other. This may lead us far: for, Molanus has actually conciliated the points, so essential, of Justification and the Eucharist. Nothing is wanting to him, on that side, but, that he should be avowed. Why should we not hope, to conclude, in the same manner, disputes less difficult and of less importance?" The letter, from which the passage is extracted, was written in an early stage of the controversy: what might not be hoped from such a spirit of good sense and conciliation!-The letter, from which the following passage is extracted, was written in the tenth year of the correspondence: and I feel, that every reader of these pages will lament, with me, that it is the last letter in the correspondence. " Among the divines of the Confession of Augsburgh," says Bossuet, "I always placed M. Molanus in the first rank, as a man, whose learning, candor, and moderation, made him one of the persons, the most capable I have ever known, of advancing the NOBLE PROJECT OF RE-UNION. In a letter, which I wrote to him some years ago, by the Count Balatis, I assured him that, if he could obtain the general consent of his party, to what he calls his Cogitationes Private, I promised myself, that, by joining to them the remarks which I sent to him, on the Confession of Augsburgh, and the other symbolic works of the Protestants, the work of the Re-union would be perfected, in all its most difficult and most essential parts; so that well-disposed persons might, in a short time, bring it to a conclusion.' XV. 1 Such, then, being the charges brought against the Roman Catholics by their adversaries, and such being the defence made by the Roman Catholics to them, will not every candid Protestant admit, that the unfavorable opinion, VOL. I. No. II. 2 H which some still entertain of the civil and religious principles of Roman Catholics, is owing, in a great measure, to prejudice? But we have the satisfaction to find, that the prejudice against us decreases rapidly. With the mildness and good sense which distinguishes his respectable character, the Earl of Liverpool thus expressed himself, in his speech in the debate of the House of Lords, on the Petition presented by the Irish Catholics in 1810:-" I have heard allusions made this night, to doctrines, which I do hope no man now believes the Catholics to entertain: nor is there any ground for an opinion that the question is opposed under any such pretence. The explanations which have been given on this head, so far as I know, are completely satisfactory, and the question as it now stands, is much more narrowed than it was on a former discussion."-[See his Lordship's Speech, printed and published by Keating and Booker.] How very little beyond this declaration, and a Legislative enactment in consequence of it, do the Roman Catholics solicit! CHARLES BUTLER. Lincoln's Inn, February 5, 1813. P. S. Since this Letter was written, I hear, with infinite pleasure, that, by a legislative decree of the Cortes, the SPANISH INQUISITION IS UTTERLY ABOLISHED.So perish every mode of Religious Persecution, by whom or against whomsoever raised! I. The OATH and DECLARATION prescribed by the AND WHICH IS TAKEN BY ALL ENGLISH CATHOLICS. "I A. B. do hereby declare, That I do profess the Roman Catholic Religion. "I A. B. do sincerely promise and swear, That I will be faithful, and bear true Allegiance to His Majesty King George the Third, and him will defend to the utmost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever that shall be made against his Person, Crown, or Dignity: And I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to His Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, all Treasons and Traitorous Conspiracies which may be formed against him or them: And I do faithfully promise to maintain, support, and defend, to the utmost of my power, the Succession of the Crown; which Succession, by an Act, intituled, An Act for the further Limitation of the Crown, and better securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject,' is, and stands limited to the Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, and the Heirs of her Body, being Protestants; hereby utterly renouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance unto any other person claiming or pretending a right to the Crown of these Realms. And I do swear, That I do reject and detest as an unchristian and impious position, that it is lawful to Murder or Destroy any person or persons whatsoever, for, or under pretence of, their being Heretics or Infidels; and also that unchristian and impious Principle, that faith is not to be kept with Heretics or Infidels: And I further declare, that it is not an Article of my Faith; and that I do renounce, reject, and abjure the Opinion, that Princes excommunicated by the Pope and Council, or any authority of the See of Rome, or by any authority whatsoever, may be deposed or murdered by their Subjects, or any person whatsoever: And I do promise, that I will not hold, maintain, or abet any such Opinion, or any other Opinions contrary to what is expressed in this Declaration: And I do declare, that I do not believe that the Pope of Rome, or any other foreign Prince, Prelate, State, or Potentate, hath, or ought to have, any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority, or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, within this realm: And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, that I do make this Declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this Oath, without any Evasion, Equivocation, or Mental Reservation whatever, and without any dispensation already granted by the Pope, or any authority of the See of Rome, or any person whatever, and without thinking that I am, or can be, acquitted before God or man, or absolved of this Declaration, or any part thereof, although the Pope, or any other person or authority whatsoever, shall dispense with, or annul the same, or declare that it was null or void. So help me God." II. The OATHS and DECLARATIONS prescribed by the The first is the Oath of Allegiance and Declaration, prescribed by the Irish Act of the 13th and 14th of His present Majesty ; and is taken by all Irish Roman Catholics. "I, A. B. do take Almighty God, and his only Son Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, to witness, That I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to our most gracious Sovereign Lord King George the Third, and him will defend to the utmost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever that shall be made against his Person, Crown, and Dignity; and I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to His Majesty, and his Heirs, all Treasons and traitorous Conspiracies, which may be formed against him or them; and I do faithfully promise to maintain, support, and defend, to the utmost of my power, the Succession of the Crown in His Majesty's family, against any person or persons whatsoever, hereby utterly renouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance unto the person taking upon himself the stile and title of Prince of Wales, in the lifetime of his father, and who since his death is said to have assumed the stile and title of King of Great Britain and Ireland, by the name of Charles the Third, and to any other person claiming, or pretending a right to, the Crown of these Realms: And I do swear, That I do reject and detest, as unchristian and impious to believe, that it is lawful to murder or destroy any person or persons whatsoever, for or under pretence of their being Heretics, and also that unchristian and impious principle that no faith is to be kept with Heretics: I further declare, that it is no article of my faith, and that I do renounce, reject, and abjure, the opinion that Princes excommunicated by the Pope and Council, or by any authority of the See of Rome, or by any authority whatsoever, may be deposed or murdered by their Subjects, or by any person whatsoever; and I do promise, that I will not hold, maintain, or abet, any such opinion, or any other opinion, contrary to what is expressed in this Declaration: and I do declare, that I do not believe that the Pope of Rome, or any other foreign Prince, Prelate, State, or Potentate, hath, or ought to have, any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority, or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, within this Realm: And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, and of his only Son Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, profess, testify, and declare, That I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this Oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatever, and without any dispensation already granted by the Pope, or any authority of the See of Rome, or any Person |