The Sun.
London, England, 1818-01-24 00:00:00

'OF THE 11("1.`N .CATi it ibr.c (433•EsTit;N

4-0:t T;IF, SUN.

'PAUL Vi.

Ma.EDlTOß,—Casting an eye On the 'l3ritislt
thorch at►►: Religion, 'in the -course of various

mtitotiotts, irtm the time of the Druids to the

resent, we now see only t►vo descrip;ions of
Not) Coos. the Papists and Protestant Dissenters.
4.1.1 re 'former holluo con►rannion with Clitirebinen,
hentise they deny Ow-spiritual supremacy of the
-Grow), and the latter tintd none because they are
averse to Wiscopircy, and deny the alliance be-
tween Cliordt and state, contending fur the in-
depenthincy nf the one on the other, and for a
Hierarchy by Presbyters or Elders, not as superior
but subordinate characters.

The Civil Magistrate has nothing to do with
thought or opinion, unless they produce aehons
that threaten danger and ruin to the State. He is.
bound by his oath to protect the National Church.
The exemption of the Protestant Dissenters is
conditional, which frees them from penalties im-
posed on their forefathers for their animosity to-
wards it. In this the Legislature preferred. them
to the Papists, whose principles afterwards not
extending to subvert the Civil Government, they
were exempted also from similar penalties by Sta-
tutes, on taking the oaths prescribed therein,
Which, though severe and produced by the spirit
of the times, were seldom enforced, inasmuch that
they and the Protestant Dissenters have. all they
asked for respecting their religion, and are only
restrained from public trust as foes to the Esta-
izilishen Church. Both enjoy_ the liberty of con-
science and private judgment ; but they cannot
bold Civil Offices of trust and emolument, nor
serve in the Army and Nary, while they hold their
principles of dissent. Th►s is the question, and
this the Legislature atone can determine, leaving
it open to general discussion.
The Magistrate has wisely provided a fix! es‘'
tablisliment for the priesthood, which prevents
the people from seeking for spiritual and contra-
dictory food among contending Pastors in sepa-
iate inclostires ; but none has a worse foundation
than the Roman Catholic, or has been more hurt-
ful to the liberty of'the intellects of mankind. It
grew formidable to the Magistrate, by a, ming an
order of men to support their' usurpations on pre-
tences of superior Holiness. The higher sot t
joined the Nobility and Gentry, while the lower
were taken from useful employments, and main-
tained in Monastries, in sloth and ignorance.—
Their Pontiff was a foreigner, guided by interests
opposite to their own. Lie interrupted the free-
dom of thought, and persecution produced a stupid
credulity. Possessed of large revenues, he en-
couraged his Priests to procure voluntary obla-
tions from the faithful ; and his Church, by its
privileges, was a bridle on the prerogative of
Kings, until various incidents, favourable to igno-
rance and slavery, brought about, by the light of
reason and knowledge, a Reformation, under
which we have,improved the one and enlarged the
other, hoping never more to tarnish either, by ad-
mitting into offices of trust and power, either
Civil, Military, or Naval, those who deride the
Church established, which is a stranger to perse-
cut ion, and liberal to the scruples of private con-
science. It should, therefore, be fenced against
its enemies, there being a wide difference between
toleration and establishment.

It is as old trite question, worn almost to rags,
why should a man, on account of his opinions,
which he cannot help, be locked out from serving
his King and Country ? The religious opinions
of Roman Catholics are nothing ; but while they
lead to designs mischievous to Church and State,
their service to, their King and Country might
either be, to turn him into an absOlute Monarch,
_with a Pope on his head, or to restore Papacy to
be the religion of the Nation. This would make
his Kingdom the reverse of what it happily is, by
fixing Popery and Slavery on the ruins of Civil and
Religious Liberty, which may Almighty Gun in
his providence fur ever avert !

TERRE FILIUS.

IMPROVEMENTS.-The termination of the new
street leading from IVaterloo-place to Piccadilly is
to be formed into a semi-circle, supported by Doric
columns with fluted shafts. This very judicious
plan has been suggested in reference to the street
being narrow at that part, anti which has often
been found inconvenient and dangerous for car-
riages which meet from the east and west ends of
Piccadilly, the Haymarket,•and the Bear inns,
besides the customary stand of coaches in the
centre of the street. The proposed mode of the
new Street corning into Piccadilly, would in any
other shape have added a further inconve•
nience—the opposite opening to Vigo-lane of-
fers a further benefit of thoroughfare and of
free air from the north, which has always been
much waisted in this district, and the inhabitants,
as well as the hay farmers, will soon reap the
advantage, by a broad and almost undisturbed
current and traffic to the Haymarket.