and teachers, and the role of bishops as rulers within a unified Catholic model. It further addresses key Catholic doctrines—Trinity, atonement, justification by faith—alongside the two canonical sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) and their proper administration. The discussion extends to baptismal regeneration, the Eucharist, and the function of creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian) as confessional benchmarks. Throughout, Schomberg juxtaposes Anglican practice with primitive Catholicism, arguing for a Protestant yet Catholic Church identity and for the Church of England’s continuity with apostolic Christianity.
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