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legiance; and that those hands which, in the morning, were laid on the gospels in attestation of their fidelity to their Sovereign; in the evening took up arms to overthrow his government; and before the sun arose were dyed in the blood of his loyal subjects.-Let the Catholics, therefore, erase from their books and their hearts those paltering precepts about oaths, which are peculiar to their sect, before they require of you, in matters where their Church is interested, to place an implicit reliance on such obligations; and before you consent to adopt them for the purpose of obtaining competent security for a Protestant Church, and a Protestant settle.

ment.

ANTIPORE.

To the Editor of the Protestant Advocate.

SIR, I beg leave to offer a few words for the serious consideration of all who are attached to the Protestant constitution of the country, and likewise of those whose liberal ideas may eventually, and at no great dis tance of time, subvert it.-1st. Acting in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty," is it to be conceived that the Regent will put any other construction on the coronation-oath, than that maintained by the Sovereign, who always held the obligation of that oath most sacred? Whilst the King breathes, his Royal Highness will never act in any other way than that in which his Majesty himself would have acted, had he continued capable of exercising the functions of royalty.-2. As it is within the sphere of possibility that an attempt may be made to repeal the coronationoath, suffer a conscientious man and a loyal subject, one who is particu Jarly attached to the reigning family, and all the progeny of "the revered Sophia," (as Lord Chatham once styled that Princess), humbly to repre sent to the Regent, that the repeal, or any vital alteration of that oath, I mean any alteration affecting its plain and obvious meaning, is a measure which appears to me (not a novice in questions of this kind), beyond the power of Parliament or of the King to effectuate, In my judgment, the very act of giving the royal assent to any law repealing it, or weakening its force, would, ipso facto, be a violation of the cath itself.*

What may serve to shew that Parliament did not, in framing the coronation-cath, April 9th, 1689, intend to vest any discretional power in the Sovereign, is the fact, not insisted upon, or known so generally as it ought to be, that "a proviso was offered in the House of Commons, that no clause in the Act should so bind the Kings and Queens as to prevent their assenting to any Bill, offered by both Houses, for taking away, or pliering any fɩrn or ceremony in the Established Church, so as the doctrines, liturgy

Whether this was in view at the time when the oath was framed, I will not say, but most certainly it was the only possible method that could be devised for restraining, what in all other respects may be deemed, the unlimited power of the Legislature.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient humble servant,

AN ARDENT FRIEND TO THE PROTESTANT

(THE CATHOLIC) RELIGION.

Resolutions at a General Meeting of Protestant Friends to the Circulation of the Scriptures among Roman Catholics, in the United Kingdom, held at the New London Tavern, on the 1st of May 1813;-Sir Digby Mack worth, Bart. in the Chair.

1. THAT the report of the proceedings which have been communicated to this meeting, by Mr. Blair and Mr. Lefroy, relative to the Roman Catholic Scriptures, is highly important, and deserving the attention of Protestants in general.

II. It appears to this meeting that resolutions in the following words were passed by the "ENGLISH CATHOLIC BOARD," at the Earl of Shrewsbury's, on the 8th of March last, and were published in different London newspapers of the day following, viz. :

"That this board are of opinion, that it is highly desirable to have a subscription entered into by the Roman Catholics of Great Britain, for the purpose of promoting a gratuitous distribution of the Holy Scriptures. "That a committee for carrying the above resolution into effect, be appointed at the next meeting of the Board, and that such meeting be held at the house of the Earl of Shrewsbury, on Saturday next, the 13th instant."

III. It appears to this meeting, that the fair inference to be drawn from the foregoing resolutions, is that it was the intention of the English Catholic Board, freely to promote a gratuitous distribution of the Holy Scriptures, without distinguishing or limiting the agents to be employed in so beneficial a design; but it could not be conceived that the Holy Scriptures to be thus distributed (which it might be expected were to be the

and Episcopal Government be preserved. But this proviso was thrown out.—(Continuation of Rapin, V. 3. p. 44. Proceedings of the H. C. 2. 293.)-It is hardly necessary to add, that if the very forms and ceremonies of the Church of England were thus jealously guarded, à fortiori, it cannot be reconcileable with the spirit of the Constitution to tamper with the Church itself, or to endanger its foundation.-EDITOR.

anthorized Catholic Version) would be encumbered with Notes and Comments, designed not only to support the distinguishing and peculiar Tenets of the Roman Catholic Church-but which, by the uncharitable charges contained in them against Protestants, are calculated to widen, rather than to heal, the differences between the latter and the Roman Catholics of this kingdom.

IV. That in consequence of the preceding inference, certain Protestants did offer, through Mr. Blair and Mr. Lefroy, to co-operate with the English Catholic Board in the distribution of the Scriptures, and in printing the authorized Rhemish Version, used by the Roman Catholics; provided that Board would print the same without Notes.

V. That many of the Notes attached to the Roman Catholic editions of the English Scriptures are not only hostile to Protestant principles, but subversive of all Protestant Churches.

VI. That the Right Reverend Dr. Poynter, Vicar Apostolic (one of the Roman Catholic Bible Committee, appointed for carrying the foregoing resolutions of the English Catholic Board into effect), and other leading members of the Roman Church, have signified that the proposed cooperation of Protestants will be unnecessary; and that the object of such co-operation is even contrary to the practice of the Roman Catholic Church -which forbids the unreserved and indiscriminate circulation of the Scriptures alone, or the general distribution without their notes.

