The Sun.
London, England, 1812-09-26 00:00:00

•ItOArAN

Doctor O'Cossou, an enlightened Roman ei--
tholie Clergyman, has shewn, in-his Letters .
ed CoeumrekNus, the real limits of the Papal Si.)-
premacy, those exorbitant• powers which
Popes have gradually usurped, and their banefut
effect on the state of society; in consegnence:ef.
which, he very justly infers, that the British Mo.
-oared should have that negative in the appoint,.
Inca of Bishops, which ail Sovereign Princes
in the early ageS of the. Church, within, their re- -
speetive territories. In that it is evident,.that4e!.
has been actuate:', by. the purest "patriotism,-arid
by the warmest attache:Alt to the interest--of
fellow religiolists ;. Os it is the only meiuM'
- which they can hope to obtain what- they -so
ardently desire, complete Emancipation. For thii4
an outcry has been raised against the Doetor,,h
a -party of bigoted Eccle'iiasties., who have hireit
some 11h-cling scribblers to load him with. opuro4
brious abuser and to defame him Schismatic ; 1,41 t:
he is .as much superior to them in , learning 4.thtf
liberality, as he is in the splendour and diguitV- of',
his ancestry. Though bigots may rail, all rational..
and enlightened Protestants and Roman Catholics,
must •applaud his -generous exertions, as• their.
obvious tendency is to unite-both iu the litinds of
Peace and C:•fistian Charity, by removing those
diqualifiCations of which the latter complain.
In the year 1802, the Institute at Paris offered
a prize for the best Essay 'on the following sub-,
jest :—" What dies been the influence of the re-
formation of Luther on the political situation of.
the different States of Europe, and on the progress:
of learning ? "Mr. Charles Villeks, a Roman Ca-
tholiC, obtained the prize for having shewn, like
Doctor O'Connor, the real and.priMitive limits of -
the Papal Supremacy, the usurpations of the
Popes in ages of-midnie-,ht ignorance, on the
rights of Sovereign Princes, their fatal. effects on
society, and the necessity of restraining-them with-,
in 'proper bounds. For this Mr. \Tillers was ap-
plauded by persons of every ordex in France.—
In the year 1613, some enlightened members of.
the States General, then assembled at Paris,
moved, that thOse usurped powers .of the Pope
should be disallowed and.rejected, that every per-
son who held an office under the Government.
should renounce them by at Test Oath; as, in.
consequence of their abuse, the two preceding- Mo-
narchs, Ilenry 111. and IV had fallen by the
daggers of assassinsi but the motion* was reject-
ed by a majority-of that -A“embly, through the
influence of the Clergy, in that age of super -7•
stitious bitfotry. Mr. \Tillers has shewn, that_the
late Revolution in France, .which overturned 'the
Altar and the Throne, would have been prevent-
ed, had those usurped powers. of the Pope been
renounced at that period.—aftlin Journa:.

On Sunday evening se'nnight, a house at Stan,
ley, near Wakefield, inhabited only hvladies, eras
broken open by forcing the front door withsaa
iron crow ; the/villains had previously attempted
to make an entrance by thecellar window. They
entered the house, of whicli they.appeor to,have
been for some tune in p.f..•sesit;n, where, rum-
maging about, they found the bunch of,keSS .hc-
lonKing to several closets, drawers, Et7i.--iu -the,
house, which they took away with them, and
strange to say, left every thing else behind -them.
Alarmed by this siugnlar visit, the ladies engaged
a man to sleep in tire hcHNe. On the following
night,- their unwelcome visitors again r:turned,
but finding him there; decamped, leaving the
keys they bad-take away the-preceding night in a
corn.field.

en-Wednesday morning last, about four o'cloa,
a fire broke out in the premises of Mr..] ohu
;op-
land, (known -by the name of Pophion,) situate
at Northmolton, which entirely consumed the
whole, together with the household' furniture,
farming-stock, &c. &c. The flames raged with
such fury, that Mr. Shopland and his family were
obliged td make' the best of their way out at the,
windows, in order to preserve their lives. We ap-
prehend the property consumed (which was worth
mady hundreds, of pounds,) was acquired by the
hand of industry ; and we arc sorm- to add, that
doubts are entertained of its having been wilfully
sat on fire.

A few evenings ago, about six o'clock, the pre-
mises- of Mr. efpcott, a respectable farmet,
.0f
Thovertou, Devon, were discovered to be ors fire
the flames raged with great fury, and entirely con-
sumed the dwelling-noise, together with the
barns, linhays,, and other • out-buildings, and 3
quantity of grain which had recently been take?
in. It is generally believed that the.prewises were.
wilfully set on fire, and.we hear that a woman, i$
already in custody, against whom there are stroag
grounds for suspicion.

BIRTHS. ‘-
On Thursday morning, at Denham-place, Bucks, the
of B. War, Esq. 'of a Son.
Yestettlar, in Parliament-street, LAy of James Walsb,
.Eq. of a Daughter.