in a postscript, he earnestly requests, I put forth by this unhappy maniac,

couldnot be credited by even credulity herself. What then was my surprize to find the newspapers reporting, that Mr. Leslie Foster, in opposing our claims in the commous, alluded to this spurious document as the official declaration of the present pontiff, from which he is stated to have read a large extract, com

and at considerable length. We are further told, that this had great weight in deciding the fate of our question in that house. No doubt of it; and such was the intention of the conspirators. Foaming with rage at the firm and unbending principles of catholicity, and alarmed at the steady though slow march of the public mind in its favour, the biblical zealots know no bounds to their malevolence.Hence forgery, treachery, falsehood, and every species of dishonourable warfare is resorted to, in their endeavours to arrest the progress of our cause, which may retard it for a while, but cannot prevent the flowing of its course; for, in the end, these measures will recoil with double force upon themselves, and as the rays of reason dispel the gloom of prejudice, it will be seen that those who make so loud a clamour against the intolerance of popery, are the most intolerant of mankind.

that if any private individual is in possession of a copy, and with holds it from the British public without substantial reasons, he will convey a fair transcript of it to the publisher.-Five days after the publication of this request, he received, he says, a packet from his publisher, which came by the post, containing the papal bull, and not long after-menting upon it with much severity, terwards, four more copies were consulted, which agreed substantially together; and it cannot be disbelieved, he adds that all of them came from the same original at Rome. How and when he obtained the last four copies, deponent saith not, nor doth he advance any reasons why foul play should not be suspected. But, mark, the unblushing audacity of this bigot.-After his corrected copy had been printed in Latin and English, he saw LuTHER's translation of it in the Times of the 10th of April, which being in his opinion a bungling perform ance, Mr. Scrutator therefore sent his own printed copy in both languages for insertion in several of the newspapers and journals. Still, however, he says, incorrect copies continue to be widely circulated and quoted. And how was his corrected copy obtained? Why, by his own confession, not from any official authority, in England, Poland, or Rome, but from several unauthorized MSS. pretended to have been sent to an anonymous writer, by whom a correct copy was collated from these materials, printed, and dispatched to the different news of ces as genuine in the short space of THREE DAYS! Had Mr. Scrutator kept his own counsel, it would have been better for him. A slight perusal of his account convinced me that the instrument was pounded in the mortar of a pharmacopola-polemic, in the last stage of jesuitphobia, and I did imagine that the barefaced and gross absurdities and contradictions

But why, exclaim our independent advocates, why did not those members of your body, who are most interested in the success of the cause, exert themselves to detect this foul imposition on the public? Why did not they employ the same means to circulate the antidote by which the poison was spread? Why did they leave the venom to dilate, and paralyze our efforts in their behalf? Alas! reader, our self-elected leaders, instead of repelling the poisoned dart aimed at our cause, were engaged in fostering delusion, and lulling themselves into a false

1813, to go into a committee."Grateful (says the writer) for these measures of enlightened po

Proceedings of liberal Catholics to aid the system of Delusion. 169 security. Instead of embracing the | the house, on the 25th of February, opportunity afforded them by the postponement of Mr. Grattan's motion to the 9th of this month, to expose the base and intolerant prac-licy, the Roman catholics of Engtices of fanaticism and corruption, land again approach the legislature. and thus ensuring a triumphant re- Several circumstances make them sult, they were occupied in servilely trust, that the result of it will be cringing to their calumniators, and favourable to their cause. They recraving a boon from the hand that quest you to consider what the state was employed to rivet their fetters. of the public mind in their regard On the 5th of May, an article ap- was in 1778, when their cause peared in the Morning Chronicle, was first agitated in parliament, and addressed To ALL the protestants what it is at present; what little rein Great Britain and Ireland," semblance there is between the strong couched in the most humble and sup- prejudices against them which many pliant language. The writer, who then avowed, and the general exis evidently a partisan of the English | pression of good will with which the board, commences his appeal in the catholic petitions have lately been following words:" Brethren and received. Do not the protracted fellow-subjects!-In a few days, and often renewed debates, their the petitions, repeatedly presented friendly tone, the coalition of poby his majesty's Roman catholic sub-litical adversaries in support of their jects, for the repeal of the penal laws, which still remain in force against them, will, once more, solicit the attention of the house of commons; and will, they trust, have your uni- | versal wish for their success. Leaving to his most honourable and most honoured brethren in faith, the Irish Roman catholics, and to their abler pens, the advocation of their own cause, an English Roman catholic, who once before addressed you, and was kindly heard, again entreats your BENIGN consideration of the case of his more aggrieved brethren, the ROMANCATHOLICS OF ENGLAND." The writer then proceeds to detail the exclusions the catholics laboured under at the time of his majesty's accession to the throne, and the various acts by which they have been partially relieved during the present reign, enumerates the grievances they still endure, their various applications to parliament. the resolution of the house of commons on the 22d day of June, 1812, to take the same into consideration the next session, and the subsequent resolve of ORTHOD. JOUR. Vol. V.