VII. That the spirit and determination, on the part of the English Ca tholic Board, which have been disclosed by the communications just received and read, diminish the present hope of co-operation with them in diffusing the Holy Scriptures among the Roman Catholic poor of the Unit ed Kingdom.

VIII. That a committee be appointed to consider the expediency of car rying into effect the original proposal, to reprint the Rhemish version of the New Testament without notes; and, still further, to ascertain the progress of the English Catholic Board, with reference to the object expressed by them, in their advertized resolutions of March 8th, 1813; and that such committee be especially instructed to inquire carefully into the extent to which the Irish poor are supplied with the Roman Catholic ver. sion of the Scriptures.

IX. That the committee have power to publish, in such manner as they may think proper, the whole or part of the communications now disclosed by Mr. Blair and Mr. Lefroy, and to take all such other measures as they may think fit in this business; also, to add to their num bers, and to call general meetings from time to time, as they may see ⚫ccasion.

X. That Sir Digby Mackworth, Bart. be requested to accept the nomimation of treasurer.

XI. That Edward Craig, Esq. be requested to officiate as secretary.

XII. That the thanks of this meeting be given to Messrs. Blair and Lefroy, for having convened this meeting; for the important communications they have made to it; and for their active, impartial, and disinterested exertions, throughout the whole correspondence.

XIII. That these resolutions be published by the committee, at their discretion; and that subscriptions be received by the committee, and also at Messrs. Praed's, Mackworth's, and Co. and at Messrs. Hoare's, Fleet Street, to further the objects and defray the expenses connected with the proceedings of this meeting.

XIV. That this general meeting do now adjourn to Friday, the 21st of May instant, at the Freemason's Tavern; when the Committee are requested to report their farther progress.

XV. Sir Digby Mackworth having quitted the chair, it was finally resolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the chairman, for his impartial and anxious attention to the business of this day.

London,
May 1813.

Extracted from the Minutes,

DIGBY MACKWORTH, Chairmans
EDWARD CRAIG, Secretary.

Observations.

We have thought it our duty to lay the preceding Resolutions before our readers, as they were published in the Courier of the 8th of May; although it may be objected that we ought rather to have waited until the correspondence which is promised us, is actually published, and we could see more plainly, and judge better of the disposition and views of the Roman Catholic committee. But to this we answer, that the very reasons which influenced the general meeting, in publishing their resolutions, will equally justify us in giving increased publicity to those resolutions, and to the facts which they contain. It is of the utmost importance to all Protestants at this moment, that they should be made as fully as possible acquainted with the real spirit of the Romish Church, and the views and dispositions which inseparably adhere, and must belong to all those who are sincere in adhering to her communion.

We have here a meeting of English Roman Catholics, styling themselves the English Catholic Board," appointing a committee for promoting the gratuitous distribution of the Holy Scriptures: and one of their Bishops a member, and, as may be supposed, at the head of this committee. The obvious inference certainly is, what is expressed in the

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above 3d Resolution, that this was to be a distribution made upon princi. ples, and carried on in a manner similar to those adopted by the British and Foreign Bible Society: at least, it was to be expected that it should be carried on in such a manner as should shew some semblance of that liberality of feeling, that conciliatory spirit towards Protestants, which is made the basis of those claims which are now in a course of discussion before Parliament.

But what has been the result? To us, indeed, it is not matter of surprise but there are many of our brethren, who, in spite of the declarations of the Romanists to the contrary, have believed that Popery is now a very different thing from what it was two centuries ago;-that the su perior light attributed to this age, has pierced even the dark cloud that envelopes the Papal throne, and made us all nearly of one mind. Some such appears to have been the idea of the gentlemen who composed the general meeting, and who thereupon offered to add their subscriptions to those of the Roman Catholics for this laudable purpose, agreeing, that as the persons to whom the books were to be gratuitously distributed were Roman Catholics, the Romish Version should be used. Now what is the answer to this liberal proposal? Why, "that the co-operation of Protestants is unnecessary; and that the object of such co-operation is even contrary to the practice of the Roman Catholic Church, which forbids the unreserved and indiscriminate circulation of the Scriptures alone, or the general distribution without notes.".

Now when we consider that the poor and the ignorant must be the objects of that distribution for which a subscription is to be raised, we could wish to know what is the reserve and the discrimination to be adopted? When the notes to be added are unquestionably in a style of professed hostility to all Protestants, marking us out as men out of the pale of salvation, what degree of liberality or of conciliation or approximation to us their fellow creatures, and fellow subjects, is to be found in all this? We will ask, further, how it happened that the resolutions of the Roman Catholic Board of the 8th of May last, so ostentatiously published in different London newspapers made no mention of any reserve, di crimination, or addition; but had all the appearance of a distribution, precisely such as is going on among Protestants? Will it not be suspected that this was done for the purpose of delusion, to serve the ends of the Roman Ca. tholics in their present application to Parliament, by giving themselves out as having no objection to the diffusion of knowledge, and particula:ly the reading of the Scripture, even by the poor and simple? Has it not the appearance of being intended merely to cast dust in the eyes of Protestants? as a sort of " tub" (to use Dr. Milner's elegant illustration) thrown out to

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