mote the fuccefs of his arms. To accufe fuch fubjects of difloyalty, would be the height of infult and injuftice. The islands of Malta and Trinidad, which are catholic, befides a very numerous body of that communion, both in the other islands and in his Hanoverian dominions, have never given, notwithstanding their belief in the fupremacy, the smallest reason to fufpect their loyalty. Now, why the catholics in England, who profefs the fame religious creed with the rest of his majesty's catholic fubjects, and with all that communion in every kingdom in the world, whether proteftant or catholic, cannot be good fubjects, appears to me paradoxical. Have they not conducted themselves invariably, according to the ftricteft rules of duty and fubordination? Have they not given the strongest pledges of the loyalty of their principles, that men can give to their fovereign? Have they not, by the most folemn and facred oaths, called both God and man to witness, that they acknowledge the interference of no foreign power whatfoever, in the civil government of his dominions? I fubjoin a copy of the oath prescribed by the parliament of the 31ft of his present majesty, and which is taken by all English catholics.

"I A. B. do hereby declare that I do profess the Roman catholic religion.

"I A. B. do fincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his ma

jesty King George the third, and him will defend to the utmost of my power against all confpiracies and attempts whatsoever that shall be made against his perfon, crown, or dignity and I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to his majesty, his heirs and fucceffors, all treasons and traitorous confpiracies which may be formed against him or them and I do faithfully promise to maintain, fupport, and defend, to the utmost of my power, the fucceffion of the crown; which fucceffion, by an act, intituled, An Act for the further limitation of the crown, and better fecuring the rights and liberties of the subject,' is, and stands limited to the Princess Sophia, electress and duchess dowager of Hanover, and the heirs of her body, being protestants; hereby utterly renouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance unto any other perfon claiming or pretending a right to the crown of these realms. And I do fwear, that I do reject anđ deteft as an unchristian and impious pofition, that it is lawful to murder or deftroy any person or perfons whatsoever, for, or under pretence of their being heretics or infidels; and also that unchristian and impious principle, that faith is not to be kept with heretics or infidels; and I further declare, that it is not an article of my faith, and that I do renounce, reject, and abjure the opinion, that princes excommunicated by the pope and council, or any authority of the fee of Rome, or by any au-.

thority whatsoever, may be depofed or murdered by their fubjects, or any perfon whatsoever: and I do promise, that I will not hold, maintain, or abet any fuch opinion, or any other opinions contrary to what is expreffed in this declaration: and I do declare, that I do not believe that the pope of Rome, or any other foreign prince, prelate, state, or potentate, hath, or ought to have, any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, fuperiority, or preeminence, directly or indirectly, within this realm: and I do folemnly, in the prefence of God, profefs, testify, and declare, that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this oath, without any evafion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatsoever, and without any difpenfation already granted by the pope, or any authority of the fee of Rome, or any perfon whatever, and without thinking that I am, or can be, acquitted before God or man, or abfolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the pope, or any other perfon or authority whatsoever, shall dispense with, or annul the fame, or declare that it was null or void. So help me God."

Now, if any credit be due to the most folemn oaths and protestations of millions of his majesty's subjects, it must appear evident, even to the most prejudiced, that the fpiritual fupremacy of the pope, has no connexion with the temporal government of

this kingdom, and confequently is in no fenfe inconfiftent with true allegiance. ** If the fupremacy give to the pope any jurifdiction, power, or superiority over princes in the civil and temporal government of their dominions, does it not follow, that all the catholic fubjects in the world, who have taken an oath of allegiance, are no better than a multitude of perjured rebels? But there are few men, I prefume, capable of advancing fo revolting an affertion; few who will venture to call in queftion the facred oath of fo large a portion of the christian world. "When I confider the ftate of "religion in Europe," fays Mr Fox, " of which 66 perhaps three-fourths of the inhabitants are Ro• man catholics, I am aftonished that fuch opinions respecting that religion can be maintained. Is "it poffible that any man can be found bold enough "to fay of three-fourths of the inhabitants of ci"vilized Europe, that they are not to be believed "upon their oath? Such an affertion implies, that "Roman catholic nations are not only incapable of "the relations of peace and amity, but unfit for any "of the relations of fociety whatever. "iftence of any fuch maxim fuppofes grofs igno

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The ex

*St Auguftine interpreting thefe words of our Saviour, in the Gospel of St John: "My kingdom is not of this world," exclaims, "Hear O ye emperors of the world! I interfere not with your fovereignty in this world; my kingdom is not of this world."

L

rance and barbarism in the people among whom "it prevails. Every enlightened mind, every man "who wishes well to his country, muft treat it with "fcorn and indignation.' "" *

If the spiritual jurisdiction which we acknowledge in the fee of Rome, relative to the mere concerns of religion, were of the fame import and nature with the civil and temporal fupremacy of his majefty, it would follow, that we could not admit the former, without rejecting the latter. But when we confider, that light and darkness are not more diftinct, than the fpiritual jurisdiction is from the temporal, and that the one does not interfere with the other; in what refpect can the fupremacy affect the civil authority of his majesty? Or in what light can it be fuppofed injurious to true and faithful allegiance? In the opinion of the Roman catholics, as is expreffed in the clear and explicit terms of the oath, the pope neither has or ought to have, any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, fuperiority, or

*Speech on the catholic petition, May 13th, 1805, Cuthell's Report, p. 26.

† Ofius who presided at the council of Nice, writes thus to the Emperor Conftantius:-"To you, God has committed the empire; to us, he has intrusted his church; and as those, who with evil eyes look at your empire, contradict the divine ordination, so it is with refpect to us; for it is written, What is Cæfar's give to Cæfar: What is God's give to God. It is unlawful for us to hold an earthly empire."