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controversy seemed to be forgotten, the right reverend Prelate thought proper to descend into the field himself, and point his spear against the popish shield of the Remarker. In a letter to his Clergy, he endeavoured to refute the Catholic doctrine respecting the eucharist, to give a plausible meaning to the doctrine of the church of England on the same subject, and to fasten on his adversary the guilt of his misrepresentation. This letter provoked a reply, under the title of "Remarks on a late

Pamphlet, entitled, the Grounds on which the "Church of England separated from the Church "of Rome, reconsidered." It closes the present collection.

The fate of the last publication was similar to that of its elder brother. It was assailed by a number of writers, both with and without names. Of these, the most distinguished, if not by the public, at least by their patron, were the "Parochial Minister," and the Rector of Newnton Longville. To the former the Remarker could not, to the latter he would not reply. What cannot be understood, cannot be answered. The Parochial Minister had called his publication "Three more Pebbles fresh "from the Brook; or, the Romish Goliah slain with "his own Weapon:" nor were the contents of the work any disgrace to the title. It faithfully observed the precept of Horace :

Servetur ad imum,

Qualis ab incepto processerit, et sibi constet.

To Mr. Le Mesurier he did not conceive it neces

sary to reply. Notwithstanding the confident denial of that gentleman, he trusted his readers would give him credit for the knowledge of his own belief; and after so many replies and rejoinders, he thought it time that this religious war should terminate. In that opinion he was happy to find himself supported by the conduct of the right reverend Prelate himself, who, in his next Charge, though he took care to mention, did not think it proper to resume, the controversy.

Against the Remarker it has been repeatedly urged by most of his adversaries, that he is an unfair disputant; that he has disguised the real doctrines of his church; that he has attempted to deceive the credulity of his readers, by presenting them with a false but flattering portrait of the Catholic creed. He will reply, that the Charge is both improbable and unfounded. It is improbable, because the fraud could be productive of little benefit, and must have been the cause of much mischief. He is not so weak-sighted a politician as to purchase a momentary victory, at the expense of future defeat and lasting infamy. Had he descended to so disingenuous an artifice, it must soon have been detected, and the detection would have necessarily served to confirm the hostility of the Protestant, and to loosen the attachment of the Catholic, to that cause which he had undertaken to defend. Neither does he hesitate to say that it is unfounded, and to stake his character on the accuracy of the assertion. For this purpose he has been induced to prefix his name to the present edition.

The right reverend Prelate, in his last address to his clergy, was induced to hail as "a favourable "omen the abhorrence which papists express in

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general terms against the charges of idolatry,

blasphemy, sacrilege, and impiety;" and to cherish a hope that "such dispositions might ulti"mately lead to the long desired measure of Ca"tholic union between two so large portions of "the church of Christ as the churches of England

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and Rome." That were indeed a consummation devoutly to be wished: and as a preliminary step, to which no candid man will object, it may be requested, that the Protestant prelates would condescend to learn the Catholic doctrines from the Catholics themselves, and would renounce the right which they so frequently claim and exercise, of dictating to us the articles of our belief. Let them distrust the assertions of interested polemics, and venture to study our creed in some of those authors, who have carefully distinguished the doctrines of our church, both from the erroneous tenets attributed to us by our adversaries, and the unauthorised opinions of private individuals in our communion.* This would, indeed, require the sacrifice of many prejudices, to which education and reading have given the form of undoubted truth: but that sacrifice would be amply repaid by its beneficial effects. It would shew them that the partition wall, which has hitherto divided the two.

*Such as Holden, Analysis fidei; Veron, Regula fidei; Bossuet, Exposition de la doctrine de l'eglise Catholique; and An Essay on Catholic Communion, by a Minister of the Church of England.

churches, is not composed of such stubborn materials as they have been taught to believe; and that if on some points the doctrines of Catholics and Protestants are opposed to each other, yet on many the opposition is more imaginary than real. It would sweep away the rubbish which has been accumulated during three centuries of religious altercation, and would do more towards the effecting of a Catholic union, than the preaching of fifty charges, replete with the misrepresentations of antiquated controversialists.

But this Preface must not be closed without some notice of another objection, which, with much real or affected indignation, has been urged against the Remarker: that he has not treated his adversaries with that respect which they may justly claim. He may reply with truth, that his object was not so much to wound their feelings, as to teach them to respect the feelings of others. The Charge of the Bishop of Durham was not certainly of a nature to excite very pleasurable sensations. Infallible in his decisions, the right reverend Prelate convicted, without ceremony, the great body of christians at the present day, and with them their predecessors through a long succession of ages, of many of the worst crimes of which human nature is capable,-of idolatry, of sacrilege, of blasphemy, of impiety, &c. &c. &c. His advocates were eager to tread in his footsteps; and most of them improved on his example. With pious industry they raked together the filth of ancient controversy, and poured it without mercy on the Remarker and the church,

of which it is his pride to be a member. Certainly men who deal so copiously in hard words, should not complain, if they sometimes meet with them in return. If they demand respect themselves, let them also respect a much more numerous society of christians, who have no reason to think themselves their inferiors in talents, learning, or judgment.

Yet let it not be thought that the Remarker is an advocate for what the bishop has called "impassioned controversy." He believes that the discussion of religious subjects may be conducted with temper and forbearance; and under this impression he has reviewed the following pages, and carefully expunged the few passages which he thought might reasonably give offence. If he has occasionally laughed at the errors, the wiles, or the zeal of his adversaries, he trusts the reader will not condemn him.

Quid vetat?

Ridentem dicere verum

Homby, Feb. 20th, 1813.

THE preceding observations regard only the first collection of Tracts, which was confined to the controversy arising out of the Charge delivered by the Bishop of Durham: in the present, several others by the same author, relating to the civil or religious principles of the Catholics, have been added.

Homby, Nov. 10th, 1825.

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