his Majesty's subjects, holding the same religious tenets, have, I hope, excited feelings of indignation and contempt in the breast of every honest Protestant, into whose hands the effusions of this calumniator have fallen. For ourselves, Mr. Editor, we have so long been accustomed to be treated with misrepresentation and slander, that they have almost ceased to produce any other effect upon us, than that of affording us an opportunity of bearing practical testimony to the purity of our faith, by fulfilling the most difficult of its precepts, in pi tying, forgiving, and praying for the enemy that stabs us. Our feelings, indeed, for the moment, may be hurt, on put it in his pocket, and prevent the world from seeing his ignorance. Whether the act was a wise one in Mr. C. I shall not pretend to determine, but I am convinced it would have been more manly in him, on being convinced that he was in error, to have acknowledged his mistake, and to have let his readers seen the arguments by which he was convinced, in order to remove the false impression which his sophistical reasonings were calculated to produce.-Mr. C. has always pretended to be a great stickler for TRUTH; but how are we to come at it, if those who have the management of the press, think proper to prevent its being promulgated? This is a question Mr. Cobbett has often start-seeing ourselves and our religion held ed, but what will he say of it now. had hitherto considered him as earnest, in his professions; but the present instance has proved to me that Mr. C. is made of the same frail nature as those writers whom he so often condemns, and that professing and performing are not inseparable companions in him.-As the Correspondence cannot fail to throw considerable light upon one of the most difficult questions of METAPHYSICS, and be of great interest to most of my readers, I shall lay the whole before them, whereby they may form their own opinion of the accuracy of the foregoing obser vations. WM. EUSEBIUS ANDREWS. London, June 24, 1814. ON THE CALUMNIATING SPIRIT OF THE RELIGION. To the Editor of the Orthodox Journal. SIR- The invidious aspersions which the Editor of the Manchester pamphlet, referred to in your number for April last, has thrown out against us Papists, as he terms us, who compose not only the great majority of the Christian world, but, even in this united empire, form by far the largest religious body of any denomination of up as objects deserving of the detesta. tion of mankind. But these painful sensations quickly subside, and are at the same time succeeded and recom pensed by a conviction, which darts with intuitive evidence upon the mind, that our faith, which its adversaries dare not attack with reason and argument, but only with falsehood and abuse, is that faith which was once for all delivered to the saints, and against which the powers of hell shall never prevail. Truth, like the Deity, from whom it emanates, or rather whose essence it constitutes, to be rendered any thing but amiable, must be belied, must be misrepresented, must be blasphemed. Suffered to traverse the world in her native simplicity and air of majesty, Truth would command the willing ho mage of the earth; even the savage in the wilds of America would betray the throbbing sympathy of his heart, and confess himself a captive to her charms. Bespatter her then, cries the infernal adversary of truth, hide her beauty from the searching eye of mortals, misrepresent her with all the odious asper sions that slander can heap upon her, or she will leave me not a subject or adorer among men. The cry is eager ly caught by his agents, who are but too prompt and ready to execute, and sometimes anticipate, the orders of the principle that ever guides their their infernal master. The host, whom they have ever at their disposal, are immediately armed with weapons worthy of the employer in whose service they are engaged-deceit, slander, and blasphemy. Truth is forced to hide her head, and her faithful adher-foundest ignorance of all religion, and ents must for awhile sit down in si- made my first acquaintance with Chrislence, covered with ignominy and dis- tians among the adversaries of Cathograce. lics; what would have been my senti with their professions? To hear them on one day boast of the divine origin and sublimity of their system of religion, a religion breathing nothing but the purest spirit of love and charity, and to witness them on the next day, or perhaps in the very same breath, traducing, vilifying, and calumniating the great majority of those who believe in Christianity, should I, do you think, Mr. Editor, feel any thing like con viction working upon my mind, either of the divinity or superior excellence of such a system and its followers? Should I be