upon the only terms which can be as being of much more importance deemed honourable and just.-It is, I than at first sight may appear, and believe, intended to prepare a petition, which I recommended it to Catholics for signatures, according to the above not to admit or permit incautiously. copy, in this metropolis, as soon as A friend, who read this letter, did possible, and it is to be hoped it will me the favour of supplying a term meet with the support which the im- which I had omitted the word Roportance of the question deserves.-man-thus employed occassionally; Let us sincerely hope that those re- Pray Sir, is not Mr.

in -shire."

"But," says the lady, (no matter Mr. Editor, for the ignorance of these female geographers, and of males, their equal in understanding-they have voices and votes too sometimes.) "But," says the fair interlocutor, I mean a Roman Catholic.” Yes, madam, Mr.

a Roman? spectable and honourable members of" No, madam; he is an Englishman; our church, whose situation in life he was born at demands that they should be placed at our head, will lay aside that dilatoriness they have hitherto shewn, in declaring their abhorrence of the unconstitutional practices of this secret Committee, and espouse the Cause of the Catholic People;-let subscriptions be entered into to further the cause of is a Roman Catholic." justice and integrity-let every one We have so long been considered as contribute his mite, however small it " aliens in our mother's country," that may be, in support of it-and let every I doubt not at all of the practicability one exert that influence which he pos- of persuading at least one half of the sesses to stem the torrent of intrigue petitioners against Catholic emanciwhich threatens to overwhelm the re-pation, that all the Catholics in Engligion of our forefathers, and perhaps the land are born at Rome, or have miliberties of our country.-By an united grated from thence. My friend also declaration of our sentiments, we shall asked, how came the word ROMISH enable the legislature to judge how into use? What would the members far they have hitherto been deceived, of the establishment say, if we were and our sentiments may also have the to call their church Windsorish or happiest effects, in governing the de- Westminsterish, from the residence of cision of our chief spiritual pastor.- its head, or the place of its origin? My friends, in laying these observa- Let it not be understood that I mean, tions before you, I have been actuated by implication, to concede to the by no other motive than a sense of my wishes of your Protestant readers, duty, and á strict regard to truth, that the Catholic faith originated at which I am not conscious of having Rome. St. Augustine, answering the violated. The rest is in your hands, momentous question, "where is the and I shall now conclude, with ob-church?" infers, from the words "beserving, that, having done my duty, ginning at Jerusalem," that no church your GOD, your RELIGION, and your can be the true church which did not COUNTRY, expect that you will per- begin there. The head of the Cathoform your's. I remain, &c. T lic church resides, indeed, at Rome; but the chief of the apostles brought from Jerusalem to Rome that doctrine of repentance and remission of sins, the truth of which he at Rome attested with his blood. The word "Romish," however, cannot be justified by any analogous inflexion in use, at any time, from the days of Romulus, to the sixteenth century; it is without any authority, but that of Protestant pe

WM. EUSEBIUS ANDREWS,

London, Dec. 15, 1814.

To the Editor of the Orthodox Journal.

SIR,-I lately addressed to you a letter on Conversational Controversy, and instanced, towards the conclusion of that letter, certain terms or phrases, the use or abuse of which I consider

Of our religion our separated bre

tulance. Permit me now, Sir, to en- | apprehension, and the caution incumter my protest against the employ-bent on Catholics in consequence of ment of the word « Orthodox,” in any that apprehension, my present reother sense than as synonimous with marks also may be considered as a "Catholic." You well know, Sir, and sequel to my letter on Conversational our friends at Liverpool know, that Controversy. at the moment when a man ceases to be Orthodox, he ceases to be a Ca-thren know absolutely nothing-nay, tholic. It may suit very well with the opinions of those who hold no rule of faith but the Scripture, interpreted by each man's private judgment, which experience has proved, according to the predictions of the Catholics, to be no rule at all; and it may also further the purposes of those who cannot obtain the legal establishment of their private interpretation, to say, as a witty one amongst them has said, that orthodoxy is a man's own don, and heterodoxy is another man's don; and our enemies would indeed rejoice, were such a definition of orthodoxy adopted amongst us. I object not to the use of the word it is to be found in its proper sense in the venerable canon of the Mass; but I object to the use of it as a party distinction. I would not leave to my opponents, if, unhappily, there are to be oppositions amongst us, the false consolation, the deceitful hope, that, though not orthodox, they may still be Catholic. If it be answered, by way of explanation, that the word has been lately employed to designate a certain line and course of conduct under the circumstances in which the Catholic body of this empire now finds itself, I reply, then the word has been used in an improper sense, for "Orthodox" is a term which relates to faith only, and in this sense it has no application. There may be mistaken, or timid, or servile, or ambitious, or even venal, politicians amongst us; but the heterodox have not yet declared themselves. Your pious and worthy correspondent, who wrote to you in your last number on the neglect of ceremonies, has, in some degree, anticipated me. I had intended to address you on this subject; but as I had purposed to treat it in reference to Protestant

