"&c. to compel him to make the restitution to which' "he is bound by the law of nature, and by the positive law of God.

"In the same manner, the pope cannot enforce in England the observance of a divine or ecclesiastical "precept by any civil or temporal punishment, but "only by ecclesiastical or spiritual means, such as depriving a catholic clergyman of his spiritual powers, or others of the participation of the sacra"ments and of the communion of the church.

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"In cases of impediments of matrimony, on which "the laws of England are different from the laws of "the catholic church, the laws of the church have "their proper and distinct effect, and are not en"forced by any civil means. Suppose then that two "catholics, first cousins, marry according to the forms "of the law of England, their marriage is considered as valid and good according to law, as the degree "of first cousins is not a legal impediment: but their marriage is considered by the catholic church as invalid and null, ab initio, in conscience and in the sight of God; because the degree of first cousins " is an impedimentum dirimens, totally annulling the "matrimonial contract in the sight of God. In this case, the catholic bishop or priest would inform the parties of the invalidity of their marriage, and of "the conscientious obligation of their separating. If they refuse to separate, he cannot compel them by

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any civil means: if they have children, he cannot "declare them illegitimate, so as to make them incapable of succeeding to the titles and estates of the "father, or of enjoying the temporal benefits of legi"timate children. But, if they refuse to separate,

"ments of the catholic church; and if they have "children, these children will be ecclesiastically illegitimate, so as to be incapable of being admitted "to holy orders. Hence it appears evidently, that "the ecclesiastical and the civil powers are clearly "distinct from each other in their means and effects. 7 "Whilst the catholic is bound by the law of God "to acknowledge that the king has civil and tempo"ral authority for the government of the state, he is "equally bound by the law of Christ to acknowledge "that the pope has ecclesiastical and spiritual autho"rity for the government of the catholic church, and "of all the members of the catholic church wherever "they are. If any catholic were to swear that the 66 pope ought not to have any ecclesiastical or spiri"tual authority in England, he would abjure the "divine right of the pope to govern the members of "the catholic church, he would abjure the principle "of the supremacy of the pope, he would separate himself from the centre of catholic unity and "communion, he would ipso facto cease to be a " catholic.

" (Signed)

WILLIAM POYNTER, V. A.B."

"4, Castle-street, Holborn, "March 5th, 1821."

This important document was received by the gentlemen, to whom it was transmitted by Dr. Poynter, with the respect to which it was justly entitled. To the active, judicious and conciliating efforts of this prelate, it was principally owing that the explanation of the oath of supremacy was incorporated into the oath, and that the securities were greatly softened: but it should be observed, that in

every suggestion, which he made for softening the securities, Dr. Poynter always took care to intimate that, even with those alterations, he did not approve them, however he might think them less objectionable or less oppressive than they were in their original state.

XCIV. 2.

Opinions of Irish Clergymen on the Bill as it passed the Commons.

It has not come to the knowledge of the writer, that the securities have been approved by any of the catholic prelates in England, Ireland or Scotland; or that any prelate, except Dr. Coppinger the bishop of Cloyne, and doctor Milner the vicar-apostolic of the midland district, has objected to the oath of supremacy, as it stands in the bill, which passed the house of commons. The general opinion of the roman-catholic clergy, on the subject of the oath and securities, may be collected from the following transcription of the resolutions entered into by the roman-catholic prelates of the province of Leinster.

"At a general meeting of the roman-catholic pre"lates of the province of Leinster, and of the clergy "of the arch-diocese of Dublin, held yesterday in the chapel of St. Michael and St. John;-The most "reverend Dr. Troy in the chair:

"The following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

"Resolved, That we have read, with unmingled "satisfaction, a bill now in progress through parlia"ment, purporting to provide for the removal of the " disqualifications under which his majesty's roman

catholic subjects now labour, and that we deem it a "duty to declare, that the oath of supremacy, as "therein modified, may be taken by any roman"-catholic, without violating, in the slightest degree, "the principles of his religion.

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"Resolved, That our hearts are filled with the most lively gratitude towards the right honourable W. C. "Plunkett, and those other distinguished statesmen "who have lent the aid of their great talents towards "obtaining the important boon, therein contemplated, "for the roman-catholic people.

"Resolved, That having read another bill in progress likewise through parliament, and purporting "to regulate the intercourse of persons in holy orders, professing the roman-catholic religion, we "consider it an act of justice to the liberal and enlightened framers of that bill, to declare our en"tire conviction, that they were guided in the framing of it, by no unkindly feeling towards the roman"catholic clergy, or no motive of hostility towards "our religion, although it appears to us, that were "the said bill to be enacted, in its present shape, i into a law, it would press upon our order, and upon "the essential exercise of the roman-catholic ministry, "with great, unnecessary and injurious severity.

"Resolved, That the roman-catholic clergy, hav"ing solemnly abjured all foreign authority or jurisdiction, in civil matters, within this realm; having "moreover sworn allegiance to his majesty, and proved their loyalty by a series of conduct which "has been marked, at different times, with the ap

probation of his majesty's government; we submit "it to the candour of every unprejudiced man, whe"ther it be just that our confidential communications

"with the spiritual head of our church, on matters purely religious, should be laid open before persons "of a different creed.

Resolved, That we have read with the deepest concern the clause which purports to vest in the crown an unlimited negative in the appointment of "our bishops, a power, as appears to us, equivalent " in its effects to a right of positive nomination. We "humbly conceive that the assumption of such a right,

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by persons of one religious persuasion to the no"mination of the ministers of another, has ever been "considered by all denominations of christians, as impeding the free exercise of religion, and invad"ing the rights of conscience; and that on this prin"ciple is founded that wise and necessary clause "contained in the bill herein first mentioned, which "provides, That no person professing the roman-ca"tholic religion, shall exercise any right of presenta❝tion to any ecclesiastical benefice whatsoever of the "established church.

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Resolved, That our venerable archbishop, the most reverend Dr.Troy, be requested to make known to the right honourable the earl of Donoughmore "and the right honourable W. C. Plunkett, our con"scientious uneasiness, as herein declared, and to "communicate to them our most humble and our

most earnest prayer, that they will employ their "powerful talents and influence in the houses of "which they are respectively members, to obtain "from the justice and magnanimity of parliament, "such modifications of the aforesaid bill, as shall "not allow it to aggrieve the consciences of his "majesty's roman-catholic subjects.

"Resolved, That these our resolutions be published,