The Sun.
London, England, 1821-04-12 00:00:00

ROMAN CATHOLICS.

REASONS why the ROMAN CATHOLIC EMANCIPA-
TION-CANNOT 'be GRANTED without IMMINENT
DANGER to, and VIOLATION of, the PRINCIPLES
. of the PROTESTANT. CONSTITUTION, as SET-
TLED-at the REFORMATION—By a LAYMAN.

We earnestly recommend this admirable Tract to the serious
attention of the Public. We shall content ourselves with giving
the Dedication' to that distinguished and eminent Prelate the
Lord Bishop of Chestrr, and a few Extracts from the WOrk
as we are convinced the whole of it should be read by every
friend of' Civil and Religious Liberty.
To the Right Rev. Dr. LAW, Bishop of Chester.
MY Loup—Though I might have addressed the following
Remarks to other learned Bishops, who are equally averse from
the Bill for granting to Papists the privilege of sitting as Re-
presentatives in the House of Commons ; I am confident that I
could not have chosen any Prelate more sincerely attached to
the good old doctrines and venerable faith of the Protestant
Church of England.
Neither should I have placed these Remarks before the Pub-
lic, HAD THE REASONS why our, Kings and wise Legislators
rejected the claims of the Papists, BEEN COMPLETELY
BROUGHT FORWARD DURING THOSE DEBATES, in which
the great champion of the Protestant Church, Mr. Peel, dis-
played so much eloquence and such perfect knowledge of the
impending danger.—l,have the honour to be, with the sincerest
respect, your Lordship's most obedient, humble Servant,
• —4.— VERITAS.

