To J. J. Laing

Friday, January 26th [1853?].

My Dear Sir,—I have been a good deal embarrassed by your letter, and wanted time to think over it.

It appears to me that the Romanist question depends on the state of your belief respecting Rome.

If you think that a Romanist Church is a temple of Baal—if you think it an idolatrous temple in the same sense that a temple of Jupiter or Diana was—I should say, Give no help to such work. If, on the contrary, you think it a Christian Church—in which, though certain erroneous and some blasphemous rites are occasionally performed, yet God and Christ are in the main worshipped—I would make no objection to work at it, being paid for my work.

I can only tell you, therefore, what I should do myself in your case. I would rather, if it might be, choose a Protestant service: but, if the opportunity seemed in any wise specially opened to me, I would take the place, trusting both that I might learn what would be very useful to me respecting ancient art, and Romanist traditions of art; and that also I might be of use among Roman Catholic workmen or other persons with whom, in my labour, I might happen to be connected.