The Sun.
London, England, 1813-01-12 00:00:00

CATHOLIC C;LAINIS.

The following- is an' extract from an 'excellent
work entitled, ""'TIE cLAl:vis OF THE ROMAN-'CA-
THOLICS CONSIDERED, WITH REFERENCE TO THE
A FET Y OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH, AND TUE
RIGHTS OF LUSK:4OOS TOLERATTON."
[Cotltilltltti from our raper of Saturday last.]

No one who is at all acquainted with human
nature Will. deny, that a desire of superiority is a
predominant . disposition in the human breast.
Such, indeed, the ascendancy of . this disposi-
tion; that the mere distinction of individuality,
would satire to set it in motion, and to give rise
to tontention, were it not controlled by those
habits of subordination, which are necessarily
produced in a state of society. But thou4,;li thus
tepressed, and kept within certain bounds, this
disposition is, nevertheless, perpetually seeking
occasions foe exercise. it is excited by what-
ever tenth to pia variance or dissension, and
by nothing more than by mere differences of
opinion. Such 'differences indeed tend; even More
than the clashing of opposite interests, to inflame
a desire for • superiority; For, as a concurrence
in our opinions ,is gratifyiUg to the feelings; by
raising us in our estimation ;—as.. it 'inspires us
with confidence, and disposes us to look forward
ti") mragreeahle and harmonious intercourse with
those, whom we must he disposed, on 'that very
account, to csteeni ;—so ti dissent front thOse
opinions gives pain, and excites distrust'; it
wounds self-lore in the most sensible hart, by dis-
Inrhing, self.'estituati,in ; it therefore tends more
than any thing else to estrange personS front each
other : and the contests hereby produced are the
most distingukhed by aniinositv, This certainly
is not a flattering picture of, human nature; but
it is taken from the life and it may therefore be
more Safely depended upon, as furnishing the
ground-Work Of a :systetii of policy, than those
crude-conceits of a vain and fauciful philosophy,
which assume that. man may becOnie a being very
different from what he bus hitherto been, in all
ages and regions of the world.
Such, however, ate the natural effects o' dif-
ferences of opinion among mankind; even though
the subject in tpiCstion he merely of a speculative
nature ; nay, though it be, in itself, altogether
unimportant and uninterstina. But, jn propor-
tion. to the'degree of interest it is calculated to
excite; a , disposition to contend for, superiority
mtist be expected to prevail ; and as no subject
excites so deep and liver an interest as religion,
it is ever' found that thit most violent and ob-
stinate contests art those of a religious nature.
The fury, indeed, by which such contests arc dis-
tinguished, 'is at once a consequence and a proof,
both of the reality and the importance of the con-
cern to which they relate. '
-nuts do religious differences, more than any
others,'tend to call forth that desire of superiority
which is inseparable front thebutuan breast. lint,
every desire seeks Its own gratification, the in-
quiry here naturally presents rtsellenf What kind
of gratification is a desire of superiority, when
excited by 'religious differences, susceptible
Matters of Merely speculative controversy admit '
of no other superiority, than such as may he ob-
tained by. reason and argument ; and as such a
superiority is scarcely ever allowed to exist, con-
troversies of this kind are scarcely ever decided.
But religion is not merely a spectdative matter.
Besides its practical' influence on the lives and
actions Of men,' it is; as a source of .devotion; a
social concern. leis necessarilyembodied in out-.
ward fomis of worship. The differences, there-
eore, to which it, gives occasion, are susceptible of
a kind of superiority peculiar to Lift mselveS ; they
sire capable of producing time visihle ascendancy
of some one religious persnasion above all others.
Such an ascendancy consists in the establishment
of a particulargystem of worship, and in a pro-
vision for its ministers, by public authority. The
worship thus established, becomes of course, the
nathirml religion ; while all other religious per-
suasious are merely tolerated and protected, with-
out receiving any assistance or eneonragement
from the state.
It obvious that the establiShtinent of a na-
tional church, necessarily invoives an exercise of
the highest authority in the state. To give to a par-
religion a visible and general ascendancy ;
to provide for the public celebration of its wor-
ship throughout the lea ; and to ensure to its
clergy a permanent support, their right to which
ishitli be as inviolable us that to any other species
of property; what but the Supreme Power eau
4! ffectuate all this lint as ruler Shave the same pre.
ferenee as other men for their own religious per.
.tuasion, it would be absurd to suppose that
they wcniltl lend 'themselves to establish 'any
other.