" The perpetual applications of the Roman, Catholics for
their Emancipation, as they are pleased to call it, will plead
the excuse of a Layman of the Protestant Church of England,
in offering a few words on the Bills now under consideration in
Parliament. I shall, therefore, without any previous introduc-
tion,. briefly give the reasons why the Papists cannot be admit-
ted into the Protestant national representation, and which rea-
soiss have always induced our Kings and our wisest Legislators,
to reject every application of the kind.
'" Much has been alleged respecting the oaths of Supremacy
and Allegiance ; it is said by the uninfornied advocates for the
Bill, that the Papists are ready to take the oath of allegiance.
True, and such persons should be informed that the Pope has
dispensed, and can dispense with this oath. Witness in the
reign of Elizabeth, when the Pope issued a Bull to the follow-
ing 'effect: absolve the people of England from their oath
of allegiance to Elizabeth their Queen.' 'We will and com-
mand the subjects of England to take up arms against Eliza-
beth their Queen.' Bulla Pii Quint. Pont. Max. Again ;
We, by our apostolic authority, do absolve all subjects from
their oaths of fealty; which they hire sworn to Princes excom-
municated. Pope Gregory VII. spud Grat. Laos, 15. 9.
Again We excommunicate all heretic Princes, and absolve
their subjects frOm their oaths and duties of allegiance. Pius
V. Pontifex, in Bulla. Therefore, though the Papists say
they have given up this, I say it is not possible for them to
give up any one of the Prerogatives of the Pope, which they
have invested in him as an hereditary right : they remain in full
force with every Papilt, and will be acted upon whenever they
may deem it necessary. From which it is evident that no Go-
vernment cats have any dependance whatever on any such oath
for the due performance of any contract. For if the good of
the Roman Church should require it, the Pope pretends to dis-
pense with their oath, and to pardon their perjury in the sight of
God. This is by them considered as his inalienable preroga-
tive, and every Papist is bound to observe it on pain of final
excommunication, and eternal damnation. See the Pope's Bull
in the reign of Elizabeth : We consign to eternal damnation,
all those who will not follow Arthur O'Neal.'
" The Papists refuse to take the oath of supremacy, as they
will not allow any other potentate to be supreme except the
Pope. It would sound very strange in England, to hear of
two heads of the church among the subjects of one king, who
is the suprethe head of the church. It is argued by those
in favour of Papists, that their refusing to take the oath of su-
premacy, is a proof of their sincerity in faithfully abiding by
the oath of allegiance. But sucl: reasoners should be informed,
that this.may be the case, when what they call the good of the
church and the command of the'Pope do not call upon them ;
but whenever that is the call, they say, considering the Pope to I
be supreme, and being infatuatedenough to believe that a power
is delegated to this fallible man, which makes him infallible,
they say, in such case, no faith is to be kept with heretics ;
tins is a known truth; no Papist, if he speak truth, can deny
it, and I challenge every Papist in Europe to deny it.
" What do all the delusive pretensions of the Papists amount
to, when even confirmed by the most solemn oaths ? Why,
they stand for nothing ; for when they came forward to satisfy
'the Government by the most serious of all obligations, and
thus pretended to give security for their good conduct ; did not
three Popish Priests, .calling themselves apostolic Vicars, de-
clare that the Pope was not bound to acknowledge.or confirm
any oath taken by the laity ? Therefore, it-is hoped by the
great body of the nation, that the higher-branches of the legis-
lature will not suffer any alteration of the laws established at'
the Reformation, and that his Majesty will be as firm a Sop-
porter and defender of the 'Protestant faith, in opposition to the
inroads of- Popery,. as his Royal father, who; for his inflexible
adherence to the Protestant cause, deserves to live in the hearts
of every true Protestant.
wllerice it will be seen, that the Papists cannot give any se-
curity to Government for the due performance of any thing re-
specting the church by the most serious of all acts ; solemn
oath in the presence of God is pretended to be dispensed . with
by a fallible man, and the -oerjury pardoned, through the lute-
' rest which the Italian Bishop has with God. Such is the in-
consistency of those who plead in favour of this Bill, that an
Honourable Gentleman declared in his speech, that the Papist
had given up the doctrine of transubstantiation, and in the
same speech, that they believe it in a sense. If this be not
nonsense, surely we do not know what is, and nonsense is
never to be understood.
" An Hon. Member paid a very high compliment to Mr.
Plunkett, as the greatest master of eloquence and reasoning
now ex;sting in public life.' Whatever may be the powers of
that Honourable Gentleman's reasoning, is not with me the
question; but I will venture to say that he did not understand
the subject on which he took up so Much of the valuable time
of the House. This Gentleman said, It was 'asserted that
the Roman Catholics held the doctrine of actual transubstan-
tiation, that there was an actual presence at the sacrament of
the body of our Lord in the bread, and of his blood in the
wine.. He (Mr. Plunkett) could only say, if it were so—if such
a doctrine were really held, it- must be held in direct contradic-
tion to the words of our Saviour, and the dictates of common
sense ; for if men knew the elements before them to be bread
and wine, it must be impossible that they could be the body
and blood of the Redeemer. The Roman Catholics affirmed
that they did not believe this actual transubstantiation, because
they admitted that it was clearly impossible for the same body
to he in two places at one time.' So far Protestants agree with
Mr. Plunkett, that ' if men knew the elements before them to
be bread and wine, it must be impossible for them to 'believe
that they could be the body and blood of the gedeenier.' But
what Sfiall we say to this Gentleman's great 'powers of reason-
ing, when in the, same breath lie positively declares that the
Roman Catholics do not believe in the doctrine of transubetan.
tiatioo ;: and then—' In candour, however, he must admit, that
in a sense the Roman Catholica did believe in transubsaentia-
lion, in a certain sense they did hold it. And here -he would
observe, that not knowing, he would not attempt to describe
it.' It was, however, this Gentleman's duty to have under-
stood his subject, before he. had presumed to have spoken in
the senate, or to have misled the people of England, by first as-
serting, what was not true, and yet, after the manner of the Je-
mitts, to alloic what he had denied."
The Honourable Member asks, in another part of his
speech, Why was there, no .denunciation against- those who
believed not tisedivinity of our Lord ! Why was there not a
denunciation of the Jews, of the Mahometans, of the Pagans ?
Why was it suilleient to abhor the Roman Catholics ?' In an-
swer to these questions, I will tell this Gentleman why. To
the first question, viz. ' Why was there no denunciation against
,these who believed not the divinity of our Lord ?' I answer ;
the Unitarians, -for I suppose those are Meant, I say the Uni-
tarians, are amenable to the laws of the land the same as the
Paphits, but they have no Pope to absolve them from the oath
of ALLEGIANCE ; nor, have they a Vicar of Christ on earth,
nor any supreme head of the church, to ,dispense with •the sa-
credness of an oath, and to free the conscience from the awful
crime of perjury. And as to any denunciation against Jews,
Mahometans, or Pagans ; the Jews, no, doubt, would be as
conscientious in the due observance of their oath as Christians,
for they have no temporal or spiritual head, to forgive per-
jury, And with regard to Maliometans and Pagenerk` they do
not rekide in . this country, and if they were to- result here,
they would certainly be' more eligible than, the Papist to sit
in the House of Commons, as they have no supreme on
earth, who professes. to forgive perjury. Therefore such ques-
tions put by this Gentleman, do not in any sense bear on
the subject, and it" must astonish every thinking man and
woman in the nation, that when such questions, altogether
irrelevant, were asked, that greetings and cheers were heard
from every part of the House.' Hence it is , evident why there
is no denunciation against the Jews, becatthe they have no
'supreme head of their church professing to forgive the crime
ofhperjury. And from this consideration it is incontrovertibly
evident, that Papists can give no security whatever to any
Protestant nation for the due performance of the most solemn
oaths ; they areatlltliipensed with, by one blast of the breath of
a petty Italian Bishop, who for political purposes presumes to
usurp the province of (Jon himself, and impiously to pretend, as
his ...inalienable right, to absolve Prot:lts% subjects from elicit

