The National Register.
London, England, 1819-05-23 00:00:00

No. IIB3.—VoL. XII.]

TH t
CATHOLIC QUESTION.

1w a late number of our Paper we expressed our in-
tention of again reverting to the Question of the Catho-
lic Claims, for the purpose of neticis4 a point con-
nected with Mr. Grattati's motiouupon which, time
would not then allow us to enter. '7The circumstance
we then alluded to was a short but very animated dis-
cussion which preceded the Debate, on the propriety and
constitutional character of Petitions presrnte4 to Parlia-
ment on this subject by the Established Clergy, professedly
petitioning as a distinct body, an.l calling themselves the
the Clmrch. The importance which attaches to this
discussion is, that it extorted, even from the boldest and

regularly retained advocate of the Rights of the Estab-
lishment, Mr. Peel, a concession that the Clergy can
with no more propriety petition as a distinct lowly upon
questions of State policy than the First Regiment of
Guards ; that the Intuited title of being themselves the
Church, is both presitniptous and absurd ; that they are
in fact no more than its paid ministers and servants, and
lastly, that any petition coining from them, of the cha-
racter above-mentioned, can only and simply he consi-
dered as the prayer of so many private individuals.
When we reflect upon the tone and tendency of many
of these priestly documents, we cannot help sincerely
wishing that this decision of the House of Commons
may not be forgotten.
The Alarmist says it is but tan apparent, that in the
19th century Papal doctrines and discipline are of as in-
tolerant a character as they were its 1564, when the
Council of Trent proclaimed the power of the Roman
See to judge, punish, and anathematise all who were
disobedient to its will. Now, PS this is a solemn
charge which involves on one hand the best in-
terests of his country, ❑nd oa the othcr the character
and the rights of five mamas of his fellow-subjects, we
trust he will either feel the responsibility he is miller of
verifying such au assertinit by particularizing some of his
notoriotti and inconvertible facts, and by atisweriug she i
following questions, or ht. will admit how justly the best
apology he can render is due to those, whom, in our pre-
su.a state of igoorance, we firmly believe him to lia.ve
grossly slandered. In the first 'dace then, where are the
buntings of heretics, where are the indulgences, where
are the palace bulls which, its those days of darkness he
bas mentioned, a;itated, and often contributed to con-
%ll:Se Europe In the next place, in what temporal coo-
cents ofuny government its Europe has the present Pope
i derfered I what individual. for paying civil allegiance
to his lawful riders, has the present Pope punished t
What temporal causes, but those of his own temporal
dominions, has the present Pope ever presumed to judge ?
and lastly, whom has the present Pope anathematized
for want of obedience to his will? If these facts are not
forthcoming, then we must continue to believe that an
assertion ha► been made which cannot be proved, and
to hope that though such Hobgoblins may still hold
their revels in the brain of the foreseer of evil,
yet that they are all, in reality, past away like the dew
of the epornitig, and are stow contemplated with as
much abhorrence and disgust by Catholics as they are 1
by the adherents of the Church, to which we ourselves
belong. But again, indignation is alive, because the
word Catholic boancipation is still used, after so many
mressioss, as they are called, have been already
made. About words and names it is idle and ab-
surd to cavil; but one thing is quite clear, viz. that if
ever there was any justice it) the claim to she civil