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beyond controversy:-3. An historical document, "De Haresis Anglicana intrusione & progressu, & de bello Catholico, ad annum "1641, in Hibernia cæpto, exindeque per aliquot annos gesto, "commentarius," in 7,000 pages in folio. It was compiled by an Irish Roman-catholic priest, from the papers of the nuncio Rinuccini, and consists, like Rushworth's "Historical Collections," of documents introduced or connected by succinct narratives. It is mentioned by Carte, and he praises the compiler for his impartiality.-4. Rinuccini's own Report of his nunciature. This is written in the Latin language, and Mr. Coke has obligingly permitted an English translation of it to be made. for the present writer. It is of extreme value to this important part of the Irish history; and the present writer means to publish it, but in what form, he is not yet determined.

Holkham abounds in paintings and sculpture by the most celebrated masters. How little these are generally known! This confirms Mr. Gibbon's remark, that if her exquisite monuments of art were, as is the case of most foreign countries, brought into her capitol, England would be astonished at her

own treasures.

HISTORICAL MEMOIRS

OF THE

ENGLISH CATHOLICS,

&c.

SINCE THE

REFORMATION.

CHAP. LXXXII.

THE ACT PASSED IN 1791 FOR THE RELIEF OF THE ENGLISH CATHOLICS.

WE have now to present the reader with a sum

mary account of the principal circumstances which attended the act, passed in 1791, for the relief of the English catholics: I. The formation of the English catholic committee in 1782: II. The formation of the English catholic committee in 1787: III. The memorial presented by the English catholics to Mr. Pitt: IV. The opinions of the foreign universities on the questions presented to them by his direction: V. The bill prepared by the direction of the committee for the relief of the English catholics: VI. The protestation signed by the English

catholics VII. The intended deputation of Dr. Hussey, afterwards bishop of Waterford, to Rome: VIII. The act passed in 1791, for the relief of the English catholics: IX. And the deposit of the Protestation at the Museum,-will be succinctly mentioned in the present chapter.

LXXXII. 1.

The Formation of the English Catholic Committee
in 1782.

In the year 1782, lord Stourton, lord Petre, Mr. Throckmorton, afterwards sir John Throckmorton, Mr. Thomas Stapleton, and Mr. Thomas Hornyold, were appointed, at a general meeting of the English catholics, to be "a committee for five

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years, to promote and attend to the affairs of the roman"catholic body in England."

A variety of circumstances prevented their making any particular exertions in the cause entrusted to them: the only measure of this description, which engaged their attention, was a plan for procuring the catholic ecclesiastics in this country to be formed into a regular hierarchy, by the appointment of bishops in ordinary, instead of vicars-apostolic.

The preceding pages have shown this to have long been the general wish of the secular clergy, and the steps which they had taken to accomplish this object.

Two arguments were particularly alleged in favour of this arrangement; its consonancy with the form of government established by Christ and his

apostles, and perpetuated through all succeeding ages, in every country in which the gospel has been received; and its being more agreeable to protestant governments than papal vicariats.

Probably it would have been both for the temporal and spiritual advantage of the English catholics, if, after the establishment of the reformation by the legislative acts of the first parliament of queen Elizabeth, bishops in ordinary had been appointed and regularly continued in the British dominions: but the actual form of vicarial government had, at the time of which we are now speaking, subsisted during a whole century; the minds and the habits both of the clergy and the laity were accustomed to it; experience had shown that the practical inconveniences attending it were not very great; and change, without a moral certainty of its proving advantageous, is always to be deprecated. The greatest grievance attending the present system appears to be, the want of an available appeal, by which a person aggrieved by any proceeding of his prelate can obtain redress: all however must admit that, if there have been cases, in which such an appeal would have been desirable, the number of them has been very small.

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Still, the proposed alteration in the ecclesiastical ministry of the English catholics deserved consideration, particularly as the absolute dependance of the English vicars-apostolic on the see of Rome, had frequently been urged by the adversaries of the body, as an objection to the granting of the relief which they solicited.

The first step of the committee was to ascertain the expediency and practicability of the measure. So far as it was a spiritual concern, it belonged to the cognizance of the vicars-apostolic. The committee, therefore, addressed a letter to each of the four vicars-apostolic, most respectfully stating their own views, and requesting his opinion upon the subject. It appeared from their answers, that their opinions differed: the committee, upon this account, dropped the measure.

The powers of the committee having expired in the beginning of the year 1787, the appointment of a new committee became necessary.

LXXXII. 2.

The Formation of the English Catholic Committee
in 1787.

Ar a general meeting of the English catholics on the 3d of May 1787, the following resolutions passed unanimously.

"That some kind of appointment of persons "take place, commissioned to watch over and "promote the public interest of the English roman"catholics:

"That the committee now to be elected, be "under the same rules and regulations as the late "committee:

"That the committee do consist of ten:

"That the meeting this day assembled, do elect "five to form part of the said committee:

"That letters be sent as generally as possible to

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