oath of allegiance to their lawful king. On reflection and due
consideration, there can be no doubt but that every sincere
friend tothe Established Church, every sincere Protestant in
the Houses of Lorda and Commons will do his duty, and sup-
port the true principles of the Conititution in the Church, as
they were most conscientioualy and religiously observed by our
late gracious Monarch, Who, if he could rise from the dead,
would blush to see such advocates for popery in a British
Senate.
".It surely is high time to pilt an end for ever to the political
pretensions of Papists,when, in defiance of the law of England,
the Pope, who owes his restoration to the See of Rome to Eng-
land only, has established, by his assumed authority, the order
of Jesuits, who now exercise their functions in the diocese of
Chester. It is hoped that the laborious Prelate of that diocese
will shew his marked disapprobation to such a violation of the
law, and so disgusting to every Protestant in the land who has
a sincere desire to support the Constitution. Beside there is
another thing to be taken into consideration by the government.
believe it is allowed that the dissenters make about half of
the population of Great Britain, and if the Papists were thus to
be indulged, the Dissenters must have a prior right. They
have no Pope to forgive the sin of perjury,. they render them-
selves amenable both to the laws of God and man. And there-
fore they must in such a case be at least placed on a level with
the Papist.
" But would it have been believed -twenty years since, that
any supporter of the Protestant cause would, in the House of
Commons, give notice of a motion for government to pay the
Papist Priests. Gracious. God ! is it come to this already ?
What would have been the feelings of the English Ceinmons
thirty years ago, could they have . known that at this day, the
society of Jesuits would be established in England 'by the au-
thority of the Pope, and the Popish Priests paid by Govern-
rnent ? Surely in such case the Dissenting Ministers have an
undoubted right to he paid also. Now as it will in justice be
admitted that the Dissenters must have the same privileges
as the Papists, it will be obvious to every Protestant Member,
that on any question relating to the Church of England, or to
the support of the Church of England, the united interest of
the two would carry any question whatever against the establish-
ed
' " There is another important thing worthy of the considera-
tion of every real Protestant Member in the House of Commons
and Lords, as it has respect to his feelings of honour in int
of equality. Every Protestant Member acknowledges the King
to be the supreme temporal head of the Church and State, and
accordingly he is obliged to take the oaths of snpremacy, and
allegiance; if he should violate. either of these oaths, and be
found in rebellion against his King, he subjects himself to the
punishment of the law, he suffers the penalty of death, and the
whole of his property is confiscated. Not so with the Papist,
he takes not the oath of supremacy; therefore, on his defection,
he violates not the law, consequently does not subject himself
to any penalty whatever. Where then would be the equal jus-
tice between the Protestant and the Papist ? and how will such de-
cided partiality be borne by any Member, who has honourable
faelings as to his own dignity, and the honour of his constitu-
ents ? Can honour reside where such an indignity can be sub-
mitted to ?
Again, though theintegrity of the present government is not
to be doubted, who can insure to the Protestants of England
the purity of any future House of Commons ? And if it be
not possible for any such pledge to be given to the church and
people, what san prevent the overwhelming influence of bribery,
should Popish governments think it necessary to make Papacy
the established religion of England ? We know they
look on the power of England with no friendly eye ; and
if this ascendancy which once was obtained should again be ob-
tained, we know what has beet may be ' • an Italian bishop may
again sit in his palace at Rome, and thus to carry any political
question, dispose of the blood and treasure of England, interdict
tne land that the people cannot bury the dead, and dethrone the
Monarch.
" But those who plead in favour of the Bill say, a man must
be devoid of sense to suppose any thing of the kind, as there will
always be a great majority of Protestant Members. But this,
I say, is presuming that every future House of Commons will
be as free from bribery as the present ; but should this not hap-
pen to be the case 'I see a total end to the Established Church.
" But it may also be argued that the House of Lords are a
sure guarantee to the people of England for the security of their
Protestant faith. Truly so; and in many cases it is a happy
thing for the nation, and the security of the throne, that they are
the guardians of the rights of the people. But certainly should
the above circumstances ever occur, such a House of Commons
would dictate to the Lords ; they , would be obliged to pass
whatever such a house should by such a majority propose, or
withhold the supplies, and involve the nation in foreign wars.
" In order to couvinee the reader that the principles of Pa-
' pists are in every respect the same as they were in'thealays when
they condemned Protestants to the flames with the badge of
heretics, I take the following extracts from the New Papist
Bible, published at iDublin, 1813, under the sanction of Dr.
'Troy, called the Archbishop by the Papists. It cannot (says
Mr. Blair) be supposed to contain any misrepresentation of the
principles of the Romish Priesthood :
" In the Annotations of Dr. Troy's 'Bible, the authority of
which, as being ecclesiastical tradition, stated and expounded by
the pastors of the Romish Church, is maintained to be no less
binding on the conscience of a Papist, than the text itself of the
sacred Scripture ; the Romanists are informed, that Protes-
tants are heretics and schismatics'—' the bane and disease of
this time: (note on John xvi. 28.) that all the definitions and
marks of an heretic fall upon them ;' (on Tit. iii. 10.) and that
the church of God calling the Protestants' doctrine heresy, in
the worse part that can be, and in the worst sort that ever was,
cloth right and most justly :' (on Acts xxviii. 22.) 'That the
new pretended church service of England is in schism and
heresy, and therefore, not only unprofitable, but damnable :
(on Acts x. 9.) that as the Jewish temple was made a den of
thieves, the church, or ' the house appointed for the, holy sa-
crifice, and sacrament of the body of Christ, is now much more
made a den of thieves, being made a deli for the ministers of
Calvin's breed :' (on Mark xi. 17.) that the prayer of a schis-
matic (i. e. a protestant) cannot be heard by heaven : (on John
xv. 7.) that the speeches, preaching, and writings of heretics
(Protestants) are pestiferous, contagious,- and creeping like a
canker ; therefore Christian men must never hear their sera
mons, nor read their books :' (on 2 Tim. ii. 17.) that as the
devil acknowledging the Son of God,. was bid to hold his peace:
therefore, neither heretics (Protestants) sermons. must be
heard, no ..r cithough they preach the truth; so is it of their
prayer and service, .which being never so good in itself, is not
acceptable to (od out of their mouths ; yea it is no better than
the howling of wolves :' (on Mark iii. 12.) that Christian man
is especially boisnd to burn and deface all heretical books :'
(and tlierefoae Protestant Bibles, Prayer Books, &c. (on Acts
xix. 19.) that' the translators of the English Protestant Bible,
ought to be' abhorred to the depth of hell :' (on Heb. v. 7.)
Roman Catholics must avoid them, (Protestants) because their
familiarity is contagious and noisome to good men : but in mat-
ters of religion, in praying,reading their books, hearing their ser-
mons, presence at their service,partaking of their sacraments, and
all other communication with them in spiritual things, it is a
great damnable sin to deal with them :' (on John ii. 10.) The
good (i. e. the Papists) inuat tolerate the evil (L e. the Protes-
tants), when it is so strong that it cannot be redressed without
r danger or disturbance of the whole church ; otherwise, where
evil men, be they heretics or other malefactors, may be punish-
ed and suppressed, without disturbance and hazard of the good,
they may and ought, by public authority, either spiritual or tem-
poral, to be chastized, or executed :' (on Matt. xiii. 29.) Again :
heretics, though in the beginning they may appear to have
some shew of truth, yet in due time their .deceits and falsehood
shall be known by all wise men ; though for troubling the state
of such commonwealths where unluckily they have been re_
ceived, they cannot be so suddenly extirpated:' (on 2 Tim. iii.
9.) The Protestant clergy of all denominations are farther des-
cribed, in this authorized Popiali Bible, as 'thieves, murderers,
and ministers of the devil:-' (on John x. 1.) They and their
flocks, as supporters of the Protestant heresy;' are 'declared to
be in a rebellion and damnable revolt against the priests of
God'a church, that rebellion which (they declare) the bane
of our days :' (on Heb. xiii 17.) The Papists are commanded
by this Bible, their authorized divine oracle, to be' zealous and

