prerogatives of the church from
her pastors.
As a catholic

bookseller, I would not connive
or assist in the sale of any work
which has been officially and ca-
nonically condemned by the church,
as containing doctrines contrary to
the catholic faith. But then, as a
catholic, I know my faith is ONE
and the same throughout the world,
that it is, or should be, the same in
London as in Ireland, in America,
or in Rome. As a bookseller in the
metropolis of the British empire, I

of faith. The "Exposition of Liturgy" had been in circulation long before my coming up to town, as were also the first five of the series of Sermons. I saw the former work go through a first edition without any public censure from authority, and the first two volumes of the latter were in circulation some considerable time before any disapprobation was heard of them. From whence then could arise this opposi tion on the appearance of a second edition of the Liturgy, and the concluding volumes of the Sermons?-know my trade is free with all parts Oh! Mr. Foster says, the work exhibits such sentiments towards Rome, such feelings towards our established church, and such hopes and predictions of its downfall, such views of the ritish constitution, as might well induce a protest-vicar-general. In the first instance, ant to pause before he could admit that principles like these can safely be admitted into the guidance of our councils, and the enactment of our laws:" aye, there's the rub! It was found that the arguments and reasonings of the learned autho, were galling to the "protestant ascendency" meu, and therefore to show how far our would-be-leaders were

willing to carry the compounding and tolerating system, it was determined to sacrifice these works as a peace-offering at the altar of conciliation, in the same manner as the late Irish board renounced the catholic principles contained in the speech of the patriotic and inflexible Dromgoole, to appease the clamours of orangemen. The latter, however, have seen the folly of their conduct, but not till after having experienced the bad effects of it; the former, I hope, will follow their example, and not put it off until it is too late. As a catholic writer, my object is to support the independence and purity of ecclesiastical authority; and I would not willingly lend my pen to wrest que iola of the just

of the universe, if I could extend it so far, and therefore I consider myself at liberty to vend books for the other districts of England and Scotland, as well as that in which I reside, without the interference of a

when I know these works have been submitted to the judgment of two eminent theologians at Rome, who have given an unqualified appro bation in favour of their orthodoxy; when i know that an attempt was made to remove these approbations by anonymous objections to the works, which were submitted to the approvers, who refuted them, and obtained a confirmation of their for mer approbation, attested by three other witnesses, namely, an archbishop, a master of theology, and a doctor of divinity. When I know the late archbishop of Baltimore, in America, Dr. Carroll, of revered memory, requested in his dying illness that his thanks might be conveyed to the author, for the pleasure he had derived in reading the first three volumes of the sermons. When I have in my possession a letter addressed to me by one of the most eminent and learned prelates of the Irish church, in which he says that Mr. Gandolphy's sermons invaluable treasure," and expressed a wish that every priest of his diocese might supply himself with a copy of them. When I know that

66

are an

astonished that this has not yet been done, I must consider the charge & nullity, and shall continue to sell the work, which I really wish was in the reach of every family in the united kingdom and America. In this determination I am not actuated' by factious but conscientious motives, as I should consider myself guilty of a dereliction of duty to

I to withhold my assistance in promoting the circulation of a work officially declared likely to be

the latter work was revised,previous to its being sent to the press, by one of the now official advisers in the ecclesiastical affairs of this district; and when I know that not one single error in faith has been reguFarly and authentically detected and denounced, how can I conclude, in the full use of my reason, but that the works are orthodox, although they may contain scholastic propo-wards God and my neighbours, were sitions, in which divines may differ, but which the church does not condemn. To act otherwise would be to grant an infallibility to this dis-" highly advantageous to the cathotrict, which we are not called upon by the church to allow even in the pope; and would confirm one of the numerous calumnies brought against us, namely, that catholics are priestridden, and not permitted to exercise their reasoning faculties. In the second place, were I to allow a vicar general to walk into my shop and tell me that I must not sell these works, under a penalty of his high displeasure, and the withdrawing of his patronage, because they were not orthodox, although I have so many testimonies before me of the soundness of them from the most eminent divines; as well might I admit his right to interdict me in selling Dr, Milner's Letters to a Prebendary, or any other works that might be obnoxious to our tolerating and compounding would-be-leaders, and thus bend to an authority not known in the catholic church, and contrary to the privileges of a British citizen. To such an usurpation I shall not submit. No, no; if the works do contain various doctrines contrary to the faith of the catholic church, for the sake of truth, and agreeably to the decree of the council of Trent, let them be pointed out, and if they are not instantly cancelled, which the author has repeatedly declared his readiness to do, I will not suffer a copy to remain in my repertory; but until these errors are clearly specified, and I am