worse than nothing; for they judge of it by misrepresentation: they see of it nothing but its ceremonies: these of course they ridicule; and, without being at all conscious of ill manners, ridicule them in the presence of Catholics. I once heard a person, who certainly had no intention, at the time, of affronting me, talk very tranquilly of the mummery of the Mass. In this age of conciliation and concession, many Catholics, of irresolute temperament, may be induced to believe that they ought not to offend the all-powerful Protestant, for the sake of that which is itself not essential; and even well-meaning persons may hope to remove some prejudice against that which is of the substance of religion, by omitting the observance of something of ceremony only. Thus our midnight Mass at Christmas, and the reverence paid to the cross on GoodFriday, may be withdrawn from public view. Thus, many pious persons employ themselves, in church, in reading Prayer-books, without intimating, by manner or gesture, that they take any part in the celebration of the "tremendous mysteries," that they have any share in the sacrifice offered up for them, and in their presence, "What will the Protestant think" is sometimes urged as an excuse for these negligences? I will tell you, Sir, what one Protestant thought, who afterwards became a convert. Some years before his conversion, he assisted at Mass in one of the chapels in London. He admired the recollection and devotion of the people; but in all religions the people may be devout, and recollected at the time of prayer. "These people are Christians," said he; and, in these few words, he declared the impression made on his

mind by the ceremonial. A man, ig-
norant of the English language, may
go into many places of divine wor-
ship in this country, and for any
thing to the contrary, that strikes his
"visual nerve," he may fancy him-jects.
self to be in a place of meeting of The-
ophilanthropists or of an agricultural
society.

ter, that if the divided allegiance, so called, of the Catholic, justifies the disqualifying statutes, then ought a Catholic sovereign to discharge from his service all his natural born sub"And much more so," said he, "for a Catholic prince has many more concerns to treat of with the Pope than a Protestant sovereign can But the ceremonial of the church is possibly have." However, here the a visible confession of its faith. The fautors of Catholic disqualification take "triumphant cross," elevated above their stand. Our faith, superstitious the altar, signed with the same sign; and idolatrous though it be, is not a the altar itself, "so placed," in the valid objection to the restoration of language of an antiquarian, its faith- our civil rights; but they who acful defender," as to be to the church knowledge a foreign jurisdiction shall what the head is to the body," so as not administer the affairs of this counto attract the regards of all; the cross try. An unprejudiced man would arborne on the front, and on the shoul- gue, the imputed acknowledgment of ders of the priest, the frequent repe- a foreign jurisdiction has been perfecttion of that sacred sign on the per- ly harmless, even during the two censons of the people, the smiting of the turies of persecution and proscription; breast according to the examples re- take away from the Catholics all just corded in the Gospel, the genuflec-ground of discontent, and the foreign tions of reverential gratitude for the jurisdiction will be, at least, equally mysterious incarnation; these things harmless. If, however, the experiattest and exhibit Christian faith.ence of two centuries be indeed in"Ye seek Jesus the crucified:" He indeed is ascended into Heaven, but his worshippers are here: behold the sign of the Son of Man!