stout against heretics of what sort soever ; and to be thus ze

lous, remembering the example of hoLy Elias, that in z2al kill-
ed four hundred and fifty false prophets'e (on Rev. ii. 0. 20.)
When Rome puts heretics to death, and allows their punish-
ment in other countries, their blood'(the blood ofProt2stants)l is
not called the blood of saints, no more than the blood of thieves,
man-killers, and other malefactors for the shedding of which,
by order of justice, no commonwealth shall answer :1 (on Pant'

In anoiher annotation the exclamation of Queen
Mary's Rhemish 'priests is sanctioned, viz. If St-Paul apt"
pealed to Caesar not vet christened, •how much more may we
call for the aid of Christian. princes, (meaning Popish-princes,)
for the punishnient of heretics:' (on. Acts xxv. 11.) Let the
reader remember, that these ortluxlox Popish notes were
published in the year 1818. •
" The unfounded and dangerous claim of Papists to jurisdic-
tion over all Protestants has been fully expi...q.l by Dr. Her-
bert Marsh; Bishop of Peterborough. • I shall therefore leave
these infamous notes of the Papists for the serious considera-
tion Of the Protestant reader ; who by this time must. be con-
vinced' thet Popery is the same in all ages.
".11ad the advocates for the. Bill read the above audacious,
wicked, and infamous declarations, that the Protestant clergy
are described by the Papists, in their authorized Popish Bible,
as murderers, and ministers of the devil,' &c. &c.
• thieves;

(on Johiv x. 1.) and it was their duty to have read them, before
they had insulted the understandings of the English clergy ;
they could not, with any semblance of truth, be considered as
advocates for the Protestant . cause. I therefore conclude.

they have not read the above statements, contained in
this modem Popish oracle. I say, after this selection of
the most unparalleled pe presurcior. that was ever manifested,

