that the answer of the first immediately and naturally applies to the second, &c. Answer to the third There is no tenet in the query. Catholic church, by which Catholics are justified in not keeping faith with heretics, or those who differ from them in matters of religion. The tenet, that it is lawful to break faith with heretics, is so repugnant to common honesty and the opinions of Catholics, that there is nothing of which those who have defended the Catholic faith against Protestants have complained more heavily, than the malice and calumny of their adversaries in imputing this tenet to them, &c. &c. &c.

Given at Paris, in the general assembly of the Sorbonne, held on Thursday, the 11th day before the calends of March, 1789.

Signed in due form.

University of Louvain.

The Faculty of Divinity at Louvain having been requested to give her opinion upon the questions above stated, does it with readiness- but struck with astonishment that such questions should, at the end of this eighteenth century, be proposed to any learned body, by inhabitants of a kingdom that glories in the talents and discernment of its natives. The Faculty being assembled for the above purpose, it is agreed, with the unanimous assent of all voices, to answer the first and second queries absolutely in the negative.

The Faculty does not think it incumbent upon her, in this place, to enter upon the proofs of her opinion, or to shew how it is supported by passages in the Holy Scriptures, or the writings of antiquity. That has already been done by Bossuet, De Marca, the two Barclays, Goldastus, the Pithæuses, Argentre Widrington, and his Majesty King James the First, in his Dissertation against Bellarmine and Du Perron, and by many others, &c. &c. &c.

The Faculty then proceeds to declare, that the sovereign power of the state is in nowise (not even indirectly, as it is

termed) subject to, or dependent upon, any other power; though it be a spiritual power, or even though it be instituted for eternal salvation, &c. &c.

That no man, nor any assembly of men, however eminent in dignity and power, nor even the whole body of the Catholic church, though assembled in general council, can, upon any ground of pretence whatsoever, weaken the bond of union between the Sovereign and the people; still less can they absolve or free the subjects from their oath of allegiance.

Proceeding to the third question, the said Faculty of Divinity (in perfect wonder that such a question should be proposed to her) most positively and unequivocally answers, that there is not, and there never has been, among the Catholics, or in the doctrines of the Church of Rome, any law or principle which makes it lawful for Catholics to break their faith with heretics, or others of a different persuasion from themselves, in matters of religion, either in public or private concerns.

The Faculty declares the doctrine of the Catholics to be, that the divine and natural law, which makes it a duty to keep faith and promises, is the same; and is neither shaken nor diminished, if those, with whom the engagement is made, hold erroneous opinions in matters of religion, &c. &c.

Signed in due form on the 18th of November, 1788.

University of Valladolid.

To the first question it was answered That neither Pope, Cardinals, or even a General Council, have any civil authority, power, jurisdiction or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, in the kingdom of Great Britain; or over any other kingdom or province in which they possess no temporal dominion.

To the second it is answered-That neither Pope, nor Cardinals, nor even a General Council, can absolve the subjects of Great Britain from their oaths of allegiance, or dispense with their obligation.

To the third it is answered-That the obligation of

keeping faith is grounded on the law of nature, which binds all men equally, without respect to their religious opinions; and with regard to Catholics, it is still more cogent, as it is confirmed by the principles of their religion.

Signed in the usual form, February 17, 1789.

While the general committee were occupied in carrying these measures into effect, Parliament had passed a law for removing part of the restraints and disabilities to which the Catholics were liable. It was introduced into the House of Commons by Sir H. Langrishe, and being supported by government, it met with little opposition. But the conduct of government on this occasion was so suspicious, and its favour conferred with so bad a grace,t that it did not in the least degree contribute to appease the irritation which its former conduct in 1791 had so justly given rise to.

By this act Catholics may be called to the bar, and may be admitted as students into the King's Inns. Attornies may take Catholic apprentices, and are relieved from the necessity of educating their children Protestants; and barristers may marry Catholics. Catholic barristers, and apprentices to attornies, must, nevertheless, qualify themselves for the benefits of this act, by taking the oath of the 13th & 14th Geo. III. c. 35.

By this act, so much of 9th William III. c. S. and 2d Anne, c. 6. as prevents Protestants from intermarrying with Papists is repealed. But Protestants married to Catholics are not to vote at elections; and the law is not altered which makes

* 32d Geo. III. c. 21.

+ This measure was introduced into the House of Commons without any communication with the general committee.

it a capital felony for a priest to celebrate the marriage of a Protestant and a Catholic, though the very next act in the statute book enables a Presbyterian clergyman to celebrate the marriage of a Protestant and a Presbyterian.

By this act, also, the 7th William III. for restraining foreign education, is repealed; and Catholics are permitted to teach school without taking out a license from the ordinary. And so much likewise of 8th Anne, c. 3. is repealed, which enacts, that no Papists shall take more than two apprentices.

In the course of the debates upon this act, the Catholics were accused of professing tenets inimical to good order and government; and with harbouring pretensions to the forfeited estates of their forefathers, and with wishing to subvert the existing establishment, that they might reinstate a Popish one in its stead. The general committee were also accused of being turbulent and seditious agitators. It was asserted, that the petition which they presented this year to Parliament was the act of an obscure faction, confined merely to the capital, and disavowed by the great mass of the Catholics.

In order to repel the first of these accusations, the declaration of 1774, which has already been introduced into this work, was republished, and signed by Dr. Troy and the principal Catholic clergy and laity of the kingdom. The second charge was not so easily to be contradicted. It was one of most serious importance to the interests of the whole body, and, if suffered to pass without the fallacy of it being exposed, would have contributed to defeat all the exertions which had been made to obtain redress. Urged by these con

siderations, and also by a communication, which, about this time was made, from the first authority, that a further application for relief would have great weight with his Majesty, and with Parliament, if the committee were qualified to declare, that it was the measure of every Catholic in the kingdom,* the committee devised a plan, by which a convention of delegates should be held, elected by the whole Catholic body. A circular letter was immediately written, directing that each parish should proceed to choose one or two electors, and that these electors should then elect from one to four delegates, as it might appear most expedient to them. Their directions were obeyed, and carried into effect with so much promptitude and good order, that the convention were able to meet on the 3d of December, without the smallest degree of tumult or agitation having occurred in any part of the kingdom.

In the mean time, this circular letter had been laid hold of by the government as a proper instrument with which to rekindle the embers of religious animosities. Where the partizans of government were sufficiently strong, corporate and county meetings were held to reprobate the plan of the general committee; but if defeat, or even formidable resistance, was apprehended, similar resolutions were entered into by the grand juries, where success could easily be secured, from the influence of government in their appointment.

In order to counteract the effect of these resolutions, those Protestants who had the virtue and the good sense neither to become the tools or the

* See the plan for conducting the election of delegates, pub lished 1793. Plowden, vol. ii. App. 89.