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ART. IX. Obfervations on An Appeal from the Proteflant Ajociation to the People of Great Britain. 8vo. I s. Payne. 1780.

NE capital object of complaint, to the members of the Affociation, is, the laxity of the oath now to be adminiftered to Catholics, refpecting the royal prerogative. They are chagrined to think that any accommodation fhould be made for the fake of eafing the fcruples of perfons who are of the Romish communion. There is fomething illiberal (to fay nothing worfe of it) in the umbrage that hath been conceived at this qualifying claufe in the late Act in behalf of the Papifts. The charge on which an objection is grounded, is not only uncandid, but altogether inconfiftent. First, they lay it down for an indifputable pofition, founded on the general principles of the Romish church, and confirmed by the arguments of its moft able cafuifts, that no faith is to be kept with heretics'-that no oaths are binding any longer than the keeping them is confiftent with the good of the church-of which good the priests are the ultimate judges, and to whom is delegated a power of difpenfing with every obligation under which an oath in common life is fuppofed to fubject a perfon who takes it. And yet, notwithstanding thefe maxims of popifh cafuiftry, the gentlemen of the Affociation are very anxious to place the oath to be adminiftered to Catholics upon its original footingguarded as it firft was by an equal refpect to the church and the itate. Now let us afk thefe zealous Proteftants a few plain and fimple queftions, which we wish they would take into ferious confideration at their next meeting. If all oaths are indifferent to the Papifts, why were they defirous to have the old teft repealed? Why did they univerfally refufe to take it? Did they not fubject themselves to great hazards and inconveniencies on account of their refufal? If the Catholics can apply for a dif penfation at any emergency to free them from an obligation in confequence of the moft folemn oaths, wherein lies the neceffity of adminiftering any oath to them at all? It is faid, that nonk can bind them; then why fhould the Affociation be fo eager to fubject them to any? The authority which can loofen the obligation of one, can diffolve the obligations of all: and therefore, on thefe convictions, the Affociators can never mean to propose an oath by way of fecurity to the church or ftate, or as a decifive teft of belief or practice: but only as a temptation to perjury, in cafe an opportunity fhould offer in which a Papist may think himself at liberty to commit it for the good of the church.

We have, we truft, given this matter all the attention we are capable of and on the moft cool and impartial judgment

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we can form of it, we deliver our fentiments with freedom. We are not under the leaft apprehenfion from the growth of Popery in confequence of the late Act in favour of Catholics. It is an Act planned with equal judgment and candour, and will do honour to our ftatute book. Proteftants can never ob. ject to the principles on which it is founded, without expofing themfelves to the charge of inconfiftency: and Proteftant Dif fenters are doubly chargeable with inconfiftency-the grofleft and moft palpable inconfiftency, in endeavouring to obftruct the favour of Parliament in behalf of the Roman Catholics. difcovers a meannefs and jealousy of fpirit which can confer no honour on their caufe: and at the fame time fhews, that they are too little impreffed with a grateful fenfe of the liberties which an indulgent Parliament hath wifely and graciously reftored to them. We are convinced, that the more liberal part of the Diffenters heartily acquiefce in thefe fentiments of toleration as for the other fet, whofe cry is orthodoxy, while their wifh, perhaps, is tyranny, may their power never be equal to their inclinations! And this we hope for the fake of humanity -for the fake of truth and free enquiry; and we trust the anticlimax will not be too glaring if we fay, we entertain this hope -for the fake of the MONTHLY REVIEW.

We were led into this train of reflection by the pamphlet before us, which we carneftly recommend both for the goodness of the defign, and the fkill and ftrength difplayed in the exe B...k.

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ART. X. The Hiftory of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, from the Death of Philip II. King of Spain, to the Truce made with Albert and Ifabella. By William Lothian, D. D. one of the Miniers of Canongate. 4to. 4to. 16 s. Boards. Dodley. 1780.

