The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-22 00:00:00

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Some of the Roman Catholic organs seem very
Anxious to justify the fears expressed formerly by a
minority of Protestants, but now becoming very pre-
valent—that Roman atholics never sincerely advo-
cated Religious Liberty—that it meant with them
liberty to act as their Church told them to do, and
the power to punish all who differed from them—that
Popery is essentially and unalterably intolerant.
In France the Univers regrets that Luther was not
burnt, and justifies the burning of John Huss and
Jerome of Prague. The rancorous malignity of
the 'ex-Quaker Lucas, in the Tablet, is notorious, and
other Romanist organs, heretofore more moderate, are
throwing off the mask. The Rambler, the recognised
organ of the Roman Catholics in this country, in the
last number assails Protestantism, and the great prin-
.ciple on which it is founded—the right of private judg-
ment, as follows :—" Believe us not, Protestants of
E,ogland and Ireland, for an instant, when you see us
poizring forth our liberalisms. When you hear a Catho-
lic orator at some public assemblage declaring solemnly
that ' this is the most humiliating day in his life,
when he is called upon to defend once more the glo-
rious principle of religious freedom'—(especially if he
says anything about the Emancipation Act and the
'toleration' it conceded to Catholics)—be not too
simple in your credulity. These are brave words,
but they mean nothing ; no, nothing more than
the promises of a Parliamentary candidate to his
constituents on the hustings. He is not talk-
ing Catholicism, bat nonsense and Protestantism ;
and he will no more act on these notions in
different circumstances, than you now act on
them yourselves in your treatment of him. You
ask, if he were lord in the land, and you were in a
minority, if not in numbers yet in power, what would
he do to you ? That, we say, would entirely depend
upon circumstances. If it would benefit the cause of
Catholicism, he would tolerate you : if expedient, he
would imprison you, banish you, fine you ; possibly
he might even hang you. But be assured of one
thing : he would never tolerate you for the sake
of the glorious principles of civil and religious
liberty.' . . . Why are we so anxious to make
the Church wear the garb of the world ? Why do
we stoop, and bow, and cringe before that enemy
whom we are sent to conquer and annihilate ? Why
are we ashamed of the deeds of our more consistent
forefathers, who did only what they were bound to do
by the first principle of Catholicism
Shall I foster that damnable doctine, that Socinianism,
and Calvinism, and Anglicanism, and Judaism, are
not every one of them mortal sins, like murder and
adultery ? Shall I lend my countenance to this
unhappy persuasion of my brother, that he is not
ying in the face of Almighty God every day
that he remains a Protestant ? Shall I hold out
hopes to him that I will not meddle with his creed if
he will not meddle with mine ? Shall I lead him to
think that religion is a matter for private opinion, and
tempt him to forget that he has no more right to his
religious views than he has to my purse, or my house,
or my life-blood? No! Catholicism is the most in-
tole7ant of creeds. It is intolerance itself, for it is
truth itself. We might as rationally maintain that
a sane man has a right to believe that two and two do
not make four, as this theory of religious liberty. Its
impiety is only equalled by its absurdity." If this
really be Catholicism, it is quite time that all Protes-
tants should be on their guard ; and if it be not, the
Roman Catholics of England, should at once, and in
the most emphatic manner, disavow such fiendish
malignity.

SEIZURE of TWO ILLICIT DISTILLERIES.

From information that had been received, Messrs.
Elmy and Cartwright, detective officers of Inlan,l
Revenue, and Mr. George, an officer of Customs,
proceeded to the house of Mrs. White, Brougham-
place, Orleans-road, Twickenham. Upon entering
the place they immediately perceived a strong smell
of spirits, which appeared to proceed from a cup-
board, which Mrs. White refused to unlock. It was
eventually forced open by Mr. Cartwright, and seve-
ral gallons of illicit spirits, 48 per cent. over proof,
were found therein. They then made a further
search, and in an outhouse found a large copper still
fully charged, but deficient the worm, with a quan-
tity of yeast, wash, and other utensils. The worm
was afterwards found in a sack, concealed under the
bed. An ingenious contrivance had been resorted to
for getting rid of the spent water, by passing it
amongst the pig-wash, no as to destroy the smell
arising therefrom. Mrs. White was taken before Mr.
Donnethorne, a magistrate of Twickenham, who fined
her 301. On Saturday, Mr. Bridges, an fficer, pro-
ceeded to a shop, professing to be one for shaving and
hair-cutting, in Sumner 'a-place, Commercial-road,
Camberwell, and having gained an entrance to the
house by stratagem (the display of a barber's pole
and other things being merely used as a blind) he dis-
covered in a back kitchen a distillery completely fitted
up, but the still was not charged. It appeared to
have been recently worked off. A woman, who opened
the door to him, during the time that he was search-
ing the house contrived to make her escape at the
back. Both the above seizures were conveyed to the
Inland Revenue warehouse in Broad-street.