The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-13 00:00:00

On the Test Act.

" The reasonableness of a Test is not hard to be proved, but
perhaps the proper Test has not been chosen."-•--(Dr. Johnson.)
Warburton thought a Test " absolutely necessary for the
curity of the Established Religion, where there are. diversities
of sects ; but a sacramental Test is the very worst, bscause
evaded and profaned."—(Johnson's Life of Swift—and Supple-
mental Volume to Divine Legation.) . •
I have already mentioned Bishop, BuAstTz AN. He suc-
ceeded Archbishop Usher in the See of Armagh. His answers
to fililitiere, who endeavoured to• drily over Charles the Second
to embrace the Roman Catholic faith, and to the Bishop ofChal-
cedon, in vindication of the Church of England, are mentioned,
with high commendation, by Bishop Jeremy Taylor, who says,
in the sermon preached by him at the funeral of Bishop Bram-
ban," Whenever men will desire to he satisfied in those great
questions, viz. (between Protestants and Papists,) the Bishop of
Derry's Book shall be his oracle."
Is it not to be expected, that, whenever the members of the
Church of Roir'e obtain power in England, there will be found
Militieres, and Smiths (Smith was the Bishop of Chaleedon) to
invite the people of this Country to forsake the Church of Eng-
land, and to persuade them, that the Church of Rome is tne
only Church in whose pale Salvation can be obtained ?
is not the Roman Catholic Religion still thought the only
safe Religion, by the generality of its professors ? Do not the
lower classes of them think of their Religion, as Sir Walter
Scott supposes one of his' low characters, in his late work, to
think of it, viz. as " that convenient Religion, which you
might slip off and on as easily as a glove ?" A Religion, 'in
winch " they carried their consciences to confession, as the
month came round, to be white-washed by the Priest," &c. &c.
These, or Such as these, will he arguments in port;
Bishop LAW, in his " Reflections on the Life of Christ,"
says, " Popery still (1774) offers the greatest baits of case and
opulence, of pomp and power."
Bishop Thy non., with his accustomed gentleness, after hav-
ing said that he " who believes Contrition alone, with Confes-
sion-to a Priest; is enough to expiate ten thousand sins—he that
hath a great many cheap ways of buying oil' his penancy, even
for the greatest sins, is taught a 'way not to fear the doing of an
act for which he must repent ; since repentance is a duty so
soon,' so certainly, and so easily performed. But these are
notorious doctrines of the Roman Church—yet many,
who trust to these doctrines in their discourses, dare not rely
upon them in their lives," &c. &c.

The Idolatry of the (lurch of Rome is Sherrn by Bishop
SANDzitsox, Sermon the sixth, Ad Populum, .pp. 26a1-7.
folio. 7th Edition, 1681..

Petitions will be presented to Parliament against the alteration
proposed to be made in the Laws respecting Roman Catholics.
The following passage, from Dean Swift, has frequently been
oirered to the notice of ,Ilinisters, and, of the Public :—" When
a child grows easy and contented by being hummred:

. _ .
when a kver beednici Sattss._)d s'mald corap_liariers,
then expect to find popular Assemblies (especially Romdn
Catholic Assemblies) content with small concessions." From
Roman Catholic Members of Parliament, our posterity may s!..e
Roman Catholic. Lord Chancellors, Roman Catholic Arch-
bishops; and, at-last, a Roman Catholic K . .
Lord BAcoN's Essay, " Of Unity in .deserves
attention. Vol. 1, Essay 2. Octa-;o Edition
• " Grothrs, on his death-bed, .recommendc'd to ice wife and
such of his family as wets then about him, the Church of Eng-
land, as it was legally established."—Bishopßrainhall
wife of 6rotius, in obedience to herliusband's oinximands, bringat
least one of his grandchildren, toSir Richard Brown's house, then
President for the King in Penis,. to .be baptised into the faits
and communion of the Church of Engtand, &e.—(See
hall's Vindication of (irotius, p.. 612, folio.)
Mr. Archdeaeon.oo RE mentions it, " to the honour a Bi.;
shop Atterhury, that he remained, during bis.exile, true to the
Protestant Religion, and regular in the performance of its du-;
ties. lie reprobated the .conduct of those who had, sacrifkebd
their religion to obtain the Pretender's favour ; he even qumr.;
relied with the Duke of Berwick, who proposed giving a (atiio-
lie to the young Duke of 'Buckingham, and used bia
iolluence•over the Duchess, to place none but Prot,:stants about
the person of. her son."—(Memoirs of Sir Robert Wb.lpole.)
In. Bishop,TiyLon's " Dissuasive front Popery," revised
by the Author, 1664, many proofs are exhibited of the " mis-
chiefs produced in Societies and Communities of ".',lc u " by the
Roman Catholic Doctrines. But, in the Preface, he repres2r.to
the state of the. Irish'in most affecting terms, concluding with
these .wordS' " So that it is certain that the Roman- Catholic
Religion .is here amongst us" (in Ireland), a Faction, aria a
State-party, and design to recover their old laws, and barbarous
manner of living," &c: & . . -
The contents of chapter the 3d of Bishop T.'s "'l)::suasitfe',"
&c. are—" The Church of Rowe teaches dtictrines-&stractito
of ChriStrian Society in general and of Monarchy in a;e..2ia.i."—
In Ids " Liberty of Prophesying," the Parent, as zwethe wr;ter.9.-
have thought, of LoCke upon Toleration, and finally Of tl..e
Toleration. Act itself, this -" charitable and, • sweet-tempered
Bishop"' (so he is called by Pr. Jortiit) " allows J4c,
,rency? nor any co T AN CE to thOse r=li iorns wleose prin-
ciples destroy Government, nor to thoe ri•EL-rons (if there be
any .such) that teach -ilt4e."—(Episth, 13 dicttory, p. 11 .1
printed 1617.) •
Dr. Joni- nkr's Sermon, on the Dangers of Popery, 1%.1.. 3,
kierm; 13, has been published, at t‘fiuclister, in a szlJarat.
pamphlet, with the title, " In.structions to Protestant...l, or, tb.,t
Pretensions, Doctrines, and Usages of the Church of Runs"
-7--{Printed by JaMes Robbins, College_street.)