HE period of hiftory which forms the fubject of the work

interefting

the 16th century, Spain was the moft powerful kingdom of Europe. Her fleets, her armies, and her refources ftruck terror into the neighbouring states, and bad defiance to the collected ftrength of diftant confederacies. The ambition of the Spanish monarchs exceeded the extent and power of their dominions. The active reigns of Charles V. and of Philip II. were continually employed in new projects of conqueft. Both princes were fond of glory; but the first fought it at the head of his armies, in acquiring new acceffions of territory; the fecond afpired at the fame of profound fkill and negociation; and detefting war, fought, by the dark schemes of the cabinet, to extend his royal prerogative, and to destroy the liberties of his fubjects.

When

When a prince of this character obtained poffeffion of the Netherlands, it was natural for him to aim at the deftruction of the free form of government which thefe happy provinces had enjoyed from the earliest times. Particular acts of ufurped power followed one another in uninterrupted fucceffion; and the measures of Philip at length evidently appeared to be the refult of a determined plan of oppreffion. The injured inhabitants of the Netherlands firft murmured, afterwards refifted, and finally revolted against the cruel tyranny of their fovereign. The haughty fpirit of Philip, impatient of the fmallest contradiction, was ill qualified to bear with the rebellion of his fubjets. His anger was till farther irritated against the infurgents. by the difference which prevailed between himfelf and them in matters of religion; the liberal opinions of the reformation. having made an extraordinary progrefs among the industrious and commercial natives of the Low Countries; and Philip being inclined by temper, inftructed by education, and impelled by principle, to regard himself as the firmeft guardian and bulwark of the Romish fuperftition. This dark, gloomy, tyrannical, and fuperftitious prince, abfurdly connecting the irreconcileable interefts of God and of himself, was ready to wreak the utmost fury of his vengeance against them, whom he believed to be equally the enemies of true religion and of lawful government. Immenfe preparations were made, not to correct the errors or to reftore the obedience of his fubjects, but to chaftife their folly, to punifh their crimes, to avenge the accumulated guilt of rebellion and impiety.

The worthless favourites of Philip (according to a custom familiar to the contemptible retainers of a court) flattered him with the affured profpect of fpeedily accomplishing his designs; all Europe believed that he would obtain an easy victory; even the revolted provinces determined to remain in arms from the dictates of a generous defpair, and from a manly refolution to perish with the honourable character of liberty, rather than from any well-grounded expectation of defeating the measures of a prince whofe power feemed irrefiftible.

But contrary to the opinion of Philip, of the provinces, of Europe, and of mankind, all the fchemes of this afpiring potentate were rendered abortive. Providence (for if ever the hand of Providence vifibly exerted itself for the interefts of humanity, it was furely on this occafion) raifed up the firm intrepidity and determined patriotifm of the firft William, Prince of Orange, whofe exalted talents triumphed over the wealth, the power, the pride, and the tyranny of Spain. For thirty years, Philip vainly endeavoured to conquer the pertinacious fpirit of liberty, by the exertions of his braveft troops, and the ableft generals that, perhaps, ever appeared in Europe. Soured

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by disappointment, enfeebled by age, and tormented by remorse, he was not yet forfaken by his pride, and was unwilling to forfake it. In order to gratify the demands of this passion, he exerted his utmost efforts to recover the poffeffion of the Netherlands; but finding all his meafures unfuccefsful, he determined to bestow on another what he himfelf had been unable to acquire. His daughter Ifabella was given in marriage to Albert, Archduke of Auftria, who became the object of this abfurd donation, which took place in 1598, and was foon followed by the death of Philip II.

The efforts of Albert for fubduing the revolted provinces were powerfully feconded by Philip III. who, however, met with no better fortune than his predeceffor. For a period of eleven years, that is, from the time of the donation in 1598 to the truce in 1609, in which the independence of the United Provinces was fully acknowledged, they refifted and overcame all the attempts made against them by land, and in their turn attacked and defeated their enemics by fea. In the midft of an expenfive war they increased their navy, extended their commerce, obtained many valuable fettlements in the caftern territories of the King of Spain, and thus laid thofe folid foundations of opulence, power, and grandeur, which they tranf mitted, with fo much glory, to their posterity.