it, in a state possessing no religious establish-
ment, religion could be supposed to excite a sitt-
icient degree at interest to become a subjectk of
contention, it- is evident that the object of the
contending parties . vould he the establishment of
their respective modes of worship 7: It will scarce:-
4y he pretended that in pursuit of this object they
1,,•0u1d rely on and appeal to reason that they
would depend on strength of argument, or the
weight of authority. They could not fail to dis•--
ito.'er that they nutst Contend for political, in
.order to obtain religions Sitperiority.' Hence re-
-1400118 disputes Miturally lead to civil contests
Ada as sa.ch contests rehite to Stlbieet of tinivcr'
anl,as Well as Of it/finite; conccrn, they admit
neither of Indifference nor nentraliq, while they
inflame the Mind to the highest pitch of animosity
af' which it is susceptible. And thus,' in cret'y
smelt contest. it may truly' be totb cerfatum
",31 1N o!rpore

But the preservation of a national church, no
less than its establishment, depends upon the
pottier al'. the State. Siwit all establishment, be-
t,itits that its natural effect, is to keep alive a
sense of religion, ia apt to excite the euvy of all
who dissent front it) and, where it is assailable,
to invite their Attack. All sects have a common
interiest, which disposes them to combine for ifs
ilverthrow. Under the influence of that zeal by
which sects tre distinguished, they are ever seek-
ing to impact-it their numbers by the arts of pro-

selytinn ,and,sif, in aildition to forMidable num-
bets, they should obt-ain a political ascendancy,
(an object which religious competition ever makes
them pursue with additional ardour) the church,
deprived of it natural and necessary defence, would
be at their mercy. ,
" It is therefore essential to the security of MI
Established Church that it be sure. of prqtectiou
from the state. But how can such protection be
ensured ? Men in power have the some feeling*
and propensities as other men. They Lire equally
desirous of the ascendancy of their own religion.
It is therefore only from those who profess the es •
tablished religion, dint such an establishment can
hope for support. Whenever men of fl different
persuasion get the supreme power into theii hands
—rwornn est r.le eerksia.

" l'hjis it is• plain that au Established Church
can depend 'upon the State for protection, 'only so
long as the power of the State is in the hands Of
members of the Church. The' State, therefore,
which would afford effectual protection to its
Church establishment, must take care to entrust
its authority only to persons of that description;
that is to say, it must require con torMity with the
national religion as a qualification fOr office. This
then must be considered es a fundamental prinei-
ple,—as an invariable maxim of every
state which would place its national church upon
a solid and permanent basis ; confor►t►ity with
the Church is a access►►ry qualification for of-
fice. And the ingenuity of man may be. defied
to substitute 'Any other means of affording ade-
quate and lasting security to such au establish-
►u cut

" The discussion in Which we are engaged has
already led to two conclusions, which ne.y justly
be considered as involving two grand and funda-
mental principles of civil polity. These principles.
are:

" relighms establishment is es-
sentially conducive to the peace and order of soci-
ety. This prineiple,besides being so clearly sup-
ported by reason, has also the sanction of experi-
ence. It has hecii recognised by e practice of
Mankind in all ages; and, although, as Ba-
con observes,—' the quarrels and diviSions about
religion were evils' unknown to the heathen, fie-
cause the religion of the heathen consisted rather
in rites and ceremonim than in any constant be-
lief;' yet Pagan states are always found 'to have.
possessed a religious establishment, supported by
the state, and incorporated with it ; the rites and
ceremonies of which were even combined with
the most important civil coneerns.—Nor does Re-
velation itself supersede the necessity of Web an
establishment. The history of the Jews furnishes,
under Divine Authoritz, the 'Most striking in-
stance any where to.be found,'..of an indissoluble
union between chuteh And state ; an union so
complete, as to allow of no dissent or separation
from the church. Where, indeed, the church ex-
hibited sensible proofs of' the 'Divine Presence,
and the government itself was theocratic, separa-
tion could not fail to be a crime, and toleration
was inadmissible,

