the

exposed, and has well described them,―he scrupled not to avow his indignation at proceedings of the lay Catholic assemblies in Dublin, and, with great apparent zeal, sought to encourage his venerable brethren to persist in the consistency of their solemn acts, by instructing and disabusing the ignorant and misguided of their Communion.-But the clouds which gathered round his brethren of Ireland, at the moment of their assembly, in 1808, soon burst on his own head, and his present ephemeral eulogists were then (as they have since, not unfrequently, been)— the foremost in denouncing him as an Apostate, and the tool of a court. This Bishop's situation may be readily conceived, when he avows himself, that he was designated with the opprobrious appellation of "Judas Iscariot,"-" and had nearly escaped being "burnt in effigy."

From this period, to the Parliamentary session of 1809-10,-no incident occurred among the Catholics of England, or their supporters in Parliament, which could have reasonably induced Bishop Milner to have taken a different course, yet, it was not difficult to trace, in his writings, how much he had been affected by the attacks made upon him in Ireland, and how much his subsequent conduct was influenced by them. The Resolutions of the English Catholics, supported, as Bishop Collingridge represents them to have been, then took place, and, upon the one particularly cited by that Prelate, this great change in Bishop Milner's conduct is made to turn. In that resolution,

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alone, he claims to have discovered all which justifies, in his own estimation, the dereliction of his former opinions and conduct altogether!

The Pastoral of Bishop Collingridge will now, probably, be regarded by Bishop Milner, as speaking a language less confident than heretofore, of the equitable intentions of Government, and of Parliament; but those of his communion, who have examined with attention and candour, the material facts attaching to this great-national question, must feel it as a matter of exultation, that His Holiness, himself, has had too many proofs of those intentions, on the part of the British Government, to feel much suspicion of their nature, or alarm at their result.— It is only to be regretted, that those most interested in that result, should have pursued so tortuous a course, and have rested on measures which were only calculated to thwart and traverse the objects of their best friends, and the friends of the peace of their country*.

If Mr. Eustace, with the charity of a Christian of the Communion of Rome, so energetically has spoken

* [St. Augustine writes with more deference to the relations between the Church and the State,-" Pourvu,"-says that learned Doctor of the Church, when speaking of the Church itself,

que le culte du vrai Dieu ne soit pas empêché.-Elle garde garde"elle suit toutes les loix-tous les usages—and toutes les coûtumes "qu'elle trouve dans les différentes nations, qui peuvent contribuer " à acquerir, ou à posseder la paix de la terre.”—(Cité de Dieu, liv. 19. c. 17.)]

of "peace and reconciliation,"-not less may a member of the Established Church of England guide his pacific steps by the corresponding precepts of the Ritual of his own Communion:-nor will the truly paternal and benevolent mind of His Holiness refuse its assent to the very words of that ritual, when it offers up to the throne of the Creator of the universe, the impressive invocation,-that-" All who profess "and call themselves Christians, may be led into "the way of truth-and hold the faith in unity of spirit-in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life."

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With the highest consideration, and respect,

&c. &c. &c.

Rome,-April 2, 1818.

The original "Statement," dated, 1st February, 1818, -together with the Supplementary Note, was presented, by Sir J. C. Hippisley, to His Holiness, P. Pius VII. in person, at a private audience, at the Palace of the Quirinal.

Copies (in English and Italian) were also presented to the Cardinal Litta, Prefect of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide;—and Copies (in Italian) to the Cardinal Consalvi, Secretary of State, and to the Cardinal De Gregorio, likewise a Member of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide.

*

In the preceding "Statement," it is respectfully submitted to His Holiness, whether the proceedings of the Delegate of the "General Board of the Irish Catholics," during his residence at Rome, did not seem to call for an "authoritative official exposi "tion ?"-That such, also, was the opinion of His Holiness, may be collected from a subsequent Pontifical Rescript, addressed to that association, dated 18th Feb. 1818. To those who are apprehensive of an undue influence of the See of Rome upon the minds and conduct of the Roman Catholic Prelacy and Laity of the United Kingdom, a reference to that Rescript, as well as to the anterior Brief, addressed to the Roman Catholic Prelates of Ireland, dated 1st Feb. 1816,-may afford both satisfaction and instruction.

Although, as it has been stated, the four Metropolitans and six senior Roman Catholic Bishops, had, in the year 1799, communicated to the Government of Ireland, their unanimous Resolution, that—" in the appointment of Prelates of the Roman "Catholic Religion, to vacant Sees, such interference of Govern“ment, as may enable it to be satisfied of the loyalty of the person "appointed, is just, and ought to be agreed to."-Nevertheless, at a meeting of the Roman Catholic Prelates in Dublin, on the 23rd and 24th of August, 1815,-they resolved, that" it is our decided and conscientious conviction, that any power "granted to the Crown of Great Britain, of interfering, directly, "or indirectly, in the appointment of Bishops for the Roman