The Sun.
London, England, 1812-12-24 00:00:00

THE C_iIIIOLIC QUESTION.

As this subject is of the 'ntmost importfince
with' respect to: that Constitution, xvhich our an-
cestors-endeavoured to secure against the dangers
that might ar-ise. from Pa?al., ascendancy or even
influence, antllas the Roman Catholics Seem. re-
solved to; remove, if possible, every safeguard,
wg deem it our duty to do all in our power, to
encourage that teal, which at length appears to
be ri'sing in defence of our Establkh;nent in
Church and State.. We regret to find that many

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respectable and distinguished. characters among
is seem to be wholly ignorant of the true nature
-of the Roman Catholic religion, and, contrary
to the avowed declaration of the Catholics their;-.
selves, are disposed to believe that the Roman
Catholic , religion has suffered such a change,"
through the progress of time, and the gradual
amelioration of human-judonent, that man.), of
its more dangerous-tenets have- been discarded.—
This, however, is a delusion-which 'might he at-

tended in time with most fatal consequences. The
Roman Catholic Priesthood, to Whom- their Laity
look with implicit confidence, still contend for
the infallibility of their Church, and of the de-
crees of its councils, but, what is of still more
- alarming tendency, they still Maintain that << Faith
is not to .be kept with Heretics to the prejudice of
their church." Can it be possible that people
who-rise above the grossest of the vulgar are in-'
cline& to remove, those wise restrictions which
our ancestors placed upon the pT:essors of a re-
ligion who maintain midi a position ? Will the
Roman Catholics; -‘-hen any question arises Which
they. may think tends to involve the welfare of
their Church, suffer the Protestants to have any

weight iii the decision ? No ; they course,
judge- and- decide for themselres ; and' whatever
compact they may enter into 'with Protestants,
thc.y will treat .as empty air, it they,Should think
thafan adherence to such compact would be pre-
judicial to their Church. We have been, led into
these remarks bythc evident, the vital, importance
of the subject, as it respects .our Constitution ;
and-we are happy in the opportunity of,JnfOrcing '
our opinions by the fdllowing extract, from a well
written tract, entitled, " The Necessity of Pro-

testant Petitions against Popish Claims," which
we earnestly recommend to every friend to this
country andits happy establishment.
" Die moment scents to be fast approaching,
when the-claims of Popery, if not op?osed by the
nation, will receive the sanction of a British Par-
liament. Soon after the assassination of Mr.
Perceval, who was a most strenuous opposer of
those claims, the following resolution was passed
by the House of Commons :—" That the House
will, early in the next Session of Parliament take
into its most serious consideration, the state of the
laws affecting his Majesty's Roman Catholic sub-
jects in Great Britain turd Irelands with view to
such a final and conciliatory adjustment as may be
conducive to the peace and strength of the United
Kingdom, to the stability of the Protestant Es-
tablishment, and to the general. satisfaction end
concord of ail classes of his Majesty's subjects:"
A similar resolution was rejected in the House of
Lc:als only by a majority of one. Since the late
dissolution of Parliament, indeed, the above reso-
lution is no longer in force. The newly-elected
House of Commons is in no respect bound by it ; but
it cannot be denied that the passing of such a re-
s'alution by one House, and so near an approach to
a similar resolve-in the other, are circumstances
hich the Roman Catholics • way consider as
omens of a most favourable and encouraging na-
• /ore.
" It is' tree, the words of the resolution, AN hid)
are so full of encouragement to the Roman Ca-
tholics, are qualified by subseqnent expressions,
denoting, that the proposed adjustment must be
• of such a nature as to he " conducive to the
peace and strength of the United Kingdom, to
the stability of the Protestant EstAblishment, and
to the general satisfaction and concord of all
classes of his Majesty's subjects." if we could be
sure that these wise and salutary conditions would
s be insisted upon, previously to any final and con-
ciliatory adjustment being concluded, they would
be no less calculated to inspire Protestants with
confidence, than the words that precede them are
to fill Roman Catholics-with hope. Tlie very in-
troduction of such conditions into the resolution
must be considered as an admission, that no final
end conciliatory adjustment- With the Roman Ca-
tholics ought to be concluded, unless it be eaten-
latedto produce the effects here described. Every
paii of adjustment ought, therefore 'to be brought
sniily to this test, and the utmost 'care ought to
be taken to avoid any mistake, in an inquiry of,
such importance : fOr deplorable indeed would be
our condition if, after conceding all that is requir-
ed of us, our expectations of thereby promoting
the peace and strength of the United Kingdom,
the stability of the Protestant Establishment, and
the general satisfaction and concord of all- 'classes
of his Majesty's subjects, should cud in disap-
p sintment.'
`The conditions here enumerated, as essential to
any plan of final and conciliatbry adjustinet with
the Roman Catholics, though three, in number, •
substantially but two 3- for, the peace and
strength (4 the United Xingdonfdepend so much
hpou the general satisfaction and con6ord of all
clssses of his MajCsty's subjects, that whatever,
conduces to the latter of these objects must tend
topromotie the former. The real points of in-
dairy here suggested, with regard to, any project
of conciliation, are, therefor e,---=-First, would it
1a...c0w1:1-wive to the stability of the Protestant
Establishment.; and Secondly, would it he calcu-
lated to promote satisfaction throughout the
United Kingdom i?
"As to the,first topic of inquiry, it seems to'
riots a, stumbling-block at the very' threshol:l of
the proposed adjustment; for what-undertaking
can, in the nature of things, be so ardtious as the
"formation of a plan which shall at once -conciliate-.
the -Roman Catholics, and conduce to thi safety
or the Protestant Church ? The extreme difficulty
of reconciling such incongruous interests is, in-
deed so nhvious 'as to supersede the necessity. of
:.-expatiating upon this part'of the, case. Suffice. it.
O say, that nothing seems less likely to be

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