(exCept.in the day when by the bulla of A petty Italian bishop, the
impious and presumPtuotis Papist priests sanctioned. the bloody
murders of faithful Protestants, not only in England, but in
every part of the world where they could obtain power,). after
the adyocatee for the Bill have read the vile notes in the above-
mentioned authorized Popish Bible, they will see that if those
seekers after universal dominion over the souls, - bodies, and.
properties of Protestants, were to get what they are thus striv-
ing for, via. a majority in the House of Commons, to make
Popery the establiihed profession -of the land—and that they
will get such a majority, if ever we should see a venal House
where, in addition to the great number of Popish Members,
Protestant Members' should he found, who may not be invul-
nerable against bribery—l say, should this be so—then from
the plain declarations in the above cited vile notes, acknowledged
and promulgated throughout all Papal countries, as infallible
notes,' I say the advocates will then be convinced, (if common
sense and common honesty be allowed to speak) that though
they advocate the cause of the Whore of Babylon, Rev. xtiiii. 5.
she would be obliged, consistently with her avowed principles,
to consign them to the flames as heretics. If however, they
will read the letters of Mr. Blair, A.M. addressed to Mr. Wil-
berforce, if such statements as the above, taken by that writer
from the Papist Bible, will not convince them that the prin-
ciplas of the Papists are the same as they were when the
bloodthirsty Papal Junto, in the days of the hateful Mary,
filled the' Inquisitions, and fed the burning piles with the
bodies of Protestants, nothing will convince them, I then shall
be constrained to conclude that such Gentlemen are Papists in
their hearts, and Protestants by profession.
" Let such Gentlemen read the Pope's pastoral letter as pub-
lished in the papers, and they will find it nearly as follows,
viz. that the Inquisition is the only barrier to tne church of
Rome, and Protestants ought not to be permitted to worship
God in a Roman Catholic country."
" The, Papists do not allow those who are in their com-
munion ever to go to any other place of worship, which they
call denying their religion.' In 'their examination, before
they go for absolution, the following question is asked, Have
,you by word or deed denied your religion ? or gone to the
churches or meetings of Heretics, (Protestants) so as to join any
way with them in their worship ? or to oive scandal ? how often?'.
-Devotions for Communion, p. 211. It is hardly to be believed,
that a little horde of Papists could have the assurance to stig-
matize the professors ea -. the established religion of the nation
with the term heretic, and to tell the Clergy that they are
thieves,' having taken what belongs to them; and yet solicit
the Protestants to grant their emancipation."
" Apologies are frequently made concerning the principles
of Papists, and even by some of the Protestant Clergy, ti:at
such and such things are now disavowed by the Papists. These
apologies I find have been made before this day. About six
years ago, a Correspondence on the Roman Catholic Bible
Society' was published by Mr. Blair, in which select notes ap-
' peared, taken from the J)oway and Rheims Bible, purporting
the gennine principles of Roman Catholics.' Mr.
Blair then says, We do not forget the clatnour which was
then raised; for it was observed by Mr. Butler, in his reply,
When the harsh expressions of the Rhenish annotators are
brought forward, the dungeons too, the racks, the gibbets, the
fines, the confiscations, and tile various other modes of perse-
cution in every hideous form :' that these,' says Mr. Butler,
should have produced sonic expressions of bitterness from the
writers in question, cannot be a matter of surprize.' •
" This was the apology made for such disgraceful annota-
tions, first • published in 1582, (see Gent. Mag. for Feb. 1814,
p. 123.) and it is asked, Why the Roman Catholics of the
present clay should be criminated for an alleged intemperance
of some of the Rhemish notes ?' The plain answer is, because
such notes are approved and circulated by Roman Catholics of
the present day. And of this fact, Engliah Protestants have
now an undoubted right to complain, because there is no such
palliating provocation in the nineteenth century.'
" The writer,..mr. Blair, continues, We have seen an ad-
vertisement in the Dublin Correspondent, announcing that
this Bible (with infallible annotations) is publishing num=
bees at Cork under the sanction (forsooth) of their Graces Arch-
bishop Troy, and the Lord Primate of Ireland, with the Pre-
sident isk the Royal College of Maynooth, and several of the
other Popish 'prelates. •
" Thus, while the authorized translation and the English
translators are abhorred by these Popish priests, to use their
own worda, to the depth of hell,' they keep up the farce of
Archbishop, of Dublin and Lord Primate of Ireland, ever rest-.
less for dominion, and ever watchful for spiritual power, which
