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this oath to any thing that is contrary to our confcience, or the fervice of our King and country: far from thinking we prejudice any of thefe, it is even expreffed in the oath, that we take it without prejudice to our ftate, falvo meo ordine. The fubmiffion which is fworn to the Pope in fpirituals, is of a different order from what we naturally owe our Prince in temporals, and without protesting, we have always well understood, that one does not interfere with the other. So far that learned and judicious Prelate.

Your Lordship will find these very words of Boffuet, in the beginning of the first chapter of the 7th book of the Variations: -they clearly account for faid oath's being fo univerfally taken by all the Roman Catholic Bishops in both Catholic and Protes tant ftates. The SALVO MEO ORDINE removes all fear of the oath's injuring the allegiance due to other Princes. The oath itself, at the beginning, was only taken by the Bishops of the Pope's ecclefiaftical territories, who from being fubjects of the Pope, as a temporal Sovereign, fwear fealty to him both in fpirituals and temporals, which is not the cafe with Bishops, who do not belong to the Pope's dominions; and hence, when a defire of conformity with the Bishops that are immediately fubject to the Pope, made it, by degrees, customary for the Roman Catholic Bishops throughout the whole world to take the faid oath at their confecration, they all took care to profefs plainly and publicly, by the claufe SALVO MEO ORDINE, that they did not bind themselves down to any thing in faid oath, but in as far as it was compatible with the fituation of every Bishop under their respective Sovereigns, and the duty he effentially owes to them. The oath is almoft of 800 years date; time, furely, fufficient for every Sovereign to know the meaning of it.

The words of the oath, Hereticos perfequar et impugnabo, which his Lordship of Cloyne reprefents as fo alarming to the Proteftant intereft, far from meaning what his Lordship feems to think, imply nothing more than the obligation every Bishop takes upon himself, to be ever earnest in oppofing and refuting, by the fpiritual weapons of the gofpel, all broachers of doctrines contrary to its principles.

Thefe, my dear Lord, are the thoughts which occurred to me on reading that part of Dr. Woodward's work, which attacks the confcientious fincerity of Roman Catholic Bishops. Thoughts, which I was most anxious to communicate to a Nobleman of my own religion, whose zealous and fuccefsful exertions in fuppreffing the disturbances in the county of Kerry, have met with the deferved applaufe of government and of the

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Clergy of both communions. On that account, I look up to your Lordship as the best entitled to avail yourself, with every advantage, of the facts I have mentioned, in order to prevent or efface the very unfavourable impreffions Dr. Woodward's ftrictures on us may make, or have made, on the public, by mifrepresenting the Nuncio's letter as a decifion of our Church, and the oath Bishops take at their confecration, as incompatible with our allegiance.

I have the honour to be,

With the fincerest attachment and efteem,
My Dear Lord,

Your Lordship's moft obedient Servant,
And affectionate Kinfman,

JAMES BUTLER.

Note C.

Befides the various inftances which have been stated of the difpofition of the Proteftants in various parts of Ireland to act with liberality towards the Catholics, the following have occurred within the laft twelve months -Refolutions have been publifhed by the Grand Juries of the counties of Kilkenny and Galway in favour of emancipation.-The Proteftant inhabitants of Newry, at a public meeting convened by the Senefchal, agreed to a declaration expreffing their wish to have every thing conceded to them, provided they would confent to permit the King to nominate their Bifhops.-The principal Nobility and Gentry of the counties of Tipperary, Meath, and Waterford, have published declarations of their fentiments in favour of emancipation.-At general meetings of the Freeholders of the counties of Galway, Rofcommon, and Sligo, unanimous refolutions have been agreed to, approving of that meafure. Thirty Orange Lodges in the North of Ireland published an expofition of their principles laft July, wherein they ftated that the object of their inftitution was to refift republicanifm, and not religious confiderations. They likewife declared their intention not again to celebrate the Battle of the Boyne.

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