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Whether this writer and the Roman Catholics are warranted in their assumed deductions ?"

1. There is a third, and most important point of the Report, which appears to have been totally overlooked by both; namely, That in no Protestant state whatsoever, at the present day, are Roman Catholics admissible, either to the legislative or the executive government. This fact is ascertained in the most express and explicit terms, by the Report of the Regulations subsisting in Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland; and the deduction that obviously follows from this fact is, that as there is no precedent throughout Europe for the grant of political power in Protestant states, to their Roman Catholic subjects, so it would be impolitic, and hazardous in the extreme, to try the experiment now, in the Protestant empire of Great Britain.

2. The reporters fairly and fully state facts: they discreetly leave the deductions from those facts to the wisdom of Parliament; but the deduction to be obviously drawn, from the nomination of bishoprics by the crown, and the inhibition of Papal bulls, without licence, which hold equally in all the states, Romish, Protestant, and Greek, so far from making any security against the Pope, or any confidence in the attachment of their Roman Catholic subjects, even where they profess the religion of the state, as in France, Spain, Portugal, &c. only furnish an unequivocal test of the extreme

jealousy and apprehension with which all these states equally contemplate, and endeavour to guard against the encroachments and usurpations of the Papacy, and the seduction of their subjects.

How, or why, the Roman Catholics shall best understand this Report, remains for the objector to shew. They may indeed affect to understand it so, in order to compass the ambitious object for which they are so pertinaciously contending; and there is no small reason to dread they will accomplish it at last, from the ignorance and apathy of those who profess and call themselves PROTESTANTS. Omnia vincit labor improbus !

There is one consideration, however, of infinite weight and moment, paramount to all others, merely of a political nature, which does not appear to have entered hitherto into the contemplation of the advocates of the Catholic claims in Parliament; and which, if it had, must have produced their immediate and unanimous rejection :"What fellowship hath CHRIST with Belial?" What coalition, beyond full toleration, should be suffered between the Members of the Reformed Church of England, and of the Unreformed Church of Rome? The resemblance indeed between Popery and Paganism throughout, is frightful and tremendous. The religion of the Romish Church is only a modification of the ancient idolatry of Heathenism. The pontifex maximus of ancient and modern Rome perfectly resemble each

other in their character and functions; as shewn in the Introduction of this Essay, pp. 44-50. The analogy between the heathenism of Papal and of Pagan Rome formerly, has been ably exposed by the celebrated Dr. Middleton; and the connexion between the heathenism of Papal Rome and of Pagan India, at the present day, has been lately traced with much ability, from various sources of information, and especially from the observations of an intelligent writer on Indian affairs, long resident in that country, Charles Grant, Esq. M. P. late Chairman of the Hon. East India Company, by an eminent Solicitor, we understand, in the Court of Chancery, in a series of Letters, published in the Times newspaper, in the conclusion of the year 1817, under the signature of Ignotus, and republished 1818, in a tract, entitled Popery the Religion of Heathenism, where the connexion is shewn in a variety of instances:- 1. "The alliance between Heathen deification and Romish canonization; - 2, Between the image-worship of Heathenism and Popery; - 3, The similarity of the two priesthoods, and of the religious orders and fraternities of Heathenism and Popery; - 4, The alliance between the perpetual sacrifice of Heathenism and the perpetual sacrifice of the Mass; — 5, The conformity between Transmigration and Purgatory; 6, The expiation of sins by money in the Heathen and Romish Churches; -7, And

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the conformity between the supreme power of the respective priesthoods," &c.

Ubi passim

Palantes error, certo de tramite pellit;

Ille sinistrorsum, hic dextrorsum abit; unus utrique
Error, sed variis illudit partibus.

HORAT.

I shall close this Postscript with the awful warning of the illustrious Milton, against the introduction of Popery in his days; which bear an ominous resemblance, in many respects, to the present turbulent times.

"When a nation becomes generally irreligious and corrupt, and will not take warning by the sore judgments of fire, sword, famine, and pestilence, designed for their good, for correction in mercy, GOD, in his wrath, takes up and inflicts his last and severest of punishments, hardness of heart, infatuation, and idolatry. Idolatry brought the Heathens into heinous transgressions (Levit. xviii. ; Rom. i.); and heinous transgressions, in turn, often bring the slight, or superficial professors of true religion into gross idolatry. For this cause GOD shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lye; to the end that they might all be judged who believe not THE TRUTH, but have pleasure in unrighteousness' (2 Thess. ii. 11, 12); and Isaiah thus speaks of idolaters: -' They have not known nor understood; for God hath shut their eyes that they cannot see, and their

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hearts that they cannot understand.' Isa. xliv. 18. -"Let us, therefore," concludes Milton, " AMEND OUR LIVES WITH ALL SPEED, lest, through impenitency, we run into that stupidity, which we have heretofore sought by all means so warily to avoid, the worst of superstitions, and the heaviest of all GOD's judgments, POPERY."

"Oh, MY LORD GOD, defend this

realme from Papistrie, and maintain THY TRUE RELIGION!"

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Dying Prayer of King Edward the Sixth. See Holinshed.

* See Milton's Treatise on Toleration, 1673; republished by Baron Maseres in 1811; and abridged in Hales's Chronology, vol. ii. p. 1368, &c.; and Blair's Revival of Popery, lately published, 1819, shewing its intolerant character, political tendency, encroaching demands, and unceasing usurpations.

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