cause, their exertions to produce a final and conciliatory adjustment, the respectable divisions, and, above all, your universal good will towards us, incontrovertibly indicate that we are not now thought that odious and noxious body of men, which the law seems once to have thought us; and that you now consider us a respectable portion of Englishmen, worshipping the same God, acknowledging the same king, attached to the constitution by the same affection, and bound to their country and their countrymen by the same moral, the same civil, and the same social ties as yourselves. What, then, is the mighty difference between us? We believe all, you believe parts only of the religious creed of our common ancestors.Does this call for our political degradation?" The writer then appeals to his neighbours and friends as to the moral rectitude of the Eng lish catholics, and to the enlightened statesmen of both houses of parliament as to the oppressiveness and injustice of the penal code, and con

170 Resolutions of Protestant Dissenters against the Catholic Claims.

cludes with the following words:"We have solemnly protested, and again solemnly protest, against all intemperate language, allrancourous and illiberal invective, all harsh and insulting expressions. We bear no animosity to individuals of any communion, sect, or party. We embrace all our countrymen and fellow-subjects, as friends and brethren; and most sincerely do we wish to see all 'united in the participation of every right and every blessing which we solicit for ourselves."

Shades of the Howards, the Talbots, and Throgmortons! ye, whose incorruptible patriotism and daring courage reflected splendour on your faith and glory on your country! can ye look down without indignation and disdain on the inglorious public deeds of your descendants? What! when our religion and our character as citizens of a free, or should be free, state, are daily assailed and traduced, are we reduced to that prostrate situation as to beg the BENIGN CONSIDERATION of our persecutors and libellers ?God of Heaven! how do I pity the feelings of those who can sanction such precatory, slavish sentiments as I have quoted. These men may again and again protest against intemperate language, rancorous and illiberal invective, harsh and insulting expressions, but they will not gain a single deserter from the ranks of bigotry by their protestations. No; if they wish to accelerate the march of toleration and equal rights, it must be through the means of the press, by an active and consistent literary warfare. They "bear no animosity to any individual of any communion." Oh! truly charitable souls! But does the writer mean to insinuate by this, that the Parsons, the Sergeants, the Knotts, and other able controvertists of former days, or the Challoners, the Milners, the

Plowdens, the Gandolphys of our own times, exercised their pens under the influence of this diabolical passion? Is it not well known that these writers did not direct their animadversions against the persons of their opponents, but against the fallacy of the principles advanced; and that their labours were not devoted to libel or malign individuals of any communion, but to vindicate and support the cause of CHARITY and TRUTH. And well would it have been for this writer, had he been guided by the same laudable motives; he would not then have had the mortifying disgrace of being convicted of FALSEHOOD by the noble advocate of the Irish catholics in the upper house of the senate, as well as by the voice of those whose favour he so plaintively supplicates. The writer wishes his protestant brethren to consider the state of the public mind in regard to the catholic claims in 1778, and at the preseat moment, and compare the little resemblance it bears to the strong prejudice THEN entertained, and the universal good will now felt for us. Well, reader, his protestant brethren attended to his supplication on the succeeding day, and how did they answer it? The following proceedings, copied from The Public Ledger of the 7th instant, will explain:

"ROMAN CATHOLIC CLAIMS. "Ar a general meeting of the Committee of Protestants, of various denominations, of the cities of London and Westminster, and their environs, held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, the 6th day of May, 1817, "STEPHEN CATTLEY in the chair; "RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY,

"1st. That since the last discussion in parliament of the claims of the Roman catholics, to be admitted to legisla tive and high political power in the gored to shew the safety or expediency of vernment, no circumstance has occurgranting these claims; but, on the contrary, the known dissatisfaction which the Roman catholics have expressed at

Resolutions of Protestant Dissenters against the Catholic Claims. 171

the large and almost unlimited concessions proposed to be made by the bill presented to parliament in 1813; the late revival of the order of jesuits by the pope, which furnishes such new and ample means of mischief and of concert with similar popish establishments in this united kingdom; and the proofs we have recently had, in different parts of Europe, of an active revival of the dormant zeal of pupery, in bringing into strong operation those tenets which mark its intolerance and its hostility to the sacred scriptures, as well as the peculiar situation of political affairs in Europe, furnish the strongest evidence of the danger of giving legislative and high political power to the Roman catholics in this protestant country.

legislative and high political power in this protestant country, without highly endangering, if not subverting, the great principles of the British constitution, and those great national acts which secured the monarchy of these realms in the protestant house of Brunswick. It is an incontrovertible constitutional maxim, "That the throne, the parlia ment, and the government of this country, are fundamentally protestant." To this principle, pervading every part of government in the state, as well as in the church, and operating upon all the sests and separatists, as well as upon our excellent ecclesiastical establishment, the ruling and religious princi ple of a Roman catholic is directly hos tile; and we are firmly pe-suaded, that no oaths or engagements, which have been proposed or suggested, will afford a security against the operation of that silent, but powerful influence, which will be always attendant upon the opinions and principles of Roman catholics, when in possession of legislative and high political power, and which cannot fail to have a most deteriorating effect upon a government essentially protestant.