lic church," which "has rendered the articles of catholic faith clearer than the light," and which I can aver has actually been instrumental in bringing whole families to the true faith, who were before labour. ing under the darkness of error, lest, forsooth, by irritating the feelings of our separated brethren, I might re tard a few titled and wealthy indi viduals from obtaining a seat in the senate, and other temporal benefits, Before I conclude this subject, I must give the actors in this plan of "prohibiting" works all due credit for their ingenuity. As London is the mart from which every part of the kingdom is supplied with books, through the regular monthly parcels made up by almost every bookseller to his country agent, it was thought, no doubt, if they could prevail on those who vended catholic works, to agree not to sell such publications as might come under the ban of the self-named board, it would amount to an almost total prohibition; and in fact, had they succeeded in this scheme, the catholics in the other districts must have been at the mer cy of some half-dozen individuals for whatever political information or religious knowledge was dealt out to them; because a work printed in an obscure corner of the king dom could never get into general circulation, unless published and sold in the metropolis. Against

will muse upon them to the advantage of their souls, and cease to add farther mischief to the cause of truth, I shall leave them to return to the | speech of Mr. Foster.

"This work se sanctioned," says the printed speech, "exhibits such "sentiments towards Rome, such "feelings towards our established "church, and such hopes and pre"dictions of its downfall, such views "of the British constitution,

might well induce a protestant to "pause before he could admit that "principles like these can safely be "admitted into the guidance of our “councils, and the enactment of our "laws. In order fully to appreci "ate these principles, it would be "necessary to read the whole work; "but the following few extracts to its spirit." "may, at present, serve as specimens

this measure I have constantly set my face, as contrary to the principles of British freedom and the liberty of the press, and disgraceful to our characters as catholics; but I have had to encounter much persecution for thus defending the just right of my distant brethren, which has occasioned me to labour under many difficulties that have been considerably heightened by the terrible pressure of the times.Nevertheless, I am still resolved, as far as I am able, to secure the free circulation of every work that may be published for the use of the catholic public, not contrary to the doctrines of our church, or the laws of the country, and I rely on the support and encouragement of my friends, to enable me to make head against the conspiracy which I have unravelled, to cramp the liberty of the catholic press, and fetter public opinion. If our adversaries feel sore at the bold and cutting truths which are told by the zealous and active defenders of our principles, let them reply to the facts, and confute them if they can; but let us not attempt to bind our champions in manacles, and try to rob them unjustly not only of their fair fame, but of their pecuniary reward. To those who are guilty of such deeds I would recommend them to look over the table of sins, and see if they do not commit a breach of the eighth commandment. I would also advise these friends of "late-born toleration" to reflect on the great scandal they give, and the injury they create to religion, by endeavouring to invalidate the catholicity of works stamped with the ap-ing her tenets is to form an objec probation of such high theological authority. Are they aware of the cavillings they will occasion on the unity of our doctrine by this conduct, and the numbers they may occasion to swerve from the faith, who are not yet firmly fixed in it? Really these things are worthy their serious attention, and, hoping they

Before I enter into the "spirit" of disingenuity which Mr. Foster has manifested in the extracts he has quoted, and the inferences he has given to them, to shew the "spirit” of Mr. Gandolphy's work, which I agree with the speaker cannot be fully appreciated without perusing the whole, I could wish to know if Mr. Foster is attached by principle to the doctrines of the established church, and whether he bows with implicit confidence to all she has taught and now teaches?. I question if he does; at least this is notorious, that there are many members of the senate as much opposed to the doctrines of the established church as any catholic can be; and if the oppos

tiou to granting the emancipation of five millions of British subjects from political restraints for the sake of conscience; if this is to disable them from being eligible to assist in the guidance of our councils and the enactment of our laws, why, in the name of consistency should not all who condeinn her dogmas and re

"of faith, than he would in assent"ing to the oral testimony of God "himself." But what this reliance on the incorruptibility and unity of the church in point of faith has to do with Rome I am at a loss to imagine. I have given Mr. Foster credit for his acknowledgment, that fully to appreciate the principles which he considers so dangerous, it would be necessary to read the whole work, and I now must give him equal cre

tion in his own person of the truth of this admission. The sermons from whence the quotation is taken is on The Catholic Church, and the feel

