Queen Elizabeth-continued. 6.-Justification of the Persecutions, from the alleged Plots against Queen Elizabeth - 7.-Edifying and meritorious Conduct of the English Roman-catholics during the threatened Invasion of England by the Spanish Armada - - 268 8.- Introduction of the Reformation into Ireland by 1.-Doctor Southey's Defence of Charles II.'s Viola- tion of his Promise at Breda, to the Roman- catholics and Protestant Dissenters 2.-Doctor Southey's various Criminations of the NOTE I.-Opinions of Foreign Universities on the tem- poral Power of the Pope NOTE II.-The Oath taken by the English Roman-catholics, By the same Author, HISTORICAL MEMOIRS of the ENGLISH, IRISH, and AN HISTORICAL AND LITERARY ACCOUNT OF THE FORMULARIES, CONFESSIONS OF FAITH, OR SYMBOLIC BOOKS OF THE ROMAN-CATHolic, Greek, AND PRINCIPAL PROTESTANT CHUCHES; with four Essays,-I. A succinct historical Account of the Religious Orders of the Church of Rome-II. Observations on the Restrictions imposed by the Church of Rome, on the general Reading of the Bible in the Vulgar Tongue:-III. The Principles of Roman-catholics in respect to God and the King,-first published in 1684; REMINISCENCES. 4th Edition, 8vo. gs. 6d. LETTERS ΤΟ DR SOUTHEY, ON HIS BOOK OF THE CHURCH. INTRODUCTION. I. The proper Style of Controversy:-II. The Creed of Pope Pius IV.:-III. Observations on such of the Articles in it as are expressed in general Terms :IV. Application of these Observations to Dr. Southey's Charge against the Roman-catholic Church, that her Doctrines are corrupt. I SIR, HAVE perused with great attention, your "BOOK OF THE CHURCH," and find it to be, in many places, injurious to the roman-catholic church, and particularly so to the roman-catholics of England: under this impression, I address to you the following Letters. B I. Proper Style of Controversy. IN the year 1634, Pope Urban VIII. sent Father Jones, a Benedictine monk, called in religion Father Leander, a Sancto Martino, into England, to procure for the holy see accurate information, respecting the state of the established church; the condition of the English catholics; and the disposition of the government in their regard. On each of these heads, Father Leander made his report to his holiness. On the first, he thus expresses himself *: "The protestant church "retains an external appearance of the ecclesiastical "hierarchy, which was in force during the time "of the catholic religion; it has its archbishops, bishops, deans, archdeacons, chapters of canons "in the cathedrals of the antient sees, and most ample revenues. It It preserves its antient edifices, "the names of its antient parishes, priests and deacons; a form of conferring orders, which agrees, in most respects, with the forms pre"scribed by the roman pontifical; it preserves also "the clerical habits and gowns, the pastoral crook " and copes, the antient temples, parishes, churches "and colleges of magnificent structure, and attend 66 66 ance on these is enjoined."—" In the greater "number of the articles of faith, the English pro 3 * Clarendon's State Papers, vol. 1. page 197.. "testants of the established church are truly or“thodox; as on the sublime mysteries of the Trinity, and the Incarnation; on the economy "of the redemption of man, and satisfaction "through the whole almost of the controversies "respecting predestination, grace, and free will; "the necessity and merit of good works, and the "other articles expressed in the creed of the Apostles, in the Nicene and the Athanasian "creeds, (as these stand in the roman-catholic liturgy), and in the four first general councils." 66 66 When there is so near an approximation in religious creeds, there certainly should be an equal approximation in christian and moral charity; an equal wish to sooth, to conciliate, to find the real points of difference very few, and to render them still fewer; and an equal unwillingness on each side to say, or to write any thing unpleasing to the feelings of the other. In this amicable spirit, the controversy between Limborch and Orobio, and the conference between Bossuet and Claude were conducted; and in this spirit, it is hoped, the following pages will be found to be written. They are intended to be a reply to some passages in your "BOOK OF THE CHURCH," which contain inaccurate accounts, either of the faith, or of the conduct of roman-catholics. These appear to me to be so numerous, as to render it necessary, in order completely to exhibit and refute them, to follow you chapter by chapter. This task is not pleasant; but I feel it due from me to my romancatholic brethren. It will give me unspeakable |