principle impated by fome Proteftant writers to Roman Catholics, that a grievous fin of their Catholic fovereign from Although it be impoffible to pleafe God without faith, it will not avail us to falvation, unless enlivened by cha would free the in a their allegiance rity operating by the love of God above. to him, whilti 2 enmity with God. Sach were indeed the criminal and feditious doctrines of Wycliffe and Hus; but fuch, dear brethren, is not the doctrine of our holy religion, which condemns them and the abfurdity of thie conclufion demonftrates the fallity of the principle, and premifes from which it is fairly deduced *.200t We have foleainly abjured the odious tenets imputed to us, after the example of the primitive Clirillians, who were likewife mifreprefented. What but our refulal to take oaths, and fign declarations which we confider contrary to the faith delivered by the Saints, excludes us from fharing with our fellow-fubjects all the offices, privileges, and honours of the flate? Can there be a more convincing proof of our confcientious determination to offerve the oaths we have taken, than our refufal to take other oathe which our confcience condemns +? A late eminent Proteftant divine has ftated, that individuals Catho lics may be better than the of contrary is the fact for Roman Catholics become guilty before God and inan, in the exact ratio of tranfgreflion against the tenets of their religion, which enjoin or recommend every good, and condemn every evil action or intention of the prince or the peafant, of the rich or the poor, without diftinction of perfons or countries, the tenets of the Roman Catholics being exactly the fame in every part of the world. their religion : the tenets o all, and of all mankind as ourselves. The Gospel benevolence embraces the human kind of every country, of every religion; ever even infidels and Our very enemies, and the enemies of our faith. Difference of religion can never juftify or excufe, the violation of charity. It cannot encourage or permit diiloyalty to the Sovereign, nor difobedience to. lawful fuperiors, becaufe fubordination and obedience to rulers is a moral duty commanded by God and the Church. Our prayers, therefore, are to be addreffed to the Almighty for all and, in the first place, for the King and Royal Family, for our chief Governor and all that are in high flation. Let your fupplications and acts of penance, particularly on Wednesday next, afcend to the throne of mercy, as incenfe in the prefence of the Lord, to render him propitious to us and to these kingdoms -Befeech him to ftrengthen your loy alty, and enable you to exemplify, it by a determined, unanimous, and vi gorous oppofition to any invading enemy, and by a peaceable, orderly demeanour for is only by refpect for lawful authority, that you can hope to enjoy internal tranquillity, and prevent the horrors infeparable from anarchy. Preferve us, O Lord, from this, the greatelt of all temporal calamities and vouchtafe in thy mercy, to profper his Majelty's arms, and direct his councils for the attainment of a fpeedy, general, honorable, and permanent peace! Amen. J.T. TROY. SIDEDE Dublin, O&. 10, 1803. na * " History and experience prove, that this outcry against Catholics as persecutors is generally heard from men of intolerant principles, who make use of it as a pretext for perfecuting them." R. Rey. Doctor Milner's Letters 10 a Prebendary; Letter IV, at the end of it. It is worthy of remark, that Galway and Kerry, the most Catholic counties in Ire land, were the leaft infected with rebellion. The late Dr. Woodward, bithop of Cloyne, in Prefent State of the Church of Ireland. Wickham, lately published in D. In A Letter from a Teoman to the Right Hcing the duty of allegiance to 66 Dublin, the writer ftates (p. 39) th 39) that Dr. Troy, er Infidel, Mahometan or Chriflian rulers of any denomination, in his printed exhortation of July laft, feemingly places the Proteftant Reformed Religion," of the Church of the fame footing with Infidelity. The Letter-writer has not difcovered what was plain and obvious to other readers, that the tendency of Dr. Troy's reasoning was to prove, that, if Roman Catholics be commanded by God and their Church to obey Infidel lawful rulers, as they certainly are, they cannot poffibly excufe their rebellion to a Christian prince. This is an argument termed a fortiori, by logicians; if the tetter writer's misapprehenfion could be fupported, a Roman Catholic might with equal feston charge Dr. Troy with having ranked the Roman Catholic Religion with Infidelity, as the words or Chriftianirulers of any denomination, evidently