The National Register. — London, England, 1814-05-08 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Our !Mug, Conitttutton, ana PUBLISHED AT NO. 11 NEWCASTLE-STREET ) STRAND. N 0.304. SUNDAY, MAY S. 1814. Pnrrr 94 POLITICAL DISQUISITION. CESSION OF THE VETO BY THE CHURCH OF ROME. The communication on this interesting subject which we announced in our last will be read with satisfaction. It is mot from the Pope but from M. - Guarantotti the representa tive of his Holiness during his captivity. We are disposed to hope it will be productive of re sults most beneficial to the British empire. Some of the dai ly papers have warmly reprobated the construction proposed to tie rut upon the oath, which the Catholics will be re quired•to take—namely, that they will not endeavour to dis turb the Protestant establishments. • In this_ letter it is stated, that if it is. required that the Catholics shalls swear they will not attempt by argument and reason to convert the Protestants ; in this sense the oath cannot be taken. On this subject we are told, that, "It is already suf. Cciently authenticated that, by divine command, the first duty of the minister of the church is to consult the propa gation .and purity of the Catholic faith, the only one which can lead to eternal happiness. This is taught by the pre cepts of the gospel, ind the examples of the apostles and their successors." itut it is added, "ifit is the waning of the legislature that preaching, persua , ion, advice should not be interdicted to Catholic Ministers, but simply that the in terdict should lie in disturbing the Protestant Church or (Ue-. cipline by force and arms..or any disengenuous arts, thus far light, and peculiarly consistent with our principles." This to us is very satisfactory. To expect mote would he to expect. them to renounce the principal dogmas of their religion. We hardly know of a religion except tit.it of the Muslims; which is nut supposed to make it tire duty of its votaries to teach others, duly to appre cate the importance of that on which they believe their hopes of salvation rest . . The disciples of Mattomet laboured to propagate their doctrine wsth the sword, and endeavoured to destroy those whom they failed to convert. In their zeal for Allah they immolated thousands and tens of thousands, to get 4ie Alcoran received as "the word of life." The Jews and Gentiles have been reciprocally bloody. The enormiti6s com mitted by the Catholics for.the glory ()Woe are sufficiently known, and it is to be feared from the statements made by Ca htGlic writers, the Protestants when in power, were at times not far behind them in persecuting those wham they pronounced to be the eoetnizi of true religion. We trust the period at re,h;ch such conduct could be suffered to disgrace those who profess christianity, has passed never to return.. It is, how.- ever, toe much to hope or to expect Opt Catholics or Protes tants wilt abdicate the right of preaching the superior - inz , portance of their respective - creedi; and it can hardly be desired that either should in imllifferenee to, or in Vol. VII. Ns ccarxrar. • r :~ for, the errors of others, (when those errors arc supposed to doom them to eternal misery), at a!! resemble the believers in the Shaster and the worshippers of Vistnotk It is for us sufficient that the Catholics will not attempt, by force or fraud, to subvert the established religion. We cannot pay them or their creed the compliment to suppose, that reason and argument will ever make them formidable to the Protestant interest. While we claim the right, and feel it a duty. to labour to convert those who are not of our per suasion, it would not be consi , tent with justice and liberality, to prohibit others from endeavouring, in the same way, to perform what they consider their duty towards us. We may smile at the folly of those who attempt to shake our religious principles. but while they only wish to assail us by what they mistake for reason and. argument, their unavailing efforts ought not to call forth resentment. If (contrary to their practice and disposition), the Ilincloos wete to send mission aries to England, to convert the people of this country front Christianity; though we might be unable to refrain from laughter, we should be sincerely gricvtd to see them dealt with as 'foes. But if we are too sanguine in hoping the question, which has been so long agitated in these kingdoms, will be put a t rest, -by the letter of M. Guarantotti, one benefit, at least. must result from It, and that immediately. The unequiyo. cal manner in' which,"it is admitted, a Prote--ant SovereiFu may consistently, with the tenets of the Church of Rotn , have a veto on the notnination of a Catholic 134h0p, by a foreign potentate, will . have the effect of opening the ey c s et' the people of Ireland. They will now see how gros•ly they have been mocked and deluded, by those to whom, in at► ec ti hour, they weakly gave their confidence. They will surely be ambled to form a proper estimate of the services of thnEs persons, who compose, what is called the Catholic Board. If any thing is known of the Romish religion st Rome, it mu. g be admitted the ignorance of the Dublin rioters is equal, to their infamy. Who can forget the low insolent scurrility with which the Bill of Mr. Grattan was met last year. That measure, which it is here stated by the head of the C,atholie Church ought to have been received with gratitude, they bad the effrontery not merely to describe as that of which they could not avail themselves, but it was assented to be an insult to the Catholic body. Let this be borne in Mind, and let these fellows, who are even now rotiiing a= whose cause they pretend to plead, defend themselves if the! can. • We defy them to extricate themselves from the 42: • lemur* with credit. Either they are a gang of ignorant wretches, -who Would fain iiitfiarue the Catholic mind, by spouting en a subject which they do not understand, knot of traitors at heart, anxious to perpetuatF the exi davits:ices, to pressrve to thsmseircs a ;houiivw pf Or • . , s CC 0 • ,t ~ -~z or a ;sting pro , I . i i