made use of in the other House: They told their Lordships, that it had been objected by the Commons, that the paffing that bill would not be a breach of the articles of Limerick, as had been fuggested: becaufe, the perfons therein comprised were only to be put into the fame ftate they were in the reign of Charles the Second, and because, that in that reign there was no law in force which hindered the paffing any other law thought needful for the future fafety of the government. That the Commons had further faid, that the paffing this bill was needful at prefent, for the fecurity of the kingdom; and that there was not any thing in the articles of Limerick that prohibited their fo doing. It was admitted, on the part of the petitioners, that the legislative power cannot be confined from altering and making fuch laws as fhall be thought neceffary for fecuring the quiet and fafety of the government; that in time of war or danger, or when there fhall be just reafon to fufpect any ill defigns to disturb the public peace, no articles or previous obligations fhall tie up the hands of the legiflators from providing for its fafety, or bind the government from difarming and fecuring any who may be reasonably fufpected of favouring or correfponding with its enemies, or to be otherwife guilty of ill practices: " Or "Or indeed to enact any other law," faid Sir Stephen Rice, "that may be abfolutely needful for the safety and advantage of the public; fuch a law cannot be a breach either of these, or any other like articles. But then fuch laws ought to be in general, and fhould not fingle out, or affect, any one particular part or party of the people, who gave no provocation to any fuch law, and whofe conduct ftood hitherto unimpeached, ever fince the ratification of the aforefaid articles of Limerick.-To make any law that fhall fingle any particular part of the people out from the reft, and take from them what, by right of birth, and all the preceding laws of the land had been confirmed to, and entailed upon them, will be an apparent violation of the original inftitution of all right, and an ill precedent to any that hereafter might diflike either the prefent or any other settlement, which fhould be in their power to alter; the confequence of which is hard to imagine." The Lord Chancellor having fummed up all that had been offered at the bar, the Houfe proceeded thereupon; the bill was read through; and, to the great mortification of that unhappy party, was paffed; and upon the 4th of March obtained the royal affent. No. No. II. Declaration of the Catholic Nobility, Gentlemen, and Clergy, Dublin, May 6, 1799. "To fuch of the deluded people, now in rebellion against his "Majefty's Government, in this Kingdom, as profefs the "Roman Catholic religion. "THE undersigned Roman Catholics of Ireland feel them felves earnestly called on to remonftrate with fuch of the "deluded people of that perfuafion as are now engaged in open "rebellion against his majesty's government, on the wicked "tendency and confequences of the conduct which they have "embraced; they apprehend, with equal horror and concern, "that fuch deluded men, in addition to the crime committed "against the allegiance which they owe to his majefty, have, "in fome inftances, attempted to give their defigns a colour of "zeal for the religion which they profefs. The undersigned "profefs equally with them the Roman catholic religion; fome "of them are bifhops of that perfuafion, others are heads of "the leading families who profefs that religion; and others are men of the fame perfuafion, who, by an honourable industry, "have, under the conftitution, now fought to be fubverted, "raised themselves to a fituation which affords them, in the -"moft extenfive fenfe, all the comforts of life. The under"figned of each description concur in entreating fuch of the "deluded who have taken up arms against the established 66 ་་ government, or entered into engagements tending to that "effect, to return to their allegiance; and, by relinquishing. "the treasonable plans in which they are engaged, to entitle "themselves to that mercy which their lawful governors "anxiously wish to extend to them; a contrary conduct will 64 inevitably fubject them to lofs of life and property, and ex"pofe their families to ignominy and beggary; whilft at the fame time it will throw on their religion, of which they pro "fefs to be the advocates, the most indelible ftain: on this" point, the unfortunately deluded will do weil to confider "whether the true interefts and honour of the Roman catholic "religion are likely to be moft confidered by the bishops of 64 that 64 66 66 66 "that perfuafion; by the ancient families who profefs that religion, and who have refifted every temptation to relinquish it; by men, who at once profeffing it, and fubmitting to the prefent conftitution, have arrived at a state of affluence which gratifies every wish; or by a fet of defperate and profligate "men, availing themfelves of the want of education and expe"rience in those whom they seek to use as inftruments for grati"fying their own wicked and interested views. At all events, "the undersigned feel themselves bound to rescue their names, "and, as far as in them lies, the religion which they profefs, "from the ignominy which each would incur, from an appear. ance of acquiefcence in fuch criminal and irreligious conduct : "and they hefitate not to declare, that the accomplishment of "the views of the deluded of their perfuafion, if effected, mult be effected by the downfall of the clergy, of the ancient families and refpectable commercial men of the Roman catholic religion, the underfigned individuals of each of which defcription hereby publicly declare their determination to stand "or fall with the prefent exifting conftitution. 