while they are exercised in a manner compatible with the peace of the community; but in the demands of the Roman Catholics of Ireland, we see nothing merely religious; indeed, their religious privileges are already so ample, and well secured, that they scarcely admit of farther extension, unless their church is to receive positive encouragement, and become the established religion of the kingdom.

15. That we should exceedingly lament if the rejection of the claims of the Roman Catholics should occasion resistance to the laws, or be attended with alienation from the Government; but we are convinced, that if such would be the consequence of their rejection, their admission would be attended with consequences far more fatal to the empire at large, inasmuch as it would place the means of effectual mischief within the power of those whose supposed disloyalty would be again excited, should every future. claim, however extravagant, not be admitted; but we conceive that, from the clamour of those, whose ambition interests them so powerfully in this question, it has received an importance of a more extensive quality than really belongs to it. The lower orders of Society have, COMPARATIVELY, no interest in it. The adoption of it would not ameliorate their condition, The rich and powerful, or those in the immediate pursuit of riches and power, would alone reap the fruits of it; and, if persons of this description were to excite rebellion, because they are not rendered eligible to possess political power, what would they not do, if they were disappointed in obtaining the power, after they had obtained the eligibility?

16. That, as the liberal and tolerant concessions which have been made to the Roman Catholics during the reign of his present Majesty, with which they declared themselves, at the time, to be fully satisfied, haye rather served to excite than to allay discontent; and, instead of raising gratitude and attachment, have prompted them to demand as a right, the most extensive accession of political power, urged with great violence of language, we do not conceive that the concession of those claims would either increase their attachment to our Protestant Government, or add to the security or happiness of Ireland, or the Kingdom at large.

17. That acknowledging in the King, the power of negativing the appointment of Roman Catholic Bishops, is one of the lowest of those securities which the State has a right to demand, on the admission of Roman Catholics to further political power; but they refuse to admit even this security, and positively deny the necessity of any other. In the Resolutions of the Meeting of the Catholics of the county of Dublin, held on the 5th November, 1812, it was resolved, "That they deemed the idea of "annexing any conditions or restrictions to their emancipation," "under the name of securities, to imply a most unmerited insult

66

66

to their allegiance, and to their understanding, and that such "an idea had originated with their worst enemies, for the mere purpose of delaying the concession of religious freedom, which they claim as a right, and the concession of which they deem "essential to the safety of the country." Which resolution we consider to be virtually approved by the Roman Catholic Pre lates, (twenty-eight in number,) assembled at Dublin, 18th November, 1812, in their Address to the Clergy and Laity of the Roman Catholic Churches in Ireland. We do therefore apprehend, that, as the principles of the Roman Catholics are now notorious to the world, (and the onus probandi lies upon them to shew, from sufficient authority, if they are altered,) no further inquiry is necessary, till they have distinctly stated the nature of those specific securities, which they are willing to give, on their admission to further political power.

18. That a Committee (with power to add to their number) be chosen, to conduct the affairs of the Society, to frame regulations for its management, and to publish its proceedings: and that a subscription be now opened for those purposes.

19. That these Resolutions be signed by the Chairman, and advertised in the public Papers. GRANVILLE SHARP.

Mr. Sharp having left the Chair,

Resolved, That the thanks of the Meeting be given to the Chairman, for his unwearied attention to the objects of this Meeting, and for his impartial conduct in the Chair.

JOHN HICKIN, Secretary.

ON POPERY..

To the Editor,

SIR, since I communicated to you, under the signature, A PROTESTANT, some strictures on what is called the Catholic Magazine, which you were so obliging as to insert in your Number for last December, I have carefully perused some more of the Numbers of that novel and most abusive publication. Had its patrons been studying for an age, to find out a plan calculated to defeat their own purposes, they could not have invented one better suited to that end than this work. It shews the world, that modern papists still maintain the false doctrines, and gross idolatrous superstitions, which rendered the Reformation absolutely necessary. As you may not be in the habit of perusing this publication, nor possess leisure for making any remarks, upon it, if the follo ving observations be judged worthy of a place in your Miscellany, your inserting them, as soon as convenient, will oblige, your old correspondent,

A PROTESTANT,

THAT papists should contend for popery, is no matter of surprise; but that they should, as they do in the Catholic Magazine, load protestants of all descriptions, who do not adopt their poli

tical creed, with the foulest and most virulent abuse, especially at the present crisis, is somewhat extraordinary. Their conduct, in this instance, has opened the eyes of some who were formerly their firm advocates; but who now see it to be their duty to maintain that mild protestant government, which guarantees both civil and religious liberty to all peaceable subjects.

The first article in the January Number, is a letter to Lord Sidmouth; and its contents are far from being of a conciliatory nature. His Lordship, in the true spirit of a protestant nobleman, recently argued in favour of that government which it is his duty to support; and for having conducted himself thus, he is told that he has deceived the hopes of the Roman Catholics, "How," saith the writer, "have you replied to our desires, how have you answered our expectations? Do we not read the fatal truth in the dejected looks, the loud-breathed murmurs, and bitter execrations of the despairing multitude?" (p. 5.) But what has been the extraordinary cause of these " dejected looks, loud-breathed murmurs, and bitter execrations?" Simply this, Lord Sidmouth opposed the unconstitutional claims of the Roman Catholics. For this he is charged with "duplicity," while he wore a "face of candour." But this is not the worst." My Lord," proceeds the writer, "you have thrust yourself and your prejudices upon us; take heed they do not prove as dangerous as they are disgustful." This is evidently the language of threatening, not supplication; language which none but a protestant government would tolerate. And yet the men who adopt it with impunity, complain that they are subjects of intolerance and persecution. Do they imagine that the protestants of this country are fools as well as heretics? If not, with what face can they say, that papists, who enjoy complete religious toleration, and whose persons and property are in equal safety with the rest of his Majesty's subjects, are an oppressed or persecuted people? In p. 7, we are told, that a protestant bookseller refused to sell Fox's book of Martyrs, unless the dedication to the late Mr. Perceval were expunged, from a consideration that "no man could be a friend to his country, if not the friend of emancipation:" 1. e. a friend to the removal of all the fences raised. by our ancestors for the safety of the Protestant government of this country. And we are likewise told, that a liberal bookseller of the Society of Friends, would not sell it on any account, "from a conviction that it tended to keep alive remembrances. that would be better buried in oblivion." And what then? Were these two heretics, as the writer's creed obliges him to pronounce them, infallible? Protestants have no more faith in the infallibility of booksellers, than in that of the Council of Constance, which condemned John Huss to the flames, for main-' taining the sacred rights of conscience; rights against which the spirit and dogmas of popery directly militate. But pro

