4.

THE REFORMATION AND THE PAPAL SYSTEM: REMARKS ON TWO LETTERS UPON THESE SUBJECTS, IN THE BOOK OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, 8vo. 1825. LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN, PATERNOSTER ROW; AND T. TAYLOR, LIVERPOOL.

ABLY and politely written: the chief object of the Author is to show the civil and religious blessings, which this country has acquired by the Reformation. With this view, he discusses the four points proposed for consideration in the 12th Letter in "the Book "of the Roman Catholic Church." Those, who wish to decide upon this part of the subjects in discussion between Doctor Southey, and the Author "of the Book of the Roman Catholic Church," should peruse this work attentively. An outline of it appeared in some letters in a Liverpool newspaper, under the signature of Libra.

The Author particularly animadverts upon the reflections in "the Book of the Roman Catholic Church" on Martin Luther and Theodore Beza.

With respect to Luther, I am fully sensible that when Luther wrote with coolness and deliberation, he wrote well. Some of his letters, in the controversy between him and Erasmus, show great clearness of perception, command of language, and power of composition. But, when Luther did not moderate his genius, his works were often filled with brutality, grossness and arrogance. This I have mentioned, but have not, I believe, ex

aggerated, in my Letters to Doctor Southey. It is remarkable that Luther, confessedly the most violent of the reformers, receded less than any from the Roman Catholic church.

With respect to Beza, the writer has convinced me, that, in bringing forward, in the manner done by me, the blameable verses of that reformer, I did wrong. Searches in the British Museum, to which the work in question led me,* have convinced me, 1st, That they were published by Beza in his 16th year, before he embraced, at least openly, the reformed religion; 2dly, That he never afterwards republished them; 3dly, and that he professed publicly his repentance of having published them. Man, after this, has no right to reproach Beza with them.

66

VI.

"Two LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, UPON CERTAIN PASSAGES IN HIS BOOK, AND "SHOWING, FROM HIS OWN EXPOSITION OF THE "ROMANCATHOLIC CREED, THE INADMISSIBILITY 66 OF ROMAN CATHOLICS INTO THE LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNMENT OF PROTESTANT ENGLAND. "BY A LAY MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF "OXFORD. 8vo. HATCHARD AND SON." 1825.

THIS work is written with elegance, method and perspicuity. Many of the Author's criticisms de

* Fayus de Vitâ et Obitu Clarissimi Theodori Bezæ Visalii, qto. CIɔɔCVI.-Preface to the Edition, Lugduni Batavorum, 1757.-Baillet, Hist. des Enfants celebres, &c. Tit. Beze ;-& his Jugemens des Sçavans. Tom. IV. Art. Beze, p. 63.-The indecent verses, do not, I believe, exist in any of the copies of Beza's poems in the British Museum.

"the Book of

serve observation; I shall confine myself, at present, to his general charge against "the Roman Catholic Church."

"I could have wished," he says, "that your Book had fully "answered to its title; and instead of contenting yourself with pointing out some inaccuracies in "Doctor Southey's Historical Narrative, and

charging him with want of candour, sincerity or "fair argument (without yourself taking sufficient care to avoid these faults), attempting to disprove some things, which can never be freed from "doubt, and to extenuate or excuse facts, which "had far better be passed sub silentio, because they admit of no satisfactory extenuation or excuse; and worse than all, meeting his his"torical details of human ambition, hypocrisy,

depravity and cruelty, with recriminations and "counter-charges, that you had addressed your great talents to the pith and marrow of the subIject, and have devoted yourself to prove, that the Roman Catholics of the present times are, by their creed, their dogmas, their "priesthood, " and their ecclesiastical discipline and institutions, as trust-worthy governors and legislators for "these kingdoms as Protestants themselves."

But is not the plan adopted in "the Book "of the Roman Catholic Church," the only plan which I could adopt to do justice to my cause? Dr. Southey had reviled the Roman Catholic religion in the strongest terms; had called it "a pro"digious structure of imposture and wickedness;" had asserted that the Popery, as he terms it,

of the Roman Catholics corrupts their moral and civil principles, and renders their allegiance unsound. To vindicate my religion, my brethren in faith, and myself, against these heinous charges, it was incumbent upon me to render an account of her faith. With this view, I mentioned three works, in which it is unfolded in a manner suited to the different capacities of readers; "the Catechism of "the Council of Trent,"-" Bossuet's Exposition "of Faith," and "Bishop Challoner's Summary "of Christian Doctrine." I prefixed to my work the Profession of Faith of Pope Pius IV.; and, in a separate chapter, stated in the words of the Council of Trent, such doctrines of our creed as the Profession of Pius had described by reference to that Council. All other doctrines I averred to be no part of our creed; and explicitly repudiated all obligation of believing them. What better could I have done to show the real tenets of the moral, civil and religious creed of my church? or to repel the charge that we are not trustworthy governors and legislators for Protestant England?

As to Recrimination ;-speaking generally, it is a sorry mode of argument; but it is unavoidable in some cases in mine, it could not be avoided. Dr. Southey averred, in the strongest language, that the lawfulness of religious persecution, was a principle of our church; and professed to prove it by producing instances in which Catholics had been guilty of it. To disprove it, after disclaim

ing the tenet in the strongest manner, and showing the explicit disclaimers of it, by Catholics, I produced instances equally numerous and equally unjustifiable, of Protestant persecutions. I then called on Dr. Southey to assign one good reason, why the criminality of Catholics, in the instances produced by him, should be charged on the Catholic creed, or ascribed to Catholic principles, if the equal criminality of Protestants, in the instances cited by me, should not be equally chargeable on their creed, or not equally ascribable to their religious principles. This is the only recrimination which I have used, and Dr. Southey evidently drove me to it.

Most sincerely do I wish all such recriminations, all such aspersions, all harshness of every kind, were at an end. I flatter myself that in all my writings, even in that, which is now presented to you, a single word that offends against charity or civility cannot be found. I must again repeat the words of St. Francis, of Sales, that "a good "Christian is never outdone in good manners." "We have solemnly protested," say the Roman Catholics, in their address of 1817,* " and do

again solemnly protest, against all intemperate "language, all rancorous and illiberal invectives, "all harsh and insulting expressions. We bear no "animosity to individuals of any communion, sect

or party; we embrace all our countrymen and "fellow citizens, as friends and brethren, and most

Historical Memoirs of English, Irish and Scottish Roman Catholics, Vol. IV. p. 20.