66 "FINGALL, "GORMANSTOWN, "KENMARE, "Sir EDWARD BELLEW, with 41 gen"tlemen and profeffors of divinity, "together with the Rev. PETER FLOOD, D. D. prefident of the Royal College of St. Patrick,. Maynooth, for himself, the profeffors, and ftudents of faid college." 66 64 No. No. III. The principles of the Roman Catholics, from the Prayer Book which is in general ufe amongst the Catholics of Ireland, and which was published by Dr. Coppinger, Titular Bishop of Cloyne. SECTION I. 1. THE fruition of God, and the remiffion of fin, are not attainable by man, otherwise than in and by the merits of Jefus Chrift, who gratuitously purchased them for us. 2. These merits of Chrift are not applied to us otherwife than by a right faith in him. 3. This faith is but one, entire and conformable to its object, which is divine revelation, and to which faith gives an undoubt ing affent. 4. This revelation contains many myfteries tranfcending the natural reach of human understanding. Wherefore, 5. It became the Divine Wisdom and Goodness to provide fome way or means whereby man might arrive to the knowledge of thefe mysteries; means vifible and apparent to all; means proportioned to the capacities of all; means fure and certain to all. 6. This way or means is not the reading of the Scripture interpreted according to the private reafon or judgment of each particular perfon or nation; but, 7. It is an attention and submission to the voice of the Catholic or univerfal Church established by Chrift for the inftruction of all; fpread for that end through all nations, and vifibly continued in the fucceffion of pastors and people through all ages. From this Church, guided in truth, and fecured from error in matters of faith, by the promised affiftance of the Holy Ghost, every one may learn the right sense of the Scriptures, and fuch Chriftian myfteries and duties as are neceffary to falvation. 8. This church, thus established, thus fpread, thus continued, thus guided in one uniform faith, and fubordination of government, is that which is termed the Roman Catholic Church; the qualities just mentioned, unity, indeficiency, vifibility, fucceffion, and universality, being evidently applicable to her. 9. From the testimony and authority of this Church, it is that we receive the Scriptures, and believe them to be the word of God: and as she can affuredly tell us what particular book is the word of God, fo can fhe, with the like affurance, tell us alfo the true fenfe and meaning of it in controverted points of faith; the fame fpirit that wrote the Scriptures directs her to understand both them and all matters neceffary to falvation. From these grounds it follows: 10. Only truths revealed by Almighty God, and proposed by the Church, to be believed as fuch, are, and ought to be, efleemed articles of Catholic faith. 11. As an obftinate feparation from the unity of the Church, in known matters of faith, is herefy; fo a wilful feparation from the visible unity of the fame Church, in matters of fubordination and government, is fchifm. 12. The Church proposes unto us matters of faith, first and chiefly by the Holy Scripture, in points plain and intelligible in it:fecondly, by definitions of general councils, in points not fufficiently plain in Scripture ;-thirdly, by apoftolical traditions derived from Chrift and his Apostles to all fucceeding ages. SECTION II. 1. The pastors of the Church, who are the body reprefentative, either difperfed or convened in council, have received no commiffion from Chrift to frame new articles of faith, thefe being folely divine revelation; but only to explain and to ascertain to us what anciently was and is received and retained as of faith in the Church, when debates and controverfies arife about them. T'hefe definitions in matters of faith only, and proposed as fuch, oblige all the Faithful to an interior affent. But, 2. It is no article of faith that the Church cannot err either in matters of fact, or in matters of speculation or civil policy, depending on mere human reafon: these not being divine revelations depofited in the Catholic Church-Hence is reduced, 3. If a General Council, much lefs a Papal Confiftory, should prefume to depofe a King, and to abfolve his fubjects from their allegiance, no Catholic could be bound to fubmit to fuch a decree. Hence it follows, that, 4. The fubjects of the king of England lawfully may, without the leaft breach of any Catholic principle, renounce, upon oath, the teaching or practising the doctrine of depofing kings excommunicated for herefy, by any authority whatsoever, as repugnant to the fundamental laws of the nation, as injurious to |