impressed with any obligation of embracing such a creed, or any eager desire of enrolling myself among its professors? No; conscious to myself of a proud pre-eminence, at least in point of moral rectitude, integrity of conduct, and benevolence towards my fellow-creatures, I should look with contempt upon such a compound of malice and hypocrisy, nor think myself safe, while either my person or my character remained exposed to its malignant breath. Whoever, Mr. Editor, is acquaint-ments upon comparing their actions ed with the annals of the Christian church, knows that such has been the fate of Truth and her followers, at least in some portion of the globe, in every age since the first establishment of Christianity. The writings of the first apologists and fathers of the Catholic church bear ample testimony, that the adversaries of the true faith were actuated then by the same spirit, as the modern opponents of truth, a spirit of calumny, envy, and malice; that they employed the same weapons, and gloried in the service of the same master, the father of lies, In one point I must own the similarity will not hold good. The heathen persecutors of Catholics, while they used all their efforts to belie the faith of Christians, candidly acknowledged them to be peaceable and good neighbours, and edifying examples of charity. But the modern advocates of error, not content with belying the tenets of our faith, flatly deny to us every kind of virtue, and represent us as wretches sunk to the very lowest degree of vice and immorality. To their calumnies they add the most consummate impudence and pharisaical hypocrisy. While the charges, which they pour forth from the pulpit and the press to vilify us and our religion, manifest the spirit which influences them to be as opposite to the spirit of the Christian religion, as darkness is to light, they claim for themselves exclusively the title of genuine children of Christianity, and favourite sons of Heaven. With venom on their tongues, and their pens dipped in the gall of bitterness, they boast of their meekness and brotherly love, and loudly proclaim charity to be ORTHOD. JOUR. VOL. II. That such would be the effect which the effusions of the calumniating spirit of our adversaries would produce in an infidel, I entertain not the least doubt. In ourselves, Mr. Editor, though these effusions tend to lower us in the esti mation of many of our fellow countrymen, who, either voluntarily or invo luntarily, are the dupes of ignorance, prejudice, or hypocrisy, yet they excite scarcely any other sentiments than of pity and charity for our calumniators, a stronger conviction of the truth of our religion, a more ardent attachment to its practices and tenets, and a more grateful sense of its blessings and con 2 F .solations. For it is with our religion as with our individual character. As we cannot have a clearer proof of the integrity of our character than when our enemies, in order to lessen it, are obliged to have recourse to the arts of misrepresentation and lying, so we cannot have a more striking conviction of the truth of our religion, than when we behold its adversaries, in order to lower it in the estimation of mankind, and to prevent its progress, call in the assistance of the father of lies, and asperse it with the blackest calumnies. I remain, Mr. Editor, by the grace of God, A ROMAN CATHOLIC.`· gy of his Church."—(Vide Orthod. Jour. No. 6, p. 231)—Roman Cathelics are here called upon to guard against the repetition of the clauses contained in the late Bill, and the most effectual way of doing this is, I must think, to petition for unconditional emancipation. Yet, no sooner is this conduct pursued in Liverpool, than the petitioners are called disobedient. But, Mr. Editor, assertion is not proof; and I am sure it will readily be allowed that those are the disobedient, who counteract the views of the petitioners. For how can they obey the call of their prelate, to use all their influ ence to prevent the repetition of the obnoxious clauses, when they oppose To the Editor of the Orthodox Journal. the only effectual means of preven tion? Is not such conduct rather enLiverpool, June 19, 1814. couraging Parliament to try the expeSIR-The Liverpool Orthodox Pe- riment again, under the expectation titioners continue to be reproached that the Catholics will finally agree to with being guilty of disobedience to the measure? I am afraid, Mr. Editor, their Bishop, and are told that it is of trespassing too much on your useful contrary to the duty of a Catholic to Journal, and I shall therefore be as sign the petitions which ask for uncon- concise as possible. The petitioners ditional Emancipation. On referring, have succeeded in establishing an Orhowever, to the late pastoral