also comprehends political power.
• ." One word more respecting the term Protestant, and its
in g applied by Papists to members of the Church of England.
The Papists tell us, that we of the Church of England are dis-
senters from the Church of Rome. This I deny; we are no
more dissenters from the Church of Rome, than we are dissen-
ters from the Church of Greece, or the Greek Church. From
the commencement of the Christian Church to the time of Con-
stantine, the Church of Christ was pure, it was to that period
apostolic ; but when Constantine turned Christian, he brought
into the Church an inundation of wealth, Paganism, and
worldly grandeur, which, like a mighty flood, swept away
the truths of the apostolic Church. Then was • the abominaa
tion of desolation set up in the holy place, Dan.. viii. 27.
Communion in one kind sufficient for salvation—Confession—
Extreme unction—Fasting—lntages—lndulgencesa.apenance,--
Purgatorye—Mizaculoas relicks—Prayers to - saints—Apostoli-
cal traditions—Transubstantiation—.lnvocation of the .Virgin
Mary, &c. and other things as contrary to the Command of
Christ and the practice of the Apostolic Church, as' ight to
darkness. But the faith, doctrine, and practice of the Church
of England, as has been observed, is perfectly consistent with
the faith, doctrine, and practice of the Apostolic Churches ;
and therefore her Priests and Professors are the true legitimate
descendants of the Anostics, in faith, doctrine, and practice;
they are no more dis;enters from the Roman Catholic profes-
sion, than they are from the Episcopal Greek Church, or Epis-
copal Mahometanism, or, Episcopal Paganism. J3tit the
Papists are incontrovertibly the tree dissenters from the faith,
doctrine, and practice of the Apostolic Church;'
" In short, the direful evils which present themselves on al-
lowing a set of men to sit as representatives in the blouse of
Commons, who can bring Ix THE WEALTH AND INFLHENCE•
or PAPAL NATIONS- to gain an ascendancy in the national
representation for the pu-epose of establishing the, tyranny of
Popery, is truly alarming,; and no professing- Protestant can
possibly be esteemed a true Protestant who favours such a Bill
as is now under • consideration in Parliainent. I put the fol-
lowing question to every Protestant. —lf there be any mean-
ing in a solemn oath, when GOD is invoked to witness it; and if
every Protestant take a solemh oath to preserve inviolate the
Protestant Faith, and the Protestant succession to the Throne,
invoking GOD to witness it ; can any man be esteemed a true
Protestant, and does lie not violate the oath he has taken to
preserve the Protestant Profession inviolate, if he-vote for the
emancipation of Papists ?. Certainly:
" It is said by those who are in -.favour of the Popish Bill,
that all.. the enormities committed by the Papists were done in
the dark ages, that now they are a very different people, and
that they may be trusted as well as Protestants. T have no
hesitation to 'allow that they are to be depended on equally in all
dealings between man and man, but mall things relating to
what is called the good of the Church, when the authority of
the Pope in the conclave makes its appearance in the form of a
.Bulla, all their oaths, all their promises, all their securities
given to Protestants, vanish for ever ; as above observed, the
Apostolic Vicars (so called) honestly told the people of Eng-
land. that the laity could not interfere with the prerogatives of
the Pope, and that no engagements whateVer. Made by them
could be binding on their consciences.
" That the principles-of Papists ate not changed is certain,
their thirst for persecution is not quenched ; witness the dis-
graceful and wicked persecutions of Protestants in France on,
the restoration of peace, when they were murdered, their places
of worship destroyed, and • great numbers were driven to seek
an asylum in woods and mountains."
The Author here gives various passages from the Popish:
writcrs.in support of his assertions, which are deserving of the
most serious consideration.
" What say our Bishopsand the Clergy to the modest elaiins
•of these.pet'y Italian Popish Priests, to the exclusive right to
the spiritual offices and privileges,. and to the temporal posses-
sions of our ecelesiastical establishments, which are plainly as-
serted in the notes of the Popish Bibles. And in order to jus-
tify it, the words of . Tertulhan are perverted, aid used against
the Protestant Clergy :' viz. Who are you, anti from whence
came yds' ? What iio you in my possession ?—I possesssd it
ofold—l am heir of the' Apostles. As they provided by their
Testament, as they committed it to my credit, as they aljureil
me, so do I hold it. Von surely they 'disinherited always, and.
have cast you off as enemies.' Pref. p. 16. Again : the Pro-
testant Clergy and their flock are • nut to be allowed even the
possession of the Sacred Scriptures. No heretics (Protestants)
have right to the Scriptnres, but are usurpers ; the Catholic
Church' (the Papists) being the true Owner and faithful keeper
of them.'—Pref. ibid

