The fact that Professor Emerton is to deliver the Dudleian lecture tonight insures its interest. He has long been interested in church history, and from careful study and research is well qualified to speak on "The Romish Church." The lecture gains in interest from the fact that it was not given last year owing to the strong opinion which many members of the Faculty held against continuing such a manifestly sectarian lecture. When in 1750 Judge Dudley left the sum of money which provides for the lectures he prescribed four subjects to be taken up in turn. The lecture which was to have been given last year, and which will be given tonight, was described in his will to be "for the detecting and conviction and exposing the idolatry of the Romish Church, their tyranny, usurpation, damnable baseness, fatal errors, abominable superstitions and other crying wickedness in their high places." Between 1755 and 1857 a lecture was given on this subject at Harvard twenty-five times. Ever since the establishment of these lectures, however, the college has been gradually outgrowing the narrow bounds of sectarianism, and now a subject such as the one described would never be treated voluntarily here. The entire place is thoroughly out of sympathy with the subject. The spirit which dominates the religious thought of the college is one of broad tolerance. It will be very interesting to see just how Professor Emerton handles the subject.