The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-05-28
HOUSE OF COM&ONS, March IS.
CATHOLIC PETITION.

thdh ISS' upon TINS occinon. Certainly am
happy in heing The inftrument TO prefent Pc
tition, which, whatever be it's merits (upon
which Ihall make no obicrvation at prefentl of
trrs the mott satisfactory proof that the great
body OF the Catholics of ireland, whatever ex-
ception there may be, fees 10 remedy the criev.
ances they feel by LEGAL means-by an appIica-
ton to the Imperial Parliamentary mode the
mott constitutional and refpettful that could be
devi!ed. The Hononrable Member, after ha-
wing read fonle part of the Petition, concluded
with moving For leave to bring it MP, which be-
ing granted, the Petition was brought up and
read as follows
To tie kigbt Hon. and Hon. tie KnigbfJ, Ctr
gems and BmgeGes oft5e United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, ia Parliament ar
./snbled.
The humble Petition OF the Roman Catholics of
Ireland, whole names are hereunto lubfcrihed on
behalf of themfeves, and of Others his AIaey's lub
jeas protecting the Roman Catholic Religion.
SHEWETH,
That your petitioners are fteadfaftly attached
TO the Pcron, Family, and Government of
| their moi gracious Sovereign that they are
| irnpreffed with ientimen,s of'afeeionate graft
| tude for the beugnant laws which have been
enacted for meiorating their condition during
his paternal reign and that they contemplate,
| with rational and decided prediction the admi
Your petitioners mos humbly fate, that they
have folemnly aud publicly taken the oaths
prefcribed by law to his Mliefty's Roman Ca
! tholic fubiects as teits of political and moral
principles; and they confidently appeal to the
fufferngs which they baue long endured, and
the facrihces which they fill make, rather than
violate their condolences (by taking oaths of re-
! ligious or fpritual import contrary 70 their be-
lief,) as decifive proofs of their profound and
fcruPulous reverence for the (aered obligation of
an oath.
Your Petitioners beg leave to reprefent, that
by tbeLe awful tefts they bind themfe!ves in the
prefence of the AlI-feeing Deity whom all claf-
fes of Chraians adore, &c to be faithful, and bear
| true allegiance to their mott gracious fovereign
Lord King George the Third, and him to de-
| fend, to the utmoft of their power, againft all
coHfpracies and attempts whatfoever that faal
be made againft his perfon, crown or dignity,
| to do their utmof endeavours to dfclofe and
make known TO his Majefy and his Heirs, all
treafons and traitorous confpiracies which NAV
be formed againft him or them, and faithfully
to maintain, fupport, and defend to the utmoh
! of their power the fuccef1ion to the crown of his
| malcfty's family againft any perfons whatfoe-
| ver~, that by thofe oaths, they renounce and
allure obedience and allegiance to any other
perton claiming or pretending right to the
Crown of this realm; that they reject and detef,
asunchrhian and impious, to believe that il is
lawful in any ways TO iniure any pcrfon or per-
fons whatfoever, under pretence of their being
Heretics, and alto that unchriftian and impous
principle, that no faith is to be kept with Here
tics; that il is no article ofther faith, and that
they renounce and reject, aud allure the opini-
on, that Princes, communicated by the
Fope and Council, or by any authority whatfo.
ever, may be depofed or murdered by their fub-
jecfs or by any perfon Whatsoever; they 40
not believe that the Pope of Rome, or any o.
Their foreign Prince, Preate, State, or Potentate,
| hath, or ought to have any temporal or civil
/ jurifdietion, power, fuperiority, or pre.en,i-
nence within this realm that they firmly be-
eve that no act, in itfelf uniuf, immoral or
wicked, can ever be fulfilled or executed, by or
under pretence or colour that it was done for
the good OF the Church, or in obedience to any
Ecclefaitical power whatfoever, & that it is not
an article OF the Catholic faith neither are they
thereby required to believe or profefs that the
Pope is infalIible, or that they are bound TO O..
hey any order in its own nature immoral, tho
the Pope or any Ecclefiaftical Power fllould if-
fue or direct any fuch order but, on the con-
| trary they hold, that it would be firful TO nav
any refpect or obedience thereto that they do
not believe that any fin whatfoever committed
by them can be forgiven at the mere will of A.
ny Pope, or of any priet, or of any perfon or
perfons whatever, but that any perfon who re-
! ceivcs abfoution for the fame without (incere
forrow for them, and firm & fncere refoluti-
on to avoid future guilt, and to atone TO God,
70 far from obtaining thereby any rendition of
his fins, incurs the additional guilt of violating
a facrament )" and by the fame fplemn obga.
| ton, "fbey are boaud and FIRMLY bledged to de-
find to the nfmof oftbeir boqOer, the fftLe,qenf
and arrangement Of property in their country, as
cfabhibedby the kazvJ noz0 in beinF that thew
have difclaimed, difavowed & foemnly abiureda a.
ny intention to (nba,ert the brejenf church eRabE6
nent, for the purpofe of fubfituting Il Catho-
lie Efablifhment in its fead :" and that they
have alto folemnly fworn "that fbey qOiH not cx-
erejfe any privil.ge to which they are or NAV
become entitled, to diRay6 or zren&en the bro.
telf0nt religion or brOteRant government in Ire
iand."
Your petitioners mott humbly beg leave to
thew, that however painful it is to their feel
ings that it fhould till be thought necenary to
exact fuch teits from them, (and from them A.
lone of all his Majefy's fubie6ts,1 they can with
perfett truth affirm, that the political and mo-
raj principles which are thereby aGerted, are
not only Conformabe to their opinions and ba-
bits, but are expressly incaIculated by the re-
gioH which they profefs and your petition
ers mott humbly truf, that the religious doc
trines which permit fuch tets to be taken, will
he bv chic La,.c.