Let every true son of the church venerate the ceremonial of his religion; let him be careful to bear his own part therein; let him remember that, by omitting so to do, he may scandalize a brother, or lose an opportunity of edifying an unbeliever. He need not dread the silly sarcasm to which this conduct will probably subject him; he may safely take upon himself to assure the Protestant, that whensoever, in defiance of the common sentiment of mankind, the government of this country shall abolish all royal, legal and military ceremonial, he will join with him in ridiculing the ceremonies of the church. I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

AN ENGLISH CATHOLIC. P.S.-I beg leave to add a remark made by the friend whom I mentioned at the beginning of this letter, on an argument which I used in a former let

sufficient to re-assure the timorous minds of our Protestant fellow subjects, let us, the Catholic subjects of the empire, resolve no more to petition the legislature for relief, till the commencement of the session of Parliament, to be holden in the year two thousand and one.

For the Orthodox Journal.

MR. EDITOR,-At no time, since the reign of Elizabeth, has the Catholic cause been in more eminent danger than at present. Through the long period of cruel despotism and legalized persecution under which we have groaned, our course has, at last, been clearly marked out to us: either renounce your religion explicitly, or prepare to suffer persecution and death, was the alternative held out. At present, however, our situation is more perplexing, if not so alarming. It would seem that the enemy of our faith, despairing of success by open persecution, has adopted a more con

dured to prevent a greater. In thus freely stating what I think will be the issue of the pending controversy,believe me, I by no means state what I hope may be its issue. Reconciliation and unanimity are the sincerest wishes of my heart; but still, if Religion must be risqued to purchase them, I would contentedly forego their enjoyment, till it should please the God of peace to grant me their enjoyment, consistently with the perfect safety of my religion. However, whilst our fate is pending, let us prepare ourselves to submit with cheerfulness to whatever Rome shall in its wisdom judge expedient; confidently trusting that no measure will be adopted by her, which every good Catholic may not embrace; and let us remember, that if any measure be positively enjoined us, the particular situation of English Catholics, who enjoy not a regular hierarchy, renders it not a matter of mere option. If the decision does not meet with our private approbation, let us sacrifice our private feelings to public tranquillity, and prepare ourselves to bear up against the increased difficulties of our state. For, depend upon it, any concessions at present, however they may tend to partial union among Catholics, will only sharpen the appetite of Protestants, and if I am not very much deceived, the day is not far distant when we shall be called upon for concessions, which in conscience, we cannot grant. The system of concession seems now pushed to its utmost extent; at all events, it certainly has bounds beyond which we cannot pass; and when the bigotry and intolerance of our Protestant statesmen have called, as they' certainly will, for what we cannot

cealed, though not less effectual mode of attack. We enjoy a degree of liberty just sufficient to enable us to taste the sweets, and allure us to attempt a further enjoyment. But here our pursuit is stopped-all beyond our present acquirements must be purchased at the expence, or at least with the imminent risque of the integrity of our religion; and what renders our case more distressing is, that we are not agreed among ourselves as to the limits we ought to put to our concessions. It becomes then an interesting question-how far may Catholics go in their condescendance to their Protestant governors? If we examine the politics of the Court of Rome, we find in every age of the church, that they have been uniformly governed by the most consummate prudence and profoundest wisdom. In those various and multiplied relations in which Catholics have at different times found themselves involved with their uncatholic governors, Rome has ever shewn herself willing to concede, as far as duty would allow, to the prejudices and jealous dispositions of her enemies. Pitying, as it were, the infirmity of human nature, and eager only for the propagation of the faith of her divine master, she, with a dignity becoming the spouse of him whose "kingdom is not of this world," has condescended to the puny weakness of her suspicious opponents; and waving all questions of inferior consideration, has been only solicitous to preserve inviolate the precious deposit of her faith. Such, then, no doubt, will be her conduct on the present occasion; and, however ardently some sincere friends may wish to see her inflexible and stern, I very much fear, that neces-grant, then will many who now seem sity will extort what scrupulosity would deny. In fact, what line of conduct can be pointed out, which will completely satisfy all parties? Positively-none. It must then be by steering some middle course, that any like accommodation can be brought about: a less evil must be en

insensible of their danger open their eyes, and then too it will appear, who have acted the more prudent part, they who have been overeager in tempting the avidity of our enemies, or they who have more cautiously hesitated to set foot within the dangerous enclosure of Religious Concession.

If