Tetiro to 11 (Matta.

PROTESTANT IMPROVEMENT OF THE POPISH PANIC.

London, 19th November MO. Sin—If you should think the following considerations' in any way calcu- lated to give a right direction to the present animus against Romanism, would you kindly give them publicity ? In the first place, Sir, I would disclaim all sympathy with the ecclesiasti- cal views of the Itomanists or the Romanizing party in England ; and in the approaching conflict between dogmatism and free thought, between those who rely on a human priesthood and those who allow no man to stand be- tween them and their God, I heartily wish success to liberty and true spirit- uality. It is my very anxiety for real liberty. of opinion which makes me fear that my Protestant fellow-countrymen, in their zeal to repress the party which is usually found adverse to such liberty, may overstep the boundaries of justice, may refuse to that party its own rightful freedom, and so, in fact, injure the cause they intend to serve.

The present proceedings of the Pope are certainly irritating ; they are a braggart display of his most offensive pretensions : to which he has doubtless been induced by the foolish advice of his English adherents, who have attri, bated too much weight to the revival of a sacerdotal spirit among the clergy of our Church, and to the conversions of a few sentimental young ladies, a few amiable and imaginative Searchers after unity, and several clergymen intoxicated with the importance with which they have invested themselves, and annoyed at the refusal of others to recognize their assumed sacrosanc- tity. This display has been rendered more offensive by Dr. Wiseman's pompous pastoral letter, and the ridiculously exaggerated importance given to the affair in Father Newman's inaugural sermon.

Such being the case, few are sorry to see arrogance rebuked : but I for one should be very sorry to see the Roman Catholics exposed to persecution, legal or social; and I cannot think that fierce denunciations or restrictive enactments are the proper remedies for the case. Extravagant as the pretensions of Rome are, they are no more than she has always advanced . every one knows that she has always insisted that our Church is an imposture, our orders invalid, our country among the parts of the unfaithful, and ourselves heretics without the pale of salvation. Yet we hear people talking of these "startling assertions " as if they were abso- lute novelties, now for the first time promulgated from out the Flaminian Gate. The fact is, that "Rome has not for ages past made any attempt to disturb the political allegiance of the subjects of Protestant states; neither does she now. But she has always claimed the spiritual allegianoe of the whole world ; and she now does no more. Her claim was for a long time met in England by penal laws : the growing spirit of tolerance has abrogated those laws; and Rome avails herself of her liberty by erecting a spiritual edifice for the government of her spiritual subjects. The assumption of " territorial jurisdiction," of which we hear so much, has its origin in a mere verbal confusion : all that has been done is to define the local limits of each Bishop's jurisdiction, so that one tribunal may not clash with another ; and how this is to be done, without assigning certain localities to certain of- ficers, it is not easy to see. Thejurisdiction given to each is still a purely spiritual one, though it is confined to certain bounds of space. The manner in which all this is done is provocative of anger ; but it is in substance only the establishment of a voluntary church on Romish principles. To deny the right of the Ronianists to do this, is to deny their right to any eccleaiastical organization at all and how can Romish principles be said to be tolerated in this country if their professors are prevented from acting upon them ? Now, to any one who will attentively consider the nature of spiritual•obe- dience, it will be evident that the only way to " put down" the Pope is to show that our cause is better than his. The essence of spiritual obedience is, that it depends on the will of the person rendering it; the moment it is en- forced it ceases to be spiritual, and becomes either eceleaiastical. or political. Now in this kingdom the Pope cannot employ political coercion, because the laws do not recognize his authority; nor w...lenasticer, keeepse s'perron ex- communicated for spiritual rebellion would find the intintifet IWO' t 3i ad b 40

i J (10 0 .1 173,(19iic Off Idikato wit Atspespteidgdmi*

the itslatbstiPmuls centestfamliti al/YAL _lel tisirejttettic'eittesW&mattiparsmide Moist's; 1/Seltittaes ',."‘ is " t.a5Wkr ICS popeifronsqoamitigian 1411ftintils? ' 'S.14-fttilatNI4tliViNlf OCIOnletie p >Meant 4411.:n ' '1;8 . 4 5 II, i . -

W .intaffteut,poliessbeto:

Psi 4 iii , i,

0 r, 1 • s -. - eg."11' see'e ' Stith° iPtine's art te,

letjis hole% er; rillifis intdtitant,lepidatolerttehunaiddis ; if we him all'eneinyto.progress; lot us' stramieverss neirve tooducato and ameliorate our poor.; if we boast,of our enlightenment, let is beware, of senseless clamour ; if we are of a more spiritual faith than he, let us exhibit in our conduct those good and gentle qualities which are the fruits of the spirit. Logic may do something, but a practical exhibition of the results of a purer faith will do nearly eve g. If our lives, political, social, and private, are visibly better regukted than those of our rivals, we shall win the, victory. And that so.it will ultimately be I doubt not ; but every outburst of angry feeling, such as the present, makes people desirous of inflicting only present pain on their opponents, and draws.their minds away from really important objects. And ste shall de ourselves more credit, as well as carry our point more effectually, if instead of inflaming the passions of the stronger party we exerted ourselves to promote a spirit of peace and moderation among them.

,

P4 .t .V P. e*/ ,3.1 llathaetomcrg&IfMstbey, flip Yb nteSsithstandingdawaiutdateileateaka tittfl WWII)

1 I

U ".;

• • I.

Ass ULTRA-PROTESTANT.