The Sun.
London, England, 1823-04-08 00:00:00

ROMAN CATHOLICS.

The. following article has appeared In some
country Journals:-
4, We are informed that the following Petition to the House
of Lords is now in course of signature by the Clergy through.
out the Archdeaeonry of Sarum
" To the Right Hon. the Lords Spiritual and Tem.
Moral in Parliament assembled,
The Petition of the Archdeaconry of Sarum humbly
sheweth— •
" That in consequence of the repeated, and as it should seem,
never to be exhausted importunities of the Members of what is
called the Roman Catholic Church In these kingdoms—We, his
31ajesty's most devoted and loyal subjects, the accredited Mini-
sters of the established Church of England, feel ourselves imperi.
ously called upon by the duty which we owe to that Church to re-
new with all becoming respett, our humble Petition to your Hon.
House. Without presuming to interfere with political concerns,
of which, perhapS, we may be not altogether competent judges,
we consider ourselves nevertheless to be fully
.warranted by
the awful responsibility of our profession, aspersions more im-
mediately charged with• the preservation of the apostolical Faith
in this country, to enter our most solemn Protest, so far, at
least, as we may be permitted so to do, against any concessions
being made to the Members of the Church of Rom* which,
in their effort, may eventually tend to bring that l• aith into
danger. Cansidering that, among men of principle, no
compromise can take place between Truth and Error,
the ascendancy of the Church of England and that of the
Church of Rome, can never co-exist in the same country....
For, it is presumed, there can be no one, tolerably acquainted
with the history of the Church of Rome, but must know, that
the moat established and prevailing principles of that corrupt
Church, from the day of her first encroachment on the temporal
power, have been, what they still continue to be, those of Do-
minion and Intolerence. Whilst dear-bought experience has
abundantly proved,that no Civil Securities, in the day of Romish
Power, have ever been found strong enough to stand their
pdreidsenwt
ground against the thundering Bulls of the Vatican, and what
may, in such case, unfortunately be deemed the conscientious
oeiz,nocomnniseheteptirile:
discharge of ecclesiastical obedience. With these subjects be-
ealneoemt express
our to'ouree T
ouo us, t we
seriousshoul should
apprehension
. less t a n ooufr duty,
the
they necessarily must be with those consequences, which cannot
crease of Popish Semiipiaroriseesiyitinngtheips
spirit
tngdof
fail to ensue from the
hoed, let loose upon the uninformed population of this Protest-
ant Country ; a circumstance eXpressty calculated to train up a
succession of inveterate enemies to our envied Establishment.
But when, moreover, we have been constrained to hear, as we
lately have been, the licentious language of some of the Romish
Clergy, (on the presumption, it may be supoosedz of approach.
ing Indulgencies) setting at nought the very existence of our
National Church, and boldly denying the validity of her Orders
—it requires surely no spirit of prophecy to inform us, that
Power only is wanting to carry these unwarrantable assumptions
into practical effect.
With •the preceding considerations deeply impressed on
our minds, we humbly trust that your Lordships' determined,
anti, if it may be, unanimous decision upon the subject now
about to be brought before you, will effectually do away the
entertainment of all further hope of success upon it ; and there-
by prevent two Powers, which, from their decidedly discordant
principles, can never be in unison, from hieing brought, at any
future period, into fearful collision.
" Looking up, therefore, to your Lordship, as the hereditary
guardian of our excellent Constitution, we flatter ourselves; and
not without some degree of confidence, that the effectual secu-
rity of the Protestant succession, the undivided establishment
of our Church, together with the unequivocal presevration of
the true Faith among us, will continue to constitute, what they
have long been, paramount considerations in, your Lordahips'
minds ; to the end tat the blood of our venerable Reformers
may not have been shed in vain ; And the. Church of. this 'fa:
voured nation may still retain her distinguishing and Well.
Learned title of being' The Eye of the Reformation.) • 1.• t t
.4 And your Petitioners, &c."
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