Under the Christian dispensation, the union of
church and state was, for a cousiderable time, in-
compatible.with the plan of Divine Providence for
the spread of Christianity. It was evidently in-
tended, that the truth of this religion should be
made conspicuous, by the very opposition which
it bad to eneounter,—lry its astonishisg progress
and almost incredible successes, under difficulties
which no human means could surmount ; its tri-
umph over which was therefore, an incontestible
proof of its, sacred. origin. Under such eircurn-
stences it could not be an established religion, it
could not be allied to the 'state. It was not even
tolerated by the civil power. It was, on the con-
trary, persecuted by that power, because it was
necessarily at open variance with the established
religion. At length, however, the suffering
church, supported and conducted by the band of
Heaven, rosd superior to all opposition. Its di-
vine master and head obtained ‘, the heathen for
his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for his possession." Having thus, through
ft long course of trial, evinced its authority ; hay-
ing carried it triumphs even to the throne, and
Subdued that. civil power, under the implacable
hostility of which it had groaned for centuries, it
became the religion of the State,—the national
religion of the most powerful empire upon earth.
" But although the miraculous spread and ul-
timate establishment of Christianity afford indu-
bitable proofs of its being the true religion, its Di-
vine Author has not thought proper, in its favor,
to controui the freedom of the human will, in or-
der to preserve unity among its professors. He
has, indeed, made such unity a sacred duty, and
he has subjected, the violation of it to a heavy re-
sponsibility. lie has established a chinch as the
ground and pillar of the truth; as a channel for
the transmission of pure faith, and a model of
discipline; and he has promised to be with this
his church to the end of the world, But he has,
nevertheless, left men free to pursue their own
wayward fancies and unruly' passions, even in this
most intportant of concerns._ Hence, even the
professors of Christianity are divided by religious
differences, whilst the dear and absolute certainty
perceived by all, that the light of the gospel,
however distorted the medium through which it is
viewed, beams front heaven, is obviously calcu-
latekto make all of them feel an extraordinary
interest, in whatever is connected with their
religion, and even to attach them to their own
peculiarities of faith and worship. Therefore
it is that 'religions differences have inflamed
them against each other with extraordinary ani-
mosity ! and thus the religion which breathes
peace and universal love, has been distinguished
by the bitterness of the.contscrs which it has en-
gendered.
" Thus it, is obvious that the religious differ-
ences which prevail among the professors of
Christianity tend, even mare than those of any
other description, to excite contests tor superior-
ity. The principle therefore, that an established
religion is essential to the peace and Order of so-
ciety, may be considered as of universal applica-
tion. There is indeed but one case, in which the
want of such an establishment can fail to be pro-
ductive of contention and civil disturbance ; and
that is, at all eases, themost deplorable ;—fvhere

religion excites too little interest to induce its
hike-warm professors to make its differences a sub-
ject of contention, But such a state of things is
inconceivably more dreadful than even that of re-
ligious contention; for it is destitute, as has been
she.,vn, of Whatever constitutes the real strength
and welfare of society—of the necessary restraints
on human piassions—Of the only 'effectual check to
Vice and immorality; and it abounds in all the
causel which naturally lead to disturbance and
"commotion.

A second principle deducible from the fore-
going reasoning, is t it, with a view to the stabi-
lity and permanence of an established religion,
conformity with the church must be required as a
necessary qualification fur power and office. We
have seen:that nothing but the operation of this
principle can ensure to a national church that
protecti9a,frOin the State which is essential to its
security : ,without such a bulwark, a religious es-
tablishment, though apparently strong 'in the at-
tachmento( those who possiss authority, may, in
another generation; be deprived of that necessary
support, -and exhibit a mournful proof of the
vicissitudes to which all human institutions are
liable!. The principle in .question is, therefore,
the only permanent bond of that alliance between
Church and State which the security'of the form
er, and the quiet of the latter require to be indiS-
soluble.

(To be continued.)

Fnom Tim LONDON GAZETTE, Jr.A. 9.

DIVIDEND s-At

Jan. 30. M. Redman, Queen's ..Head, St. Martin's-le-Grand,
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`Jan. 30. J. F. Deslia4es, late of Wheeler-street, Spital-fields,
colour-fly,
J •
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Jan. 20. J. I.,.gilion Buzzard, Bedfordshire, inn-
- at ten.
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Jen.,!0.1. 1.. Ken ,in,;tini, L. Kensington, H. Kensington,
W. Styan, 11. ,to.i.llllS, I)Allket, at eleven.
Feb. 2. .1. 1i.00,11,, silkman, at ten.
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Feb. 3. T. F. Carlisle, late of Pudsey, Calverly, Yorkshire,
drysalter, at eleven at the 'lintel Inn, Leeds.
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same plii;;e.