letter of thodox Catholic Board, for the future Dr. Poynter, (and Dr. Gibson's is the management of their petition (which same) I find one particular clause, has already received 4000 signatures); among several others, which I think and, amongst many other acts, they justifies the noble and spirited efforts have had circulars printed, declaratowhich have been made by my Catholic ry of their principles, a copy of which townsmen, and is sufficient to prove is as follows:-"The Orthodox Cathat they have acted in compliance "tholic Board, desirous of concen with the duty enjoined them by their "trating the zeal and fidelity of this venerable Prelate, in preventing any 66 county, solicit your adhesion to arrangements being made, on petition." their principle, which desires emaning Parliament for a redress of griev-"cipation, but prefers a continuance, ances, which might be prejudicial to their Religion. The clause I allude to is this: We are confident that those "amongst you who may have influence, will use the same by every le"gal, mild and peaceable means, to "prevent a repetition of the same "clauses in any future Bill. For the Catholic who knows how to appre-exposed. ciate the blessings of his Religion, will sincerely wish to see the Minis"ters of it free in the exercise of their spiritual functions, and will feel his "own degradation in that of the Cler 66 or even increase, of the penal laws, to any innovation which may be in"jurious to their religion."It is intended to send these circulars to all the respectable Catholics in the county, in order, if possible, to awaken their attention to the dangers to which they have been, and, I fear, still are, This declaration, in my opinion, does infinite honour to the Board, as we may discover in it that zeal and magnanimity which bid defi ance to persecution, a characteristic peculiar to our holy religion. I hope in God it will have the desired effect, and that the example will be followed by the Catholics in every part of Eng-"may affect the discipline of the land. Your most obedient servant, " A LIVERPOOL ANTI-VETO CATHOLIC. "without the introduction of any pro-` "rision which, even by possibility, To the Editor of the Orthodox Journal. 66 AN OLD FASHIONED CATHOLIC. ON THE POPE'S SUPREMACY.' For the Orthodox Journal. CO Church, or the appointment of their Spiritual Pastors." In addition to the desire I entertain of seeing similar petitions to the one from Liverpoolmake their appearance in other parts SIR,-As your valuable Journal is, of the kingdom, I am influenced by I have no doubt, circulated throughout the hope, that some friend to the cause, England, I am really astonished to more capable of advocating it, will find the true Orthodox Catholics so take up the subject, and shall therefore backward in publishing their opinions conclude by suggesting, that those per-. on a question of such vital importance sons who are inclined to come forward, as unrestricted Catholic Emancipation. would do well to open an epistolary I should have thought the useful in-correspondence with the Lancashire formation circulated by you, would Petitioners. And without further treshave long since roused a spirit of emu-passing on your valuable pages, relation amongst the Catholics of differ- main, Sir, sincerely your's, ent districts, to vie with each other," in protesting against the proceedings of the London Board, governed as it is, to the dishonour of the many truly respectable characters to be found in it, by a few ambitious Modern Catholics, if the terms Modern and Catholic may be coupled together. It is to me In treating of the Pope's supremacy, the more wonderful, being convinced I cannot pass over in silence the arguthat every sincere Catholic, who has ment drawn in support of this doctrine heard of the Lay Commission, must from the Appeals, which, in all ages, feel as I do on the subject of the VETO; and from all parts of the world, have and, it appears to me, all that is ne- been made to the Roman see. Calvin cessary to raise an overwhelming host admits the principle, on which the of voices against the measure, is the strength of this argument rests. "It spirited and manly exertion of a few "is incontestible, (says he) that the individuals in different parts of the supreme authority is invested in him kingdom. I am therefore induced to "to whom appeals are made." Summake these observations, in the hope mum imperium penes eum esse constat they may meet the eye of some real | ad cujus tribunal provocatur. (Instit. Orthodox Catholics, who will follow 1. iv. c. 7. No. 9.) Now, that appeals the example of the praiseworthy Mr. have been carried to the see apostolic, HAMILTON, of Liverpool, by starting in all ages, and from every part of the forward, and boldly asserting their