The National Register.
London, England, 1811-07-28 00:00:00

THE NATION*

. . .
glon of Gregory 7, Boniface 8., Benedict 14, or Clement 12 I I
am not.--You, perhaps, think me created to kiss the Pope's
slipper. if it only depended on you, you would cut off my hair,
put on me a cowl; or would„like Lewis the Pious, place me in
a Convent, or banish me to Africa. What ignorant ideots you
are! Prove to me out of the Gospel, that Jesus Christ has ap-
pointed the Pope his substitute, or successor of St. Peter; arid
that be has the right to excommunicate a sovereign. You
will not," demanded Napoleon, " pray for the Emperor Per-
haps, because a Romish Priest excommunicated me ! But, who
gave him (the Pope) the right of excommunicating a sovereign ?
The English acted wisely in renouncing you bear the temporal
sword;" continued Napoleon ;" I know how to guide it. God
placed me on the throne ; and you reptiles of the earth dare not
oppose me.—lf you care about my protection, then preach the
Gospel as the Apostles did.• I will protect you if you are good
' citizens ; if not, I will banish you from my empire, and will dis-
perse you over the world like Jews," &c.
Addressing M. Ten Oever, of the Valloon Congregation, de-
puted by the Protestants, Bonaparte observed that Protestants
and Catholics now enjoyed equal privileges in France, t dding
" I have always met with faithful subjects amongst Protestants;
never have I had occasion to complain of any of them. You,"
again admonishing the Catholic Clergy, " have calumniated the
Protestants, by representing them as preaching doctrines dange-
rous to the state; but the best subjects I have are Protestants.
In Paris, I am partly attended by them ; they have free access to
tne.—Had I not met, in Bossuet's Doctrises and in the Max-
ims of the Gallican Church, with principles which agree with
mine, and had not the Concordat been received, I 'myself etould
have become a Protestant ; and thirty millions y people would have
followed .my example I"
Knowing the usual conduct of Bonaparte, whose hints are
enough for the wise, when he tells the Roman Catholic Clergy
that the English acted wisely in renouncing" them, and adds,
with the same breath, panegyrising the Protestants, that he him-
self was at one time likely to have " become a Protestant," in
which case " thirty millions of people would have followed his
etample,"—knowing, Sir, the conduct of the Potentate who
uttered these sentiments, we have some right to conclude that
they were desired to convey some meaning to the world ; and
we may at least be indulged in imagining that they contained
" his views re-pectin? the Roman Catholic Church," as com-
pared with the Protestant Church. 01:e thing is quite clear. It
is quite•clear from what Bonaparte sa) s respecting those " truths
and principles of Religion which belong to tha whole universe,"
adopting my interpretation of universe, and from his approbation
of Bossuet's Doctrines, and some Maxims of the Gallican Church,
that this Ruler of-France does not intend to recommend the In-
fidelity of Philosophism; but that be will adopt and ordain an
Established Religion; and, supposing Popery discarded, what
religion is he so likely to adopt, who has now praised it so much,
as the Religion of Protestants?
Should he then at length act thus, embracing the religion here
embraced, let us not carp at the means. Violent disonlers de-
mand forcible remedies. ThOse who must allow that Henry
the Eighth " acted wisely," however they dislike the occasion,
" in renouncing" the Roman Catholic Religion here, ought not
to be surprised if they find Napoleon the First the instrument of
effecting the same spiritual renunciation on the part of France !
With these views, whatever may be their reception, I am
NEMO.

your's,

The Pope has been removed, by the order of Bo-
naparte, from Savona, in the Genoese territory, to
Tortona, a strong place of Piedmont. Such
.an
event, at the period of the meeting of the Cardinals
and Italian French Bishops in Paris, by the order of
Bonaparte, gives room and occasion for various re-
flections.