" Again : Heretics (Protestants)' follow an hypocrisy and
show of virtue, the pernicious doctrine of Devils, 'who erelying
spirits in the mouths of all heretics and false teachers :' (note
on 1 Tins. iv. 1.) that the Protestants resemble ' Judas in
apostasy :' (on John vi. 63) '.To all such the Apostle giveth
the curse, and telleth them, that the storm of darkness and eter-
nal damnation is provided for, them :' (on Jude 11.)
".That heretics (Protestants) can possibly he saved,
though they shed their blood for Christ's name—though:they
die among heathens or Turks, for defence of truth, or some ar-
ticle of Christ's religion,' and that they who now-a-days die in
defence of their heresies, arc . on that account more dam-
nable :' (on 1 Cor. xiii. 3.)
• ‘' 'hest; quotations, made from that shocking engine of mis-
chief, the Popish AnnOtations in their. Bible, ar,•:. sufficient to
convince the reader, that the principles of Papists in the 19th
century r:e tha same ss at sny former perlev.l; there is no me-

lioration of the Persetutaig murderous sp i ir't, Tilt,' 0N1.7
WANT POWER AGAIN to realize those scenes. of blood in Eng-
land, when Protestants were dragged item their families to
dungeons and death.
" It is hoped that those guardians of the Constitution, TiE
LORDS, will religiously abide by the decisions of our Kings
and wise Leg,ifflators, and never allow any change to take place
in the national representation, so as to bring in men to vote
against our Established Church, the Clergy, and the
Ministers of every Protestant denomination, who cannot give
ani security to Government for the due fulfilment of any. pro-
mises, or engagements by the most solemn oaths, as is above
shewn, thOutrh they were to take them in the more immedate
presence of do!), at the altar."