Vindication of "The Book of the Roman Catholic Church," Against the Reverend Townsend's "Accusations of History Against the Church of Rome:"

Admission, by the writer, that, if, while the Ca-

tholics take the oath or make the disclaimer, they

recognize a paramount authority, which may

dispense with its obligations,—they are perjured

villains

The charge is most horrible

ib.

(See the late Bishop Horsley's equal reprobation
of it, in the title leaf to the work.)

5.-Mr. Townsend's allegation, that to give validity to Ca-

tholic denial of the Pope's universal temporal dominion,

the Pope and his government must deny it

ib.

1. Such a denial is perfectly unnecessary

2. Whether necessary or unnecessary, it has been

given

LETTER X.

VIEW OF THE ROMISH SYSTEM

Remarks upon some assertions of Mr. Townsend,

ib.

LETTER XI.

ib.

RISE OF THE REFORMATION. THE MENDICANT ORDERS.

-PERSECUTION under the HOUSE OF LANCASTER 60

1. Mr. Townsend's imputations to the "Author of the

"Book, of a lamentable error of judgment, in attri-

"buting the rise of the Reformation to the general

"diffusion of the opinion of Manes

2.—Mr. Townsend's charge, that, "the Author intimates

"that the sentiments of the Reformers, in the age

"of Cranmer and Luther, and consequently the

"opinions of the Protestants of the Church of

"England at present, are the identical errors which

are imputed to Manes

ib.

3.-Mr. Townsend's charge, that "no controversialist was

more unfortunate than the Author has been, in

reviving the exploded doctrine, that the faith of

"the Protestants was the creed of Manichæus," ib.

4. His intimation, that, "the Author insinuates, in a man-

ner unworthy of him, that the political opinions

" of the Manichæans, were the real prelude to the

"doctrines of liberty and equality, now frigthfully

" agitated"

Explicit denial, that the Author ever made any

such attribution, intimation, assertion or

insinuation

2.-The Author's unqualified condemnation of all reli-

gious persecutions:-Remarks on the utility of

Convents of Nuns,-as permanent institutions

for female education -

3.-The Author's grateful acknowledgment of the re-

ception of the French Exiles in this country, 65

Mr. Townsend's approbation of Milton's assigning "a
place in the Paradise of Fools, to Friars, and all that

"trumpery"

Duly noticed

ib.

LETTER XII. & XIII.

THE REFORMATION.-HENRY VIII.-EDWARD VI.

Remarks on Mr. Townsend's Question "Whether the Pro-

"testant parochial clergy will bear comparison with the

"Monks

Mr. Townsend's assertions, that "the Reformation has

produced an Increase of Temporal Happiness in the

"Nation'

2. An Increase of Spiritual Wisdom

3. An Increase of Morality

4. That the revival of Letters is owing to it,

ib.

5. And that the Editors of the Hebrew text of the

Old Testament are Protestants

Questioned.

LETTER XIV.

QUEEN MARY.

1. Mr. Townsend's statement of the extenuation in "The

"Book of the Roman Catholic Church, of Queen

"Mary's persecutions

Very imperfect.

2. His impeachment of the Church of Rome for still

4. His charge, that, according to the account given

in "The Book of the Roman Catholic Church,"

Queen Mary's character was, by her religion,

"changed from a compassionate, liberal, pious,

"moral exemplary woman, into a savage, rancorous

"and bigotted persecutor

Mr. Townsend's assertion, that by the omission in “The

Book of the Roman Catholic Church," of any notice of

the state of Europe and England, at the accession of

Queen Elizabeth," the Author of the book, almost seems

"to have demonstrated, that he reserves his talents for

"his own profession, and his sincerity for the courtesy

"of private life"

Transcription of the statements of each from the
Author's Historical Memoirs: it refutes both
both charges

XV. 2.

Mr. Townsend's Eulogy of the Pacific Tendency of

Elizabeth's first measures respecting Religion

Controverted.

1.—Did morality and justice authorize Elizabeth to make

Episcopalian Protestantism the religion of the

2.-

state?

-Or to enact, that adherence to the ancient religion, was

a crime against the state; and that non-conformity to

the new ritual, should be heavily punishable 93

3.-Or to make the belief of the spiritual supremacy of the
Pope, legal evidence of unsound allegiance

4.-Observations on the excessive pretensions of some

Popes

5.-If it follows from a subject's being a Catholic, that his

allegiance to a Protestant king cannot be depended

upon, it must equally follow, from a subject's being

a Protestant, that his allegiance to a Catholic king

cannot be depended on

Justice requires in each case, that criminality

should be proved, before the guilt is considered

to be established

ib.

XV. 3.

Mr. Townsend's Eulogy of the Moderation of the Laws

passed in the first year of Queen Elizabeth

1.-As being generally defensible on account of the hostile

proceedings of foreign powers

ib.

He omits to mention the hostility of many of

Elizabeth's proceedings towards them.

2.-The English Catholics did not co-operate in these hostile

proceedings

ib.

3.-Mr. Townsend's assertion, that treason was discovered

among the Catholics

They were guilty of no treason, under the antient

law of the country

ib.

4.-If all treasons alleged against Catholic individuals were

true, they would not inculpate the body, or, what may

be called, a proportion of it

5-Justice required of Mr. Townsend, that, when he men-

tioned treasons of Catholics, he should have explicitly

informed his readers, whether he meant to charge them

with that, which was treason by the ancient law of the

land; or with that, which was made treason by Eliza-

beth's religious innovations -

6.-Nature of the Queen's supremacy :·

:—as it was claimed by

her, and refused by the Catholics and Puritans, it is

now disbelieved by the generality of Protestants - ib.

7.—Mr. Townsend's assertion of the comparative mildness

of the penal law passed in the first year of Queen

Elizabeth

Denied. It consigned two-thirds of her subjects,

for adhering to the ancient and actual religion

of the country, to degradation, vexation, want,

beggary and inanition

101

102

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Vindication of "The Book of the Roman Catholic Church," Against the Reverend ...