Such is the fubject which Dr. Lothian had to treat; and it is undoubtedly the nobleft that can be offered to the pen of an hiftorian. The value of the materials, by a fingular combination of good fortune, equals the importance of the fubject. We are not obliged to collect the hiftory of that diftinguished period from the imperfect information of gazettes, or the meagre chronicles of half-inftructed compilers. The most authentic and the most complete documents have been given to the public. Contemporary writers of the higheft reputation have offered their fentiments and their reflections. Men of noble birth, and even those who were invefted with public characters, have defcribed the tranfactions, and related the events, in which they were perfonally concerned. The Reader's fancy will confirm the remark by fuggefting to him the names of Cardinal Bentivoglio, Prefident Jeannin, and the learned and profound Grotjus, whofe philofophical genius places him above every rank and honour that kings and courts can bestow.

With fuch a fubject, and fuch materials, it was to be expected that Dr. Lothian would convey inftruction and entertainment. How far he has done fo, we may fafely leave to the judgment of our leaft inftructed Readers, to whofe criticism we Thall refer a paffage, which, after a careful perufal of the whole performance, appears, to us, to be as unexceptionable, with respect to ftyle and fentiment, as any that could be extracted. The

paffage

paffage contains the arguments ufed in the United Provinces for and against a peace with Spain; and which are, unfortunately, of much the fame nature with thofe that might at present be ufed in America for and against a peace with England.

Those who maintained that a peace would, at prefent, be difadvantageous to the Confederates, faid, that they were poffeffed of great and certain funds during a war, which, with the affiftance of their allies, would be fufficient for continuing it with hopes of fuccefs; whereas a peace would fo much reduce thefe funds, that they would not be fufficient for the maintenance of their garrisons, and fuch other charges as were abfolutely neceffary for the prefervation of the peace; that by this means, they would be defpifed by their neighbours; and, on account of their weakness, be exposed to all kinds of injuries. One principal fund that would be thus reduced, was the taxes upon confumption, or upon all the neceffaries of life, which amounted, during the war, to five millions five hundred thoufand livres a-year. It was fuppofed, that the people who were accustomed to pay these taxes through fear of an enemy, and as the only means of their own fecurity, would not pay them during a peace; that they would confider their being in alliance with two great kings as fufficient for their fafety; and imagine, there would be no neceffity for forts and garrifons. These taxes would likewife diminish, as foon as the troops, who paid them as well as others, fhould be reduced from fix:y thoufand to ten or twelve thousand; and by many merchants and artifans, if trade was free from one province to another, retiring out of the jurifdiction of the General Eftates; and particularly, the Roman Catholics, if they were not allowed the exercise of their religion. Other taxes, likewife, fuch as thofe for convoys, licences, and dues of Admiralty, and which yielded, yearly, from feventeen to eighteen hundred thousand livres, would decrease, because the Archdukes Commiffioners had declared, that they would never confent to their being paid by their fubjects; because, in this event, thefe taxes must be alfo taken off the inhabitants of the United Provinces, otherwife the whole trade would center in Antwerp; and even other princes would not fuffer them to be demanded of their fubjects. Another fund was the tax paid by houfes and lands, very high at prefent, and thought infupportable, which muft, in time of peace, be reduced; fo that, in ead of yielding, as now, about two millions of livres, it could not be rated above one half of that fum. The laft article confifted of contributions raifed from the enemy's country, which, amounting to fix hundred thoufand livres a year, mut ceale along with the hoftilities. Another argument was, that the mafters of ships, and failors, to the number of forty thoufand, who had been accustomed to war, would lofe all their military fpirit; become mere merchants; and many of them enter into the fervice of the King of Spain. Laftly, it was urged, that peace would occafion many animofities and divifions, of which their enemies would not fail to take advantage.

The party who, on the other hand, contended for peace, maintained, that the weakness to which it was fuppofed the Confederates would be reduced, was wholly imaginary, Though the principal

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