Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-05-15
From The Ne,U York Statesman.

The recent changes in the English Cabinet
see m to indicate more favourable result TO the
claims Of the Catholics, Than has yet been the
consequence of their untring zeal. During the
las, YEAR, the Bishops Of that church in England.
.1-Ai..hsl stale OF their tenetS as received
by intelligent Romanists and vindicaton Of
their faith from the attacks made upon il by mo-
dern cOn,roversialsts
The disabilities Of which they complain are
principally these:
A Catholic Peer cannot sit and vote in the
House Of Peers;
Nor Catholic Commoner in the House OF
Commons;
a Catholic freeholder is not entitled to vote
al elections for Members;
A Catholic canno: sit in Privy Council, nor
become member OF the Cabinets
Nor Can he be Judge;
Nor can he hold any office under the Crown
in the spiritual courts or the courts of chancery
or common law;
He cannot be Kings Counsel, nor be chosen
to any office 10 any OF the corporations;
Nor graduate at either ofthe Universities, nor
hold any benefice connected with them;
Nor have his marriage ceremony performed
except bv Protestant Clergyman;
Norsettle any property on any Catholic school,
or church, or for any Catholic purposes;
Nor can he vote al Vestry;
Or present TO living, though appendant to
his own property.
These are the chief disabilities under which
the Catholics suffer, and are sci forth in an ad.
dress adopted by the British Catholic associa.
ton, al its annual meeting in June last The
declaration of, Bishops is TO the following eff
feet, being an exposition of the Catholic faith
as now believed by The most intelligent portion
Gifts followers:
They believe in the Trinity as do the Protes-
tants; that salvation comes only through our
Saviour; that baptism and penance are sacra-
ments appointed by divine authority; tina, in the
Mass, a" true, proper, and propltiatory ssrri.
hce is offered TO God for the living and the deod;"
that "souls detained in purgatory" are heiped by
the suffrages Of the faithful;" that the :. saints
reigniDg with Christ are 10 be honoured and in
Uocaied;" that the doctrines which the Catholic
believes "were really revealed and distributed
by Almighty Cod" that "the church never has
forbidden the reading or Giro uIation of the Scrip.
lures in the original languages, but that no trans
lations were allowed to be read except such as
are acknowledged by ecclesiastical AUTHORITY"
and that 'Me faiihfuP' are to be guided in this
matter by their respective PASTORS" but that
the reading of the Scriptures as an entire rule
of faith," is forbidden by the Catholic Church;
that she honours the saints, because their honour
is Gods honour, that she adores the cross when
it is done IN vieU of Christ that she worships.
relatively speaking, pictures and images, because
they relate to persons worthy of respec, and a.
doration; that Catholics pray before images. not
TO them, and THAI they do SO to fix their attention
they pray to the Saints not for drec, benefit,
but to obtain their P,cyers that the power to for.
give sins belongs TO the ministry; tina, conles.
sion is consequence oftha' power, tha .indulgen.
ces are only remission Of the whole or mart of
the temporal punishment that follows sin: that an
oath is binding under all circumstances; that the
Pope is only their spiritual head; that salvation
Is exclusively 10 be found within the pale of the
catholic church, though the Catholics will not