And there is a well-known maxim of policy,' by which the conduct of the Church of Rome has been greatly distinguished, even from the fourth century to the present time, which will require (and more especially now that the ORDER OF THE JESUITS is again in full operation,) a frequent appeal to these.

As to this Declaration, indeed, it is only the Declaration, strictly speaking, of the individual prelates who have signed and published it. Its very title expresses this: and they themselves distinctly state that this is the case, in the concluding clause of the whole, wherein they say "This Declaration we, the undersigned, approve and pub"lish, as an exposition of our principles and doctrines, on the sub"jects to which it refers." It is not therefore binding either upon their Church, or upon their successors, and they themselves alone are responsible for it. How far, therefore, it may be safely confided in ; and whether there is not that degree of reservation in it, which may be almost said to misrepresent, instead of fairly to represent, "the "subjects to which it refers;"-are questions of great moment to the Protestants of this country, at the present time.

But it is only by a faithful comparison of the doctrines and religious rites set forth in this Declaration, with those prescribed by the supreme authorities aforesaid, from which, in the mind of every consistent Catholic, there can be no appeal, that we can fully ascertain how far the principles and practices of the Church of Rome correspond with this description of them;-and whether there is not a total silence observed, with respect to many of them, with which it is of the utmost importance to PROTESTANTS, in these times especially, to be particularly acquainted. With the vaunted exception of that Church, ignorance and error are more or less the inseparable lot of humanity in this world; and therefore to that Church ALONE, agreeably to her own pretensions, we must appeal in this instance, as the infallible test of truth. For," says Mr. Butler, "it is most true, "that Roman Catholics believe the doctrines of their Church to be "unchangeable; and that it is a tenet of their creed, that What their faith ever has been, such it was from the beginning, such it now is, "and such it ever will be."

"And which their Church condemns," etc.] What "their Church "condemns as errors and abuses" will be immediately seen, by allowing that Church to speak for herself.

"That they hold no religious principles," etc.] All this is asserted in the absence of positive proof: at least, neither this, nor any former Declaration affords any ;

I. That there is nothing in the religious principles of the Ro

What that maxim is, is particularly stated in a subsequent page of these Remarks.

2 Book of the Roman Catholic Church, Edit. 2. page 9. See also the Appendix, No. II, etc.

teach; and imagine that she is responsible for every absurd opinion entertained, and for every act of superstition performed, by every individual who bears the name of Catholic.

We hope that all who are animated with a love of truth, and with sentiments of Christian charity, will be disposed willingly to listen to the sincere declarations of their Catholic fellow-countrymen; and will never impute to their religion principles or practices, which, as Catholics, they do not hold or observe, aud which their Church condemns as errors or abuses.

In this hope and persuasion, the British Catholics have made repeated declarations of their religious doctrines; and have shown, they trust to the satisfaction of all who have paid attention to them,— that they hold no religious principles, and entertain no opinions flowing from those principles, that are not perfectly consistent with the sacred duties, which, as Christians, they owe to Almighty God; with the civil duties, which, as subjects, they owe to their sovereign, and the

man Church, which is inconsistent with the purity and simplicity of the Gospel of Christ; and therefore, with the sacred duties, which, as Christians, they owe to GOD:

II. That there is nothing in them, which attributes an ecclesiastical supremacy to the Bishop of Rome over the Romanists of the United Kingdom, to the evident derogation from the prerogative of their sovereign, who is expressly declared, by the very constitution of the land, to be the Supreme Head of the Church as well as the State; and over all persons, and in all causes, ecclesiastical as well as civil, within his dominions, supreme: and

III. That there is nothing in them, which uncharitably excludes from the pale of salvation, and from the reciprocal exercise of the social duties, all those who do not hold and profess them.

How far all this is capable of proof, by direct reference to these principles themselves, will appear by what follows.

"The numerous and uniform Expositions," etc.] One uniform object of these Expositions and Declarations, as far as they have been intended to attract the attention of the Protestants of the United Kingdom, has manifestly been,-to conceal from their view all the more hideous parts of the Romish system-its Papal supremacy,its intolerant and persecuting spirit,-its assumption to itself of exclusive salvation, the degrading light, as heretics, in which all those who differ from it in principle, are to be regarded by all sincere and consistent Romanists,-that their Church (professing to be the Mother and Mistress of all Churches) still professes to hold a supremacy over those who oppose themselves to her, so as, where circumstances may permit, to bring them to judgment, and extreme punishment, as in former times, when she actually reigned paramount.

Another uniform object has no less clearly been, to lull suspicion, by softening down, as far as possible, all those essential and irreconcileable differences, which obviously subsist between the principles and practices of the United Church of England and Ireland, as established by law, and those of the Church of Rome; and insisting most particularly on those fundamental points of doctrine, in which, as Christian bodies, they must agree.

And by these ingenious devices many liberally-minded Protestants among us,-many, from whose eminent attainments in general knowledge better things were to have been expected-have been egregiously duped and ensnared.'

How far the present Declaration may differ from its predecessors in these respects, remains to be seen.

"But they have to regret, that some grievous misconceptions," etc.] If such "misconceptions are, unhappily, still found to exist," it is now high time that they should be removed, by an appeal to the most

See the Appendix, No. I.

constituted civil government of their country; and with all the social duties, which, as citizens, they owe to their fellow-subjects, whatever may be their religious creed.

They had flattered themselves, that the numerous and uniform expositions of their religious doctrines, given in public professions of the Catholic faith, in Catholic Catechisms, in various authentic documents, and in declarations confirmed by their solemn oaths, would have abundantly sufficed to correct all misrepresentation of their real tenets.

But they have to regret, that some grievous misconceptions, regarding certain points of Catholic doctrine, are, unhappily, still found to exist in the minds of many, whose good opinion they value, and whose good-will they wish to conciliate. To their grief they hear, that, notwithstanding all their declarations to the contrary, they are still exhibited to the public as men holding the most erroneous, unscriptural, and unreasonable doctrines-grounding their faith on

undeniable authority. I shall therefore cite, on the present occa sion,

The Creed of Pope Pius IV.

"This celebrated symbol of the Catholic faith," says Mr. Butler, " was published by His Holiness in 1564, in the form of a Bull, "addressed to all the faithful in Christ. It was immediately received throughout the Universal Church; and, since that time, has ever "been considered, in every part of the world, as an accurate and "explicit summary of the Roman Catholic faith. Non-catholics, on "their admission into the Catholic Church, publicly repeat, and testify "their assent to it, without restriction or qualification. It is expressed "in the following terms:

"I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven “❝ and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;

"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, "and (born) begotten of the Father before all ages; God of God; "Light of Light; true God of true God; begotten not made; con""substantial with the Father; by whom all things were made; who, "❝for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was "incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made 6 C man; was crucified also under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was ""buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and "'ascended into heaven; sits at the right-hand of the Father; and will "come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead, of whose "kingdom there will be no end;

"And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-giver, who proceeds "❝from the Father and the Son; who, together with the Father and the "Son, is adored and glorified'; who spake by the prophets;

"And one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

"I confess one baptism for the remission of sins; and I expect "the resurrection of the body, and the life of the world to come. "Amen.'

So far the Nicene Creed, which Pius IV. has incorporated with this confession of faith, and which ought indeed to be thoroughly received and believed, because all its articles may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture.2

But the same thing can by no means be said with truth, of those additional articles of the Roman faith which follow; and which I

Then it is implied, that all who do not receive, or profess their assent to, this Creed, "without restriction or qualification," form no part of the Universal Church of Christ!

2

Eighth Article of Religion.