nounce her authority, though arrays ed with the common appellation of protestant," be equally as ineligible as the catholic? Why should not the dissenting citizens of the state, who look with equal confidence and more avidity for the downfall of the established church than the catholics, be under the same restraint as the latter? The fact is, the opposition of the bible-mongers to the claims of their catholic fellow-subjects is not grounded on an attach-dit for having afforded us an illustrament to the establishment, for they are its greatest enemies, nor ou their far-famed profession of civil and religious liberty; but on a malignant and deep-rooted hatred to the princi-ings of the reverend author,and of all ples of the catholic religion. Their pretended apprehensions of danger to the church is a mere cloak to hide their sinister designs, and lull the unguarded churchman into a false security. If hatred to the catholic faith is not the fundamental cause of their opposition to the removal of political restraint, why do they dwell so much upon its supposed intolerance, and endeavour by forgery, by calumny, by misrepresentation, and every disgraceful artifice, to inspire prejudice and horror in the vulgar and credulous against it? But the biblical enmity of Mr. Foster soars to higher regions, and he boldly displays his abilities in the science of garbling and falsification before the wisest part of this enlightened protestant nation, feeling himself perfectly safe from contradiction, as few, if any, of the members are conversant with the true doctrines of the catholic church. In order to per-testant to pause before he consented suade those who sat in judgment on our petition for equal civil rights that we entertained dangerous feelings towards Rome, he favoured his honourable hearers with the following quotation from vol. i. p. 429. "A catholic finds not more difficul"ty in assenting to any truth the "church proposes to him as an article

the catholics in the united kingdom towards Rome, will be much better obtained on reading the following extract from the same, p. 401, whichi the candid senator probably did not see. "Contending for rights which in their own nature are purely spiritual, as a British catholic," says Mr. G, "I abjure and protest against every attempt, direct or indirect, in a pope, to establish a power over the temporal rights and properties of others. However, at the same time, that as a catholic, acquainted with his faith, I would oppose every extravagant pretension of a pope to raise a temporal dominion on the basis of his spiritual authority, I do not hesitate to acknowledge in him pastoral jurisdiction, co-extensive with the whole church of Christ.”— As Mr Foster complained that the work exhibited such sentiments towards Rome, as might induce a pro

a

to grant our claims, would it not have been more candid and liberal in him to have produced the latter extract, rather than that which he has chosen, as a specimen of the spirit of the work on this head. The allegiance of a catholic to his temporal prince is as undivided as that of any protestant, and his attachment to the laws

and rights of his country as fervent and as faithful. The supremacy allowed to the pope is theoretical, not practical, and therefore perfectly innoxious in those who hold it. What danger then can arise to the state by the admission of catholics to their civic privileges, when the bugbear of föreign influence is thus solemnly ab jured in the work, and sanctioned by the approbation of Rome itself.

written declarations of the reformers to establish his statement, and justice might have induced Mr. Foster to follow his example. The chief apostle of the reformation, Luther, says of himself, "I am burnt with the flame of my untamed LUST, and the desire of women. I, who ought to be fervent in spirit, am fervent in impurity, in sloth, &c. Relving on the strong foundation of my learning, Bot, continues the speech, The yield not in PRIDE either to empereformation was the sinful deed of ror, king, or devil; no, not to the Just, avarice, and pride." Vol. ii.universe itself." (See the characters P. 130 An impious withdrawal of the reformers, as detailed. by from their mother church."--Vol.iv. Mr. G. in a note, vol. ii. p. 132 p. 19. Its sole object was to ren-139.) The first royal head of the der religion less adverse to the cor- church of England was driven by rupt inclinations of men."Vol. iv.the same motives to undertake the p. 23. "With the exception of management of ecclesiastical affairs, what the laws of decency and society and pave the way for reformation require, the reformed religion has here. Echard says of him, "He done away every species of restraint, has been justly charged with crueland the human soul is left by her ty, rapaciousness, and lust." That more completely at large in the mothe reformed religion removed every ral than in the physical world. She species of restraint from the human is not more controlled by precept soul, stands confessed by the buildthan the actions of the savage, her ers of the work, as Mr. Foster own will becomes the only binding might have seen, had he read the law Vol. ii. p. 220. So because whole sermon from which he quotcatholics believe the reformation, so ed. "The world," says Luther, called, was a change for the worse "grows every day worse and worse; and not for the better, they are not it is plain that men are much more to be considered good citizens in a unruly, shameful, and full of vice, country where every one is daily than they were in the time of poboasting of liberty of conscience! pery." The famous Bucer, an im-But then, is it not very intolerant to mediate disciple of Luther, writes deny that the first reformers were thus: The greater part of the men of the most pious demeanour, people seem only to have embraced although themselves acknowledged the gospel, in order to shake off the their conduct to be the opposite of yoke of discipline, and the obligavirtuous? Surely you might be si- tion of fasting, penance, &c. which lent on the deeds of our patriarchs. lay upon them in time of popery; Here we have another testimony of and to live at their pleasure, enjoythe necessity of examining the whole ing their lust and lawless appetites work, to obtain a true specimen of without control. They therefore its spirit, and the want of candour in lend a willing ear to the doctrine Mr. Foster. If Mr. G. stated that that we are justified by faith alone, The reformation was the sintul and not by good works, having no deed of lust, avarice, and pride, he relish for them." Calvin too comfor! did not confine himself to mere as-plained of the early degeneracy of sertion, but he brought forward the the disciples of the reformation in ORTHOD. JOUR. VOL. V.

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