THE Tne.vrne.----The original text of SllaKE-
seNnE ought on all occasions to be retained upon
the. stage, as far as the change, of times and the
fluctuation of publie taste will admit.
~We were
therefore much gratified in witnessing last night
at Covent-garden Theatre the revival of The. 14e
and Death of ging Richard the 7'hird, as Written
by our immortal Bard, with as few alterations as
were necessary to connect the scenes together,
and adapt it in point of length to the usual dura-
tion of theatrical representations. CIBBErt, a
very skilful play-wright, though no great poet,
had very ingeniously patched up the - play as
usually acted, but with parental fondness had
introduced too much of his own, composition.
This .part was iii a:great degree cleared away
last night, but 'enough of Cleßrit was -left fyr
necessary. connexion. The .play, therefore, as
brought forward last night, was almost entirely
the work of,its great author, and bids fair to di'-
place ClBBEit's alteration from theatrical boards.
The avowed Restorer
,of this mastetly Work of
its great author is, we understand, Mr. Sw
gentleman whose poetical powers- and learning
are well known in the literary world, particularly
by his Anacreon in Dublin, which, though not
bearing his name, is admitted to be his compositifin:
The play had such support in the acting as well en-
titles it to public protection on 'that ground also.
M A CRLADY gave a masterly exhibition of Ricktrd,
particularly in the Council Chamber, wheTe.
displays'the pretended effect of witchcraft, tip
dooms Hastings to immediate ei-ecution. He
was 'indeed energetic and effective throughout.
EGERTON was uncommonly successful in the per-
formance of Clarence; particularly in the recital of
the dream. Mrs.' Btrzix was very impressive iU
Margaret, and Mrs. IrtNING gave a pathetic intv-
rest to. Lady Anne. A BROTT as,usual was spirited
in Richmond. On the next representation we
would advise the BishT of EIN to keep his sta7-
tion at the Council Board, and not on Richard's
commanding the siren:her-ries to hurry away like
a servant to fetch .a pottle for the Protector. The
play was very well received, and in min)), parts
much applauded by a numerous audience.

" We have received several letters, commc•ut-
ing with a very natural and just severity on th 6
illiberal remarks of a gallant admiral, as reported
in the debate of the 20th ult. The observations,
variously worded, were, in every version, such
as we have described them, but. we hope our cor-
respondents will agree on reflection, that the)'
are unworthy of notice. Our revenue requires.
liberal use and consumption of ccUlforts and tax-
able articles ; and to look for a revival of pros-
perity by reducing farmers to smock-frocks, a;Ja
their wives to linsey7woolsey and milk-pot:0(1;r/
is a most preposterous policy. With reord,
• the old fashioned comforts of which Sir
makes mention, perhaps he has no very eicitridO:le
of what they were ; "
-a
-e- shall ,:).P-"rove insert -3
brief list of some of thern, to which, the Um:l4ll's
be glad to return as gpeedily, as possibl-
-Ist, A stockyard in June, containing. half ists
whyat and beans of the last harvest ; 3d, A CC
lar full of good ale, brewed from malt at 9s. 1-,Fr
quarter duty ; Horses without taxation ; 4th,
No arrears of rent ; sth, Plenty of yottn cattle
and horses of his own breeding, growing into
profit ; 6th, Poor-rates, Is. in the pound ; 7011
Salt, ss. a bushel ; Bth, Shoes, 4s. 6ti. a pair:
These will serve fin. a sample ; and 'those wins
wish the farmers may return.. to them, will not
fail to remark how much- taxation stoncis. in the
way,of Farmer's Journal.)
‘l,e fully agree with our cotempairary on the
occasion referred to,and we could, if we were dis-
posed, offer a feW remarks on the liberal con-
duct of the individual alluded to, to his old
friends in British North America--lout we wish
to forget Magdalen lslzalds—and the
American fishermen who frequented them, to the
great injury of our Colonial fishermen, though
perhaps to the profit and benefit of the individual
to whom those islands were granted.

Princess A MT:LIA will remain at Buckingham
House until the latter end of May, he". her
Royal Highness returns to Froginore Lodge.—
Yesterday, the Duchess of GLoucEsTER and the
Duchess of KENT visited the Duchess of CLA-
RENc'E. Their Royal Highnesses remained with
the Duchess between • twb and three hours.
Countess Munster, &c. also visited the Duchess
of.;11 A RENCE.

LONDON : Printed by J. 13. ('ARSTAFRS, :\0.2`9, (ircat.
)rmond-itrett, Queen-scpu.s,rf, ; and' pvbliAlted by A.
SCRIPPS, of No: 7, South Moltr.)n-3tret, at THE S. u-,4'
()FYNE, No. 112, Strand ; where A DvEwr :tiENENT
ORDZII3, I.4gTTEi:S2 (i;ast-raid)fnu4t be add;e:2'.Zd.