The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-07-21 00:00:00

My own ottdrctA, in Care you sheuid Seen] this application worthy
of an answer, I subjoin as under. &c.
1
Copy of a letter from the Rev. J. Milner, &t. &c. to the Reverend
B. F. Habits:.
REV. SlR—This acknowledges the honour of your letter of the
9th instant, and answers its inquiry. I asserted in my " End of
Controversy" that it is probable the Bishop in question died a
Catholic, front my persuasion of the truth of the billowing parti-
colors t—That he expressed to a certain Catholic who had acme to
!him in his illness, an uneasiness in his mind on the score of his •
religion ;—that this Catholic advised him fo send for a Catholic
priest, and that he replied. " Witt zit! Leonine at sty Lady, and 1
text ret:i became of my el,i'drea 51" and tint about the same time I
he declired accepting the offer which the Archbishop of Canter-
bury made to him of administering the Protestant Sacrament to
him. The parties oiltitied to, having long since quitted this world,
I it is not possible to bring the matter to any tiling like evidence I ;
but as I spoke of the fact barnly as probable, I may be allowed to I
retain my opinion, on the known credibility of my informants.;
which it in no way irapeacited by the declaration of your inform-
ants, who barely speak to whit they thenisekes witnessed.
In case, Rev. Sir, you should took further into the work you
have mentioned, you will meet with the names of other Protestants,
who, in their. last illness, became, or wished to become- Catholics,
' while not one instance eon be produced tufa Catholic, who washed to
die in any other religion than his own.
1 have the honour to remain,
Reverend Sir,
Your obedient and humble Servant,
; Wolverhampton, Feb. 14,1813. J.lllstarEu.
Copy of a letter from the Rev. B. F. Ifallifax, to the Rev. J.
Milner, &e.
Batchcott, 12th March. 1825.
REY. Sr a—lt was my intention to acknouledge your favour
before, nod to express my thanks for the early I otice with which
you honoured my letter of the sth February • a wish, however, to
ascertain some facts, before I again olotrade'd myself upon your
notice, has caused this delay.
You observe, In your letter of Fehrnary 14th, that you asserted
in your work, it is probable Biahap Ilullifax died a Catholic, from
Tour persuasion of the truth of the particulars which you give me
in detail. That impression you beg to retain, on the known ere- ,
cre-
dibility of your informants. My opinion, whichhas certainly suf.;
fte.:d no stiange, that you, had been ntairiformad with regard to the I
Rillsop's relfOotis sentiments at his last niadCenis. I advanced on
the ground that a strong presumption against the probability men-
' firmed in Note to p. 77 of your work wooly' be raised from ve- 1
fereoce• to toy father • published *arks : fOr instance, horn Oat
Wirburtoninn Lectures, and his Intrndoethin hithe Analogy of
Bishop Butler. The motives which induced him to edit that work
are distinctly avowed by himself. Farther, on the declarations of
those whom I stated to be still surviving; who, it must be sup-''
ported, were likely to be well acquainted with his real sentiments.
I have no objection to mention their names, viz that of my mother,
and the eldest of her unmarried sisters. I may add, there are
many other considerations whi tit justify mein retaining my opinion
that you have been misinformed.
I trust, therefore, it is not now unreasonable for me to request
you would acquaint vie with the name or names. rank in lite, and
`respective residence of your informant or informants, if more
than one.

At what place. and how long previous to the Bishop's death,
they. or any one, hail access to hint ?
Whether you received your information from than directly your.
self, and how lorg a tune afar the Bishop's death ? I have al-
ready stated that I know not whether the note in question appeared
in its present form in the earlier editions of your work, or, I add,
any notice, except perhaps allusion to his writings, was there taken
of his name.

1 have no wish, Reverend Sir, to be intrusive, but my motive in
making this request, I trust, cannot be misunderstood.
1 have the honour to remain, Reverend Sir,
Your obedient and humble servant.
B. F. HALLIFA X.
To this last letter no answer was returned. Every good
man, we think, must lament that so solemn an appeal to
the conscience of Dr. Milner should have been made with
so little success. liis evasive letter bears in every line the
stamp of the Jesuit ; but there are circumstances under
which the exposure of guilt is as complete without confcs-
ision u with it, and this is one of them.