comprehend Roman Catholics. Perhaps the Letterwriter may clafs them with Idolaters, as fome Proteftants affect to du. Mr. its reverberations, the very fame effects are re-produced. In like manner, thole confufed recollections of the brute, above recited, fo far keep their place, as by the lighteft incident to be again recalled, and put in motion. We may form fomne vague idea how this takes place, by obferving what paffes within ourfelves, when any thing has been forgotten which we again with to recall. It is a fomething, we know not what; reafon here has no fcope for action; we pass on inftinctively; there is an impreffion of fone object on the mind, but all is darkness; in a moment, that object prefents itself, and the whole train of recollections again returns. This will at once, I think, enable us to difcriminate between reafon and inftinct. Whilft reafon has a heginning, a middle, and d an end, and can command itfelf in all its various parts; inftinct, on the contrary, does not govern, but is governed, is actuated altogether by extraneous caufes, and exifts not but for the purpofes of mere animal life. Inftinct, then, is infeparable (as a diftinct principle) from that matter to which it is united; while reafon can, in a manner, abftract itself from it, and even, whilft united to the body, act for itfelf alone. Inftinct, therefore, dies; but reafon, when its mortal tabernacle fhall be diffolved, will ftill exift, exempted from all earthly imperfection, in the very effence of the foul. Having mentioned dreams, may not the inftinctive reflections of brutes pafs on fomewhat in that unconnected manner which we often experience in a dream, as different objects prefent themfelves to their fenfes? There is like wife an inferior inftinct, which, although it is more uniform in operation, is purely mechanical in its effects; as in the bee; and which, in animals of they have derived fatisfaction from the retrofpect; but this, I fear, cannot be the cafe with all. A very great propor tion of mankind, if they have attempted to recollect the events of an expiring year, have been able to recollect little that will bear examination, or afford pleafure. They enter chearfully, howe ever, on the commencement of another period, in hopes of doing what they never did before, of employing time fo that it may not be wafted, and of performing acts which may be remembered without fhame. There are few to whom a new year does not bring new refolutions, and new promifes of amendment; but whether thefe have no better founda tion than in the gaiety of the feafon, when accompanied with its harmlefs indulgences; or whether fuch vows, however finceré, are untimely hroken in its exceffes; it frequently happens that the new year brings no remarkable acceffion of wisdom or happiness, and, like its predeceffors, affords only new proofs of human weakness and levity. Yet, in whatever manner time is trifled away, and however imperceptibly days, weeks, and months, pals over us, we in general think ourselves powerfully interefted in the value of time, when we begin to calculate it by fixed periods, and to reckon for others what they are unwilling to reckon for themfelves. When we afcertain the portion already allotted to us, and compare it with the general diftribution among our fellow creatures, we are compelled to reflect, and to acknowledge, however tranfient or permanent fuch reflection may prove, that our ftock is faft exhaufting, and that fome thing yet remains to be done, which appears to have been the purpofe for the higher claffes, may be fo blended which human beings were furnished with the other, as to produce many of thofe extraordinary actions which appear to exceed the efforts of reafon itself. THE PROJECTOR, No XXVI. Quotidie morimur, quotidie enim demitur aliqua pars vitæ, et tunc quoque, cum crefcimus, vita decrefcit.' SENECA. THE conclufion of the year has nerally been recommended as a proper opportunity to review a part, at leaft, of our past lives. I doubt not that many of my readers have embraced fo natural an occafion; and. I hope GENT.MAG. Supplement, 1803. Ꭰ with reafon, but which has hitherto been neglected; and, if we carry these reflections a little farther, we fhall be fenfible, that our attainment has yet borne no proportion to our anxious purfuit of happiness, and that, whether our hopes have been reafonable or exceffive, life has not yielded us what we were taught to expect. It is faid by our celebrated Moralift, of one of his friends, that he grew first regular, and then pious." The procefs, I believe, is not uncommon. Of Gilbert Walmiley, Eig by Dr. Johnfun. I quef |