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“The Scum of Controversy”: Recantation Sermons in the Churches of England and Ireland, 1673–1779

Abstract:Recent studies of Anglicanism during the “long” eighteenth century have illuminated the fundamental role played by sermons, both as evangelistic and political tools. Virtually no scholarly attention, however, has been devoted to the preaching and publication of recantation sermons in post-Restoration England and Ireland. By exploring these sermons, this paper highlights the changing ways in which former Catholic and Dissenting clergymen represented their experiences of conversion. Also, by analyzing the reception of these sermons, it elucidates popular perceptions of clerical converts. Finally, by exploring discussions of “popery” in these sermons, it illuminates the paradoxical nature of anti-Catholicism during this period.