Christian world, even in causes that' opinions, unawed by any motive, even had been already tried by the bishop's the dread of offending their Protestant of the first sees, and most numerous or Methodist neighbour, which I fear councils, is a fact which no man ever operates more than any other circum- so little conversant în church-history stance, to render them timid, and they will call into question. Pope St. Ge. would soon find thousands joining lasius (an, 492) refers to early inthem. Witness the numbers who flock-stances of this kind, in the letter he ed to his standard, each person eager-wrote to the bishops of Dardania, conly placing his signature to a Petition for the 66 complete repeal of all such "Lazes as are hostile to their creed, cerning Acacius, the schismatic bishop of Constantinople. First he lays down this general principle: "The Church sius; but, as usual, by crafty shifts and misrepresentations, they strive to invalidate the argument, which is built on them. The object of this letter is to answer their objections. 66 paid to the Roman church by the "ancients; and that they speak of it "with reverence. When the Eastern, "Greek, and even African churches, " were thrown into confusion by va. "rious contradictory doctrines, the "church of Rome was more calm, and "less agitated than the rest; so it "happened that pious and holy bish "throughout the world knows, that | "the see apostolic has power to can"cel the sentence of any bishop, for "this reason, that it has a right of "judging, in regard of the whole "Church; whereas it is not lawful for Objection 1st.-It is pretended that any bishop to give sentence in a the custom of appealing to Rome is 66 cause already tried by that see. For not so ancient as Catholic divines re"the canons would have appeals to be present it; that it originated in the "made to it from all parts of the confused state of the eastern churches, "world, but from its sentences none under the prevalence of the Arian he❝is permitted to appeal." But as the resy, subsequent to the council of partizans of Acacius objected, that the Nice. "I do not deny (says Calvin) Pope had condemned him, by his sole" that a great respect is every' where authority, not in a council, St. Gelasius therefore adds, "The see apostolic "has frequently, after the example of "the ancients, and without any coun "cil, exercised the power of absolv"ing those whom a council had un"justly condemned, and of condemn"ing those who deserved it. For ex"ample, an eastern synod had im66 peached Athanasius of blessed me- ops, banished from their sees, often 66 mory; but the see apostolic, not "resorted thither, as to a certain asy"consenting to his condemnation "lum or port. It therefore greatly "made by the Greeks, absolved him. "added to the authority of the Roman A synod of Catholic bishops had "church, that in these critical times, "also condemned John, the holy bish- "it was better settled, and more te op of Constantinople; but the see nacious of the faith once delivered, apostolic alone, as in the former than all other churches." (Cap. 6. case, not sauctioning their judgment, No. 18.) Dr. Burnet, reproduces the "absolved him. The see apostolic same objection, but still more insi "acquitted, in the same manner, Fla- diously. "Athanasius (says he) and "vian, (bishop of Constantinople) who "the other oppressed bishops, fled to "had been condemned in an assembly" the bishop of Rome, as well as to t "of bishops, because it did not ap- "the other bishops of the West; it "prove their sentence. Again the see "being natural for the oppressed to "apostolic condemned, by its autho-seek protection wheresoever they "rity, Dioscorus, bishop of the se- "can find it; and so a sort of appeals cond see, and annulled the impious was begun; and they were authosynod, by not giving it its sanction. rized by the council of Sardica." "The see apostolic also decreed alone (Exposition of the 39 Art. No. 37.) ❝that the council of Chalcedon should These assertions of Calvin and Burnet, meet, for the defence of the truth, under an appearance of truth, contain ❝and alone granted pardon to such of several falsehoods. 1. It is false that "the bishops, who had fallen in the the practice of appealing to Rome be "riotous assembly of Ephesus, as sued gun in the case of St. Athanasius; and "for it; and punished, by its autho- that the first ecclesiastical law, which "rity, those who remained obstinate authorized those appeals, was the ca, "in their perfidy, which sentence was non of Sardica in 347. St. Gelasius, "executed by the council." in the letter above quoted, observes that the apostolic see had absolved St. Athanasius, "after the example of 66 Anti-catholic writers cannot deny the facts here referred to by St. Gela 66 66 |