they are to be granted with moderation, lest ecclesiastical discipline should be weakened by an overgreat facility. As to the abuses, which in the use of them had become too manifest, the Church commands her chief pastors to use proper means to put an end to them all.1

As they believe that Christ is in heaven the head of the Church, as well militant as triumphant; so they firmly hold, that he had appointed St. Peter under him, head of the Church on earth; and that the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, St. Peter's successor, holds the same high rank, and is possessed of a real spiritual superiority and authority in the Catholic Church, to keep all in the one faith, and conduct the faithful in the way to heaven; which spiritual superiority is perfectly distinct from the civil rights of princes and states. But that the Pope is infallible in matters of faith, when teaching the whole Church, even after he has maturely examined the scriptures and tradition, and consulted his best divines, about a point called in question, as many theologians affirm, while others deny it, is a thing which has nothing to do with the Roman Catholic faith. The Roman Catholic rule of faith is, the word of God, handed down to us by scripture and tradition, as it is understood, believed, and taught by the universal Church diffused throughout the world, or convened in a General Council. To whatever point of

1 Concil. Trid. Sess. 25. Decretum de Indulgentüs.

doctrine, the universal church bears testimony, as a revealed truth, this every Roman Catholic believes by divine faith. A greater testimony, they think, even taken in a human light, cannot be desired, than the common consent of all churches throughout the world, united with their head, assuring them, that such an article is a revealed truth, handed down to them from the apostles; and taking it in a supernatural light, they know that the church is, by virtue of the divine promises, supernally assisted in preserving and teaching the truths which were originally revealed to her.

Such is the infallibility on which Roman Catholics ground their faith, and not on that of the Pope: much less do they believe that the Pope has any civil jurisdiction, power, or superiority, directly or indirectly over any kingdom or state not his own, or that he can, upon any pretext whatsoever, absolve or dispense with the subjects of any other state or kingdom from their oath of allegiance.1

1

However little dependance seems to be placed on such professions of the Roman Catholics, yet I believe it is the opinion of all those in this country, that his majesty is the lawful sovereign of all his Roman Catholic subjects, and that, by every divine and human law, they owe him true, dutiful, active, and unreserved allegiance. The formal decision of six Roman Catholic Universities on this subject, is not, perhaps, very generally known. It may therefore be observed here, that in the year 1788, a committee of the English Catholics waited on Mr. Pitt, respecting their application for a repeal of the penal laws, 'when he requested to be furnished with authentic evidence, of the opinions of the Roman Catholic Clergy, and

The obedience required of them, and promised to him, in their profession of faith is, true obedience; that is, in things, which are neither against the laws of God, nor of one's country, and which he has a

the Roman Catholic Universities abroad," on the existence and extent of the Pope's dispensing power." Three questions were accordingly framed, and sent to the Universities of Paris, Louvain, Alcala, Douay, Salamanca, and Valadolid, for their opinions. The questions proposed to them were:

"1. Has the Pope, or Cardinals, or any body of men, or any individual of the Church of Rome, any civil authority, power, jurisdiction, or pre-eminence, whatsoever, within the realm of England?

"2. Can the Pope, or Cardinals, or any body of men, or any individual of the Church of Rome, absolve or dispense with his majesty's subjects from their oath of allegiance, upon any pretext whatsoever?

"3. Is there any principle in the tenets of the Catholic faith, by which Catholics are justified in not keeping faith with heretics, or other persons differing from them in religious opinions, in any transaction, either of a public or a private nature?"

The Universities answered unanimously,

"1. That the Pope, or Cardinals, or any body of men, or any individual of the Church of Rome, has not any civil authority, power, jurisdiction, or pre-eminence whatsoever, within the realm of England.

"2. That the Pope, or Cardinals, or any body of men, or any individual of the Church of Rome, cannot absolve or dispense with his majesty's subjects from their oath of allegiance, upon any pretext whatsoever.

"3. That there is no principle in the tenets of the Catholic faith, by which Catholics are justified in not keeping faith with heretics, or other persons differing from them in religious opinions, in any transactions either of at public or a private nature."

right to command. As he is, by being head of the church, the common father and pastor of all Roman Catholics; so his particular Church, the apostolic see, is acknowledged to be the mother and mistress of all Roman Catholic Churches.

By acknowledging that one receives all the other things defined by the sacred Canons and General Councils, is meant all things defined, regarding faith and morals, but not all things regarding discipline. The Roman Catholic Church always taught, that without true faith, none can be saved; and that heresy, according to St. Paul, as well as adultery unrepented of, excludes one from heaven :-and this is all that a Roman Catholic has to believe on this head.—And no Christian is thought a heretic by Roman Catholics, but he who obstinately holds an error contrary to an article of faith, and is not disposed to believe that article, although it should be pointed out to him as a revealed truth, with sufficient motives of credibility.1

These are the tenets which distinguish the Roman Catholics from all and every other sect of Christians whatsoever. Whoever wishes to see

1 S. August. Ep. 43.

2

It deserves to be remarked under this head, that the Church of Rome receives most of the books of the Apocrypha as inspired and canonical Scripture; and that the only translation of the Scriptures which she acknowledges for authentic, is St. Jerome's Latin translation of them, which is at this day in the highest degree of reputation

both the dogmatic and the moral parts of Catholi divinity fully expounded, may consult their mos esteemed theologians, and such as are commonly taught in Catholic seminaries. Among these, the incomparable Sum, or abridged body of divinity, of St. Thomas of Aquino, has, since its first appear ance, been in the highest repute with Catholics Honoratus Tournely, one of the Sorbonne doctors composed the greatest part of a course of divinity but having died before it was complete, Peter Collet, a priest of the congregation of the Mission continued and finished it. It is one of the cleares and most methodical bodies of theology that Ca tholics have, and is very justly esteemed. Colle himself wrote a body of divinity, which was com monly taught in the French seminaries before the revolution took place there. Paul Gabriel Antoine also, a Jesuit, published a moral, speculative, and dogmatic theology. It was the one studied in Pro paganda College in Rome, and contains a grea deal of matter in small bulk. The voluminous bodies of theology composed by Suarez a Jesuit Sylvius a French priest, and Concina a Dominican shew them to have been very able divines. The Aearned Jesuit, Cardinal Toletus,-Pontas,-Ha bert,-Gonet,-De Charmes, and the authors of the Conferences of Angers, are very good theolo logians;-Toletus, however, in his Sum, and Pontas in his Cases of Conscience, treat only of morality.'

with Roman Catholics in all countries, under the title of the Vulgate translation.

A brief and clear statement of the Roman Catholic doctrine may be seen in Fleury's Historical Catechism,