testants, during the existence of popery, will read Fox's book of Martyrs, and be warned, by the certain facts recorded in it, against submitting to popish domination.

In page 11, the late bishop Newton is represented as a pretender to the episcopal office. This, we know, is the opinion of the papists concerning every protestant bishop, the prelate of Norwich himself, one of their advocates, not excepted.

We are told, (p. 21,) that "a Mr. Joseph Benson is known only to the world of Methodists; and for having pirated the unfortunate Dr. Dodd's Commentary, and palmed it on his brethren." I pass over the former clause of this sentence, because I believe it only means that Mr. Benson, though known it seems," to the world of Methodists," yet has not the happiness to be known "to the world of Catholics" which is very possibly true. If however, the Catholic Magazine has a pretty extensive circulation among them, he stands a fair chance of being known even to them, an honour of which he certainly is not very ambitious. As to the degree in which he is known to persons of other denominations in the United Kingdom, or America, I am confident he is perfectly at ease on that head. He is known to God and many thousands of his people, and with that, I believe, he is perfectly satisfied. But the latter part of the sentence I must notice, as containing two palpable falsehoods. 1. So far is Mr. B. from having "pirated" Dr. Dodd's Commentary, that he has not yet half finished his own Comimentary, which he commenced at the earnest request of his brethren, three years ago, which he has, since that time, been assiduously engaged in writing, and of which, whoever will be at the trouble of comparing any one Number or Chapter, with Dr. Dodd's on the same portion of Scripture, will see it bears no resemblance thereto, but is a very different work. 2. So far are Mr. B.'s brethren from considering him as having "palmed" upon them another man's work for his own, and thereby imposed upon them, that they uniformly patronize his Commentary, in all parts of the kingdom; and, at their last general Conference, held in Leeds, in July 1812, recommended that "the Stewards of their Societies, or the Trustees of their Chapels, should provide for each Chapel a copy of it to be carefully kept in the vestries, in the Preachers' houses, or in the houses of the friends who receive the Preachers, for the use of the Travelling and Local Preachers who officiate in the said Chapels." Such is the credit due to the positive assertions of the conductors of the Catholic Magazine, when they profess to relate matters of fact!

This Magazine," (viz. the Methodist Magazine) says he, "is one of the oddest mixtures of nonsense, falsehood and blasphemy, that ever issued from the British press," &c. Why did not the writer, when thus venting his fury, add atheism to the list of evils with which he represents it as replete? This would have

7

been equally true with the former charges. The Methodist Magazine is too well known and approved by thousands who are good judges of divinity and composition, to need a vindication from any attack made upon it, should it come from the APOSTOLIC VICAR himself. The Eclectic Review, a work ably conducted upon truly Christian principles, is termed a "masterpiece of slander and party malice." I know not who are the conductors of that work, but I know, whoever they are, that they are men of sound principles, good sense, and true erudition. But it is a protestant work, and therefore represented by a catholic, as a "master-picce of slander and party malice."

"The Truth of God defended. This head of the Magazine, (the Methodist) abounds with palpable bigotry, party rage, and private malice." Your readers know that there is not a word of truth in this charge. With the writer who urges it, a firm adherence to protestant principles, for which the Methodists are noted, is "palpable bigotry," and a firm attachment to our government in Church and State, is "party-rage," and opposing popish absurdities, is "private malice." Let this Catholic, in the true spirit of popish argument, call your correspondents, as he does, "canting hypocrites;" his doing so will be disregarded by protestants, all of whom know, that there is no more argument in abusive epithets than in the Inquisition at Old Goa, where Josephus a Doloribus endeavours to make converts by methods, more severe than abusive language. It is an honour to be calumniated in such company as that of Dr. Bu chanan and other excellent characters, who are marked objects of popish abuse. In page 70, the Doctor is accused of wilful lying; and in the preceding page it is said, that he contrived to make his Christian Researches "the vehicle of the mischievous spirit of Methodism." The Doctor's charity for, and liberality towards the papists, were lost upon his false accuser. The Doctor is a protestant, and he gave an account of the Inquisition at Old Goa; and these are capital crimes in the opinion of true papists.

"It (a department in the Methodist Magazine, says he) is the vehicle of every bad passion, an ambush behind which lurks a host of religious and literary assassins, who dart upon their prey with impunity, and wound, without truth, justice, or mercy, the private reputation and domestic happiness of all such of their real or supposed enemies who (as) happen to write a book." I have read the Methodist Magazine since its commencement, and cannot remember an instance save one, in which the moral conduct of a writer was so much as hinted at, unless to his credit; and the conductors of the Catholic Magazine are welcome to the honour of that writer's friendship. "I have no hesitation," he goes on, "in saying, that the very worst features of the court of inquisition, which, in some countries have formerly