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THE

REV. JOHN WESLEY's

LE ET TE R,

CONCERNING

THE CIVIL PRINCIPLES

O F

ROMAN CATHOLICS.

ALSO,

A DEFENCE OF THE

PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.

1

LET TE R

FROM THE

REV. JOHN WESLEY, M. A.

TO THE PRINTER.

SIR,

SOME time ago, a pamphlet was sent me, entitled, "An appeal from the Proteftant Affo"ciation to the people of Great Britain." A day or two fince, a kind of anfwer to this, was put into my hand, which pronounces," Its

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ftyle contemptible, its reafoning futile, and

its object malicious." On the contrary, I think the ftyle of it is clear, eafy, and natural, the reasoning, in general, ftrong and conclufive; the object, or defign, kind and benevolent. And, in purfuance of the fame kind and benevolent defign, namely, to preferve our happy constitution, I fhall endeavour to confirm the fubftance of that tract, by a few plain arguments.

With perfecution I have nothing to do: I perfecute no man for his religious principles. Let there be "as boundless a freedom in reli"gion," as any man can conceive: but this does not touch the point. I will set religion, true or falfe, utterly out of the queftion: suppose the Bible, if you please, to be a fable; and the Koran to be the word of God. I confider not, whether the Romish religion be true or false: I build nothing on one or the other supposition : therefore, away with all your common-place declamations about intolerance and perfecution for religion! Suppofe every word of pope Pius's creed to be true,-fuppofe the council of Trent to have been infallible,—yet, I insist upon it, That no government, not Roman catholic, ought to tolerate men of the Roman catholic perfuafion.

I prove this by a plain argument: let him anfwer it that can:

That no Roman catholic does or can give fecurity for his allegiance or peaceable behaviour, I prove thus: It is a Roman catholic maxim, established, not by private men, but by a public council, that, "No faith is to be

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kept with heretics." This has been openly avowed by the council of Conftance but it never was openly difclaimed. Whether pri- : vate perfons avow or difavow it, it is a fixed

maxim of the church of Rome: but as long as it is fo, nothing can be more plain, than that the members of that church can give no reafonable fecurity to any government of their allegiance or peaceable behaviour: therefore, they ought not to be tolerated by any govern ment, Proteftant, Mahometan, or Pagan.

You may fay, "Nay, but you will take an "oath of allegiance." True, five hundred oaths but the maxim, "No faith is to be kept "with heretics," fweeps them all away, as a fpider's web: fo that ftill, no governors, that are not Roman catholics, can have any fecurity of their allegiance.

Again, those who acknowledge the fpiritual power of the pope, can give no fecurity of their allegiance to any government: but all Roman catholics acknowledge this; therefore, they can give no fecurity for their allegiance.

The power of granting pardons for all fins, paft, prefent, and to come, is, and has been, for many centuries, one branch of his spiritual power; but those who acknowledge him, to have this fpiritual power, can give no fecurity for their allegiance; fince they believe the pope can pardon rebellions, high treafons, and all other fins whatsoever.

The

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