The Sun.
London, England, 1825-03-03 00:00:00

FRENCH LAW OF SACRILEGE.

We have before called the attention of our
Readers to the light which the spirit of Popery
derives from the Law against Sacrilege lately
proposed in France, and which, as we have briefly
informed our Readers, has actually passed, to
the disgrace of that nation, and the indelible in-
famy of a creed calling itself religion. It is our
wish that our Readers should now be apprised of
some facts and arguments connected with it,
which we offer to all men of plain unsophisticated
sense, whose conclusions it would be superfluous
to anticipate.

Our Readers will recollect that the Papists of
France, so far from referring, with their brethren
of England, all the cruelty practised by Popery
in the Middle Ages to the character of the times
rather than that of the religion, are ready to de-
fend the most barbarous excesses of the most bar-
barous periods, and use them as precedents for
new atrocities. In this " most intolerant of
nations" it is matter of little surprise that an at-
tempt to justify the murders of the Protestant
martyrs, much less to ground on them enact-
ments for the future, would not be tolerated ; but
these near examples may instruct us what we
may expect were the liberal Papists of this coun-
try to share the direction of Government. From
the last report, however, of the French Minister
on this diabolical measure, we find that the
French Papists are disposed to go much further
than to the justification of their brethren of the
Middle Ages ; all the cruelties of Heathen su-
perstition, it seems, are to be pressed into the
service, Popery thus declaring openly that she
confirms and adopts Paganism, a charge which has
been frequently and successfully brought against
her, although she has hitherto been anxious to
refute it. The following are the concluding
passages of the Report:—

" It is necessary, then, that the chastisement may be corn-
mensurate with the crime, to apply the severest punishment,
that of parricide. And let it not be said that this has only been
done in the barbarism of the Middle Ages, for it marks th.)
laws of the most enlightened nations of antiquity. lir EGYPT,
AT ATHENS, sacrilege, perjury, blasphemy, were punished
with death."

So, then, Popish France is not only imitating
the Middle Ages, but those enlightened nations,
EGYPT and ATHENS ! It is true that there is suf-
ficient resemblance between the eatable Gods of
Egypt and France, but this is the first time
we ever knew the Papists provoke the. com-
parison.

" Porrum et cape nefas violare et frangere morsu.
0 sanctas gentes, quibus lixc nascuntur in hortis
Numina!"

This also is the first time we ever knew the
Papists bold enough to vindicate the religious po-
licy of Heathe❑ Athens, which put to death the
great and holy Socrates, for daring to assert the
truths of religion against a senseless and brutal
idolatry. There is no inconsistency in this con-
duct, but its audacity is certainly not a little
surprising.

To proceed :

" At Rome, NOT INDEED SINCE CHRISTIANITY PLACED
HER THRONE THERE, BC T IN THE TIMES OF IDOLATRY,
sacrilege, like parricide, was punished by fastening the culprit
in a sack, together with noxious animals, and throwing hint
alive into the Tiber. So says the Law of the XII Tables ex-
pressly :—Sacrum sacrove commandatum qui depserit rapse-
ritve parricide este. France must not be less zealous for th.,
holy religion which she professes than were the heathen' for
their false ones."

Here we have the Papists pleading guilty to
more than Dr. MIDDLETON% charge of perpetu-
ating the creed of ancient Rome under other
names. For here, by their own confession,
Christianity expelled from Rome the barbarous
enactments of superstition. But this will not do
for our modern Papists ; they must have old
Rome again, pure, unadulterated, Heathen Rome,
with no leaven of Christianity ; not as she has
been "since Christianity placed her throne there,
but as she was IN THE TIMES OF IDOLATRY•'
If this is not plain speaking, what will convince
the people of England ?
What pity that the sapient legislators of
France did not send deputations to the Hindoos
and Hottentots, to find what maxims they hold
which might be serviceable to CHRISTIAN LEG'S"
LATORS ! They might, doubtless, have greatly
enriched their argument with examples. The
Mohammedans, we believe, strike cif heads and
hands without much ceremony: they too might have
furnished precedents and arguments innumerable.
To conclude :—France is the most tolerant of
nations, and Popery—but let our Readers deter-
mine what that is for themselves. x.

COAL MARKET, MAnca 2.
Ships at Market. Ships sold Price.
35i Newcastle - . 204 -28 s Ed to 3-5,4 Gel
3i Sunderland • - 2 -34 s Od to .10e

MARRIED.
On the 2d inst., at Hackney, Mr. Thomas Rudd, jun., to
Elizabeth, second daughter of Prideaux Selby, Esq., of liat
place.

DIED.
On the Ist inst., Charles Yarnold, Esq., surgeon, Great St.
Helen's, in the 45th year of his age.
On the 18th of January last, at Gibraltar, of a bilious fever*
Georgette, wife of Capt. Francis Rawdon Chesney, R. A.
On the 19th ult., Mr. J. S. Stoddard, at Paradise-roil.
Rotherhithe, and late of the Stock-Exchange, aged 73.

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