5th. That so far from the concession of legislative and high political power being calculated to allay irritation, and promote the security and strength of the country, we are persuad

"2d. That at so late a period as the year 1813, the public opinion having been most gravely expressed by protestants, against admitting Roman catholics to legislative and high political power in the government of this country, when, in particular, two petitions from the inhabitants of the cities of London and Westminster, and their environs, each of which was signed by upwards of 60,000 persons, whose places of residence were set opposite to their signatures, were presented, the one to the house of lords by the right hon. lord Eldon, the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, and the other to the house of commons by sir William Cur-ed that it will lead to further demands tis, bart. we do not deem it necessary, before the introduction of some specific measure into parliament, to renew our humble petition upon this important subject, especially as the different branches of the legislature have repeatedly rejected the claims in question, so repugnant to the principles of the British constitution in church and state. "3d. That, although it may not be necessary to petition parliament at this moment, yet, at a period like the present, when the Roman catholics are using every effort to carry their object by means, which, although less ostensible than formerly, are, probably, more efficient, we cannot avoid calling upon, the protestant part of the community to exercise a vigilant attention to this most vital subject.

"4th. That the more this great question has been agitated and considered, the more obvious it appears, that Roman catholics cannot be admitted to

on the part of the Roman catholics, and to jealousy and discontent on the part of the protestants; and, should the measure be adopted, we anticipate, from the temper and state of parties in this country, those bitter controversies in religion, and those feuds in politics, which unhappily prevailed anterior to the revolution of 1688, and which may lead to consequences the most fatal to the peace and prosperity of this em pire.

"6th. That these resolutions, signed by the chairman, be inserted in the public papers. S. CATTLEY, chairman."

Of the intolerant sentiments displayed by these resolutions of the protestants of various denominations, I shall say nothing at present; but they certainly give a flat contradiction to the assertions of the board-writer, that the catholic petitions

have lately been received with a it could be entered into with no general expression of good will.- other view than pertinaciously to Indeed the contrary is the fact, which adhere to those measures of vetoism caused lord Donoughmore very just-which have been scouted with indig. ly to observe, that "never had the nation by the Irish catholics, and catholics been assailed with more abandoned by our parliamentary violence and acrimony than at the friends as illusory, with the exceppresent moment, as their lordships, tion of the immaculate trio, lord said the noble peer, must be aware of Castlereagh, Mr. Canning, and sir from what had passed in both houses John C. Hippisley. What occasion of parliament, as well as from what was there, then, for this parade, had appeared in the public press." which was not only idle, but mis Now reader, is it possible that this chievous, inasmuch as it tended to writer could be ignorant of the efforts distract the energies of our advoof the press against us? Why, then, cates, and furnish our opponents with did he wish to impose a false security weapons against us. Surely the re upon the public, instead of combat-sult of the late debate will at last ing the stratagems of the bigots ?- open 'the eyes of our titled and But, as if it was decreed by fate that wealthy members, and enable them the board should follow its system to see that is not by crouching to of folly and duplicity, the managers our foes the battle is to be won.contrived to muster about 50 of its Their high rank in society, the many members, who met on the very same deeds of benevolence performed by day that the above resolutions were them, and their numerous private published, and, after passing the virtues, entitle them to take the following resolution, caused it to be lead in our affairs; and they might inserted in the public papers in the command our hearts, if they would annexed words, which I copy from come forward upon upright and real the Morning Chronicle of the 8th constitutional principles, and join instant:their voices to those of their Irish brethren. Let them adopt the manly proceedings of the latter, and unite the two bodies in one firm phalanx. Let them watch the motions of a bigotted press, and encourage those who devote their abilities to detect the numberless calumnies poured out against their faith. By so doing they will advance not only their own interest but the good of their country; and it is only by these means they can expect to be restored to their civil privileges of which they have been so long unjustly deprived.

"BRITISH CATHOLIC CLAIMS.At the meeting of the Board of British Catholics, held yesterday, the 7th instant, his Grace the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, in the chair; the following resolution was unani mously passed:

"RESOLVED That the secretary do communicate to earl Grey, and the right honourable William Elliott, our adherence to the principles expressed in our several petitions to parliament for legislative relief, and to convey to them our hope and confidence, that on the approaching discussions of the laws affecting our body, they will continue to use their powerful exertions in our favour. NORFOLK, Earl Marshal, Chairman. "EDWARD JERNINGHAM, Secretary." What benefit the board expected to derive from this sweeping resolution it is impossible to conjecture;

66

WM. EUSEBIUS ANDREWS. Somers' Town, May 26, 1817.

MR. GANDOLPHY'S APOLOGY.

THE Rev. Peter Gandolphy's two works, entitled, "A Defence of the